Smoke in the Air 12

Next month I will be uploading a short piece as I haven't decided (or prepped) the next longer piece.

        -Rose B.

Smoke in the Air

12

    Her fan snaps shut, "Very good. If you had gone charging off, you would have made a similar mistake as before." That calms my excitement. She waits for me to sit down before speaking, "I told you before that all mortals come to me. That never changes even with unnatural deaths. In the case of murders, you can think of it as one mortal delivering another to me."

    "Are you telling me that all of them tried to kill her?"

    Her smile seems to curl at the edges, "Precisely. When mortals toss each other to me, they have to get closer to me than those who are in the same area."

    "But none of them succeeded?"

    "Yes."

    "Then who killed her?"

    She chuckles, and I resist the urge to shudder, "You forgot one other person in the room." She looks at the door, "Ah, looks like the police have arrived. Will you reveal the truth, or will you allow Madam Losster's revenge to play out?"

    I see a shadow through the glass.

    "I can't wait," Her voice breathes in my ear. I spin around, but her seat is empty. The four in the back are talking amongst each other and the two employees at the bar are cleaning up. None of them are looking this way. I smell the scent of her smoke, and I wonder if I am in over my head. 

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Smoke in the Air 11

 Smoke in the Air

11

    I sigh, "That narrows it down to four. no one saw anything in the dark, but they were close enough to each other that the others would have noticed if one of them wasn't where they ought to be." Did the murder happen in the tunnel? I look at the cloth covered body. There was no blood. The blue lips, the unnatural pallor of her skin, all pointed toward poisoning. "Poisoning doesn't require any of them to have left their seats. If the poison was slow, she could have ingested it long before the tunnel or the poison was prepared before the tunnel, and she consumed it in the dark."

    She taps her hands together in a silent clap, "Bravo, the poison was in her glass, and it killed her when she drank it while in the tunnel."

    I begin to move towards the car door, to find the conductor. All I need to figure out is who among the four put the poison in the glass. But...

    I look at the woman and see she is hiding her mouth with her fan again. She looks like a girl, laughing at the suitors trying to approach her. This is all a game to her, why would she give up the damning evidence so freely. "What are you not telling me?"

    She doesn't speak, but her eyes crinkle, and I know she is smiling in the bone-chilling way behind the fan. I think about all the statements she made. Was there something I missed? If the poison wasn't important, then what was? Her voice floats from my memory.

    let me give you a hint...

    "What did you mean by 'sought you out'?"

 

 

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Smoke in the Air 10

 Smoke in the Air

10

    "Then what do you want?"

    She put the fan to her face again, "It's simple, allow me to remain at your side and watch you work from up close."

    "Can't you do that anyway?"

    She chuckles, "No, I have no dominion over mortals until they die." She pauses, and the temperature drops, "I could get permission from Vida, but I refuse to interact with her more than necessary."

    I clear my throat, "What would I get in return?"

    The air warms again, and she drops the fan revealing a sickly sweet smile, "A lot but to get to main points. I can tell you everything there is to know about a mortal's death, even the details humans won't be able to figure out for centuries yet. And who among the living has been in contact with me recently."

    She doesn't seem to be lying, but I also can't tell if she's hiding something, "Why would you help me?"

    "I already told you, you interest me. It's a good trade for me if all I have to give you is knowledge in order to watch you from the best seat in the house,"

    I couldn't see any downside, and, despite my gut telling me not to, I say, "Very well, you have my permission."

    She grins, "Lovely, then let me give you a hint. All of her companions have sought me out within the last month. The staff members have nothing to do with this death." 

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Smoke in the Air 9

 Smoke in the Air

9

    He sighs, "Of course, I'll never understand the need to protect reputation. I can at least keep them here with people to watch over them."

    "That will have to do until the Cheston police arrive, then they can decide how to handle them."

    The conductor nods and leaves while I move back to the table where Madam Losster lay. She sits down in the seat for the dealer. Her eyes glitter and she smiles at me, "So what do you think?"

    "Don't you already know?"

    She shakes her head, "I can't see into your thoughts."

    I rub my face, "Fine, all of the suspects are suspicious, and they all have a reason to kill her. They're too calm when I walked in but were nervous when I asked questions. They act like they are telling me everything, but I don't think they are. At the moment, I can only clear the staff member that was at the bar."

