Broken - Isadora Quagmire

Chapter Twenty Two - The Police Cheif

"How long has it been?" I asked my brother, I had lost count.

"Over five hours, for sure" Duncan spoke, his voice horse from all the screaming.

We were stuck inside a bright red statue of a herring and strapped to the top of Count Olaf's car.

"Duncan" I said. "Since we're probably going to be in here for quite a while longer, do you think you could tell me about what happened at the gas station?"

My brother shuddered at the thought of it.

"If you don't think you can, it's-"

"It was horrible Issy, sorry, Isadora. I was happy with the plan you created for us to escape but when I got to the gas station, nobody was there, not even Count Olaf"

Duncan stopped as we felt the red herring being lifted off of the long black automobile and taken somewhere else.

"What happened next?"

"I heard a sort of crying, a whimpering from the back room of the store. So naturally, I went through to see if anything was wrong. I found     I found"

"Duncan?"

"I found Count Olaf cleaning a knife he used to kill the store manager, whose body was being dragged out by the bald henchman, leaving a trail of blood. Esme was also there, taking a shoe out of her driver's body, the same one she threw at us in the tunnels. That's why-"

The red herring was abruptly stood upwards and I could see a carving that Duncan made earlier 'D.Q. + V.B.'

"That's why I kept looking backwards while Esme was chasing us. That's why I had blood on my hands. I was just trying to help him. I tried to stop the blood. But I couldn't. He died. I'm only thirteen. I have seen three bodies of people who have been horribly murdered. I-"

The red herring opened and we both fell to the ground. I wrapped my arms around my brother.

"You won't get away with what you've done!" I said, looking up to Count Olaf and trying to stay strong for my brother.

"Oh orphans" he replied "you really learned nothing at that austere boarding school, I will always...". Again Count Olaf burst into a monologue about himself and his victories. While he was distracted, I looked around my surroundings. We were in a saloon and he was alone. He was all alone, all of Count Olaf's henchmen were gone. I tapped my brother on the shoulder as I stood up.

"Trust me" I whispered. Duncan nodded as Count Olaf sat down and started to play the piano, bursting out into a song. "Now" I said, prompting Duncan to start running alongside me out of the saloon. We  had reached the doors when I heard Count Olaf stop singing and shout after us. Count Olaf's troupe were waiting outside a building, which I knew was the town hall, all of them were in disguise; but no Esme. "This way!" I said, dragging Duncan behind a house.

"Why are we hiding? We should be running to the jail or the town hall" said Duncan

"Count Olaf's troupe are over there, they'll catch us"

"The twins are gone!" Count Olaf shouted to his troupe.

"They'll be looking for us  now, we need to be careful as we make our way over to the county jail" I peered around the side of the building and saw Count Olaf with his troupe. He sent the white-faced women to look in the town hall. He sent the henchperson of indeterminate gender to go and check the stables and the gas station. Lastly, he sent his other two henchmen to search the house. But there was still no sign of Esme.

"It should be safe for us to run across to the jail" I said.

"Are you sure?"

"No. But you're still going to follow me"

Duncan smiled then followed me as we made our way to the V.F.D. county jail.

"Hello?" Duncan said.

"Hello?" I shouted.

"The office is up there" said Duncan. I followed him up the stairs where we found the police chief with his back to us.

"Hello, my name is Isadora Quagmire and this is my brother Duncan"

"Excuse us? You are the police chief, right?" Duncan asked, but still no answer. Duncan started to walk forward, but I stopped him and walked forward myself.

Screaming , I realised why the police chief wasn't answering. He was dead. I was terrified but didn't show it (except for the initial scream). I heard a door creek open downstairs.

"What are we going to do?" Duncan and I asked each other at the same time.

I grabbed some of the files that the man was looking at then pushed the dead man's chair away as I hid under the desk, Duncan sat beside me. "Read this" I said.

"We're in the Village of Foul Devotees" Duncan whispered.

"And the Baudelaire's are staying with someone called Hector" I paused "Duncan" I said.

"What?" he looked at my piece of paper. "What is it?"

"Hector lives beside the Nevermore Tree..."

"Quigley..."

"Well, well, well" a voice said, it was Count Olaf.

Duncan put his finger over his lips as a gesture for me to shut up.

"Boo!" Esme said as she popped her head around the desk. She grabbed my arm and pulled me out from under the desk, Duncan too.

"What are the Quagmire twins doing all alone reading private files beside the police chiefs dead body"

"You know that we're triplets" I said.

"What did you do to him?" my brother asked.

"That? I didn't do that"

"I did" said Esme.

"Of course it was you" I said.

"We know exactly where we are now, the Village Of Foul Devotees!

"Aww, do you think that you and your friends are clever? Do you think you'll save them from what we have planned?" Esme said.

"Do you actually have anything planned?"

Count Olaf gritted his teeth and grabbed Duncan. We were taken down the stairs and out of the door where Count Olaf's henchmen had opened Foul Fountain, the fountain in the shape of the crow that was in the middle of the town. We were crammed inside and the fountain closed behind us.

"I have an idea, but I need your help" I said.

My brother agreed before he even heard the plan. I was going to write the Baudelaires couplets with a secret message hidden in the first letter of each line. I knew Klaus could figure it. What I needed Duncan to do was find a way to get the couplets to the Baudelaires and he did. The fountain was damp from the morning dew and there were always crows on the fountain so he would tie two wet couplets to a crows foot. We knew it would get to the Baudelaires with help from Quigley, but that part doesn't matter right now.

For sapphires we are held in here
Only you can end our fear

Until dawn comes we cannot speak
No words can come from this sad beak

I ripped the couplets out of my commonplace book and Duncan sent them away.

"So, how do you think Klaus is without you?"

"Shut up" I laughed.