Death of a Prince | ✓

EP 04: A BODY IN THE MORGUE

[ !!! ]

As something extra - and fun - there's going to be a Q&A after ep. 05!

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EPISODE FOUR

'a body in the morgue'

"I'M ALMOST TOO afraid to ask, but I feel like if I don't, I'll regret it later on," I said as I matched Leon's pace as the three of us, feeling a weird sense of deja vu, walked together with the inspector leading the front.

"Hm?"

"Who's Moriarty?"

"Oh, that's Dr. Hamel. His real name is Faris Moriarty Hamel. Parents were a fan of the Sherlock books. Their house is a literal memoir of the series. They find me positively amusing."

"Oh. That's a grabbed opportunity, the name. I'm more of Hercule Poirot fan myself."

Leon hummed, a slight quirk in his lips blossoming. "But don't ever call him by his first full name. Hates it to the core."

"Oh."

"Yeah." He gave me a warm look but it felt wrong. I reached for his hand, feelings be damned, and squeezed. His eyebrows rose but I didn't want to say anything. I wanted him to answered without words.

I'm here.

He blinked then nodded, squeezing back. I know.

It wasn't romantic, nothing of the sort. It was a reassurance of presence. A comradeship to hold on to.

"We're here," James announced and I broke away from him.

"We're underground," I observed. Several floors at least. I'd notice that as we passed down each floor, fewer people seemed to be around. At this floor, there was literally no one else.

"Yeah, it's Mor's private morgue."

"He has a private morgue?"

James' smile was biting. "It's an honor to be ripped open by one Dr. Moriarty."

"Call me that again and I'll rip you a new hole, Jimmy," called another familiar, smooth, deep voice.

The familiar form of the gorgeous, lovingly carved statue-like Dr. Hamel came out from the door, his expression flat and bleak as always.

"Idiots. Miss Cain," he greeted. "I've deduced from James' warning of his arrival that Dominic is not going to make it easy for us to pick apart his murder."

"I've concluded as much." James sighed. "He's giving us everything. The murder weapon, his will and testament, and his body."

"Except the murderer," Dr. Hamel said, eyebrows knitted. "Which pretty much rolls the entire dice of the game."

"Precisely," James said. "Dominic came into this world with a bang, and he'll be damned if he's not going out the same way."

Leon cleared his throat. "But is it really him? He's really..." He swallowed, the words stuck on his throat.

Dr. Hamel's gaze doesn't soften, but the curl between his forehead is smoothened over. His fingers clench and unclench, as if he wants to comfort Leon but their relationship, as it is, isn't a physically welcomed one.