Another Fortnight Lost in America

Down to Business, Back to Port Townsend

"How do we know he's not in on it?" Charles questioned, as he examined the entrance of the warehouse from top to bottom, turning up his nose when he found nothing from mold. "You'd think he'd be able smell his own filth with kitty senses and all."

"Charles," Edwin admonished. Crystal covered her mouth to stifle the scoff she accidentally released at Charles' complaint. Edwin didn't hesitate to turn his glare in her direction and she could only mouth sorry in apology.

"I'm just saying...we have the ability to travel through mirrors, we could go anywhere we want," Charles said. "And yet we're in a moldy warehouse in a town we spent weeks in against our will."

"And what of Crystal?" Edwin said, the girl in question muttering a sarcastic "thank you" at his consideration. "Magic bracelet aside, the time we spent here was not all to waste."

There was a moment of silence as the trio turned their thoughts to their lost member. They rarely spoke of Niko, especially Edwin, who seemed to take her death the hardest. When the Japanese girl did come up, there was always a pause as all three crumpled into their own feelings of grief before swallowing it all to move on. In these moments, Edwin would slide his hand into his right coat pocket to touch the piece of maroon sea glass his friend had gifted him.

"Red for courage," she had told him back then. Now, each time his fingertips made contact with the smooth surface, he felt warmth surge up his arm and engulf the rest of his body. He liked to imagine it was Niko's way of hugging the grief out of him. He had always assumed when living people spoke of their deceased loved ones following them in spirit, they were being haunted. The loss of Niko led him to consider other possibilities. She wasn't there as a ghost, but she was there in spirit.

"You're right, mate," Charles said quietly. "Sorry."

"Besides," Crystal said jokingly in hopes of lightening the mood, "What kind of ghosts could possibly need our help in a place like Belize?"

"Plenty, I'm sure," Charles snarked back. Edwin chuckled at their banter before making his way further into the abandoned warehouse.

The Cat King, Thomas, had told them he and his cats had moved but hadn't said where, a missing piece of information that irked both Charles and Edwin. In fact, the entire exchange with the shapeshifter had left them both feeling irritated and stretched thin.

"Chloe, Sam, Sophia, Marcus," he listed their names off one by one, looking smug at the idea of being questioned by the Dead Boy Detective agency.

"What about the other two?" Edwin questioned.

"What other two?" The Cat King looked taken aback.

"You said there were six cats unaccounted for," Crystal responded, already looking done with the entire situation. "That's only four names."

"Oh, right," he said, tapping his chin in thought. "The other two didn't really have names."

"Why not?" Charles asked.

"Didn't want 'em," the Cat King answered. "They were just cats."

Edwin felt his brow furrowed in confusion and looked to Charles only to see his face displaying the same expression. "They didn't want names or you didn't want them?"

"Does it really matter?" He asked on the edge of feeling provoked.

"This is an investigation," Edwin could tell from Charles' voice that the boy was losing patience. "On your behalf I might add so, yes, it bloody matters."

"Thomas, what Charles is trying to say is that we need all the details in order to determine where to begin," Edwin said in an attempt to remedy the growing tension.