Our Love is Evergreen

Chapter 79: Opera House Murder

   Aphrodite refused to speak to her twin brother and Vincent for the next few days. She hadn't anything to say to them. They accused her friend of a crime. She was angry with both of them.
   One night, Erik noticed that his daughter wasn't acting like herself. He asked her what was the matter.

   "Vincent and Apollo accused James of attacking Monsieur Firmin. He couldn't have been the one, Father. He's not capable," Aphrodite insisted.

   "Well, my dear, I doubt that they would tell you such things if they didn't truly believe that James was guilty," Erik reasoned.

   "Vincent's just jealous. I know that he likes me. He just wants me to stop having feelings for James."

   "Woah. Back up. You have feelings for James?"

   "What? No," Aphrodite lied. "I should go."

   Erik watched his daughter quickly flee the room. She was growing up so fast.
   Aphrodite immediately ran to go find James. She didn't know why, for it was getting late. Still, she wished to see him. She entered a dark room and as her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, she saw a sight that she was not prepared to see. Standing in the middle of the room was James with a lasso in his hands, Firmin's lifeless figure laying on the floor beside him.

   Before Aphrodite knew what she was doing she asked, "James, is he dead?" She wished she hadn't spoken. She wished her presence could have remained unnoticed.

   James whirled around in shock. "What are you doing here?" He demanded.

   "I was just looking for you," Aphrodite responded. "Did you kill Monsieur Firmin?"

   "Aphrodite-"

   "Did you kill Monsieur Firmin?"

   James sighed. "Yes."

   "Why would you kill him? He was such a wonderful man."

   "I'm framing your father. Why else would I kill a man?"

   "You're framing my father?" Aphrodite asked in disbelief. "It won't work. I'll stop you. I'll make sure everybody knows what a low life you are."

   "Only one problem: you're coming with me," James said.  He grabbed the girl and before she could let out a scream, he clamped a hand over her mouth. He had no idea what he was going to do with her. He figured that he could just lock her in a vacant room somewhere in the opera house. Hopefully, that would buy him some time.

   The next morning, André found Firmin dead. The incident was reported to the police and people were questioned. Erik Destler was their prime suspect. Of course, Vincent and Apollo knew immediately who it was that killed Monsieur Firmin.
   When Aphrodite didn't come home the night of the murder, the whole Destler family was concerned. Apollo reported his sister's disappearance to Vincent. Both boys suspected that James was behind it all. They're suspicions were confirmed that day when Erik got a ransom note from James saying that Aphrodite was being held hostage and that if he didn't receive twenty thousand francs, the family wouldn't ever see her again.
   Meanwhile, James had Aphrodite locked in a small room. She yelled and screamed and threatened, but to not avail. James would sit on the other side of the door and laugh at her pitiful attempts to free herself. He laughed now, but he knew that it was only a matter of time before he was found out. "That brother of hers is smart. Maybe a little too smart," James thought. He was considering killing off Apollo when his thoughts were interrupted by the sobs of a young girl.

   "James, please let me go. I'm sorry, okay? Please, let me go," Aphrodite pled.

   "Not until I get my twenty thousand francs. I need that money so that I can flee the country. I need to get out of here before I get sent to jail."

   "James, I'm begging you to let me out of here. I've never wronged you. Why do you torture me so?"

   "Your father killed my grandfather. That's reason enough. You're father won't get charged with murdering Firmin, I'm sure. That's why I'm making him suffer by taking away his little girl."

   "James, you don't understand. We are not a rich family. We don't have twenty thousand francs."

   "Well, then I guess you're never going to see your family again."

   This conversation continued for a few minutes longer, until James threatened Aphrodite to be quiet. He still had to figure out the rest of his plan. He honestly hadn't thought this far ahead and it was beginning to worry him. For all he knew, the police were sitting on the other side of the door leading out of the attic, waiting to catch him. He couldn't let that happen. Unfortunately for James, there was nothing he could do. He decided to go back to his job as a scene shifter for now. Hopefully, no one would suspect him of committing the murder.