    She smiles and hides it with a lace fan that seems to have replaced the notebook, "Are you willing to make a deal with me?"

    I look at her warily, "Are you going to ask for my soul in return?"

    She snaps the fan shut, "What need would I have for your soul?"

    "Aren't you Death?"

    She rolls her eyes, "The living come to me, not the other way around. And if I killed you, how could you entertain me?" 

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Smoke in the Air 8

 Smoke in the Air

8

    "It wasn't so bad before her son died," Ms. Grace adds, "And while her temperament because worse after that, it was only when her health started to decline that she would snap at the smallest thing."

    Lord Hurston nods, "I was going to persuade the Madam to retire on this trip, we're in a delicate time and if our company's reputation takes a hit it could ruin everything."

    "Did she know you were going to do this?" I ask.

    Lord Hurston looks at Mr. Ethan before sighing, "She may have had a hunch but I don't think she knew exactly what I wanted to discuss. I was hoping I could calm down her temper while we were on the train so she didn't make a scene in public."

    Mr Ethan's knuckles were white from how hard he was clenching his fists, "Lord Hurston is trying to be polite but when the madam didn't get her way she could be very petty and vengeful."

    Ms. Grace gasped, "Mr. Ethan?!"

    He glared a her, "I'm only speaking the truth. Don't pretend it didn't happen to you, how many times did she withhold your money because of some small change you made in the household."

    Ms. Grace looks at the floor but her face is red. The others look just as emotionally disturbed but it feels shallow. Although that's nothing new for those in high society, but still it nags at me.

    "Thank you. You've been most helpful, and I promise, neither of us are likely to talk to the papers."

    They relax a little at my words and I move back to the conductor near the door of the car and say, "I would suggest confining them to their cabins but I doubt they would want to be escorted in front of the other passengers."

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Smoke in the Air 7

 Smoke in the Air

7

    In the corner of my vision I see Lord Hurston roll his eyes and Mr. Ethan looks towards the windows. "I was sitting next to her, and I felt something hit the table in the dark. I was concerned she might have hurt herself, but when we came out of the tunnel, she was just..." She dabs at her eyes with a handkerchief, but I don't see any tears nor does the cloth look wet.

    Mr. Ethan clears his throat, "I keep the books for Madam Losster and Lord Hurston. This trip is a good chance to keep them up to date, so I join whenever I can. I was seated between Hurston and Ms. Grace. I was smoking and talking finances with Lord Hurston when we entered the tunnel. My back was madam, so I didn't see the body until Ms. Grace screamed."

    Hannah pats Ms. Grace's back, "Madam's health has been getting worse, and since I'm a trained nurse, I've been accompanying her on longer trips. I was standing behind the Madam when we entered the tunnel. I heard something hit the table and reached out for the Madam, but I couldn't find her. I thought her health had acted up and was going to grab my bag once we were out of the tunnel. But when I saw her face down on the table, I took her pulse and found she was dead."

    I nod, "What kind of person was Madam Losster?" There is a weighty pause, and I raise my eyebrow, "Not the nicest lady then?"

    Hannah sighs, "The Madam could be a difficult person when her temper snapped. It's not rare to see her throw items when she gets upset, many staff have moved on because they couldn't handle it."

    Mr. Ethan nods, "She's never thrown anything at me but we've had many arguments over the finances. If she doesn't like how work is being done she'll tell you right there even if it's in public."

    Lord Hurston puts an unlit pipe in his mouth, "It's been bad for business, word gets around and people talk. I've gotten complaints from customers and employees, and I'm usually the one to break up the arguments between the Madam and Mr. Ethan."

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Smoke in the Air 6

I remembered this time to post in the first week of the month. Go me. November and December are difficult months for me, hopefully you all are doing better than I am.

-Rose B.

Smoke in the Air

6

    I tip my hat to the staff and move to the table Madam Losster rests on. Chips, cards, and drinks are still on the table. I lift the cloth a little and see I was right; it is the woman I ran into before. She's paler, and there's a slight tint of blue to her lips. I put the sheet down and go to the only other occupied table.

    "Excuse me, I'm Jacob Williams and this is my assistant," I gesture to the woman following me and gives a small bow, "I'm offering my assistance to help this terrible situation along. Could you tell me what happened and your connection to the deceased."

    They look at each other, then Lord Hurston speaks, "Are you the Detective Williams that was in the paper a couple months ago?"

