บท 25: Chapter Twenty-Five
Anita didn't complain about the pancake choice of breakfast.
Raphael didn't taste any of the pancakes, he merely ate the small stack with apathetic passion. He had attempted to converse with Anita but to no avail. She was determined to keep silent about the events of the previous night.
She had placed the knife down with a gentle click and wiped her mouth with her napkin, soon after hesitation filled her before she spoke, "Umm… I found something in the file room before the guards came to us," Anita informed. Raphael watched her walk to a cabinet and opened a drawer, one of many notepads and pens in the house sitting within in. She collected them then sat back down to start drawing. "I don't know what happened to them, but there were records of the Unknown Royal." Raphael could read line after line of broken phrases as Anita attempted to remember what was written down.
After a while, she dropped the pen and held the paper in her hands. "The Royal Records acknowledge the Unknown Royal, but they acknowledge him as the bastard son of King Louis VII, King Phillipe's father. The Unknown Royal was, however, still one hundred per cent royalty." Anita ripped the page out and passed it to Raphael, it was a rough sketch of two family trees, not every rectangle had a name underneath it, but the ones that did were names he recognized. There was only one person who connected the two trees.
"Claude Albrecht," Raphael read aloud.
Anita nodded as she continued to scribble in the notepad. "He's the only known account. The family's don't connect after that, at least within the last century." Raphael thought she was writing something, but saw she was drawing a crown.
He passed the paper to Maria to examine. "This wouldn't be the first-time royalty has been unfaithful. Why is this such a big deal?"
"The Albrecht Royal Family isn't French," Maria informed running her fingers down the letters, "It's German."
Anita nodded, "For whatever reason, having a German-French half-blood prince wasn't a good idea," she started to recount something, "Regardless, it is within the nation's best interest to maintain the French heritage and to dis-acknowledge royal rights of Claude Albrecht. He is for now and evermore future King of…" Anita mumbled something, unable to recall the name of the German kingdom. "Prince of somewhere. It was a very quick arrangement, hence the rush in getting Phillipe to become King. If a next-generation King was crowned, there wasn't much anyone else could do to overthrow the King." Anita dropped her pen and sighed, "I don't understand Royalty politics. Especially ones from a century ago." Raphael rubbed his temple, a headache had brewed behind his eyes.
She continued, "Claude Albrecht's family believed he was the rightful King of France. He was older then Phillipe and technically the correct heir since it was King Louis who was France's royal blood, not his wife." She crinkled up her nose, "Why do people have affairs, Raphael? It all seems too pointless if it can lead to something like this."
"Not all affairs end up turning into this, Ann." Raphael leaned back in his chair, "But I agree. I can't say I understand it either."
Anita scoffed, "There was something more disturbing." She turned the notepad and presented it to Maria and Raphael; an image of the beetle. "Claude Albrecht attempted to overthrow the French Royal Family, claiming to be the rightful king."
"Sounds familiar," Maria stated resting her head on her hand.
"He gained a following, Germans and French alike. Their upheaval wasn't initially successful, so Claude Albrecht turned to black magic." Anita hastily drew something into the next page, "These three witches granted him the ability to govern the Royal Family by charming three objects. With all three, they can control the members of the Royal Family or something." Anita showed a rough outline of the pendant, the ring and the crown in a triangle, broken phrases were scribbled around it.
"I can't remember how or why or anything like that," She slouched in her chair, "I think that's all balderdash though. Legend surely."
Despite this, Raphael looked to his ring. "Even with what we've seen?"
Anita shrugged passively, "The so-called magic was the mysterious dark magic of that time, like the witch-trial stuff we read at the library. There were some instances where people believed the witchcraft to be true. This is one of them, believed to be one of the most elaborate and effective uses of black magic, from what I can tell, in history." She pushed her chair back and took her plate to the kitchen.
Raphael blinked at this information, he leant on his elbows to glare at the table. He looked at the ring on his hand and frowned. Anita returned to the room. "The Unknown Royal gained a following, they named themselves the Unknown Royals. But they dissipated when the Unknown Royal disappeared."
Raphael smirked as Anita took his plate and reached for Maria's. "The Unknown Royals are an issue here and now. They aren't some group from the last few centuries anymore." Maria took her own plate and grabbed the ones off Anita, and assured her she could clean up. "Anita, can you get in contact with Sam?" Raphael asked.
