Courage's Curse

Unexpected

Milo Jenson fingered the tattered letter in his hands, flipping it back and forth as he waited for the door of his new boss to open. Despite a small hint of nervousness in him as he waited, he smiled slightly to himself. 

"Milo, you earned this." He mumbled to himself. "Plus, it's not like you're going to go on a criminal hunt, that's what the detect-" Milo stopped, as the door creaked open, revealing a tall, rigid woman, wearing a fancy, black dress. She was much taller than himself, and peered down at the poor boy, staring long and hard at the letter as well before speaking. 

"And who might you be?" 

Milo swallowed the lump in his throat. "M-Milo .. Milo Jenson .. ma'am." 

"Hmm." She hesitated, "What is your business here?"

Milo was trying to keep his knees from shaking, but he looked up at the woman still. Figuring that he would stutter too much to be able to properly explain himself, he timidly handed the letter to her. 

Reading the letter suspiciously, there was silence for a moment before the woman pushed the letter back into Milo's grip. Her glare never faltered. 

"Right this way." She spoke coldly, taking a step back to allow Milo to enter. The house itself was nothing special, and soon enough, he entered the office, and sure enough, the person he was looking for was there. The detective looked up at Milo when he shut the door behind him.

"Hello sir," Milo spoke, managing a smile, though it quickly faltered after hearing the detective mumble. 

"..45 .."

"I beg your pardon?"

The detective coughed a little. "Sorry. How are you, lad?"

Milo shook the feeling off. "I'm okay. Glad to be here."

The man smiled, "Sit." 

Milo nodded, sitting down in the chair across from the man. He placed the letter down on the desk, and the detective took it after giving it a glance. "Milo Jenson, I presume."

Nodded Milo. "I'm here to help, and honored as well." he tilted his head. "I'm bewildered no one else has taken this spot."

The detective looked a little forlorn and mumbled something again. Milo raised an eyebrow. "Are you well?" 

"Mmhm." 

The detective leaned back in his chair. "You'd like to get started right away, I presume?"

"Yes sir." 

"That's a good lad," The detective said before reaching under the desk. He pulled out a package that was just as wrinkled as a letter. "The name's Detective Hollander." 

"I know that sir."

"Right."

Hollander then opened the package and spread the contents for Milo to see. The boy felt his heart flutter a little in excitement. 

The contents of the package were intriguing, and Hollander began to read out the case notes. 

ᴄᴀꜱᴇ: ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏᴛᴜꜱ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ.

ʟɪᴠᴇᴅ ᴀ ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ʟɪꜰᴇ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴀᴛʜᴇʀ, ᴍɪᴄʜᴀᴇʟ ʟᴏᴛᴜꜱ, ʟᴏꜱᴛ ɪᴍᴘᴏʀᴛᴀɴᴛ ᴊᴏʙ. ʜᴇ ᴡᴇɴᴛ ɪɴꜱᴀɴᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ʙʟᴀᴍᴇᴅ ɪᴛ ᴏɴ ʜɪꜱ ᴡɪꜰᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʀᴇɴ. ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴛᴏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴏʟʟᴏᴡɪɴɢ ᴡᴇᴇᴋ, ᴡʜᴏ ɪꜱ ꜱᴀɪᴅ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴛɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ɪɴ ʜɪꜱ ʜᴏᴜꜱᴇ, ᴜɴᴀᴘᴘʀᴇʜᴇɴᴅᴇᴅ. ᴡʜᴇᴛʜᴇʀ ʜᴇ ɪꜱ ᴀʟɪᴠᴇ ᴏʀ ɴᴏᴛ ɪꜱ ᴜɴᴋɴᴏᴡɴ.

"I haven't been able to find if the father is still alive or not."

Milo looked up at the detective, confused. "That's not a detective's job though."

"But it is."

"How?" He continued to question.

"Milo, I didn't become the best detective for a reason. We don't just / solve / the crime. We deal with the culprits as well." 

Milo looked even more confused. "We? Surely you mean yourself. I'm just an assistant."

Holland let out a hearty chuckle and suddenly, Milo no longer felt happy with the letter anymore.