*OLD*Phantom Detectives*OLD*

Ch.12 Before Murder and After

Arthur W.

Since the attack, Tyler has started to fix up his bar, all three of us going in now and then to help. Eloise's arm had healed, but she had risen all hell when she got back to the bar. It was exactly one week and two days after the attack... Mistwood's dinner party is only two days away. Funny... last night, there was another murder.

We walked up to a townhouse. It was painted a blue so light it could have passed off as white. The townhouse belonged to one of the nobles on the list, an certain Earl Markin, Daniel Markin to be exact.

Daniel was a harmless man who had a business in the food industry of all things. As we entered the foyer of the townhouse... the once pastel green walls were now painted in blood. Bodies of servants were found though Daniel's family was safe at their usual manor. 

We traveled up the stairs and into the private lounge. Eloise and I hadn't met Daniel before but... from how highly his friends spoke of him... you'd think this man would have been friends with every soul on this planet.

"Multiple stab wounds to the chest as well as a gunshot wound on his nape. It would seem that whoever killed Daniel didn't want his death to be clean." Eloise affirmed.

"Eloise, over here," James calls from the bathroom, "I need you to translate this."

We walked into his bathing chambers to find a message written in... German?

"Okay, now this is just getting plain ridiculous," I shake my head looking at the message. This time it wasn't paint... it was blood.

"What does it say Eloise?" James questions.

"No man this kind deserves to die," She sighs, "unless it was all a lie."

"Was it?" I ask.

"No," Eloise shakes her head, "the killer is just trying to get us to second guess ourselves. Too bad for him it ain't workin on me." Eloise storms out of the bathing chamber leaving me and James to deal with the message alone.

"She's so mad," James utters.

"I've seen worse," I sigh, "come on, let's look on the veranda."

James and I walk out the glass doors and onto Daniel's veranda overlooking the street below. The wind whips through our clothes on this brisk and dark mid-morning day in January. Our bags were packed... after we were done here we'd spend two days on a train to Mistwood Manor.

"Arthur," James mumbles.

"Yes, what is it James?"

"This has sort of been bugging me since I met you but... do you miss your old life?"

My eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. I stare at James who seems just as shocked as I was. But, I only close my eyes and chuckle, "Would you believe me if I told you that was the first time I ever heard that question?"

"R-really?!"

"Yes and," I sigh, "no... I don't miss my past life and I never will."

"Why not?"

"Because," I huff, "in my past life it would have been someone like Eloise to put me in jail."

James stayed silent as a signal for me to continue. I let out another sigh as I went on, "I had a wife who I didn't give my whole heart to... I was with a different woman almost every night. I had one daughter and one son, both were hers. When she left... those kids were my life and soul... I begged her not to take them but..."

"What exactly did you do?" James questions.

"I was a drug dealer... but that was three years before I got killed. I was piecing my life back together. The night I died... that next day I was supposed to see my kids."

"Arthur... I-I'm... sorry wouldn't suffice for what you went through. Did Eloise ever doubt you? For what you had done in your past life I mean..."

"James," I chuckled. I stopped and thought for a moment... a long while actually before I finally answered, "It doesn't always matter what a person had done in their life. What matters is how they intend on spending their afterlife. That is, if you believe in that sort of thing."

"Wow...I umm... I-"

"Boys! Come on, we've done all we can do. Our train leaves in an hour." Eloise calls.

"We should get going." James starts to walk away.

"James wait," I grab his elbow.

"What is it Arthur?"

"Well," I take a deep breath, "I didn't tease and scare you because I was jealous... I did it because I have always thought of Eloise as more than just a friend or a sister. In a way... I saw her as the daughter I never really got to raise. And I see the way you look at her."

James turned a bright red. "H-how long have you known?"

"When I walked into that office on the first day we met... I knew."

It was silent for a moment. Then James spoke up, "I'm sorry."

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry."

"You won't tell her, right?"

"And risk you ending up buried alive, no way in hell."

James and I both end up laughing. Honestly, I feel like... like...

Like I can truly trust him.