Criminal Case: Concordia

Chapter 2: Slash and Burn-Part 3

While Marie and Isaac were standing at the stern, Isaac pounded his fist on the handrail and he exclaimed, "Dash it all Marie! I feel as though we're no closer to catching the person who stabbed Harriet Patrick!"

Marie then said as she placed her hands over her heart, "That poor girl came all the way to Concordia full of dreams for a better future only to meet her end."

Just then, Maddie ran up to them with a panicked look and she said, "Marie, the fire brigade has just contacted the airship! And they cannot seem to put the fire out! You must get back to the crime scene as quickly as you can to secure whatever evidence remains!"

After they heard that, Marie and Isaac ran out of the airship and headed back towards the crime scene where the case started. Once they arrived at the burning house, Marie began to find evidence when Isaac grabbed her by the arm to stop her and he said, "Wait a minute missy! You're rushing in too fast! I'd advise you to steer clear of the buildings because they're still on fire and they may crumble at any minute! It's not safe!"

Marie looked on the ground and picked up a sailor bag and she said, "We mustn't panic Isaac. I'm sure we can retrieve most of the clues before they burn."

Isaac agreed and he knew Marie wanted to look in the bag she just picked up. Looking closer at it, Marie and Isaac saw the name "Moran" is stitched into it and they remembered the sailor they met earlier, Aidan Moran. Marie instantly knew that the ditty bag belonged to him. Marie also spotted a locked crate which must have some crucial evidence. She also found Mary Patrick's notebook and the two of them wondered how it ended up here.

When Marie opened it, she and Isaac looked inside and they saw that the pages are filled with names along with some codes that Isaac knew have become popular in Concordia. He remembered Maddie telling him that she and Marie saw them in their previous investigation. Marie noticed Harriet's name was in it and she told Isaac about it and she knew that she had to use the machine Charlie made to decrypt it. After they got all their clues, Isaac said, "Come on Marie! Let's rally!"

Marie nodded and the left the burning house before they could get burned by the fire. After they got away from the burning house, Marie decided to look at her clues. The first one she looked at was Aidan Moran's ditty bag and when she looked through it's contents she found the victim's locket among them. When he saw it, Isaac asked with a confused look, "How on earth did the victim's locket end up in Mr. Moran's bag?"

Marie was also confused like Isaac and she said, "It's weird because he told us they'd never see each other again."

The two of them agreed to talk to Aidan Moran and get the bottom of this mystery. At the dock, Marie and Isaac stood in front of Aidan and when Marie showed him Harriet's locket and Isaac said sternly, "Mr. Moran, we found this locket among your belongings! You told us that you hadn't seen Harriet again!"

Aidan scratched his head and said, "Fine, fine. I'll tell you. I did see Harriet, but nothing came of it."

Marie glared at the man and said, "We'll be the judge of that! Now what transpired between you and Harriet?"

Aidan smiled lovingly and he explained to the two of them, "Well, I professed my love for her of course! I took her out to dinner and I ordered beef and stout pie for both of us, but she didn't seem to like it."

Aidan then frowned and continued to explain, "After dinner, I thought we were going along fine, but she began to resist my advances."

"I should hope that you were a gentleman and left her alone," Isaac said with a glare.

Aidan began to swear nervously and he said, "Well, I may have roughed her up a little. And in the scuffle, I ripped off her locket."

Angered by what they heard, Marie shouted out, "You "roughed her up"?! You sir, are a scoundrel by all means! You'd better keep yourself to yourself around the women of Concordia or you shall have no end of trouble with me!"