The Mysterious Benedict Society Meets the Mysterious Miss F

Chapter 15

A/N: This chapter may seem like a filler, but it was really important to include! *hint hint wink wink*

Also, I wanted to say thank you for reading. I'm so grateful for y'all and I really appreciate all the positive feedback and comments! 

Joseph Contraire... who is he? What does he have to do with the Lost Cities... who else would be able to tell me...

Then the thought hit her. She raced downstairs and almost smashed into Alden. "I need an imparter!"

"Woah, who are you trying to call?" Alden asked.

"Dex! I need it now, I'll explain later!" Constance lied. To her relief, Alden handed her the device from his pocket. "Thanks, bye!" She raced back to her new room and jumped into the spinny chair.

"Dex! Answer!" Dex didn't pick up and Constance wanted to throw something. Who else...

"Pick up, pick up..." Constance prayed the silent plea.

"What?" Marella asked.

Constance almost screamed with happiness, but she quickly settled down. "So me and Dex were looking into the files..." As she filled Marella in, telling her about their investigation so far, Marella was looking at her oddly.

"Joseph Contraire?" She asked. "I've heard that name before."

"You have?" Constance said, caught off guard.

"Yes..." Marella closed her eyes for a minute, "The name is definitely familiar, but I don't know how I know." Then her eyes snapped open. "Yes I do! My dad was talking about it! It was when I was younger, so I don't remember much. It was before my mom... they were whispering about that name. Contraire... something to do with... Oh my gosh," Marella clapped her hand over her mouth and her eyes widened even more.

"What?!" Constance edged, sensing a breakthrough in their mystery. "Something to do with what?!"

"A swan." Marella whispered, "A swan..."

Constance understood now. "The Black Swan?"

"It could be." Marella nodded. "How many other groups out there have 'swan' in its name?"

"Marella... how long ago was this?" Constance asked.

"I don't know for sure... maybe four or five years ago?"

"I'm four." Constance said, her brain cells actually coming together, some pieces clicking.

"You're four years old?" Marella asked, looking as if she didn't believe Constance was a toddler.

"Yes, yes." Constance said. "We have to talk to your dad. He's the only lead we have."

"Alright," Marella agreed, "but what were you going to say before I mentioned my dad?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, right." Constance replied, "I was thinking of just asking Mr. Forkle about access and if he can get us into Joseph's file... but now that we know he's connected to the Black Swan..."

"Even more reason to ask him." Marella completed. "How's this: I'll grill my dad and you go pester Mr. Forkle. Then we'll meet again and discuss what we learned."

"Deal." Constance agreed, but another thought occurred to her. "What about Dex?"

"What about him?" Marella asked, looking down at something.

"He's helped a lot with this too. We should include him. Plus, he's the only technopath I know of so..."

"Yeah, I guess you got a point there." Marella said, "And it's not like I don't like Dex." She added quickly.