You are a private detective and work has been slow. A missing cat, a stolen jewel, but you've been in a draught when it comes to jobs. While checking you're emails for the milionth time today you get an email. It is very plainly titled "Please Help From Foxglove Grove".
You click on it.
"Dear Detective
People have been going missing in Foxglove Grove. Rich men and debt collectors have been disapeering. When they return they come back horribly ill like the life has been sucked out of them. Several have died. The police have found no posion in their bodies. There were marks or scars on them. The police have found no cause of illness. Please help. I am willing to pay any cost. I have only one request. Inform me first when you find the cullprate. Only me first. Please we need an unbiassed investigater."
You stare at the odd email. The way the person wrote made you think they were desperate. Part of you was excited to have a real job, part of you knew you needed the money. Either way you replied that you'd take the job. You booked the first train ticket to Foxglove Grove.
[[Arriving at the train station]] You arrive off the train at the train station. People were rushion around. You could [[Walk to the Mayors office]] or [[Take a taxi to the mayors office]].Walking sounded like a better idea. You'd been stuck sitting on the train all morning and you needed to stretch your legs. As you walk around town you start to notice how beautiful the scenery is. Plants seemed to wind around everything. Bell shaped flowers that you recognized as Comfrey grew all over. They seemed to be everywhere. You decided to take a moment to smell the roses or in this case comfrey.
"You shouldn't smell those. They're Foxglove."] A worried voice startled you out of you're thoughts.
You turn around to see a teenage girl behind you. She had long red hair that hung down to her back with little space buts atop that were oddly shaped like little cones. She wore a light pink dress that reminded you of a princess.
"I was sure they were comfrey." You muttered to yourself. The girl shook her head.
"Comfrey and Foxglove look a lot alike. Its a really worrying problem. Foxglove looks like Comfrey which is a pretty and helpful flower but Foxglove..." She paused as if trying to find the right words. "Foxglove can kill you."
You nodded. The girl smiled and cutrsied at you. "My name is Zeze. It's a absolute pleasure to meet you.
[[Continue conversation]] You decide to take a taxi to the mayors office. Maybe ask a local about the crimes that were occuring. Once you exited the station, you hailed a taxi. It was being driven by a tall blonde women, in maybe her thirties.
"Are you here for buisness or pleasure? You know we get a lot of tourists around these parts." The woman asked as you got into the cab.
"I'm here for buisness." You replied, nodding at her, smiling a little. You wanted to seem friendly. "I'm actually a private detective. I was hired to investigate the disapeerences that have been going on." It was clear you'd killed the cheery mood with that comment because it made the woman take a long pause before she answered you. She had a conflicted expression on her face.
"Well you'll have a lot of suspects that's for sure." She answered bitterly.
"Why is that?" You asked. "Oh and I'm heading to the mayors home." You made sure to add.
She answered you as she began to drive. "The folks going missing have no shortage of enemies. They're the kind that have stolen and hurt to get their fortunes. Debt collectors, men so rich there's no way they got their money honestly. I mean anyone would want to take a swing at them but posion them, kill them. I don't think many have the stomach to do that."
You nodded. "Thank you for answering my question mam."
You could see her small, exausted smile in the rearview mirror. She looked like she was happy to help. Soon enough she'd dropped you off in front of the mayors home. You made sure to tip her extra before heading up the stairs. [[A talk with the mayor]] "It's good to meet you too." You smile back at her.
"What brings you to the grove?" Zeze asked you stepping forward.
"I'm a dectective." You explain. "I've been hired to investigate the disapeerences that have been happening."
Zeze's eyes lit up with a mixture of wonder and gratituted. "Oh thank goodness! What has been going on is truely terrible. It has certainly been keeping many of us, including myself, up at night. It's been over a year now. Ten peope, half of them dead! Another tragedy happening here. We're all terrified!"
Another tragedy? "What do you mean another tragedy?" You ask.
