Seraph

AU Pt 10 - 1936 - Not an Update

It didn't take long for people to notice the fire. They screamed and banged on doors to alert others to escape. Soon, there was intense knocking at Serafina's door, which Luther answered. He had been over many times in the past with his wife or his son, so the neighbor who lived next to Rosalie's apartment recognized him immediately. His name was Mr. Kennedy.

Mr. Kennedy peered inside to see Serafina sitting on the living room coffee table with some cards. She appeared to be taking a peek at her father's cards while he was at the door. "Luther! You and Serafina have gotta get outta here! The place is on fire! It looks like it's comin' from Royce's place. Mr. Belmont down the hall says he saw Frankie Medici and one of his cronies clear outta there before the place went up. I tried knockin' but they ain't openin' the door," he said while coughing.

The smoke was now filling the halls. But Serafina had heard what he had said. "What?" she shrieked as she stood from her spot. "But Rosalie and William went back home tonight!" she said, hurrying to the door.

"What?" Mr. Kennedy asked. But Luther pulled his distraught daughter back.

"Sera, go! Don't worry, we'll try to get Rosalie and William, but you head on downstairs first!" Luther insisted.

Serafina reluctantly agreed, heading over to Mrs. Kennedy as the two waited at the end of the hall. She explained why the two men were attempting to break into Royce's apartment. This drew Mrs. Kennedy's concern as well. The two pretended to go toward the stairs, but were so worried, they lingered to watch.

They watched as the two men kicked down the door to Royce's apartment, but the flames were so intense that they weren't able to move forward. They could hear a creak underfoot that caused them to retreat. He apologized repeatedly to Serafina, who cried for her friend and the sweet boy she knew to be inside as he dragged her to safety.

The fire crews were paid off to wait a bit before arriving. They knew to stop the spread of the fire as much as possible when they arrived, and immediately set to work once they got there. No one would question the delay; it wasn't that significant. However, to the crews, it was enough time to dispose of the evidence.

After the bodies were found, the investigation was underway. Chief Swan questioned everyone who might know something, including Serafina, who spun a tale of flirtation with Frankie and admitted to the horrible nature of Royce. She explained that while she was Rosalie's friend, he still tried to flirt with her on occasion. She assured him she shut it down immediately and had even told Rosalie. But she was sure he had other women he cheated on her with.

Others confirmed the same, including some of his mistresses. It seemed Royce even had two other children on the side with two different women. It was a mess. Frankie Medici was arrested for the murder of Royce, Rosalie, and William. The King family set to work to try to clear their son's name in death, but with the Medici countering everything they did to try to whitewash him, it wasn't working.

People were divided on who was truly at fault for the entire incident. In comparison, the Kings tried to use their friends in high places to keep things hidden while bringing their son's murderer to justice. The Medici used not only their name, money, and influence to get the best defense. They also used their muscle to strong-arm and intimidate those they could.