The riddle of Gravy Green was proving more difficult than expected. It was time for Ryan to call in the expert.
Karina.
Ryan navigated through the throngs of schoolchildren as he made his way to Quality Time. He would have to make the discussion quick. After all, there was only a ten minute time-frame.
He entered QT precariously, hoping not to alert Julian who would no doubt converse with him about some 'Star Wars'-related fanfiction. Alas, Julian spotted him.
"Not now, Julian. I am on the hunt for a ruthless killer. Have you seen Karina?" Ryan asked in an urgent tone.
"There she is now!" Julian exclaimed in a joyous tone that completely defied the novel's intended mood.
Ryan was about to speak up when he noticed the action Karina was partaking in. Ryan shook his head in disappointment, but he should have expected this. The butterfly effect had struck again.
"Karina, you really should stop doing your homework in QT" Ryan reminded her.
Karina, without looking up, provided a wave of the hand in a typical "I really don't care or won't ever care what you have to say, Ryan" fashion.
"Karina, this is important" He stated. "You want to be a cryptologist, right?"
At this, she glanced up, obviously irritated. "Cryptographer".
"Yeah, that's what I said" Ryan bluffed while rolling his eyes in an over-dramatic manner. "Anyway, I require your assistance, oh great Cryptologist. There is a riddle in need of solving".
"That has nothing to do with a cryptographer's job. You see, cryptographers actually develop algorithms, encrypt messages and-" Karina went on in a long, drawn out and completely boring sentence.
"Yeah, yeah, that's wonderful. Just help me solve this" Ryan asked in the most polite way he could surmise.
Karina, looking defeated as usual in such arguments with Ryan, agreed. "So, what's the riddle?"
"Who is 'Gravy Green'?" Ryan asked in a mysterious tone.
"You're kidding"
Ryan sensed a lecture on the definition of a riddle and how his question was, in reality, not one at all. "Will you just help me out?"
"Think about the people with 'Green' as their last name" She said.
"No one comes to mind".
"No one?".
"No one".
"It's Gracyn" Karina disclosed in a blunt voice.
"No way. I guess it kind of makes sense. Gracyn - Gravy. The sound is definitely there" Ryan concluded. "I think you're right! By golly, thanks for your amazing help, Karina! I couldn't have done it without you!".
So, Ryan, now with the name of Ali's killer, proceeded with his mission. And he would not stop until vengeance was wrought.
_____
He had arrived at the home of the villain herself. It was time to confront 'Jacob Hockey' once and for all.
Approaching the front door, he realized it was already open. How peculiar. "Anyone home?" Ryan asked in a calm but loud voice.
"Ryan? Is that you?"
It sounded like Breanna.
Ryan entered the house and saw Breanna sitting, watching Jeopardy! on the sofa. Strangely enough, the contestant had just chosen the "Viking Torture Methods" category.
"Hello, Sage- Breanna, I said Breanna" Ryan quickly tried to change the subject. "Hey, do you know where Gracyn might be?" Ryan questioned, trying not to speak in a tone that a vengeance-bringer might utilize.
"Hmm..probably in her room. Why? Have there been some incidencities concerning her?" Breanna asked, worried for her sister.
"No, no, no incidencities have taken place. I just need to ask her something" Ryan blatantly lied.
"Ok. Well I'll be in here, practicing my cartwheels".
Ryan thanked her and made his way to Gracyn's room, the door already open. Gracyn was standing with her back to the entrance, putting away clothes into a drawer.
"Why'd you do it, Gracyn?"
Gracyn whipped around (no, not the dance move) and assumed what looked like a fighting stance. Upon realizing it was Ryan who spoke, she relaxed.
"Why'd you kill Ali? And with a bloody-eagle no less?"
Gracyn initially seemed as if she would try to deny it, but she quickly perceived that Ryan knew the truth of the murder.
"You don't understand...it had to be done" She replied. Ryan thought he detected a hint of guilt on her face.
"But why?"
"Her frickity-fracking puns...they were just so freaking awful".
Ryan agreed, but made no comment on the puns. "There had to be more to it than that. Otherwise, a simple stab would have done the trick".
Gracyn sighed again, then began. "This may seem hard to freaking believe, Ryan, but the truth is...I am a flipping secret agent". She waited for a reaction from him but it did not come.
"Yes, I gathered as much. So, there were orders from high up to kill Ali. Not for the puns though, but for something else".
She nodded, but said nothing except another "dirty" cuss word under her breath.
"The one thing I don't understand is...what do I have to do with it?"
For the first time in the conversation, Gracyn looked confused. "What the crumbcake do you mean?"
"Don't act like you don't know! The warnings, the threats...I know who you really are...JACOB HOCKEY!" Ryan gasped for dramatic effect.
But Gracyn still looked as confused as before. In fact, not the slightest recognition of the name 'Jacob Hockey' could be seen on her face.
"I have no idea what the shnookerdookies you are talking about"
And for some odd reason, Ryan believed her. Maybe it was the tone of her voice. Maybe it was her expression. Maybe it was the use of the explicit shnookerdookies.
"Well then...who is Jacob Hockey?" Ryan wondered.
Gracyn sighed, AGAIN, and then spoke. "It's time I revealed my true mission, young grasshopper. I was sent here to spy on a certain group of people who pose a threat to the universe's very existence".
"And who might they be?"
"Ali was one of them. She had to be taken out for fear of her discovering my cover". Gracyn revealed.
"And the others?"
"People. People with an elite set of skills. One might dare to call them...Ninjas. And I suspect that my own sister is one of them."
"You don't mean...Breanna?" Ryan's eyes grew wide in disbelief. But he knew it was true.
Ryan bolted into the living room with Gracyn close behind him. What he saw next, he would remember for the rest of his days.
Breanna was nowhere in sight. Instead, laying on the couch was a dead man who had been murdered with the same method mentioned so many times before. Bloody-eagling. For some reason, he doubted she had been practicing her cartwheeling.
It was Ryan's friend, Jacob. And in both of his hands were hockey sticks.
The message couldn't be clearer.
This was the gruesome calling card of 'Jacob Hockey'.
This was the work of Breanna; the Bloody-eagle Butcher.