Zeze nodds. "My parents actually. They got tricked by some..." She paused as if the words were hard to get out. "horrid con man. He knocked them out for days. Nearly stole my fathers entire fortune. While asleep my parents dreamed of each other. When they woke up they worked together to defeat the man. Isn't it it such a love story."
A love story isn't quite what you'd call it.
"Actually," Zeze reached out her hand. "My parents, my dads the mayor, are hosting a party this evening. Why don't you come?"
Should you [[accept the invite]]? Or maybe [[Don't shake her hand]]?
This girl seemed so sweet. Like an actual princess.
"Sure I'll come if you're parents will be ok with it." You reply shaking Zeze's hand. She smiles at you.
"I'm sure my parents won't mind at all. See you this evening." Zeze gave to a royal wave before walking off, a skip in her step.
You decided since you'd be meeting the mayor this eveing to go visit one of the living victims in the hospital.
[[Meeting the victim with the invite]] It was strange but something in your gut told you not to trust this girl. Something about her seemed a bit too perfect.
You didn't shake her hand. "I'm sorry but I'll be busy tonight. Thank you for the invite thought." You tried to hide you unease from her.
Zeze smiled a bit too sweetly in responce. "Oh its alright. I hope to see you around soon."
She turned around and skipped off. You decided to go to the hospital to visit a hospital room of a living victim. You didn't want to go to the mayor just yet. You weren't ready to run into Zeze again.
[[Meeting the victim without the invite]] The mayors home was rather hard to miss. It was a large mansion on the edge of town. The garden was large and ornate filled to the brim with perfectly maintained bushs that must have taken the gardeners forever to do. You walked up the stairs and used the doorknockers, which were also engraved with a ornate flower design, to knock on the door.
A butler in a fancy suit answered the door.
You staightened your spine. "I am here to see the mayor." You stated.
"Why?" The butler asked dryly.
"I am a private detective," You explained. "I was hired to investigate the disapeerences that have been happening in Foxglove Grove."
The butlers eyes widen slightly and he lets you in. The two of you walk over to a room with large white doors. The butler knocks.
"Sir there is someone here to see you. They are a private detective who's investigating the disapeerences that have been happening."
There was a slight pause and for a moment you were worried you were about to be kicked out.
"Send them in." You sigh with relief.
The butler opens the door and you walk inside.
[[Talking to the mayor]] Inside the room is a fancy sitting room decorated in green and pink. On one of the couches is a couple which you assume to be the mayor and his wife.
The mayor was average with pale brown hair man and a kind smile. The woman was slightly taller with bleache blonde hair and a equally kind smile.
"Should I leave?" The woman asked. "I mean if you want to meet with my husband."
It would be good to talk to her as well. You shake your head. "Actually it would be best to talk to you both."
"Of course." The woman nodded, sitting back down. You walked over and sat down across from the could.
"Hello Mr and Mrs," You pause realize you don't actually know they're names.
"Greenwood." The woman answers helpfully.
"Greenwood." You repeat. Seemed fitting for a place like this.
"I'm going to ask you about the disapeerences. First of all, how long has this been happening?"
"Over a year now. Ten people have gone missing, half of them are dead." The man said shakely. "Another tragety striking this town." He finished shaking his head.
"[[Another tragedy]]?" You ask.Mr Greenwood nodded. "When me and my wife were younger, we'd actually first met when this happened. We got lured by a con man. He'd promised us a magic show of sorts. He seemed nice enough but when we entered the building, he was behind us you see, and the second all of us crossed the threshold of his shop me and my wife passed out."
This of course made you wonder what exactly could make a person black out like that. Was it something that had been in the air?
Mrs. Greenwood continued. "When we woke up there was nothing physically wrong with us that we could see despite being out for three days! Well exept for a pair of rather large scars on our backs. But anyway we tried to escape but thats when the con man unfortunately returned. He was of course angry we were trying to escape and tried to stop us. He was mumbling all sorts of things. Honestly for a moment I thought he looked as terrified as us!" She chuckled to herself as if the thought were impossible.