    I nod and there is a brief flash of panic across their faces. It's replaced by that odd calmness and Mr. Ethan coughs before speaking, "I guess we were lucky a trustworthy detective was on this train."

    I smile slightly, "I'm just glad I can help, if you don't mind I would like to get started I don't want to take up more of your time than necessary."

     Lord Hurston sits back in his chair, "Very well, I'm Lord Alexander Hurston. I was business partners with the Madam's late husband. She took over after his death, and we regularly take this trip to discuss business and play cards with friends. The dealer usually doesn't have a hand going when we hit the tunnel, so we were having a small break as the tunnel approached. I was sitting farthest from Madam Losster and was chatting with Mr. Ethan. When we came out of the tunnel, she was dead."

    Ms. Grace grabs a glass on the table with a shaky hand and drinks some of the liquid. It doesn't smell, so I assume it's water. "I was to be married to Madam Losster's son, but he died in the war. She had health problems after his death, and even though I couldn't be married into the family anymore, I continued to assist her. She was slowly teaching me about the business, I think she brought me on this trip to announce I was going to take over for her." 

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Smoke in the Air 5

 Smoke in the Air

5

    The conductor glances at the people in the back, "Alright. What do you need?"

    I smile, "I don't want to make any demands without a full understanding of the situation."

    The conductor nods and shoos away the boy before speaking, "Four guests reserved the lounge car until we arrived at Cheston. These two were serving them."

    The staff gave a slight bow. One is an older gentleman with gray hair, and the other looks to be barely of age. The older one picks up the explanation, "These guests regularly reserve this car to play cards without distraction. I've been a dealer for them several times in the past, and they requested me to deal for them again." he gestures to the youth, "He mixed and served drinks with the help of the lady's maid."

    "And you were the only ones in the car?"

    They nod, and the older gentleman continues, "I was going to deal a new hand after we passed through the tunnel, but once we emerged, Madam Losster was slumped over the table. Ms. Grace screamed, and we called for the conductor."

    I turned to the youth, "And you?"

    "I-I was m-making ano-another drink for L-Lord Hurston. I-I didn't know any-anything was wrong un-until Ms. Grace sc-screamed."

    I look at the people in the back, "Who is who?"

    The conductor clears his throat, "Ms Grace is the one in the fox fur. Madam Losser brought the maid; her name is Hannah. Lord Hurston is the bigger gentleman with the cane. Mr. Ethan is the dapper young man." 

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Smoke in the Air 4

 Smoke in the Air

4

    His eyes widen, "Really? The one who solved the Crosshair murder?" I nod, and he smiles, "Then please come with me to the conductor."

   We follow him out of the compartment and move through the train cars.

    "Relax Detective, you can just pretend I'm not here," She murmurs, "After all, I can't give you information until you agree to our deal." We reach the lounge car where a big man stands at the door. I straighten my suit before we move into the car. A variation of a scene I've seen hundreds of times greets me.

    Everything appears to be in order except for one table that has a cloth covering the body. I ignore it for the moment and look at a table in the back where four people sit. Two gentlemen, one lady, and the maid I saw earlier, they all look rather calm, a little unusual after being around a corpse. The only emotion I can discern is confusion at my appearance. The lady is younger than the one I saw the maid accompanying before, which means the body is most likely the older lady from before.

    Next to the bar stands the conductor and a couple of staff. The conductor raises an eyebrow as we walk over, "I thought I sent you to explain things to passengers, not bring some to me."

    The boy flinches, "They said they could help."

    I can almost see the vein bulge in the conductor's forehead and step forward before he starts yelling, "I'm Detective Williams. There are some procedures that can't be helped until the Cheston police get here but I can at least speed things along."

    The conductor looks me over and looks at the woman behind me, "And she is?"

    She steps forward and I notice a notebook in her hand, "Ms. Fumée. I'll be acting as an assistant for the detective." 

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Smoke in the Air 3

I might have to get a new computer soon. My current one is freaking out a lot, but I don't want a new one yet.....

             -Rose B.

Smoke in the Air

3

    She puts the cigarette holder to her lips and takes a draw. Her cheeks sink in as if the muscle doesn't exist, showing the bone structure of her jaw through translucent skin. The cabin goes black as we enter a tunnel. I hear her exhale and can feel the smoke hit my face. "Who else can I be but the one you see every day? I've never seen a mortal so involved with me and still breathing. If I didn't know better I would think you were one of my psychopomps."

