Chapter 69 - Viola can do it!

— What was it you were so keen to show, Ray?

Unlike usual, the magician wasn't joking and didn't even have that stupid grin on his face. He just walked ahead guiding the small group through the park without being noticed by the staff. The path taken led to an attraction, a haunted house that was closed.

Leonardo felt a shiver on his spine when he entered the house. Lately anything supernatural made him shy. The hand he held was his only safe haven, it kept the tremor away so he could look around and assess the spooky decorations he had never seen before.

It was on the second floor of the house that Ray took them, in a room whose decoration was pushed to one side only, leaving the wall free. Turning on the light in the room, Ray showed the huge dark stain that snaked up the wall.

— What's that?

— Infiltration? — Leonardo questioned, getting close enough to touch his fingertips.

As soon as he touched it, he immediately flinched when thought he saw that stain move. Staring at his fingertips, he could see something black and gooey running down his skin. Was seeing things or had it actually moved?

— Don't get your hands dirty with those things, Leo — Benjin grumbled, pulling the handkerchief from Vincent's pocket and using it to wipe his young master's hand.

— Those things? And what are those things?

— Diablo — replied Ray with his arms crossed — He seems very unhappy that the young master is fulfilling his duties.

Was that stain related to said demon? Staring again at the stain on the wall, Leonardo couldn't understand how it could be related to a subject so... not human. In fact, he knew very little about him.

Should he know more about this Diablo guy?

Where did the goo come from anyway?

Taking a few steps back, Leonardo continued to stare at the speck until he could see its shape. It rose from the ceiling and ran down the wall like roots... No, tentacles. Five of them stretch along the wall, right before his eyes, proving to be anything but a simple infiltration.

— It looks like a hand — murmured the young master thoughtfully — He decided to come greet me?

— Hahaha, why would that be necessary? — Smiled Benjin.

— Every time Dreamland has a problem, he's involved — Answered Aslan, taking his hand to his chin, lost in thought — As if using the customers as a toy and creating a show as a gift for us.

— Creating a show? And why would he do that?

— To give him a reason to kill them.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets as his fingers felt cold, Leonardo tried to understand between the lines.

The last problems Dreamland had were with the show director and his friend who got into trouble at the restaurant the other day. Before that, there was Alex and his friends who even got the police involved. Apart from the disappearances, which were also things of this Diablo, there was only one other problem Leonardo experienced, that of the sponsor.

They all had one thing in common.

Disappearances.

They would get into fights and trouble inside Dreamland and then disappear. Only in the last few events did Leonardo know anything, really. After all, it was his orders. If he followed such a line of thought, the disappearances should also follow the same pattern.

The attractions somehow lure the victims to some point, where from then on Diablo would take care of the rest.

It was a good point for Leonardo to figure out later, but at that moment he needed to pay attention to something else.

— So you're saying this Diablo guy is the one who's causing trouble for us?

— Diablo can be crafty at messing with people and making them into real problems.

— Ray is right, but I assume we have to be careful — Vincent turned to the others with determination — Lately we have had a lot of troublemakers here in the park, who are targeting the young master. Thanks to the last event, we had to precede the announcement of the heir.

— Do you think this Diablo is using people to try to stop me from taking over the park?

— Remember, young master, without an heir, Dreamland will belong to Diablo. And he can do whatever he wants here with us.

Right, how could you forget that?

Leonardo had even written down that day's conversation in a journal so he wouldn't miss any details about the real Dreamland. A demon who used the main attractions to commit crimes. He felt his blood boil with rage at imagining that something as beautiful as his father's dream could become the stage for something terrible. That was why he accepted to be the heir.

No matter how he looked at that stain, Leonardo saw a huge, skeletal hand. And with that conversation, he had the feeling that this Diablo was wanting to touch his attractions, as if announcing that he owned it. As if he wanted to steal it from him.

— Very well, create a fake wall and keep using this room in the attraction — Leonardo ordered Ray — and keep an eye out for other appearances to come.

— As you wish, young master. But what do you intend to do?

Looking at Ray, Leonardo smiled.

— We have to prepare an opening, don't we?

— But you know that anything can happen, don't you?

— If this goes on, then I will end up playing your game, and that is unacceptable. And by having this inauguration, it would be a ceremony to establish me as the new owner of Dreamland.

For this, Leonardo had to take care of many things. Not only to talk to Vicente and establish the whole process of creating a show, but he also needed to talk to a certain girl that until then only stayed at the mansion.

As soon as they were dismissed from that small meeting, and after sending all of them to their respective jobs, Leonardo marched directly to the mansion.

Viola was a silent girl who only followed Vicente and Giovani. Once in a while she followed him too, but only a few times. She didn't stay alone at all, which forced the Dreamland Mansion residents to take turns to keep an eye on her.

That evening the detective was supposed to be with her.

He had so many problems on his hands that Leonardo could feel his head heavy. But he couldn't run away now that he had taken responsibility. He would do his best to take care of everything.