"But then in our trying to get away my husband knocked over this lantern with a moth design on it. It was really beautifal to be honest. When we did that the man screamed in... anger. I think was anger. I'm not totally sure. Anger fits how we know him not but the scream he let out was a bit to broken to be angery. I don't really know." Mrs. Greenwood shook her head.
"After we broke that lantern," Mr Greenwood continued after his wife. "The man ran off into the shadows. He was later pronounced dead after they supposedly found his body."
You nodd. This was really odd indeed. You wonder if the two cases could be connected somehow.
"How long are the people who go missing gone?" You ask. Suspecting you know the answer.
"Three days." The mayor replies. Suddenly a pair of footsteps enter the room.
[[The mayors daughter]] You turn to see a girl who looks to be in her final year of high school. Her deep red hair reaches down to her waist with little cone shape spacebuns sat attop her head. She's wearing a light pink dress that reminded you of a modern day disney princess. But the most distinctive thing about her were the comfrey flowers littered about in her hair.
"Hello mom, dad." She smiled sweetly at her parents. They smiled back.
"Hello Zeze." Mrs. Greenwood smiled at her daughter.
"Who's this?" Zeze asks staring at you. You got the odd felling that this angel of a girl was sizing you up.
"They're a private detective. They've been hired to figure out whats been going on with all the missing people."
Zeze turns to you, her eyes lighting up with what seemed like a mixture of gratitude and wonder. "Thank goodness. Everyone has been so afraid. You're doing true good by trying to solve this."
Then she turned to her parents. "I'm going to Wiliams. I'll be back in time to get ready for the party."
"Alright, we'll see you later." Mr Greenwood smiled. Then Zeze turned tail and gracefully walked out the door but not before re-adjusting some of the flowers in her hair.
Mr Greenwood turned to you. "You should come to our party tonight! It would give you a chance to meet everyone!"
"Sure." You smile. This would be a good chance to see potential victums do to the Greenwoods being wealthy and having wealthy friends. Then you left to go meet the living victim in the hospital.
[[Meeting the victim without the invite]] Mr Atlus was a old man who ran a debt collecting buisness. He was the kind of old that made you wonder how he was alive. But there he sat breathing in his hospital bed his grey hair all messy. He was thin like a skeleton and his dark blue eyes were sunken in.
"Hello Mr Atlus." You greated. He nodded at you. He'd already been informed of who you were so there was no need for introductions.
"Tell me about the events leading up to you going missing?" You ask. "Try and give as much detail as you can." You have your notebook out and ready.
Mr Atlas nodded. "I started like all the others by getting odd... letters in the mail. They were typed up. They said all the classic horror moving things. I know where you live. You will pay. I know what you did. That last one honestly made me laugh a little since I've done many things in my life. But still it wasn't fun to get those letters. That was about all the events leading up to it. Ask anyone this has happened to they'll say the same."
You note all of this down.
"Now describe the event. And take your time." You need to be gentle with this. Mr Atlus takes a deep breath and continues.
"I was walking home after a dinner party. When someone walked up to me. I can not for the life of me remember who but they expressed concern for my safety saying that they'd seen someone following me. They said they knew somewhere I could hide and for some reason in my fear I believed them. They lead me somewhere into the woods and thats all I remember really..." He trailed off.
This was good information.
"Anything else?" You ask. "Anything at all."
He paused as if going through his mind. "I remember for some reason not being afraid of this person at all as if they were the last person in this entire world I'd imagine to do something like this. They sounded so genuine in their worry for me."
You nodd. This interview had given you a lot of information. Now that you think about it. Going to that party might just be a good way to talk to more victims and potential victims alike. You get up to leave.
