A One Shot Book of Unfortunate Events

The Beatrice Letters Part 3

*Duncan's POV*

As Moxie ushered the small girl into her office, I stared into space thoughtfully. Violet, Klaus and Sunny adopted a baby girl and she's wanting to talk to Moxie, with my boss' husband's business card in her bag. I'd need to get information from Violet on why this is the case, but I hadn't seen her in over ten years. I looked at the pictures on my wall. Pictures mainly of me and my siblings, with ones of other friends, some guardians, a noble librarian, and one of Izzie and our friends, the Baudelaires.

I smiled at that photo, taking it off the wall and flipping it over carefully. There was a note that I cherished on the back.

"D,
No matter how sucky my life is, you somehow make everything feel less sucky. I love you to the hinterlands and back.
-Violet❤"

It was the only thing I had from her when we were younger, other than the memories, of course. I wrote a letter to her, hoping I could somehow get it to her.

(Meanwhile, in Moxie's office...)
*Bea's POV*

"Please sit, sweetheart. Can I offer you a water?" Moxie asked.
" I'm fine. Thank you. " I answered, sitting down.
Moxie smiled. "Suit yourself. Have you ever given an interview before?"
I shook my head. "Not quite, but I'd consider myself a curious person."
" That's a great first step, you know. " She chuckled. "But I could tell from a look Mr. Quagmire gave me that you aren't quite telling the truth, now are you?"
"Jeez you journalists are perceptive!" I pouted. "But yes, if I'm being honest, I am not being honest. But I do have questions!"

Mrs. Mallahan grinned, looking at me curiously. "Go for it."
"Do you have a close relationship with a Mr. Lemony Snicket?"

My question somehow threw her into a fit of giggles. "I'd sure hope so! Otherwise I don't know how to explain that wedding photo!" The woman extended an arm in the direction of her in a beautiful white gown (although the traditional veil was swapped for the hat she was currently wearing), and a tall man with dark hair had his arms wrapped around her. They looked so happy... "We met so long ago. Dreamed of that day the moment I saw him... God I was so naive. Love him to bits somehow." She chuckled.
I giggled. "That's great to hear... You see... My parents -my biological parents- are Kit Snicket and Dewey Denouement...

Her eyes widened. "You're joking... You're not joking...?? Oh my God. Lemony has a... I'm a..." She picked up the phone and called someone. "Honey?... Yes, hello I'm having a good day... The meeting was the same as usual.. Lemony! Kit was pregnant before umm... You know... Right? Oh my God... No. Nothing. I'll see you after work, Honey... I love you too. Bye."

She looked back at me. "Well my dinner is about to be hectic."
" I'm sorry; I didn't mean to cause chaos. I just wanted to meet my uncle. Maybe learn about my mother... "
Moxie grinned. "It's alright, Beatrice. I have a niece! That's so great! It's so nice to meet you."
"I agree wholeheartedly, Aunt Moxie," I smiled. She seemed to appreciate the new title. I told her about how I ended up in her office, starting with Mom's frazzled behavior the other morning and ending with coming into her office.

"Wow! So you've been on quite the adventure! You're quite possibly the most resourceful ten year old I've ever met." She grinned. "I've met your mother. And Lemony's told me many stories about her. They were close. Kit and your late uncle, Jacques, were the only people from my husband's side of the family that could make it to the wedding, but Lemony was glad they could make it nonetheless. Speaking of 'late', when do you have to be home by? I'd hate for you to get in trouble..."

"Soon, I'm afraid."
She took a business card from a file and wrote a phone number down, handing it to me. "If you ever need anything, call your Aunt Moxie! I'll show you out."

As we stepped out the door, Duncan was folding a piece of paper.
"Duncan, could you please run a personal errand for me and take this lovely girl home?" She asked him. He smiled, putting the paper into a pocket.
"I was thinking of doing that anyway, if it was fine with you."

Duncan shut off his computer as I said goodbye to Moxie. Duncan drove me home.
~*~

"Beatrice? Could you do me a huge favor?" Duncan asked as he pulled in front of my house that I directed him to. Mom was home, but Uncle Klaus wasn't.
"Sure! What's up?"

He pulled the folded piece of paper out of his pocket. "Can you make sure this gets to your mother? And without anyone else reading it, if that's at all possible."
I took it from his hand. "Will do, Mr. Quagmire! ... As long as nothing here incriminates me, of course."
"Don't worry about it. You're not going to have any problems with me." The two of us smiled at eachother. I think Mom would like him... "See you later, Alligator!" He added.
"After a while, Crocodile!" I replied, opening the door of the car. I saw that, unfortunately, I was a bit too late to getting here before Uncle Klaus...

I'm screwed...

"Bea, oh my God, I was worried sick! I saw you left a note on your door that you were at the library so I went to the library to pick you up but you weren't there so then I started panicking like a good gaurdia- excuse me who's in the front of the car you got out of? Do we know them? Did you get a ride home from a stranger?? Bea that's so dangerou-"
"Klaus! Chill! I'm more than just a child! I can be trusted you know!"
"What does that paper say? I'm concerned. Did they feed you anything suspicious?"

"I was ordered for this note to be for Mom's eyes only. And no. I didn't even accept the water I was offered."
"Good girl. But you still haven't answered my most important question! Who is that in the driver-..."

I looked at the car and saw Duncan was standing next to it with his arms crossed. Uncle Klaus looked at him dumbfounded.

"I don't know, Klaus... Maybe we should ask your best friend..." Duncan said with a smile.

****************
1088 words