Lockwood

The Living Room

It was three days since the Lockwood's run in with Ezra Fay. With each passing day the weather grew only more dreary and cold. The snow piles now reached above the height of a child and if Valiance cared to go outside she would find icicles the length of her arm hanging at the Manor's ledges. Victorious had left early that morning to visit a friend who was just returning from the navy. He initially wanted to introduce Valiance to him as well, but she was adamant not to be forced out of the estate again, so he went alone. Valiance enjoyed being the only one in the house. She liked knowing that the only noise in the house was coming from her, that the creak on the stairs were her fault. 

She was in the library searching the shelf a fourth time when she heard the door to the front entrance slam shut. She quickly scanned the shelf one last time before giving up and going to see what the matter was. She exited the library and started walking towards the foyer when Victorious emerged. 

"Did everything go alright?" She called out to his back. His jacket still was dusted with snow and his boots dripped onto the carpeted hall. Victorious halted for a brief moment but continued to walk. Valiance followed him down the hall and into the living room where Victor immediately headed for the liquor in the corner. "Is everything going well with the captain?" She tried again.

After he pored himself a drink, Victorious slouched down into the yellow sofa. "The damned fool," he replied.

Valiance walked around the room to the chair opposite her brother and cautiously took a seat. Afternoon drinking was not something Victorious often took part in and it made her uneasy when he broke routine. "Why don't you try to start at the beginning? Is the captain in good health?"

Victorious glanced at his sister, a smile of contempt playing at the corner of his mouth, "Oh, yes, Captain Langley is doing just fine. Great even. So great that he has managed to accommodate a large amount of debt. He has been off the waters for six days and in that amount of time he has managed to make more enemies than you and I have made in our lifetimes! The damned fool!" 

"Ah," Val murmured as she rose from her chair to grab herself a drink, "let me guess, he asked you for money?" She downed a shot of whiskey. 

The expression on Victors melted, replacing it was one of sadness. "I'm sure he would have if he had been given the chance. Right before he could our conversation was," he paused, "interrupted."

Valiance, now seated, leaned in towards her brother. She could tell he wanted to leave their conversation at that but she persisted anyways, "Interrupted by what?"

Victor's face went blank as he tried to hide from his sister's curious gaze. "I assure you, Val, that it is of no concern to you."

"What was it Victor? A prostitute stumble upon you two bachelors? A lady of the ton try to charm her way into a chair at the table? Did one of his debt collectors find him and drag him away screaming?" Unseen by Victor, she had taken the bottle of whiskey back to her seat, but he saw it now as she took a long drink from it. Victor reached out his hand for the bottle and took a swig himself. 

"Nothing quite as fun as that," he laughed. Victor ran his hand through his hair, "They found another body."

For a moment Valiance said nothing. She did not want to concern her brother with her curiosity. She also wanted to know everything she could; if it was the same kill, who the girl was this time, and if there was another cipher left on the body. Finally, she responded, "Who?" It came out as a whisper. 

"Leslie Chase."

"Was it-"

"Yes," He interrupted, "it was the same person. They found her north of the bridge." Victor could see the remaining question running through his sister head and quite on accident he added, "Another cipher, too." He was surprised when she didn't glow at the news. Victor knew how much Val loved a good puzzle and a series of ciphers to crack would be like Christmas to her. Instead, he saw her lean back into her chair and take a sip of whiskey and then another. 

"Damn," She swore.

He rose a brow, "That's it? Just damn?"

A smile flickered on her lips. "For now." She stood, smoothed her dress down, and placed the whiskey back in the corner. "I was in the library earlier and couldn't help but notice 'A Guide to Writing and Solving Codes and Ciphers' has gone missing. You wouldn't, by any chance, know where it went?"

"Why yes, I do. Ezra Fay came and asked for it yesterday night. Though, I suppose, you wouldn't know anything of that because you rarely move outside of sitting room after four o'clock."

"Ezra Fay came by and you didn't care to tell me?" Valiance was steaming. 

A sly grin crept up her brother's face. "I thought you'd be more upset I gave him your favorite book, not that I didn't disturb your puzzle time to make you socialize," He teased. 

Valiance stormed back to the chairs, grabbed a pillow and threw it at her brother. "You better be sure I get my book back. Besides, those inspectors would have better luck at the gambling dens than they would at solving ciphers."

"You seem to solve them fairly easily," Victor pointed out. 

Val rolled her eyes. "I am a professional." She gave him a cheeky smile. "Forget about Captain Langley and come have tea with me."

"It's not something I can forget about." Victorious sat back further into the sofa. "He has been a great friend to me for a many number of years. I do not want this one problem to ruin my friendship. I cannot go drink tea in peace knowing that Langley is suffering."

"There is not much you can do from the comforts of our home, dear brother. If you wish to aide the Captain in his time in need, you must go call upon him," concluded Valiance. 

Silence filled the room. The sun shone in through the windows causing the yellow of the curtains to spread through the room. The fire roared in the fireplace next to the two siblings. Valiance ran her bare feet through the carpet as she waited for her brother's response. "I need more time to think on the matter. Langley should have known better than to gamble and it is not my responsibility to pay for his debts no matter how close we are. Though, I do value our friendship so I could help him find a way to get through this," he finally responded. 

"Captain Langley is a smart man, he'll figure it out. Now will you come have tea with me?"

Victor let out a soft chuckle. "Why can't we stay here with the whiskey?"

"Victorious! This room is dreadful. It sucks the happiness out of me just sitting in these yellow chairs surrounded by yellow walls and yellow curtains. Getting tea is the perfect excuse to go to drawing room or the sitting room. Any other room in this house is more reasonable to sit in and enjoy oneself while doing so." And to make her final point she added, "Bring the damn whiskey if you want it so bad."

The two stood. Victor grabbed the whiskey. In the wall of the living room there was a door that entered the drawing room, though, it was difficult to find if you were not familiar with it. The door is the same as the wall around it and the knob is often mistaken as a wall decoration but Valiance and Victorious knew all the strange doors and passages of their childhood home.

"I'll be right back, Victor, I need to grab the newspaper from the library. Somebody has been putting their own coded messages in the personal ads. So far it looks like two love birds communicating despite their parent's attempts to separate them. I need to make sure I'm not rusty when I get a hold of those ciphers from the crime scenes."

"You won't be getting anywhere near those ciphers if I can help it," Victor called to her as she started down the hallway back to the library. As he said this, a loud knock came from the front entrance of the house. A few moments later Benson, the butler, arrived in the drawing room. 

"There is a Mister Ezra Fay here to see you, Sir."

"Bring him here."