The case begins

"Would you like me to leave, or stay?" Falael asked, drawing Grace out of her thoughts.

"Being that I don't know who killed my family or why I would appreciate it if you stayed, please?" Grace responded, almost pleading.

"Certainly." Falael smiled. He had hoped that she would say yes. It gave him an excuse to get to know the firecracker redhead that had found her way into the sheriff's office. He followed Grace into the room, with only one bed, a wardrobe and a small table and chairs furnishing it. "I will sleep on the floor."

Somehow, Grace knew she couldn't fight Falael on who slept on the floor. His tall but lean figure meant that he would have been very intimidating if he wasn't such a gentle giant. Before she could react, Falael pulled some extra blankets stored in the wardrobe out.

"Thank you, Falael, for everything you have done." Falael turned to Grace with a surprised look, as if he had never heard such kind words before.

"You are most welcome, miss Grace," Falael replied, confused why Grace was thanking him. All I have done is provide an escort with her and agree to stay the night for her protection, he thought. He laid the blankets on the floor close to the door.

"Goodnight Falael," Grace whispered, undressing and slipping into the small bed. Falael blew out the few candles dotted around the room.

Grace wasn't sure what woke her up, whether it was the sunlight, the cock crow or the fact that someone seemed to thunder on the door. Falael heard it too and was up with his sword drawn.

"Who is it?" Falael shouted, half expecting there to be a bandit wanting to hurt Grace.

"Grace, its Elycia. I have brought you some soap and a change of clothes." A woman replied.

"It's okay, Falael," Grace stepped in front of him. "She is Tobin's wife. I know her and trust her. Plus, even I know I don't smell so great," She opened the door to a petite woman, with a tower of towels and clothes in front of her. "Thank you, Elycia, for these are much appreciated," Grace turned to Falael, closing the door. "I am going for a bath. Meanwhile, can you please have the cottage cleaned, and the bodies prepared for an autopsy? I am interested in getting started on finding who killed my family."

"Certainly," Falael responded. "Though, are you sure that you will be okay on your own?"

"I find it highly unlikely that an assassin will try to attack me one in daylight, two in my place of work where I am well known and three in a public house." Grace reasoned; although whether it was to quell Falael's fears or hers, she wasn't sure.

After a long overdue and rejuvenating bath, Grace could swear that she was a new woman. Getting dressed, she had almost forgotten about the reason she was in the bar to begin with. That all came crashing down when Falael re-entered the room.

"We have moved your family to the coroner's office, which is a part of the sheriff's office," Falael said, throwing Grace an apple and a small loaf of bread for breakfast. Grace wolfed down the food, only just realising that she hadn't eaten in almost twelve hours.

"Right, let's go," Grace brushed a few crumbs off. The pair then promptly left The Thundering Barrel Bar. The clear skies, which had graced the two of them on their travels to the bar the previous night, had disappeared. It had replaced by a gentle snowfall drifting its way to decorate the trees that lined the route that Grace and Falael took back to the town of Penrith. Such a shame, Grace reflected, that such beautiful weather should come the day after my family dies, rather than the day before. Then at least Riker and Addalyn would have one last snow day. The two of them walked the entire distance between the Tavern and the rest of the village in thoughtful silence. Eventually, they reached the sheriff's office. Falael approached the door first and held it open for Grace, only entering the small room after making sure that Grace was safely out of the cold.

"This way for the coroner's office," Falael led Grace to a door on the opposite side of the room. Grace shivered. The room on the opposite side of the door was dark, lit by only a few candles on the far wall and as cold as the snow-covered outdoors. As cold as the room was, the most sobering sight Grace found was three bodies, laying on three standing height wooden tables and covered with linen cloths. It happened, Grace realised, approaching the tables. It wasn't a dream. They are gone. All three of them.

"Is everything okay?" Falael questioned, unsure how to best support Grace.