"Wait-" Mr Atlus grabs your arm and glances away not meet your gaze.
"You may think I'm crazy for mentioning this but you said anything I could think of. Every night since I came back I've had the same dream. That I'm one of those Foxglove flowers. I'm bouncing up and down, stuck in place."
You thank him for that final peice of information, wondering if it has any clues.
[[Arriving at the party not invited]]
You choose the best outfit that you'd packed and head back to the Greenwood's mansion. There is a crowd of very rich looking people heading up the steps and inside. Looking at them you feel a bit underdressed but you head inside despite that.
Mr and Mrs. Greenwood along with there daughter greet you at the door. Zeze especially is very excited you're there.
"I'm sure you'll adore tonights events!" She smiled at you making eye contact and for a split second you feel like prey.
[[Talking to victims or soon to be]] You choose the best outfit that you'd packed and head back to the Greenwood's mansion. There is a crowd of very rich looking people heading up the steps and inside. Looking at them you feel a bit underdressed but you head inside despite that.
Mr and Mrs. Greenwood along with there daughter greet you at the door. Zeze especially is very excited you're there.
"This is the detective I was telling you both about!" She says beaming. "I know you said you were busy but I was still hoping you'd be here. I'm sure you'll adore tonights events!" She finished making eye contact with you. For a second you feel like prey. Then Zeze walks off disapearing into the crowd.
[[Talking to victims or soon to be]] Mr Atlus was a old man who ran a debt collecting buisness. He was the kind of old that made you wonder how he was alive. But there he sat breathing in his hospital bed his grey hair all messy. He was thin like a skeleton and his dark blue eyes were sunken in.
"Hello Mr Atlus." You greated. He nodded at you. He'd already been informed of who you were so there was no need for introductions.
"Tell me about the events leading up to you going missing?" You ask. "Try and give as much detail as you can." You have your notebook out and ready.
Mr Atlas nodded. "I started like all the others by getting odd... letters in the mail. They were typed up. They said all the classic horror moving things. I know where you live. You will pay. I know what you did. That last one honestly made me laugh a little since I've done many things in my life. But still it wasn't fun to get those letters. That was about all the events leading up to it. Ask anyone this has happened to they'll say the same."
You note all of this down.
"Now describe the event. And take your time." You need to be gentle with this. Mr Atlus takes a deep breath and continues.
"I was walking home after a dinner party. When someone walked up to me. I can not for the life of me remember who but they expressed concern for my safety saying that they'd seen someone following me. They said they knew somewhere I could hide and for some reason in my fear I believed them. They lead me somewhere into the woods and thats all I remember really..." He trailed off.
This was good information.
"Anything else?" You ask. "Anything at all."
He paused as if going through his mind. "I remember for some reason not being afraid of this person at all as if they were the last person in this entire world I'd imagine to do something like this. They sounded so genuine in their worry for me."
You nodd. This interview had given you a lot of information. Speaking of information it was time to get ready to go to the party. You get up to leave.
"Wait-" Mr Atlus grabs your arm and glances away not meet your gaze.
"You may think I'm crazy for mentioning this but you said anything I could think of. Every night since I came back I've had the same dream. That I'm one of those Foxglove flowers. I'm bouncing up and down, stuck in place."
You thank him for that final peice of information, wondering if it has any clues.
[[Arriving at the party invited]] You decided to wak up to a group of old rich looking men that look like the kind Mr. Atlus would accociate with. You introduce yourself and explain why you're here. You're intuition was correct. They're all friends of Atlus, one Mr. Cane is a recently recovered victim. He still looks incredibly ill and you wonder if he should be be resting instead of being here.
You decided to just start with a simple question. "Do you know anyone who'd wish Mr Atlus, Mr Cane, or any of the other victims harm?"
This gets a laugh from almost all the men.
"Who wouldn't want to wish us harm?" Mr Lawrence laughed. You raise an eyebrow and the man elaborates.
