Old Souls.

Meet and Greet.

The chandelier was centered in the Hall of Verrat, a masterpiece, made by the town's most famous craftsmen. It was why Amal even came to the party, being a man of rumors, he was rarely at these gatherings. Because, in a particular turn of events this party was the only way Amal could solve his latest mystery and finally get over his slump. So he, as one of his old companions would suggest, wore black vest, brown coat and showed up, he just forgot that his old companion was also on the said mystery, in fact, he was closer to solve it.

Amal had now spent close to four minutes scanning the chandelier, successfully conversing ever so casually. Yet he could not figure this one out.

On the other side of the room stood Zack Roland, that narcissist was standing under his own painting, nodding, chatting but Amal knew him better, he knew that, Zack's eye was on him even when he left the room, because Zack was known to have a few 'friends' roaming around, observing.

"Barty was not excited to miss you at the Grande Ball, last week Amal." said his mother for the fourth time. 

"Again, mother, thankyou for reminding me, that I pissed off the one man that could help me right now." Amal said, taking a step back reaching for the cheese which seemed overpriced. For context, Barty or Mr. Bart was the old man with the access to every major building in the town, that man had connections with people who didn't even exist on paper. The perfect thing about him was his 'taste of crime and hatred of criminals' as he would call it, but Amal and Zack knew it was actually his need to be in the headlines which made him the perfect man for the detectives. 

"Maybe talk to the other man who can help you, your old mate-"

"Mom please, Zack was never-"

"Oh, sweetie don't babble, he is looking over here."

"Mother mine, I don't care what Zack think-"

"Oh look, he is coming here, you better be nice to him if you want his help." 

"Mom, I DON'T!"

Alas, Zack was already there. 

"Hello Mrs. Keret, looking beautiful as ever." Zack, offered her a glass wine, which she accepted with a nudging smile towards Amal, "Thankyou, Rollie, you handsome gentleman." Mrs. Keret, as Amal always considered her, was an easy woman to charm, but because she was his mother, he knew that her judgement was usually correct. "Okay let me leave you friends to catch up, be nice Al!" She floated away in the crowd.

"Call me ambitious, but I really hoped I was the reason you came to this party."  Zack, trying to get on Amal's nerve, offered a glass of White wine, Amal hated White Wine. "Yes, I came for you, because there is nothin going on with my life." Amal said keeping the glass down.

"No, there isn't, you, my fellow detective, are in a slump," Zack stepped closer and whispered, "You know I would notice, everyone did, this is a public case, they are watching you and I,  so try and move away from the Chandelier once in a while."

He was right, it was a public case, the letter they both received was in the newspaper, and before that, the victim was a public person, and most of all the criminal was close to the Mayor, people were scared, they trusted the detectives, and Amal being in a slump was not reassuring. That being said, Amal was not going to let Zack win.

"Don't worry about me Rollie, you go ahead and do the work to make us look pretty, while I solve the crime. Speaking of the crime, why don't you tell me about this Chandelier you seem to know a lot about?" There was a shift in Zack eyes, a little smile on his lips, 

"Of course, I know a lot about it, I put it there."