Anita shrugged, "I can try. But Sam wouldn't be at the café today," She looked to the grandfather clock, "Or I doubt this early."
Raphael nodded but dismissed her to try. She obeyed and left the room to phone Sam.
"Would Sam have anything in just over a day?" Maria asked.
Raphael's eyes were stuck to a line in the table's wood, his fingers rhythmically tapping against themselves. "Sam has given me much more with a shorter time frame. I'd bet good money, if anyone can do this it's Sam."
*
Sam walked into the police station with deliberate authority. Having a Father as a detective had its quirks, one of the biggest being the uncanny ability to walk into the police station and not appear conspicuous.
Tilting a hat to the occasional offer and giving a greeting to ones who recalled the familiar face, Sam made it into the detective's floor where Detective worked. It was a lot brighter then Sam remembered. Lined in a systematic order, a dozen wooden desks dominated the room, each coated in Paris light leaking in the large windows where the curtains were drawn. Eight of the twelve desks were occupied with men smoking cigars while they handled the paperwork. If Sam wasn't positive it was a police station, it could've passed as a journalism office.
One of the detectives lifted their heads, putting out their cigar at the sight of Sam.
"Sammy!" he announced rising to his feet and striding forwards, "Feels like ages. How have you been, little slugger?" Detective Vincent had a thick French accent, but strangely American slang.
Sam gave a genuine smile as the pair imitated a boxing moment they had heard on the radio, the interaction finished with a hearty handshake. "Is my Father around?"
Detective Vincent shrugged, "Chasing up a lead last I heard. Must be exciting huh, your old man hot on the Phantom's trail." Sam's smile became forced as an awkward chuckle and mutter of agreement followed. "Anything I can help you with?"
Sam thanked him for the offer but assured they would be fine. "Am I alright just to wait for him then? I have the whole day. I promise I won't get into trouble."
Detective Vincent trusted nodded. "Just make sure you don't mess with his files and stuff, alright?"
Sam promised and sat down at Detective Riley's desk. It was wider then they recalled. Sam had taken sideways glances at other adults in the room, before trying all their Father's drawers. The drawers were all locked. Sam huffed through their nose as they scoped the room a second time before kneeling and fiddling with the locks on the drawers. One tedious drawer after the other, Sam had managed to open them. The first concealed stationary, the second held loose bits of paper and random notes, and the bottom protected a single photo frame.
Sam scooped up the frame and examined the black and white photo; Detective Riley dressed in his uniform standing behind a sitting woman dressed in an elegant dress holding a baby. Sam bit this inside of their cheek before replacing the photo and closing the third drawer. Would my Father even have notes on the Unknown Royals?
A sudden disturbance took Sam out of their daze. A man was scolding someone, "You incompetent imbecile!" they yelled.
Sam frowned. A stuttering younger officer had run into a larger than life, aggressive-looking detective. From the spreading stain on the man's white shirt, Sam assumed he had something spilt on him.
"I'm-I'm sorry, Detective Leroy!" The lanky officer seemed overwhelmed, attempting to pick up papers he had dropped.
Detective Leroy continued raining down insults at the officer before stomping down the aisles of desks and past Sam. Sam had never met Detective Leroy and based on his behaviour they doubted they wanted to. Sam held their breath at the sight of the detective's face; etched with bright red burns reaching around the left side of his face. His crazed eye met Sam's on the way past.
Sam felt uncomfortable long after the detective marched past. The goings-on of the station continued when the detective had slammed the door to their office, the tension lifting immediately. Sam approached the stumbling officer and assisted in picking up some of the paper. Sam had seen him around, believing his name was Nicklaus or Nicolao, and attempted to make conversation.
"Hey Nick," Sam attempted, it prompted Nick's attention, "Do you think you can help me with something?"
*
Raphael tapped his foot impatiently under the table, waiting for Sam to arrive at Erica's Pom-Pom Café, three blocks away for Le Petite Café where they usually met. He watched Anita and Maria sit by the harbour, looking out to the water and silently talking.
Raphael looked at the time; 8:30 am.
He sighed, looking down the road in search of Sam. Sam wasn't one to be late. Raphael was often late.
