The Masked Butler: The Pit and the Pendulum

Music of the Night

"Does he really expect us to believe such nonsense?" said Francis. He and Nico had gone to Nico's room for a chat. Erik stood by the door, to keep an ear out for intruders. Nico sat in one of the sitting chairs while Francis paced the floor, frustrated. "My sister, lured to her death by the obsession with instruments of torture?"

"Well he certainly believes it," said Nico. "I think we should believe him."

"But that doesn't make any sense. My sister was never affected by such things before. She would take on dares to prove it too. She was just that kind of girl."

"I wish I could have met your sister. She reminds me a bit of my own sister . . . when she was alive."

Francis paused and looked at Nico. "Yeah, I kind of do too. Heck, I wish I could have met your family as well. I think we would have gotten along quite well."

Nico's lips curled into a tight smile. "Yes, I think so as well."

Francis threw up his hands. "But then they all had to go die on us!" Nico was taken back by the outburst. It mirrored his own thoughts, lamenting the idea that they left him. He glanced at Erik, his face nothing but an expressionless mask. Nico was glad he didn't have to be alone in his grief. But was Francis alone in his?

"How very inconvenient indeed," quipped Erik. "And no forwarding address either." Francis and Nico looked at him in shock. Nico began to snicker.

Francis's lips twitched. "A rather morbid sense of humor you have there, but a sense of humor nonetheless."

Erik gave a slight bow. "I hope it helped to raise your spirits a little, in which I would say I did my job well."

"Then you did," said Francis. He let out a huff. "But we're nowhere near closer to finding out exactly what happened, and I fear that we might never find out."

"You still believe that Don Medina is responsible?" asked Nico.

"Do you mean to say you believe him and that he isn't?"

"Why do you still think he's the prime suspect?"

Francis let out a puff of air. "There's still that sense of guilt about him."

Nico shrugged. "He probably feels guilty for not acting sooner or figuring out it was the castle's odious atmosphere."

Francis groaned. "See, that's the other thing. I just can't believe that to be the case! Elizabeth never gave in to 'odious atmospheres' or becoming obsessed with the evil deeds of people long dead, luring her to death! Gah!" Francis threw up his hands before gripping the sides of his head. "What a load of hogwash! And then she dies from fright? Oh no, no no no no, something definitely happened here and someone is trying to cover it up."

"That we can definitely agree on," said Nico. "Though I don't think Don Medina did it."

Francis blinked. "Wait, what? Then who's your prime suspect?"

"Dr. Leon has become my lead suspect."

"The doctor? Why would the doctor kill my sister? He spoke of her with almost as much love as Don Medina did!" Francis paused.

Nico turned to him. "So, is there less doubt as to the fact that Don Medina truly loved your sister?"

Francis sighed. "Alright, yes, that devotion to her showed yet again as he talked of her again. But that doubt still lingers, and I have explained it yet again to you. Did you not sense that?"

"I did," said Nico, "but the fact that it's one of the few things I sense here . . . it's still kind of unsettling."

"Wait, you sensed nothing at all in the torture camber either?"