After crossing the park and following the trail to the rusty gates, Leonardo finally arrived at the mansion. Passing through the doors he saw Giovani leaving in a hurry.

— Ah, finally you arrived!

— Did something happen, Giovani?

— I got a call at the police station, so I have to leave. You can keep an eye on the girl, right?

— Sure, I'm working in the office so I can leave her with me, reading a book.

— Thank you.

Running down the stairs to the garage, Giovani didn't even say goodbye. Leonardo laughed softly before shouting.

— Make sure you're back before dinner, otherwise Ray will eat everything!

The detective just nodded over his head before disappearing from Leonardo's sight. Poor guy, now he could understand his hurrying and tiredness, maybe later Leonardo would call him for a cup of hot milk with honey to get a good night's sleep. But until then, it was his turn to be with the girl. Entering the mansion, he found her sitting on the couch staring at the door.

Definitely creepy.

Children and terror were not a very pleasant combination.

Leonardo smiled at Viola, who was staring at him.

— Do you want to read a book in the office? We can stay there until Vicente arrives.

Viola nodded silently.

Then the two of them walked through the empty and silent mansion, surprising Leonardo when he held her hand gently. Ah, Viola always walked hand in hand with Vincent. He wondered if she was afraid of something. Not that the mansion was too big for a girl to get lost in, but maybe it was scary for her.

Leonardo soon grimaced at the very thought.

Why should Viola be afraid, being the same as the others? It was Leonardo who should be cautious.

Looking from the corner, he couldn't see anything unusual about her. She seemed like an ordinary girl, except for the fact that didn't talk. However, that was one thing those attractions had in common, the normal appearance that would allow them to infiltrate among humans.

Well, not that it mattered much now.

In the office, Leonardo brought a chair for Viola to sit near him at his desk. He even separated some books that might be interesting, fairy tales and fantasy stories, and stacked them on his desk.

— You can read whatever you want, these are some books I liked to read before I left the mansion.

Viola stared at the books, blinked a few times and then nodded before sitting back in her chair. Taking the first book from the pile, she started to read obediently. Taking advantage of the quiet, Leonardo also started working on the reports that Vincent had left earlier that day.

Just as he had asked, he reported on the supposed show for the inauguration. It was so detailed that it was easy to see what Vicente wanted. The core would be a ballet presentation, there would be no area presentations because the food court had no structure for that.

But there was something in that proposal that was questionable.

Vicente put as possible themes of the story, a wedding.

Considering that Leonardo would have said that Benjin was his fiancé, and the fact that that blessed word was in the middle of the report, added to Vincent's request for the young master to participate in the show... It was so obvious the plan of that clown. He just couldn't tell what benefit he would get from acting accordingly. Not to mention that his initial reason for being in Dreamland was a supposed engagement his late father had arranged.

Leonardo wanted to stay with Benjin, which was why he had commented on the marriage. But would he have any other reason for it? Like, by marrying the trapeze artist maybe Diablo thought he could control the new heir? Except then he should look at the attractions as pawns of this unknown subject.

If Benjin was toying with him, surely Leonardo would feel betrayed and stabbed. A bitter taste arose in his mouth at the thought that such a possibility existed. Something he hadn't thought of until then, and that already left an uneasy feeling.

Like the young master, Leonardo wanted to be one step ahead. It would be overbearing to say things like "put Diablo in his place", since the brunette had no power whatsoever to fight against a supernatural creature.

Should he pretend he didn't understand that as well as pretend he was going to fall into that poorly crafted trap?

He stayed working the rest of the afternoon until nightfall, and he didn't even notice. It was only when he felt he was being watched that Leonardo finally took his eyes off the paperwork. Viola was watching him even though she was holding the book in her hands.

— Hm? What is it Viola? —She blinked slowly and pointed to the leaf Leonardo was holding — Would you like to read this?

When she nodded Leonardo gave the leaf to the girl. Reading it, she pointed to something, needing the young master to bend down to see what it was.

— Ballet? What's in it? Are you interested in that?

— Viola can dance.

Oh, she spoke!

For the first time the girl spoke.

Leonardo suppressed his surprise, afraid that she might hold back and stop talking again. I mean, could he tell the others, and would they be as impressed as he was? Her voice was low and soft, even pleasant to listen to.

He admitted that he was proud to have had the opportunity to hear her speak for the first time.

—Do you want to dance the ballet at the opening?

— I can do it.

Vicente had said she was just like Benjin and Ray, which not only meant she wasn't human, but she had a role to play in Dreamland. Your father's last request was Viola, so he should take care of that as best he could.

— So I should leave it to you?

Viola nodded, holding the paper firmly.

— Can do it, young master!

Stroking the girl's head, Leonardo could barely contain his smile. For the first time he was going to see a supernatural being give his first performance. He had no idea what it would be like and maybe that was the reason why Vicente advised him to be part of the show. As the owner of Dreamland he should know every detail.

Having eyes everywhere, knowing everything that happens and making sure the attractions are on his side instead of Diablo's.

The malice only increased in Leonardo's smile.

— All right, I'm counting on you, Viola.