Queen of Terror

Chap. 7

I stepped inside the palace to see Adrien and Nino waiting at the front. Just like I had wanted, they had arrived just in time. I turned over to the two new bodyguards I had just gotten myself. "You two," I ordered, "I want you two to guard these people; Marlena and Otis Cesaire. This is their address." I handed them a card and one of them took it. I probably should have done this way earlier, and I was hoping it wasn't too late to do so now. "Please protect them with everything you've got. Don't let anything happen to them, and when you meet trouble, immediately report back to me by giving my cell a call. My phone number is on that card as well." I quickly finished talking and sent them out. When I turned back around, Adrien and Nino were giving me such confused and concerned looks.

"Protect Alya's parents? What's going to happen to them?" Nino asked.

I sighed. "The reason I asked the both of you here was to explain some things to you and hopefully get help. I'm not sure on how to start though." I looked around, as if afraid someone else was listening in. I then motioned for the two boys to follow me and I started walking back to my room, Adrien and Nino following behind. "Lately, ever since the death of my parents, a bunch of weird things have been happening. At first I didn't see it as anything, but when I read that note. . ." Knowing I was probably confusing the boys, I just walked inside my room and allowed them in, before closing the door. I started with how it all started; from the beginning. First, I talked about how I'd gotten a note from one of the police officers, which was supposedly a suicidal note written in my mother's handwriting. It didn't make sense at first, but when I re-read the note later on, I got a hidden message out of the note.

I talked about how the hidden message told me how my butler was next, but I didn't get it. After having a conversation with Adrien, a theory suddenly clicked in my mind and I went along with my guts that Butler Romain was next to die. I tried my best to protect him. I explained to them about how he had called me, how we'd had a small conversation before hanging up, but then a minute later, I was reported that he was dead. I talked about how Romain had supposedly died before he called me, which of course made no sense, so I got the idea that someone else - the murderer - had pretended to be him just to get me to think he was safe. The question still remains though: how did the murderer mimic Romain's voice perfectly?

I could see the boys' confusion written all over their faces, but I still continued with my explanation. I then talked about how Romain had written a note himself, a suicidal one, and just as the same as before, I got a hidden message. I didn't talk about what the note had said, because I didn't think that was important, but I told them how the hidden message had said Alya's parents had been next. "I've been trying to gather clues now as to who this murderer could be. I also think the murderer is the one writing the notes, and somehow writing the words perfectly in their victims' handwriting. It didn't make sense to me as to why my parents would kill themselves, and after hearing this sudden voice in my head, I began to investigate. I failed to save Romain; I was fooled to believe that he was safe when he'd actually died a while ago, and I finally figured out that I couldn't do this on my own, which is why I'm telling you this."

I wasn't sure if the boys were shocked or still confused; maybe both. Nino finally spoke up; "so. . .you have like this weird power where you can guess who's the next to die? Correct me if I'm wrong, but apparently, you think someone is doing all this, and Alya's parents are next?" I nodded my head at his question, so he continued, sounding a bit more terrified now. "So, in other words, this murderer person is going to kill Alya's parents, then write a suicidal note in their handwriting and make it look like suicide?" I nodded my head again. "Why?"

I shook my head. "I honestly don't know why," I answered. "I'm still trying to figure this out. I want you two boys to protect Alya's parents as well. I brought you up here just to explain a few things, so you'd understand the situation more. I know you may be confused or terrified, because honestly so am I, but I need you two to do this for me. I can't let Alya down. She was so shaken up when my parents died. Imagine just how worse she'd feel when her parents die." I looked at the both of them, crossing my fingers for them to say yes. Then again, why wouldn't they? Alya was just as important to me as she was to them; they were sure to help me out on this situation.