Chương 40: M.A.
In Sera's room.
"You're late"
"..."
Sera looked up from her book, because of his long silence. "Your face is bleeding." She pointed at the additional scratches that were freshly made.
But fortunately for Emil, she kept her frosty face or he would be too ashamed.
Although, he had a rogue-like character, his face was pretty thin when it comes to such embarrassing moments. No one should know he is afraid of his former wife.
".... be glad I came out alive, a smiling demon is no joke. She holowed me out until I confessed"
"You don't have to tell me, your face tells tales. I believe you haven't told her the critical informations?."
Emil affirmated with a nod.
"What do you want to talk about?" Emil asked switching the topic to the main point.
"You send me to investigate Claudia's murder. Did you forget?"
Emil's scratch filled face became serious and he walked to her side taking a seat opposite her. He somehow felt this night will be a long night.
"I was late." She began to tell him. "The police were there and closed off the crime scene. And... even though there were many witnesses, no one knows anything tangible, it's like, a dead person dropping down the street out from nowhere."
Sera massaged her nose bridge in annoyance, but without breaking her long living impression of rigid coldness.
"Who ever did it, they had authority and time to tamper with all the evidence. No camera footage, no witnesses with concrete statement that can indicate to the gender of the assailant, no license plate on the motorcycle, no murder weapon found; just nothing." She continued.
"That means we have no lead at all." Emil slumped back the couch crestfallen. Once again, he had nothing to stick on Bethea and that bone bag, Clyde.
"Not really" Sera claimed.
Emil looked back up "What do you mean? Didn't you say we have nothing?"
"Who do you think I am? They don't call me Chameleon for nothing, I will always be able to sneak around and find something. We might not have anything that can lead to the assailant from the polices side but, I did find something on Claudia. Heh, even in her death she gives us a way, as if she didn't want to die in vain." Her lips twitched into a light smile as if amused.
Emil starred at her sternly, not finding Sera's inappropriate words about the dead funny. "Stop joking around. So tell me what did you find?"
"Yes, yes! Ahh, man, you don't understand a good joke at all when it is told! Well, were was I? Oh yeah, they were too occupied to clean of everything that might lead to the Evans, that they stupidly forgot to check the belongings on Claudia's body. I found a gift box, and a handkerchief in her pocket. I brought the gift box to the little girl, since it was of no use for us but-"
She pulled out a blood stained handkerchief out and handed it over to him.
"This is..." Emil took it to have a closer look.
"M.A." Sera begann, before Emil could ask anything. "The initials of the owner of this handkerchief. It is made of some kind of spider silk and has a gold thread embroidery. The materials aren't easy to obtain, and as a person of a common household you need connections. This should have never been in Claudia's hand."
Rubbing his finger on the fabric Emil felt it too. This handkerchief of such quality was not something that could be in Claudia's possession. "Why is the handkerchief in her possession? It does not even have her initials. So who is M.A.? Surely not her lover."
"No, he is not her lover. Before her death she was at her mother's funeral. I asked around and someone told me that at that time, a man in his thirties gave the crying Claudia a handkerchief. There would be nothing suspicious about his action, but the quality of the fabric is questionable. So why would a man of his status be there?" Sera asked a question, but didn't wait for Emil bringing up any speculations and continued.
"Dumply of him, I caught him on one of the security footage in the funeral." She pulled some photos out the book she held and showed it to him.
Emil's eyes narrowed as he took them. "This person is..."
"Yes, he is the man second in command after Sasha, the vice general, Marcus Anderson. Bizarre why someone like him is at a stranger's funeral don't you think?" Sera asked.
Emil kept silent for a while thinking, than an odd smile swept on his scratched face. "No, not really. Actually, it makes sense. That year it was Marcus who told me about Sasha and Bethea, and it was me who told him Jane and I would go having a vacation. Furthermore, the voice of the man, that was with Bethea did sound familiar to me; I just couldn't place it after such a long time. Who would have thought, it was him who 'killed' me... Why haven't I thought about it earlier, he could have never known Sasha and Bethea had..." He whispered in the end.
"But, the handkerchief is of no use you know?" Sera chimed in, breaking him off his strange revery.
He pulled himself together. "Yeah I know." Emil answered. "This handkerchief is not a conclusive piece of evidence, that can stick to Marcus, or Bethea as the murderer of Claudia. At least I know now who it was." He said in satisfaction.
He did ask Sera to look around, but never thought she would find anything conclusive that could hint at somebody.
The handkerchief pointed not only at Claudia's murderer, but was finally telling him who the person was that pulled a stunt on him 6 years ago. Now he knew his identity and that was more than enough for him.
Sera looked at Emil's satisfied smug face and said "You seem weirdly satisfied knowing it was the vice general. But, have you ever asked yourself why he, who has a great future in front of him, did the dirty work of others? I looked him up, and there is nothing that shows that someone opened him back doors to raise up the ranks. So why?"
She furrowed her brows lightly to her question. She had no idea why someone like Marcus would do something so stupid.
"He climbed to the position with his own sweat and effort. Is he an idiot? He will destroy his whole life when all this comes to light!"
However, Emil didn't retract his smile by her question. He had a notion why Marcus worked for them. Even if he could stay away from the muddy waters and still have a high regarded position in this country, it surely must have something to do with the affair he has with Bethea.
"I don't care why he did it, the point is he did. And he will pay for it. If there is nothing more, it is late and I would like to go back to sleep." He stood up wanting to go, but he was stopped.
"Yeah, there is still something I want to talk about with you. It's about Emilié."
"Emilié?" Emil asked to make sure he heard right.
"Yes" Sera affirmed.
He looked questioningly at Sera and sat back down on his seat.
SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO 
Quhon
Quhon Scrawl babble:
Emil: "You're late."
Author: "..."
Emil: "What not gonna have any excuses?!"
Author: "..."
Emil: "Ha! Cat got tongue!"
Author: "I plea the fifth."
Emil: "..."
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