Chapter 2: Acting Foolish to Act Smart?

Holden growled, "But sir, why are we closing and running? We haven't done a thing."

"Return to your senses, Mr. Emptyhead. The bar is only one block away from the Archduke's mansion. It's a national issue, and we'll be caught in an endless ocean of chaos," exclaimed Mrs. Paige.

Galba hastily packed his small cloth bag, containing a few papers and diaries, and they closed the bar amidst a chaotic night. Each of them went their separate ways.

Galba and Holden raced through the mysterious alleys until they reached the police department. The road was blocked with barricades, preventing any escape from the assassin. Holden said, "Uh-oh, let's take another route and turn back." However, they noticed two imposing sergeants standing in their path.

Their sudden change of direction caught the officers' attention. They swiftly approached Galba and Holden, handcuffing them and leading them away for further interrogation.

In the room stood Inspector Berg, a tall figure with a long beige coat and a pipe, accompanied by the glamorous goddess, Miss Aurelia Buckingham, donning a shiny brown-haired fedora.

"Isn't she adorable, Galba?" whispered Holden. Galba's frustration surged, and he delivered a heavy headbutt to silence Holden's foolishness.

At that moment, the sergeant who had apprehended them bellowed in a hoarse voice, "Inspector, we caught these two sickening communist men running away!"

Lady Aurelia and Inspector Berg turned their heads sharply, their eyes fixated on the suspects. "Let's have a closer look, Miss Aurelia," Berg said. Miss Aurelia signaled the sergeants with hand signs, indicating they should move the suspects to a clear and silent space. Sweat trickled down Galba's face, but he focused on the darkness within his eyes, silencing his thoughts and heightening his presence in the moment. His spatial awareness expanded to its fullest extent.

"I want to hear your story from the very beginning," ordered Miss Aurelia. Holden began to speak, "So we were at-" until Galba interrupted him at the perfect moment, saying, "We were on our way home after closing the bar around 10:30 pm. We went to Miss Paige's residence to discuss a missing stock of beer. We needed to resolve the matter before Mr. Erwington found out. After the discussion, we were headed back to the bar to rectify an error in the billing records when the dedicated cops apprehended us."

A mischievous smile flickered on Miss Aurelia's face as she tugged on Inspector Berg's coat, indicating she wanted a private conversation. "They are just brainwashed young adults, incapable of committing such a terrifying homicide," she said.

"I don't agree, Miss Aurelia. They are heinous roaches. I guarantee you this job was meant to be done by the communists to avenge their families and brothers," replied Berg.

"Yes, that's a high probability, sir. However, the timings don't quite fit. To confirm, I will go with the sergeants to Miss Paige's house to uncover the truth," said Aurelia.

"That's a necessary task," acknowledged Berg.

Berg looked at Holden, who was on the verge of losing control, and asked for Miss Paige's address. Galba quickly answered, "She lives on the 16th street, next to the fish market."

There was a single knock on the door. Miss Paige discreetly moved her 4-year-old daughter to another room. She instinctively knew they were the police. She prepared herself for the forthcoming questions, crafting plausible answers. She maintained a neutral poker face, suppressing any hint of emotion..

Cleared her throat at last and opened the door, asking, "What is the matter, Miss Buckingham?" There, Miss Aurelia saw Miss Paige wearing a nightgown and requested permission to enter. Her home had a peculiar perfection with carefully placed art pictures and cheap artifacts that added to its aesthetic appeal. "Our archduke is dead," commented Miss Aurelia, "and we need to ask you some questions." The flow of generalized questions began, covering her occupation, family, and previous jobs. Finally, Miss Aurelia asked, "What time did you come home?"

Miss Paige deduced that the detective prioritized questioning her among all the townspeople, indicating that someone at the bar might have been caught since it was close to the archduke's mansion. The question remained: who among the four present that night could it be? Mr. Erwington, his secretary, or Galba Holden? It seemed simple enough. Mr. Erwington could easily escape through bribes, and the same would go for his secretary; Erwington would protect him for his own benefit. It had to be both of them. They were always together and would never speak out against Mr. Erwington, even though he cared little about them.

A tsunami of thoughts flooded Miss Paige's mind. Should she protect them? If she chose not to, it wouldn't change the fact that she didn't have an alibi. To save themselves, they must have told her they were with her at the time of the murder. Approving this fact would provide her with an alibi too, offering a double advantage.

"I reached home sometime past 9, I don't remember perfectly." Miss Paige said to herself, emphasizing the word "perfection." These vague answers would divert suspicion away from her. As reverse psychology suggested, providing accurate and straightforward information to the police hinted at an attempt to prove something. And if someone was trying to prove, it meant they had something to hide.

"Okay, Miss Paige, were you alone from the time you reached home until now?"

The reason for their visit must be related to the bar, the only connection between them. Miss Paige wondered what reason Galba might have given the police. Then she clicked, recalling an actual incident of missing stock that had occurred a few days ago. That must be the reason Galba hinted to use.

"No, Miss Aurelia, I have been with my colleagues discussing a workplace matter," Miss Paige replied.

"What was the matter you were discussing at this late hour? It must be pretty important," Miss Aurelia inquired.

"Yes, sure. It concerns a particular stock of beers that was missing but was mentioned in the billing records," Miss Paige revealed.

A glimmer appeared in Aurelia's eyes, and she seemed startled and shocked. It was a brilliant conversation between the brainy queens.

"Sorry for the late-night disturbance, Mistress Paige. As it's a national matter, we are obliged to take such steps. I suggest offering help whenever we need it."

"Of course, Miss Buckingham."

As Aurelia prepared to leave, she noticed a slim white ribbon, possibly an extension of a wearable cloth.

Aurelia took her leave and returned to the site of the murder, where several professional surgeons were examining the body. She saw Holden and Galba sulking at each other. She spoke with Inspector Berg, narrating the whole story.

Galba observed them talking to one another, his heart racing at a horse's pace. This could only mean two things: if Miss Paige had subliminally understood the message he was trying to convey, it meant they were completely free of suspicion. However, if she failed to get the message and provided the wrong information, they were doomed.

The same two sergeants approached They freed both of them from the rusty handcuffs. Galba and Holden had tears in their eyes and hugged each other tightly.

Galba had saved himself, Holden, and even Erwington's bar, securing himself from Erwington's wrath. He felt as if he had been reborn, breathing the air of life once again.

Holden was immensely proud of Galba. "How many times will you keep saving my ass? I would have died long ago without you," he said, tears flowing from his eyes.

"Forget about it, but Miss Paige! She got it! She is a goddess of understanding. We connected with her 'cosmically,' if that's even a word," Galba exclaimed.

Aurelia couldn't help but admire Galba's intellect. She was astonished at how he seemed to tap into Paige's thoughts, as if he had escaped and entered her brain, guiding her words.

Galba approached Aurelia and asked, "I'm guessing a high-profile crime has been committed. Can you tell us who the victim is, miss?"

"You very well know who is dead, Mr. wannabe communist. Don't act foolish to appear smart."

"Ah, a wonderful choice of words, Mrs. wannabe detective. Could you elaborate on how I'm acting foolish while trying to act smart?"

"You have lied about everything you've said so far."

That sentence robbed Galba of every emotion, thought, and heartbeat.