A uniformed waitress approached Raphael's table and placed a large cup of coffee before him. He thanked her and took a long sip, immediately enjoying the caffeine which warmed his chest and made his taste buds to tingle.
When he took the cup down, Sam was sitting across from him.
Raphael coughed in surprise as he put the cup down. "You're getting scarily good at that, Sam," he informed as he dabbed his mouth with a napkin.
Sam nodded as they poured water into a glass with a shaky hand. Raphael frowned, "You alright?"
They took off their hat and ran their fingers through their hair.
"Phantom, what are you getting at?" Sam's words were harsh.
Raphael's quizzical look prompted Sam to continue. "Toss the ring, smash that pendent, get rid of anything that draws their attention," Sam warned, "These aren't people you want to mess with Phantom."
His recent amusement disappeared as Raphael leaned forwards, "Who are the Unknown Royals, Sam?"
Sam bit the inside of their cheek, their nose twitching out of nervousness. "It's easier to ask who they aren't." They followed this comment by scanning the patrons of the café and eyeing the waitresses recounting coffee orders. "They're an organisation centred across Paris, they're suspected to control everything. They're seamstresses, lawyers, politicians, police officers, journalists, dockworkers and anything and everything in between. They're under suspicion for over fifty crimes within the last few years alone, but no one is ever able to prove it due to 'unfortunate circumstances.'"
Raphael watched as Sam become further agitated. He had never seen them in such a state. "Sam, calm down."
"Do you not know the severity of these people, thief?" they snapped, "They've made people disappear, there are companies and docks controlled by them, anything that happens in Paris the Unknown Royals are aware of." Sam's jaw clenched as they added, "They've murdered people, Raphael. I've seen witness accounts of the bodies, no one knows who they were. They're argued to be more powerful than the Royal Family!"
Raphael hummed at this information, glancing to Maria and Anita who hadn't noticed Sam's arrival.
Sam's body seemed to relax as they said, "You already know?"
"That makes sense," Raphael admitted, "Maria and I were attacked last night at Notre Dame, and…" He hesitated before adding, "And I've heard of an unfortunate murder of a Royal Guard."
Sam's chair was pushed back with a strong creak as they rose. "Nope, nah. Okay." They cursed.
Raphael hadn't moved, his eyes still on the girls. "Thank you, Sam. I can't imagine getting this information was easy."
Sam shook his head. "Phantom, these people can follow you, blackmail you, hurt you. They have the men and they have the resources to do it."
"I'm aware. As I said, Maria and I were attacked last night, it's not unreasonable to believe they may even be following you now." Raphael took a quick glance of his surroundings but managed a smirk as he realised he wouldn't even know who to look for.
Sam sighed as they pocketed their hands. "I'm aware."
The pair fell silent. Raphael ground his teeth as he thought, So they've got more manpower then I thought. I haven't heard of them before, so they must be within the last three years. They want the ring and the pendant, they've got the crown, but why? Their so-called magic qualities? Surely not.
Sam snapped him out of his thought. "I don't care what you're up to, but be careful Phantom. These people look dangerous."
"Raphael."
"What?"
"My name is Raphael."
Sam sat back down. "Is this a trick?"
Raphael chuckled as he shook his head, "Not a trick. My name is Raphael Dane." He held out a hand to shake, "Happy to make your acquaintance."
Sam looked dumbfounded, absently taking his hand and shaking it.
Raphael firmly shook hands before rising, buttoning up his coat.
"Also, one more thing," he walked around the table by Sam and kneeled by the chair, "I'm gonna do this and run because you are a true legend." Raphael gave Sam a peck on the cheek before rising and fleeing from the café table.
Sam's cheeks flushed, it spread across their face and burnt their ears. Gritting their teeth, they yelled after him, "Phantom!" They started furiously rubbing where Raphael had kissed with a napkin as they gagged.
*
Maria watched Raphael approach, unable to keep her eyes off an angrily blushing Sam. "Did you just kiss Sam?" she asked a tad shocked.
Raphael smirked as he smoothed out his jacket. "Yes. Yes, I did." With no other explanation, Raphael continued walking down the street. Maria was gobsmacked as she looked at Anita for clarification. She didn't offer any, merely shrugged and followed Raphael.
Maria watched as Sam continued wiping his cheek, clearly flustered.
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