The Time

Chapter twenty six

I found myself at an emotional standstill as I lingered there on the stairs. Up? Down? Neither?
My body seemed to make the decision for me eventually though as I grabbed the ankles of the body lying before me and dragged him back to the dining room.
Despite the fact he was already dead, I felt the need to be careful and not hurt him on this little bumpy journey - because of bloody course I knew him.

The dude's name was was Eliot Marsh and he went from being Milo's first partner, to Milo's first partner. So of course Quin specifically would call Smiler 'he' while everyone else called him 'it'. And of course Quin would not have considered killing him until it got to a point where not killing him endangered the life of someone else important to him.
It all made sense the more I thought about it-

A voice! It was very quiet and as I silently reached the bottom of the stairs, I let Eliot down gently and crept to the doorway of the dining room from which the voice was omitting.
"Virtue. I know you're not dead. I tested you. You won't remember; you were beaten unconscious. I'd say I'm sorry about that... But I'm not. So why don't you respawn for me. We need to have a little talk. I know the exact time it takes me to come back and I know the exact time it takes you. It should be any... Second... Now- Ah, there we go!"
A deflated gasp filled the room and seemed to flood my body like if Virtue was alive, that meant that Destiny would be okay. A selfish thought really, but one I could live with.
By this point, I should have probably made myself know but me, being the nosey motherfucker that I am, stayed hidden, curious to know what this talk was about. I should never have been so concerned with what was to be said.

"Jones Virtue, you've returned! How marvellous!" Velvet trilled, the sound of him starting to walk round in his egotistical bad guy manor all too familiar.
"Yeah, and you'll untie me now or you'll get to endure just how marvellous my return can be." Virtue spat back in his threatening drawl.
"Will you reenact your painting for me? A bit melodramatic, don't you think?"
"Art critic now, are we? Was kidnapping not paying enough?"
I manoeuvred round to get a better look at the scene without being seen.
"I don't think kidnapping is the right word for what I did to our little friend. I was just... Borrowing Destiny-"
"'Borrowing' implies you were going to give him back. And that he's an object; just another piece on your giant game of chess, and I suppose you're the king?"
"Ha!" Velvet snorted. "Then you're a Queen! But I see this more as a card game; there's always an Ace round the corner..."

My breath caught in my throat and I tried hard to stifle it. I must not be found. I must not be found. I must-

"And what about Smiler? That creature? Where do you think that's gone, eh?" Virtue ranted furiously. "Or have you just forgotten about being eaten alive? 'Cause I certainly haven't."
"I can't hear the creature, can you?" There was an obvious tremble in his words at the mention of it. "I think it might be a little preoccupied with someone else at the moment."

He didn't know how right he was and as the conversation continued, I let out my breath with the knowledge that my location was still unknown to them. But I'll tell you something, I'm suddenly very sick of these bloody card puns!

"So down to business." Velvet stated as if this was nothing more than a common business meeting. "When you threatened me earlier, I didn't appreciate it. Destiny is alive and well and, for the time being, so are you. So there was really no need for it!"
He spoke in the condescending way of a mad man and I could already tell something was more not right than I'd originally realised; Velvet was planning something.
"After everything you've done to me and especially to Des, you can't pretend that you don't deserve everything I threatened and more!" Jones snarled.
"Maybe so... And I would love to talk about it more. Really, I would. But if our dearest friends decide to return, I don't plan on being here. They plan on killing me, don't you know! So I will say what I've wanted to for ever so long." Pause for dramatic effect. "I know know who your parents are. I know who Destiny's parents are. I know when you die. I know how you die. And I know that you will never get your revenge..."

And here was my chance. Velvet was making his exit after leaving the classic bombshell, sparking an enigma and potential sequel.
His boots tapped towards me.
Click... Click...
Click... Click...
Click... Click...

But he knew I was here all along and he sees me and winks and before I can react, he unsheathes the knife from his belt and runs back to Virtue, who's tied to a chair, and plunges the weapon into his stomach.

Jones Virtue is not coming back from this.

Neither is Destiny.

Neither is Milo.

Neither is Velvet.

Neither am I.