EXB 03 - Nightshade

Record 5:

It has been a month since the first investigation into the case. I and Lucien have looked into several ways to collect more evidence. Still, no positive result has emerged.

We tried interrogating the farmers at the scene, to see if any of them attempted to poison the victim. Still, most of the waiters at the party night only remained within the large hall at the time. And they claimed to found themselves lying on the floor the next morning. Apparently they joined the fun also.

As most of the guests are only workers at the farm with a small number of merchants invited from the city, Lucien searched the accounting book for clues. He found a list of wealthy middle class from the city, and their specific address also. Unfortunately, those are only address of the inns, the temporary accomodation for their stay in the city. By the time of our arrival, many of the merchants have already left.

Lucien took a further step by collecting some envelopes he found in the victim's room. Most are only junk news, except for one, from Antonio, one of the merchants in the list.

The general content is that this man and the victim were trade friends for quite sometimes, until some new tax laws were imposed by the Royal Family, creating some inconsistent prices of merchandises for both sides, and also affected the revenue of the Dubois Family, which raised severe friction.

Some time later, though, through some "negotiation" (for a lack of a better term) between Antonio and a young man, claiming to work for the Dubois Family, he would attend the party night to see what is the victim's proposal.

There is also some strange legal documents from, presumably, a city lawyer. This is still under Lucien's investigation.

...

A new dawn of spring.

As the sun shines on my skin, a sound disturbed my sleep.

It's a knock on the front door.

Then some strange aroma approaches, manages to awake my sense.

I go downstairs to check when I saw my wife holding an envelope.

" Mon Dieu. C'est du parfum. ", she opens the envelope.

Inside are three tickets.

" Tickets to the royal ball ! And they are for special guests for the private dinner with the noble class ! Oh my dear, imagine. Us, dancing with the ranks of Dukes and Mistresses. "

" And it's... tonight. ", I haven't even recovered from the surprise.

" Oui ... Why are there three tickets, though ? Do you have any friend ? ", she begins humbling.

I do have Lucien though. Still, I can't abandon the case...

" Oh please, my dear. It's never harmful to have some time off work. Just invite Lucien. He's still unmarried, and he might even thank us for the chance with a noble class woman. ", she laughs.

All of these somehow sounds too good to be true.

Still, it's free.

The whole afternoon is spent in the cheerful humbling of my wife as we practice casual ballroom dancing.

" Come now my dear. It's like this, one, two, three, one, two, three,... ", she slowly moves to the music, " Now, I put my arms around your shoulders, then you have yours by my waist, and... ".

We continue like that until the evening. I am still barely used to it, but it's nice seeing her that happy once in a while.

Then, I heard a call from outside:

" The cart is ready, monsieur. "

I've already called Lucien on the way. But when I first meet him today, he seems a bit unwell.

" You're alright , mon ami ? "

" Sure, mon ami. Maybe just a bit drunk. The berries may help me become sober. ", he picks up a black berry from a paper bag in his suit's pocket.

I notice that the horseman starts to ride out of the border of Amiens.

" Wait, where is the party located ? ", I turn to my wife.

" Paris, in Versailles palace, my dear. "

...

The first moment the horses step on the streets of the city, I can only stick my head out of the window.

" Woah,... just like the rumor. A city of luxury. "

Along the street lays only massive hotels and buildings. They also plant fences made of green bush, some are being pruned by master craftsmen on the way. On one gate of a road side hotel, noble class citizens in fancy dress and suits are walking out to shiny horsecart with unique exotic textures.

Then, arriving at the palace, each cart stops exactly by the red carpet for the entrance of the guests. Before going in, each one is checked by royal guards for tickets and noble titles.

Then, somehow I recognize my group can't use the titles granted by buying land plots from the noble class. Lucien and I can't just announce ourselves as some scholars or lawyers.

Lucien laughs when I ask about that. " Just follow me, mon ami. "

We walks to the guards, and Lucien begins to work his magic.

He hands out the tickets.

" Lucien et Victor, Les chevaliers du Paris. One guest. "

" Who is the guest ? "

" This gentleman's wife here. "

The guards check the tickets for a while, then let us pass smoothly.

" How did you do that ? "

" I saw the boss working with some governmental figures before.'', he's still smiling.

" Oh, we will have the time of our life, my dear.", my wife starts humbling again.

" Oh sure..."

I notice someone gazing at me.

A figure in a gentleman suit with a small wool cap. The man's face is blurred by the crowd of guests. He points at someone near me with a scarred hand.

It's Lucien.