"No," Grace could feel her voice shaking. "No, everything is not okay." She lifted one sheet. "This one is Addalyn," Grace moved on to the next table. "This one is Riker, and this one is my mother Juniper." By now, all three had their sheets off, and Falael was studying the bodies intently.

"All three victims have signs of a struggle," He mused, drawing Grace from the deep well of pity and self-loathing that she had dug herself into. "And all three died from stab wounds to the chest. Judging from the size, I would say a dagger caused it."

"How do you know?" Grace asked, still holding onto the small glimmer of hope that this was all a horrible dream.

"I have seen too many dagger wounds to know better. Did any of those who lived in the house own a dagger?"

"Not to my knowledge. Is there any more than you can glean from the bodies?" Grace wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer. On one hand, Grace hoped that Falael would have more information to give her. However, she realised she did not want to know whether her mother or siblings were assaulted beforehand.

"No, but I will get more from the crime scene," Falael pulled the sheet over Riker, giving Grace a sympathetic look.

I know that feeling, Falael thought. All too well. I wish I could tell you it gets easier to live, to remember, but it doesn't. Some days you will live with yourself, others it will crush you. But I am here, and I don't plan ongoing anywhere.

"Shall we head on to the cottage? That is the scene of the crime," Grace kissed each member of her family on the head, saying goodbye to Riker, Addalyn and Juniper one last time.

"Yes, if you want to get any answers soon." Falael opened the door to that lead back to the sheriff's office. Grace followed him, praying, and not for the first time, that she would have the pleasure of killing the monstrous bastard that killed her family.

"I know this is hard," Falael broke the eerie silence half of their way towards the cottage, "losing family. Doing this, this is very brave of you."

"Falael, at the moment, rage is the only thing that is fuelling my drive to find answers. Once we find out who killed my family, when I have nothing to live for, then we will see how brave I am." Grace declared, unlocking the gate and walking up to that unassuming red door. The door that changed the trajectory of Grace's life.

The entrance hall was as silent as it had been the night before, and would have been the same as Grace left it when she went out to work her shift that day if it was not for the bloodstains covering the walls. Grace led Falael into the kitchen where she had found her family yesterday. Scanning the room, almost nothing was amiss save for the pools of blood. That was until Grace noticed a note.

"Your father was indebted", Grace mumbled. She froze, forcing Falael to take the letter from her hands. My father left years ago, Grace thought. What could he have to do with this? Who was he indebted to that would murder a family he never talked to?

"Your father was indebted," Falael repeated, reading the note aloud."He wouldn't pay his dues. Nothing goes unpunished, and I needed amusement. Signed X," Grace burst into tears.

"I don't know what my father has to do with this," She cried, slinking to the floor. "He hasn't seen us in over two years. Why? Why must he cause my family's destruction?" Falael pulled her into his embrace, letting her cry into his shoulder.

"I wish I had an answer for you. I wish I could make it all just go away." He whispered. "But I can promise you this. We are going to figure this out, okay?" He turned to look into her ocean blue eyes, so filled with tears that one might assume that her eyes were oceans. Grace looked up.

"Okay," She whispered, disentangling herself from his embrace and getting up from the spot on the floor. "I think I am going to clean up the place, then plan the funeral," She stated, heading to the scullery where the mop and bucket were located. As she cleaned, Falael took one last look around, his elf eyes picking out a small, grey, teardrop-shaped gem on the counter.

"Hey Grace, do you recognise this?" Grace put down the mop.

"No. What is it?"

"A calling card. If I am right, it involves the worst people in this mess." Falael pressed his mouth into a thin line. "I will need to take this to the sheriff's office if that is okay?"

"Sure, whatever you need to do." Grace returned to her mopping while Falael sped back to the sheriff's office, the jewel in hand.

*****Author's note*****

Wow! Chapter 4 is already out! Thankyou for reading so far, and I cannot wait for you to see where this story will go.

Again, thanks for reading so much.

Abi Hebb