*OLD*Phantom Detectives*OLD*

Ch.5 Ease and Questioning

Eloise M.

With that question from James, the rest of breakfast was basically just us making fun of Harvey. Though Harvey had grown up here in the city his entire life, he has always hated the snow. We told James about the time we gathered up a bunch of snow outside then scared Harvey as he was coming out of the office, making him scream like a girl and fall deep in the snow.

Mitchel loved the snow and had been around it all the time since, like me, in the winter months his family would take an annual trip to Ireland. I even explained to James that I met Mitchel after we had gotten into an argument as children and started a snowball fight with some of the other kids. 

Naturally... my side won.

After breakfast was done, we headed out into the streets where a two horse carriage with two black mares at front was waiting to take us to the palace. I sat near the coachman's seat with Thunder laying on my lap. Arthur and James both sitting across from me. The coach started with a jolt but once we were moving all went swiftly.

Arthur was half asleep, his head leaning against the wall, his arms and legs crossed to keep him warm though the coach did provide a lot of warmth.

Then there was James. Obviously nervous, gazing out the window, hand on his cheek, his mind aloft or somewhere else entirely. He pursed his lips, his brows creasing in worry as he looked slightly paler than he had before.

"James," I whisper lightly touching his arm.

"Wha- I-I'm sorry. Guess my mind wandered off." James laughed weakly.

"Are you okay? You look sick."

"N-no I'm fine. I was just thinking..."

"If you're worried, you don't need to be. Surprisingly the queen has more faith and trust in us then some of her own guards. She isn't as harsh as you might think."

"Th-that's... good I suppose." James sighs, a bit of color returning to his face. "But I was thinking about something else entirely."

"What would that be?"

The coach jerked to a stop, jolting Arthur awake and causing Thunder to bark in annoyance. James takes one look at me, shaking his head, "Not here, not now."

*

Walking in the palace, James had gone tense all over, a look in his eyes that told me he was very, very nervous, despite all of our joking this morning. Though we would not speak to Queen Victoria directly, it still was a nerve racking experience for James.

We walked into the head offices for detectives like us. I tall male, half a foot taller than Arthur, opened the door and told us to go in. Rather than take a step forward, James took several steps back.

"James?" I whisper.

He's shaking his head, "N-no... no, I-I can't, I can't do this. I-"

I grab James by his shoulders. I wave my hand telling Arthur to go in without us for a moment. James is still shaking his head.

"James," I murmur, "calm down."

"Eloise I can't... I can't do this."

"Just calm down. You'll be in there with me and Arthur. I'll make sure Arthur doesn't bother you just," I sigh, stepping away. I extend a hand to James.

Usually, I'm a whizz at reading faces, and from what I've seen thus far, James is an open book. But, there was something in his eyes that I just... couldn't read. Was it some sort of fear? Whatever that emotion or feeling was, it seemed to ease his mind, and he took my hand.

*

The whole time we were in the office, James seemed... calm. It was so odd, at least for me it was. While James seemed relaxed, Arthur was as rigid as a pole. I had to continue giving him dirty looks because he simply would not leave James alone.

Though somehow, just this once it seems, James didn't notice. The ride back to the office was much like the ride to the palace. Arthur tried to sleep, James was staring out the window, Thunder was laying on my lap.

The only thing that was different was me. I was studying the case file, already seeing more than a couple of flaws in previous reports form officers. Can't that damned Scotland Yard do anything right?

That's when I notice something... a name... the first name, I had never heard of... but the last...

I glanced between James and the files. He caught my gaze at some point saying, "What is it?"

Just because I felt like it, I kick Arthur in his shin.

"Oww!" he yelps. "What now?!"
I stare at both of them in silence. Then, "James," I say, all too slowly,

"Who's Connor Reed?"