"We're rich dear. The amount of people that have fallen due to us rising is uncountable. What makes you think I have the mental space to remember the people who'd wish revenge on my friends? I don't even remember the amount of people who'd want revenge on me." This gets yet another laugh from the group of men.
"Is there really no one that Atlus and Cane both upset? Someone that all the past victims upset?" You ask, trying to tease out as much information as you can.
"Actually," Mr Lawrence pauses. "A lot of us worked at the same debt collecting firm back in the day. Golden Finacial."
You are shockehd this wasn't brought up sooner.
Mr Lawrence continued. "It's actually how a lot of us met. We didn't make all that much back then but we'd work together to find... other ways of gaining extra cash." He smirked at you with a glint in his eye that made you think he might have been collecting a little extra cash to line his pockets. The other men seemed to share this look.
"Is there anyone you can think of that was a stand out case?"
It was Mr Cane who spoke up this time. "Sure but both men are dead now."
"Oh really?" You prompt.
Mr Cane shrugs. "Yep. First guy was Axel Demane he owed us and was having trouble paying. He sold a buncha cheap magic tricks and do dads. He was getting late on payments and we paid him a visit. He was really creepy, honestly reminded me of the mad hatter. Anyway he died soon after a time we visited him. Maybe someone thinks it's more than a coincidence."
"Which it is." Mr Cane added hastely in a way that made you think it wasn't a accsident.
"And the second?" You ask.
"That con artist that tried to scam the Greenwoods." Mr Cane said before taking a sip of his drink.
[[The con mans debts]] "He'd taken out a couple loans for some reason and owed us big time. He also ran a creepy magic shop come to think of it. Anyway he's dead now. I'm sure you know the story of it, real spooky." He laughed. You thank them for the information. You have to look up this Demane guy and the name of that con artist.
Now it's time to follow a curiosity of your own. Zeze Greenwood. You walk around looking for her when you spot her in the corner of the room chatting with a blonde boy her age. She looks decidedly more relaxed then before. The boy was laughing at something she said, he was grinning. But he also kept glacing around the room as if something was watching him. Zeze pats him on the shoulder and appears to excuse herself. After she's out of sight couple walk up and great him, introducing yourself as the private detective.
His eyes widen with a mixture of relief and terror.
"I'm William Hunting. Zeze's boyfriend." He introduced himself. This suprised you a bit. The two had look close to you sure, but the two looked more like best friends than anything romantic.
"Zeze was actually just telling me about you." He added. His smile did not reach his eyes.
"Really," You smile back. "I'm hoping it was all good things."
William nodds. "Yep. All good things. She finds you very interesting." He said that last sentence like a warning.
"How did you two meet?" You ask trying to keep the conversation going. You could feel something was off.
"Our parents introduced us when we were kids, I think when we were... eleven. Maybe. We were friends for years and then in high school we started dating."
"So you're childhood sweet hearts." You smile. William nods.
"Thanks for coming." William says unprompted. "This town needed an unbiased investigator." Your eyes widen. He'd quoted the email. Maybe it was a coincidence? Still...
"I see you've met William." Zeze's voice appeared behind you making you jump out of your skin. William didn't flinch.
She took Williams arm and started leading him away. "I saw chocolate cookies over there. I know they're your favorite."
You stared at the two and when they were far enough away that Zeze seemed to think you were out of ear shot you heard her whisper to William. "What were they asking about me? I wanna know!" Her voice was full of chaotic glee and sounded like it was a couple pitches lower than her normal voice. You suttlely looked at William to see his reaction to the question. He laughed a little and seemed to share Zeze's mischief but you could see that the glint in his eye was tainted by a little sadness.
