The adventures of Sophia de Leiden

Chapter 7- The Phantom of the Opera part 3

"Now then, both cases were definitely murder." said Sophia. There was another loud crash of lightning, the wind from outside was so strong that even with the windows closed the candles were blown out. The sound of a glass breaking was heard, "What on earth? Chlorine, quick light a candle" screamed Alexander. Then there was the sound of something hitting the floor and the wall behind the dining table where the fire place was. "No wait it's better to light the fire place since it's a bit chilly" said Judith, "Are you out of your mind, something just fell there, it might be crucial evidence, Chlorine, the candle." shouted Alexander. Chlorine finally lit three candles and took one near the fire place. Everyone in the room stared in utter horror, there lied inside the unlit fire place the body of Lai Li and pinned to her body was a telegram. Hayden and William quickly moved the body out of the fire place in order to lit a fire, the wood was a bit damp but lighting it was successful after several trials. "I don't even know how to react anymore" said Mari who had tears in her eyes. She and Lai Li were very close to each other, they were like sisters, she sat beside her body and wept. The other members all thought she was pathetic as they did not get along with Lai Li or Mari; alas they were racists and didn't like people from China, Japan or any other Asian countries. The three cousins looked half Asian as well with their dark coloured hair but still beautiful fair porcelain skin. Alexander made another remark; there was a small pebble near the broken window. "Interesting" said Mathilda and Judith in unison who suddenly appeared couching on the floor next to Alexander's feet. "What, how did you girls...." asked Alexander all creeped out, lifting his right leg. "Now now, what's more questionable is where are the broken glass shards?" asked Sophia who was examining the broken window and the pebble. That remark got the others all wondering. "The killer is or are definitely among us, inside this room." said Mathilda firmly.

"What nonsense is that?" asked Gabriel all worked up. "Calm down pipsqueak. it's only logical." said Hayden. "Exactly, see how the window was broken, let's suppose it was really broken with this pebble we found from someone outside, then the broken shards of the window's glass would have been scattered all over the floor here but as you can see there's barely anything here which means it was broken from inside." explained Sophia. "Yes and furthermore the body of Lai Li hasn't been in the rigor mortis state yet, she was stabbed right in the heart and most likely with a very sharp dagger. Judging by the colour and state the body is in and the time limit there was when the candles blew, it is impossible for an outsider to commit the crime" said Mathilda. "Correct, besides there was a telegram pinned to Lai Li's Body if I remember correctly, we need to see the content, it may be a clue leading to the identity of the culprit." said Judith. "Wait you mean like a dying message?" asked Gray, "There was not enough time for the victim to leave something like that behind on top of that in the format of a telegram and in this darkness, impossible." said Alexander. "The telegram could be a clue left by the Killer intentionally. Quit wasting time by trying to guess, let's see what's inside. Lucas get the telegram from the corpse and bring it here. William read it aloud." ordered Sophia with much authority but still softly. Arthur opened the telegram and began reading.

" By dawn the grass will be painted red, a witch will be hunted. That is just the beginning of thy punishment.

The Phantom of the opera"

"Kyaaahhhhh! I knew it, we will all pay for what happened last year, we'll all die here..... I'd rather suicide than sit waiting to be killed..." Screamed Mari who rushed to the window and opened it, trying to jump off but Hayden and William grabbed her and pulled her back in, Arthur closed the window and Lucas helped Mathilda barricade it to prevent any more casualties from happening.

"Now then drama department, would you care to explain what accident our friend Mari here was talking about?" asked Alexander firmly. "Tch now that it's come to this, there's no choice, let's tell them." said Gray but Gabriel reached out to try to stop him but Gray refused to listen and reasoned with him. Finally Gabriel nodded to agree with Gray. " Last year in our private drama high school club group there was one more person. Her name was Helena Fenton. She was the one who got the role of Christine and Gabriel got the role of Raoul. Helena was Gabriel's fiancée but she died. She committed suicide on stage by hanging herself to death leaving a suicide note that said Even if the gates of heaven will become closed for me if I don't hurry as my soul is becoming tainted, I yearn for that heaven so I shall return to dirt and set my soul free, to fly like a butterfly all the way to heaven after purging myself. Furthermore her face was covered with bandages, when the forensic investigators removed the bandages a real horror was uncovered. Her face had been disfigured and according to the forensics it was recent and caused by concentrated sulfuric acid. She probably had an accident in the guest house's chemistry laboratory. She used to love Chemistry so it wouldn't be surprising that she met an accident in the middle of an experiment. But the reason for her suicide was unknown and unclear so the case was closed as she suicided because she was disfigured." narrated Gray. "How sad..." said Judith. It was time to go to bed as everyone was tired and while they were leaving the dining room Madam Lafleur handed a locked hard cover book to Sophia and gestured so that she doesn't ask any question and stay quiet. "Use this, you and your friends... I trust you to solve the mystery and catch the madman who dared disrupt the peace of this guest house. You may all stay in room 404, there are exactly seven beds in that room plus two bathrooms." whispered Madam Lafleur while handing her the key of that room. Room 404 was in between Sophia and Judith's room. The largest room of the guest house that has been unoccupied ever since the building stood for the first time. Rumors has it that someone occupied it for several years as voices and laughter could be heard from that room but when opened to check, there was absolutely no trace of any human life in.