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[modernholmes]

Conan didn't know how, but somehow he had arrived in a village that could only be described as quaint and European. He privately wondered if this was part of one of his mother's elaborate pranks.

But regardless of how he had arrived here and where he was, there was still a crime to solve. It had been tricky gathering the evidence, but nothing beyond his skills. Now there was only the deduction show to finish. He turns and points at one of the suspects.

"The murderer is you! You betrayed and killed your brother here in order to take his place as heir to the kingdom! But you made a mistake! You failed to realize that there was a witness to your crime!"

He ignores the shocked whispers of the onlookers around them.

"Yes! The golden goose saw everything!"

Comments

and a slight change to sister instead of brother just for this thread. >D

[drinkandforget]

As soon as the finger pointed at her, one of the village girls, in her thin and somewhat ragged dress, took a step backward. Lethe's face was a picture of shock, horror, and consternation.

"I would never!" she burst out. "Your worship, you can't really think I could have done this! I loved my sister! She's all I had!"

How... how was it even possible? It was a nightmare!

Re: and a slight change to sister instead of brother just for this thread. >D

[modernholmes]

He continues looking intently at her, somehow succeeding in being intimidating despite his current height.

"Can you explain the evidence that points directly to you? The dried mud on your shoes, the threads on your clothing, and the testimony of the witness?"

[drinkandforget]

It's the look he gives her. It's those eyes that seem to know exactly what she's done. But kill her own sister? Mnemosyne, her only reason for living herself?

"I couldn't do this! I live out in the country here, Your Worship! Of course I had mud on my shoes!" The other two, it was all too noticeable, she wasn't as quick to refute.

[modernholmes]

"Mud of that particular color and consistency is only found in one place."

He reserves the other two issues for now.

[drinkandforget]

"Then tell me where!" But instead of the command of herself she normally displayed, and forceful orders, Lethe now was almost pleading.

"How can I answer you why I was there if I don't even know where?"

[waterfell]

She might have felt bad, might have even felt terrible, at the scene in front of her - some years ago, before she made the fateful decision to take up arms and betray the royal house. Unremarkable in her bland expression, one of the guardsmen was having trouble keeping herself from smirking instead.

She had done it, finally breaking with the bonds of fealty that had held her for years. And now, with only the sacrifice of another member of the house she hated, she was going to get away with it. She was going to finally live free.

[modernholmes]

Conan bounces a little as he makes his way over to the guard, adding a touch of little boy enthusiasm to his act. Anything to be underestimated.

"Ne, ne! I was wondering if you could do me a favor. Could you? I promise it won't take long!"

[waterfell]

She'd find a bright child more endearing than this typically cute one; but he is both, she knows, and so she finds patience. Besides, the last thing she should do right now is call attention to herself as snappish or temperamental.

"Yes? What is it?" The smile was meant to be encouraging, and if it was a little cold, that was well known to be her temperament; it wasn't odd in itself.

[modernholmes]

"I was wondering something!" There was nothing but brightness and innocence in his voice. "Could you take your glove off?" And how his voice lowers into deeper tones, practically radiating unshakeable confidence and smugness. The trap was about to close. "Did you know? The mud around the inn contains a very high level of iron oxide. It is very distinctive and difficult to remove completely from hands and clothing."

all i can think now is 'out, damn spot!'

[waterfell]

No. She was this close, and this little boy was not going to take it away from her. She'd tried to clean up, of course; she was no fool. But as he'd said, it had been too difficult, and besides, the gloves of her uniform would cover her hands without seeming suspicious, and who would suspect her anyway?

Now, it seemed, someone had, and he was right, and there was no way to avoid taking off the glove and showing it. She slowly slipped it from her hand, mentally calculating the possibilities to at least fight her way from the room.

They were pretty dismal, with the rest of the royal guard so close.

[theycallhersunshine]

Alice blinked once, slowly, and tilted her head to the side, considering the small boy before her. "I don't even have a brother." She said simply, shrugging her shoulders. "And even if I did, since when did we start accepting the testimony of water fowl as a credible witness source?"