[[The rest of the night]] The rest of the night went on smoothly enough. You miggled with the party guests learning more and more about the grove. How it used to be a quiet place, how certain rich men were now to afraid to leave their homes (you couldn't blame them), how puzzled everyone was about how any of this was happening. You didn't believe in magic but nothing else seemed to fit. You allowed yourself to toy with the idea that something mystical could be happening. The two biggest cases that all the victims were involved in were men who owned magic shops. Maybe there was a cursed item? Maybe that Zeze girl knew something about it? You'd have to ask her, where was she anyway? You look around for the girl but you cannot find her. You walk past the group of ex debt collectors you talked to earlier and noticed that Mr Lawrence was missing. You overhear his friends mentioning he'd left early.
You walk up to William whoes sitting down at one of the dinner tables looking a bit ill.
"Are you alright?" You ask. He looks feverish a little.
"I'm fine." William replies in a voice that makes it clear he is anything but fine.
"Where's your girlfriend?" You sit down next to him. Maybe Zeze would know what to do or at least be able to convince William he was not alright.
"She left early." William muttered bitterly. You nod. Suddenly the boys eyes grew wide, he cluched his chest, and he began to couch loudly.
You yell for someone to help and several people come rushing over. Then as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. William slouched down in his chair, forhead covered in sweat. You heard his mother mutter something about his going on for over a year now.
"Over a year..." You think to yourself. Another coincidence. You leave the party.
[[The next morning]] The next morning after you have your breakfast you check the news. Mr Lawrence has gone missing. Now your suspicions are confirmed. This has something to do with the debt collectors. You go to you laptop and being to research the two men that had been mentioned the night before.
The con man and Axel Demane
First you find the con mans name was Leeroy Oakes. He'd actually been very good friends with Axel Demane. Once you dug a bit further you learn that Leeroy was actually the godfather of Axel Demanes daughter Zadalia. Axel Demane had a daughter. Now that was someone who might want revenge. You try to research her more but can't seem to find anything about her beside that she went to go live with Leeroy at eight years old and then went missing three years later. This doubled you suspicions, this girl came up when it came to both Axel and Leeroy. Double the want for revenge. Another thing you noticed was that Axel and Zeze looked incredibly simillar. The same red hair, brown eyes, facial structure, and more. They could have been mistaken for family...
You decided to look up the address of both closed magic shops. Axels is several towns away but Leeroy's is just at the edge of Foxglove Grove. You grab your bag and decide to pay it a visit.
[[The edge of town]] Once you get to the edge of town you notice there aren't many people there. In fact most places seem to be abandoned.
As you look about for the magic shop you hear voices coming from one of the abandoned houses.
You can't make out what the two people are saying but it sounds angry. Just then William comes storming out of the house. He looks furious.
"I can't keep being friends with you!"
He hasn't seen you yet.
You could [[hide]] and listen in on the rest of the conversation since it doesn't seem to be done. Or you could [[approach him]].You decide to hide behind one of the other houses. Peaking around the edge to see as well as hear the conversation.
"I can't just standbye and let you keep doing this!" William yells at the person still in the house.
"You have before what's the big deal this time!" The second voice sounds familar but you can't seem to place it. Then out of the doorway steps Zeze. She looks diffent this time. Her hair is put up in a ratty looking poneytail and she's wearing shorts and a teeshirt. The teeshirt says "Kill the Princess".
"I didn't like it before!" William exclaims tossing his hands up in the air.
"Yet you still stayed friends with me." Zeze smirked and shugged. "I mean," Zeze took a step foward. She didn't seem threatining but she didn't seem kind either. "You know who I am. And you still... stay?" That last sentence was sinceir. You could tell.
William gave his answer. "Because I know you're better than this! I've seen you be a good person. A kind person!" This got a scoff from Zeze.
"It's true!" William continued. "You just seem insistent on being a manipulitive horrible person!"
Zeze let out a bitter laugh. "Maybe that is who I am? You just don't wanna see it"
William shook his head. "But it isn't though. I... I can't keep doing this Zeze."
