Crimson Trance (Black Butler)

Crimson Trance (ch. 25)

I knit my eyebrows in concern. Tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear, I walked over to the body, putting my fingers on vital areas, "Impossible," I said, "He's not dead or else, I would have-"

I stopped, remembering others were in the room. "Ciel," I cleared my throat, "What's the meaning of this?"

"We haven't a clue," He answered.

I looked to the others. Von Siemens had no pulse. He had no pulse but he was alive.

'So, what's with the fit earlier sis?" Grell asked.

'You knew he was German. You knew he was near the fire. What happened?"

'It's just like Romeo and Juliet,' Grell said.

'You bastard, did you do something?' I asked.

'No! Why?' He whined.

I looked on the ground. "Lady Gwen, if you could..." Mei-rin took my shoulders and moved me aside.

Finny and Bard had a stretcher, preparing to move the body away. I watched. "It doesn't make sense..." I whispered.

"The Yard won't be showing up for a while," Lau said, looking out the window, showing the sheets of rain, lightning and thunder.

"How are we suppose to get out of here?!" Woodley asked.

Lau shook his head, "We were all planning to sleep the night so all is fine,"

"No! All is not fine!" Woodley replied, upset, "We're like sitting ducks here!"

"Now that you think of it, isn't it reasonable to say," Earl Grey said, "That the murderer is one of us?"

Everyone became silent.

"Th-This is a Joke!" Grimsby asked.

"Lady Diaz?" Sebastian called her out, "Is there something?"

"What if the murderer came through the window? They locked the door to buy their escape time and climbed back through the window?"

"Not possible," Earl Grey said, "They would have left tracks. And even if it did happen, the windows are locked and the room is on the second floor,"

"Well it's not us!" Grimsby held Irene closely.

"Not you? You were having a quarrel with him inside the dining hall!"

"Take back your false accusation!" Grimsby yelled back, "I wouldn't do such a petty thing!"

"Grimsby!" Irene called to settle him down.

"Settle down," Lau said, "We'll just hear out the alibis,"

Ciel and I made eye contact. We didn't have any alibis.

"Irene and I were in Billiards room," Grimsby said.

"I was in there too," Earl Grey said.

"So were me and Mr. Philps," The Wordsmith said, tending to the fainted Mr. Philps.

"Mr. Woodley, Ran Mao and I were in the dining room drinking wine," Lau said, "Isn't that right, Mao?"

"That's right!" Mr. Woodley said, "And we ran out of whine and called for the Butler to fetch us more at 12:10!"

"Us servants were cleaning together!" Mei-rin said.

"Foremost and first, this manor is giant. It would take a while for one of us to find the room so one of us would have to know our way around," Grimsby pointed out.

"Which leaves...." Earl Grey turned to Ciel and I, "You two,"

Ciel and I looked at each other. I was with Grell. But who would take that answer?

"Excuse me for asking," Lau said, "But what were you two doing at the time?"

"It is true that neither of us have an alibi but we have no motivation for killing Mr. Von Siemens," Ciel spoke.

"I want some insurence," Earl Grey said, "I want to be insured that I'll leave this manor alive,"

"What do you mean by that?" Irene said, startled by The Earls skeptical behavior.

"What if we're all 'gagged' before the storm calms?" The Earl asked.

"Then, we confine Them," Lau said.

"Confine?" Everyone was confused.

"I'll check up-" Sebastian started to say.

"No," Earl Grey said, "The servants might try and help the young earl escape. We can't leave him in his room either. There might be secret get aways in his room. We'll have to have someone look over him,"