After a moment's consideration she added thoughtfully, "I mean, if it was a talking horse, I might be willing to consider it, but a goose? One that's not even being entirely honest about their own achievments--I'll have you know, that goose is a bronze goose, if it's anything at all."

[modernholmes]

Conan turns to inform her of her mistake. The person he had identified as the culprit had been standing to her side. But before he can say anything the scene seems to ripple in some strange way, leaving behind a scene that was more blurred and dreamlike than it had been a moment before.

[theycallhersunshine]

Alice spun in surprise as their surroundings began to blur, and almost like an impressionist painting melting, her elaborate dress of nobility melted into something far more modern, a modest skirt and blouse and sensible shoes. She blinked slowly, as if awaking from a dream, except, of course, that was currently in a dream, wasn't she?

"... Conan-kun?" She said hesitantly, as she suddenly recognized the small boy in front of her.

[modernholmes]

Conan blinks as their surroundings change, still adjusting to his sudden release from the fairy tale logic. And then he realizes just who this girl reminded him of.

And nearly chokes.

In a half-strangled voice he replies to her. "You look a little different from the last time we met, Hakuba-san."

[theycallhersunshine]

Alice tilted her head to the side and gave Conan an inquisitive look, a loose piece of hair falling into her eyes as she did. "No?" She said. "How so?"

[hero_complexed]

Harry stumbled into the crowd of onlookers and after a few whispered conversations between the others he's able to figure out what's happened and he looked over to the guilty party with disgust. What was it with death lately? Hadn't he heard and seen enough of that for while? The murderer accused must have realized their fate because he shoved the nearest person down and tried to make a break for it.

Harry, not even vaguely aware what he was doing, and in front of all these muggles no less! Took after the guy himself, taking his wand out and pointing it at the fleeing man before he bellowed:

" Stupefy!"

[modernholmes]

The fleeing man falls to the ground before Conan can power up his shoes and knock him out with his readied soccer ball. He quietly returns his shoes and belt to their normal state and approaches the teenager that had just attacked the criminal in some way he hadn't quite seen. He ignores the scene of the local guard arresting the stunned criminal.

[hero_complexed]

Harry quickly stores his wand away, feeling particularly like an idiot as he's just used magic in front of all these muggles! The Ministry would expel him for sure! He tries his best look as inconspicuous as possible and casually stores his hands in his hogwarts school robes. He frowns when the little kid approaches and tries not to show how nervous he is.

"Er.. Hullo."

[modernholmes]

Conan stares at him intently.

"What did you just do?"

[hero_complexed]

He backs up just a step, trying to think of an excuse. Although he's sure he'll be receiving an owl to tell him of his expulsion any minute now. However, there's really no need to break the decree of secrecy anymore than he's already done.

"I-er-threw a rock."

[nohometown]

"I hardly think the testimony of a goose, golden or no, will hold up in court," said Sephiroth dryly, stepping forward from the crowd. "I hope you have some other evidence to support your case." The chief of police of this town, he didn't take such accusations lightly. The people of the town looked to him to make sure that justice was done.

[modernholmes]

Conan gives him a confident smile. "There is no need to worry about that. Will a collection of witness statements from the workers at the inn and several patrons, and physical evidence that places him at the crime scene and as the last person who touched the weapon do?"

[nohometown]

Like any self-respecting fictional officer of the law who dislikes being shown up in this fashion, Sephiroth looks irritated when faced with this unofficial detective. "I assume, based on your statement, that you've gathered all this evidence yourself?"

He doesn't seem pleased by this revelation. "If so, is there some reason you've been tampering with crime scenes and withholding evidence from the police?"

[modernholmes]

"I was asked to investigate," he says politely. This particular dispute was nothing new to him. "I believe you'll find that the crime scene is undisturbed and that everything has been collected according to the highest standards of forensic work."

[nohometown]

"Were you?" He raises an eyebrow, but his own tone remains polite as well. "And by whom were you asked?"

Not that this conversation is serving as a distraction which the accused party can use to escape. The polite force in this town is rather military, and Sephiroth's officers are standing nearby, far too close for the alleged criminal to do anything like escape. They're strong, well-trained men. Sephiroth runs a tight ship.

"Was there some reason you held back the evidence until this moment instead of presenting it to the proper authorities?"