Zeze rolled her eyes. "We break up at the end of the year. Then you can never see me again. You know the agreement or did you forget. I've seen your grades don't worry I'm still fixing them for you."
"I can get my own grades." Willliam huffed defensively.
"This friendship is over." He added firmly. This made Zeze's eyes grew wide, she seemed to suddenly be hit with the realization that this was the fight.
"You don't just get to do that!" She yelled. She looked angry and scared. The kind of scared you get when you realize you're about to love something important. "You know I still can," Zeze gestures to her own heart.
"But you won't ever. I told you you were good." William laughs bitterly before walking out.
Zeze lets out a gutteral scream of utter furry before sinking to hear knees and muttering something about the rules of the con. And how you're not ever ever supposed to care about people.
You need leave as quickly and as silently as you can.
Do you go to [[The right]]or [[The left]]?You approach William and ask if he's alright. He whips around to look at you. He still looks scared when he sees you.
He says he's fine and looks back at the doorway to see it is empty. This relieves him somewhat.
He says the two of you should walk back to town together.
You ask who he was yelling at and he looks to the side guiltily. Instead of answering your question he asks one of his own. "Do you have a prime suspect?"
"I don't think I can tell you that." You reply. William nods. "I guess that would be fair." The two of you walk the rest of the way back in silence.
[[The new emails]] When you get back to your hotel room you check your email and find that there is a new message from the anonymous person who hired you.
It is just one question. "Do you have a prime suspect?" Now you are pretty sure it is William who hired you.
You email back. "Both Axel Demane and Leeroy Oaks (who was the con man) are accociated with the girl Zadalia Demane. She was Axel Demanes daughter and then after he died Leeroy took care of her. If there is anyone who'd have a vendetta against the victims it woulld be her."
You see the email get read and then a reply is sent.
"Go to the Greenwoods and ask how they met Zeze."
Looks like you know where you're going next.
[[Zeze's past]] You have a pretty good feeling that the two weren't talking about normal drama. You are pretty sure Zeze is the killer but the how and why don't make sense. Especially the why. It is obvious to you now that her sweet act is just a facade.
You decide to go to her parents to ask how they met the girl and see if it matches up with when Zadalia Demane went missing. You have a theory.
[[Zeze's past]]
You turn to the left. You only get a couple steps aheard of you before to you utter horror you feel something snap beneath your foot. Worse it makes a very loud sound. You whip around to see Zeze directly behind you.
"Well well well detective what do we have here?" She's grinning at you like the cheshire cat and all at once again you feel like prey. But you also notice that she's definitly been crying. Her eyes are red and you can see the tears that still stain her cheeks.
"I know you heard all that." She stated circling you. "Which is a problem for me since that means you've... connecting things. But no matter I have a use for you yet."
She lunges forward and grabs your arm. You struggle trying to yank it away but she is suprisingly strong. Zeze drags you into one of the abandonded shops which you quickly realize must be Leeroy Oak's old magic shop. Creepy lanterns cover the walls and there are shelves upon shelves of what look to be achient books. And every inch of the place is covered in vines from the floor to the ceeling to the walls.
Then Zeze lets go of your arm and you think you might have a chance to run away only to find that the vines on the ground are rapping around you.
"I would normally do this in my shed but here's good enough." Zeze says shrugging.
"But first," She turns to you grinning once more. "I want to hear your theories. How much of this have you really figured out detective."
"My, my theory," You splutter out. "My theory so far is that you're related to Axel Demane, probably his daughter. And then after what those debt collectors did to him and Mr Oaks you want revenge."
This gets a genuine smile out of Zeze and her eyes look a bit sad for a moment. "You know its been a while since I've heard anyone call my uncle by his name. Leeroy Oaks. Most people just call him "the con man" as if him making one desperate mistake makes him worthy of being forgotten. But they remember those debt collectors, they search for them. Those rich men with pockets full of bloody money." Zeze was ranting at this point. She was walking around the room looking over the shelves.
