Criminal Case: Concordia

Chapter 2: Slash and Burn-Part 1

As the fire rages in New Haven, Marie was standing before the window of the airship as she watched some buildings burn and she thought they looked like flowers in a bouquet. Maddie joined up with Marie and she said, "Fire is spreading through the city Marie. The Concordian Flying Squad has been called on to help with the evacuation efforts."

Marie looked at Maddie and said, "Great. You and I should get moving then."

Maddie shook her head and said, "I'm not joining you this time Marie. Chief Wright wants you and Isaac Bontemps to go to Monk Street. As a senior investigator, I'm sure Mr. Bontemps will be a valuable partner."

Marie then felt a hand on her shoulder and she came face to face with a dark-skinned man wearing a top hat and he was wearing a dark brown coat over his white shirt and a blue neck tie. Marie instantly knew that this man was Isaac Botemps. Isaac then said to her, "Duty calls Miss Porter. Although I do so dread getting soot on my clothes. Let us head to Monk Street!"

Marie nodded and soon, the two of them headed towards Monk Street to aid in helping people flee the fires. Once they arrived, Isaac and Marie got to work helping people escape from the buildings near the source of the fire before they could spread. As soon as they got everyone away, Isaac looked at the burning building and he said, "This Fire is raging out of control! But thank goodness that everyone has evacuated already."

Just then, the two of them looked at the ground and they saw a body of a teenage girl there. Isaac frowned sadly when he saw her and he said, "Except for this poor creature. We should probably evacuate her to the morgue."

Just then, Marie recognized the body and she looked at Isaac and said, "Mr. Bontemps, I recognize this girl. She's an immigrant from my first case and her name is Harriet Patrick."

Looking closer at Harriet's body, Marie saw there were stab wounds on her and no burn marks. When she told Isaac that Harriet wasn't killed by the fire but she was murdered, Isaac's eyes went wide with shock. Marie then found the victim's headkerchief  on the ground and she noticed that someone had callously stepped on it. Marie knew that the killer must have done it and she had to dust the cloth and see what they left behind.

Marie then told Isaac that after the first case, she and Maddie met the victim's cousin and she suggested that they should tell her if Harriet's passing. Isaac looked at the bare streets and he thought, with the streets already evacuated, there is nothing stopping us from getting on the trail of this nefarious killer. The first thing Marie did before she and Isaac could talk to Harriet's cousin was look at her headkerchief.

Marie soon brushed her powder over the faded shoe print until it became visible. Once that was done, Marie sent the headkerchief to Viola so she could look at it and find out who stepped on it. While Viola was looking at the headkerchief, Isaac and Marie decided to break the bad news to Mary about her cousin's death. As soon as they found her, Marie said to her sadly, "Miss Patrick, I'm afraid we have some bad news. Your cousin, Harriet, was found murdered."

When she heard that, Mary's eyes went wide with shock and she exclaimed, "I can't believe! This is horrible! Her poor cow will be beside itself! That is, if I could find the beast!"

Isaac shook her head and said, "That is of minor concern to us Miss Patrick. Can you tell us if Harriet had any enemies?"

Mary let out a sigh and she said, "Well, she only just arrived, you see. But she told me that she had met with some rich fella for a job as a maid."

"What was this person's name?" Marie asked curiously as she scratched his head.

Mary began to think and she said as she was thinking, "Oscar or something with a T. I'm sorry, but I can't remember."