    My brain doesn't want to accept it but people flash in my head old, young, male, female all wearing her face. How many times had I seen her while working or been around when I was dragged into a murder? My skin crawls as the knowledge sinks in, but I can't bring myself to put a name to her face. There's a flash of light as the train exits the tunnel and pulls me out of my thoughts.

    The train shrieks and comes to a halt. She continues as if nothing happened, "Now then, I can help you but I require something in return."

    "I don't need your help."

    She raises an eyebrow, "Maybe, but the information I can provide will be wholly true and won't be found anywhere else. Of course information provided by Death can't be used in court but at least it will prevent you from hanging an innocent man again." She looks at the door, "You can give me your answer after you see the situation."

    There's a knock at the door and I look up to see who is calling, "Yes?"

    A boy opens the door, "I'm sorry for the sudden stop, but we've had an incident. I've come to tell you that we'll be stopped here for some time."

    "That is unfortunate," Her voice is softer and I look over to see her in sensible clothes with a hat pinned to her head. The cigarette and it's holder is gone, although the smoke remains. "But maybe we can be of assistance. This is Detective Williams." 

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Smoke in the Air 2

 Smoke in the Air

2

    I jump at her voice and remind myself I'm not at the pictures. Then her words hit me, "Excuse me?"

    She waves a gloved hand, "Calm down. This will be a long trip, and it will be easier if you are more comfortable."

    I sit down opposite her, "A long trip? It's only a couple hours to Cheston."

    She smiles, and it sends chills up my spine, "Maybe on a different trip but not this one, Mr. Williams."

    It feels like the temperature in the room drops by a few degrees, "How..." The face of my old boss flashes in my mind, "Did the lieutenant send you?"

    She chuckles, a terrifying raspy sound, "No, Detective, I'm here because you interest me."

    I frown, "I'm not a detective anymore."

    "You may have been fired, but you can't stop being what you are." She cocks her head as if listening to something, "It should happen soon. Once we leave the tunnel, your skills will be needed."

    "You speak as if someone will be murdered."

    She narrows her eyes, "That's cheating, Mr. Williams, but a death will occur, Just like they always do around you and of course you'll need to solve the mystery."

    "Who are you?" 

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Smoke in the Air 1

This is one of my favorite pieces that I've written recently. I don't usually write mysteries because I end up creating something unsolvable. This wasn't supposed to be a mystery at all, I just wanted to writing something with this female character that has been in my head for a while. But I knew writing from her POV would be really boring and thus the detective came to be. I really like how it ended up and the dynamic between the two is really interesting. I would love to do a series with them but I'm not sure my mystery skills are up to par yet...

                 -Rose B. 

Smoke in the Air

1

    I look at the number above the compartment doors wishing they would match the one on my ticket so I could sit down. The train jolts as it hits an uneven track, and I bump into a high society lady. She turns her nose up at me and frowns.

    "My apologies, madam," I say, bowing my head.

    "Be glad these are my traveling clothes, otherwise you'd be paying for it to be cleaned," she scoffs before continuing past me. Her lady's maid gives me a quick curtsy before scurrying after her.

    I sigh and look down at the nine of my ticket I thought the upper crust had whole train cars to themselves, so they didn't have to mingle with the working class. I didn't ask questions when Thomas gave me the ticket, but maybe I should have. I continue looking at numbers praying there won't be someone inside I have to mind my manners around.

    I look down at my ticket in confirmation. It shimmers in the light coming through the windows, and frown at the four. I rub my eyes, I swear it said nine before. I look at the ticket again but it still says four. This whole situation must have made me more tired than I realized. Finally, I find it; it's the last one in the car. I tense up as I enter the compartment as there is a woman already there. She looks familiar but I don't know a woman that beautiful. Maybe I saw her on screen, She does look like she came straight out of a moving picture with her black hair, white skin, and a dress colored in gray tones. She seems to be wearing the latest fashion that is all the rage among ladies, but there's something not quite right about it. If Dorthy were here, she would know immediately, but she was going to have to find another employer to buy those fashion magazines. A cigarette holder is perched in the lady's hand, smoke curls around her, and she exhales more. I can't remember the last time I've been to the pictures and I feel like I've seen her more recently than that.

    "Finally, now things can begin."

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