"You know detective the police didn't act this fast to search for my uncle or my father when they went missing. Just goes to show..." She looked at you and you could see the pain all over her face.
"I'm sorry about your uncle and your father but revenge isn't going to bring them back." You plead.
The unfortunetly makes Zeze's eyes light up with a horrid glee. "Oh dectective but it will. At least for my uncle!"
[[The paintng]]
Zeze walks over to large red cloth that's covering something that looks like a painting and rips off the cloth. Your eyes grow wide at the sight.
The painting is of Leeroy Oaks and he looks like he's trying to claw out of the painting but something or someone is dragging him back. He looks terrified and pleading.
"What is this?" You terror now mixed with curiosity.
"This is my uncles fate." Zeze explains. "The body the police found was fake. The entities my uncle worked for, the ghosts, didn't like that he couldn't get them the souls they wanted so they trapped him in this." Zeze turns to you smirking. "Thats right detective magic!" She does little jazz hands emphazizing magic.
"And how does this have to do with getting your uncle back?" You ask trying to put the pieces together.
"It's simple." Zeze explains. "I made a deal with the ghosts to grant me a wish in exchange for souls. I have to get the souls in halves as not to kill all my victims that would make everything to obvious. But the ghosts what ten souls. You do the math detective."
From what you know sixteen people have gone missing so far. That was eight souls. All she needed was two more souls, four more people.
"And you'll use this wish to bring your uncle back?" You ask, trying to stuggle against the vines.
This got a cold laugh from Zeze. "Not only will it bring him back detective it will make it so he never disapeered." Your eyes widen once more.
"That's right detective! I'm rewriting the story." Zeze walks calmly over to you and puts a hand on your back.
"Don't worry detective," She whispers. "This will only hurt a lot." Then you feel a crack inside you as something is pulled out through your back. You let out a scream and fall to the floor. As you pass out you see a Foxglove flower forming in Zeze's hand which she immeditly puts in her hair.
"This place has so many of these things that its rather easy to hide mine in plane sight." Zeze chuckles. Then she leans down to the ground and meets your eyes.
"And before you think you've caught me. That'll you'll tell all when you wake. You won't remember a single thing the next time you open your eyes." She gives you that sickeningly sweet smile.
"Now if you'll excuse me I have to get ready for a gala that I'm going to with my parents. See you in three days detective!" She skips out the door as you close your eyes.
[[Three days later]]You wake up exausted. Every muscle in your body aches. You are lying on the concreat of a street on the edge of town. Why are you hear? Someone attacked you but you can't for the life of you remember who. You should probably go back to town to find the cops.
You had the strangest dear while you were out. One where you were a Foxglove flower.Soon your sitting across from Mr and Mrs Greenwood on their fancy couches again.
"So what are you here to ask us." Mr Greenwood said smiling.
"I'm actually here to ask about your daughter, Zeze. How exactly did you two meet her?"
Mrs Greenwood laughed. "Well we went to this orphanage and there was this sweet eleven year old girl there who bumped into us. And well that was Zeze. She was just the cutest when we met her and we both knew then and there we wanted her to be our daughter."
"Eleven?" You think. Same age Zadalia went missing.
"She was rather excited for it herself." Mr Greenwood said smiling. "Just jumping for joy."
"Do you have any idea about who her family was before you two?" You ask.
Mr and Mrs Greenwood shake their heads.
"She'll hopefully tell us eventually." Mr Greenwood says sadly. "We tell her we're always ready to listen."
"Hello." Your completely startled and whip around to see Zeze there smiling at you and staring at you. She has a new flower in her hair you notice. Her eyes are still a little red.
"Hello." You reply. "I should best be going actually." You make a beeline for the exit.
Once you get outside you glance behind you and find Zeze still there.
"Oh detective," She grins at you in the way a monster grins at their lunch. "I believe we aren't finished with our conversation."