A Deduction and Some Discussions

Pierre had made a conclusive discovery via the battle between Ladybug, Cat Noir and Kung Food. A few months back, Marinette's uncle Wang Cheng made his way through the ranks of a cooking show with his famous celestial soup and other culinary delights. He even made it to the finals, but his aspirations were cut short thanks to Chloé Bourgeois' sabotage. Wang became upset and Monarch (Hawkmoth when the event occured) picked up on the distress and sent out an akuma. Wang was transformed into Kung Food thanks to the black butterfly travelling into his toque.

Remember how in a prior chapter of this story Pierre noted that something was off about this event? Well, during that event, the news caught wiff of the story and Chloé relayed her tale in her dramatic way and so it was also shared with the Ladyblog. Witnesses who escaped noted the caramel that sealed off the building.

The odd thing was where Ladybug and Cat Noir came from. They didn't arrive by using thier athletics to go from the outside to the roof, they arrived on the roof of the Grand Paris from one of the doors to the roof, this suggested to Pierre where thier journey began, they must have started from somewhere within the hotel.

With a look through the footage, he noted that Ladybug and Cat Noir were on the bottom floor when they showed up and by then the caramel had sealed the hotel off from the outside world and the only way in and or out was via the rooftop. At the time the only people in the hotel were Kung Food, Chloé, her father, Alec, Jagged Stone, Mrs Césaire, Adrien Agreste and Marienette Dupain-Cheng. Chloé was held hostage, Andre, Alec, Marlena and Jagged were all under Kung Food's control, so all of them were eliminated as miraculous holders. So whatever remained, however improbable, must be the answer. Adrien Agreste and Marienette Dupain-Cheng vanished from the footage and were replaced by Ladybug and Cat Noir. There was only one conclusion that Pierre could derive. Ladybug was Marienette Dupain-Cheng, and Cat Noir was Adrien Agreste. Pierre was struck by such an deduction, but he knew what had to be done, and he did it in reluctance, he added this newfound information to his record. He was upset to do it, but now the motive looked more clear, he would have to look into the relationship between Marienette and Lila Rossi, as this may reveal more to the story, but it may also increase the already well-established motive that Ladybug had to kill Lila Rossi.

Pierre added 'talk to Mr Democles' to his todo list, if anybody knew about Marienette's connections, it would be him.

But his progress was stopped by a young lady in white heels. She had pale skin, was the average height for a teenager if you excluded the extra height she gained from the aforementioned heels, she had brilliant silver eyes and brilliant azure hair. She had a beauty mark just above her lips on the right side.

"Oh pardon me, I was looking for a Pierre Lefevre." The young lady announced with a clear French accent.

"I am he, and you are?" Pierre asked.

"I am Élise Martin, you wouldn't have heard of me, but Lila might have told you if she were alive." The lady remarked.

"I take it you were friends with her?" Pierre noted with a sceptical tone.

"Ah, you are biased due to the things Ladybug said about Lila, if you were wondering, I am one of the few who know about her lying ways, and I did nothing about it." Élise added.

"You seem to be within her age bracket, how did the two of you meet?" Pierre inquired. "I also can't help noticing that your voice is oddly familiar."

"Well, despite my looks, I am quite the bookworm, and it was for this very reason that Miss Rossi saved my life. I had too many books and I couldn't maintain thier balance, silly of me to not bring a book bag, but alas, a dog snuck into my yard and torn my favourite one to shreds, that would teach me to be more careful with my belongings. Anyway, there I was, massive stack of books in my hands, and tip as they may they would not escape my grasp, I wouldn't allow it, but one thing that stack did was create a giant blindspot. I became quite careless and crossed a road without looking and that's when Lila pushed me to safety just before I was ran down. My books did end up all over on the sidewalk on the other side, but that's the price you pay for not thinking things through." Élise explained.

Pierre stroked his chin. "That's odd, I haven't got any reports about this accident from any motorists."

"No, Lila Rossi used her persuasive lies to convince the one driving, a man I believe it was, to forgive and forget." Élise added.

"Forgive? For what?" Pierre asked.

"That's what I asked, but not in so few words." Élise added.

"I see... I know I've heard your voice somewhere before."

"I have gotten that a lot over the last two days, I guess my voice sounds similar to Lila's. I must have been friends with her so long that I've started sounding like her." Élise laughed.

"Must hurt sounding like a liar." Pierre remarked.

"Like I said, I was aware of it all."

"Yet, you never thought to stop it?"

"You heard what Ladybug said in that footage, didn't you, Lila almost got Marienette Dupain-Cheng expelled from school. If she is willing to do that to someone who was an enemy from the getgo, imagine what she'd do to me, she's a good friend and would know quote 'where the bodies are barried' end quote."

"So, she had dirt for days on you, would give you a good motive to get rid of her."

"Now you make it sound like I'm the bad guy, there isn't a single person left in Paris who wouldn't have seen that footage, I saw, and you saw, Ladybug summoned a lucky charm. Only someone with access to her earnings could do that."

"That's quite the keen observation you got there, but I wouldn't have expected less from a self-proclaimed bookworm."

"I thank you for your compliment."

"It's a shame it failed you on the day Lila saved your life."

"What are you trying to make me infer here, that I lied about how Lila saved me?"

"It's not as if you'd evidence to clear it up and if I'd take your words at face value, then it sounds like to me that Lila made sure that no evidence of your fateful meeting would ever be found."

"Why can't you simply take me for my word?"

"Maybe I've been in this job too long, and I know a lie when I hear one. You ain't exactly a church dame, that's for sure."

"By which you mean you've picked up that I may not be as virtuous as I make myself out as."

"Such an extensive vocabulary, you must truly be what you say you are. Well, you must have had a reason to come here other than to gloat about you knowing the victim."

"I came to share her lies, to clear the air."

"You have stories about the victim? That is quite interesting."

"I only hid her lies because I know how bad things could have been for me, but if I have to let the truth known to put a criminal behind bars, even if it is Ladybug, then I feel like I have no other choice."

"Do you have any resentment against Ladybug?"

"No! How could anyone but Lila and Chloé have any resentment against her, she's saved so many civilians and who knows, she may have rescued me, albeit indirectly."

"How did you know about Chloé's resentment?"

"Uh, hello? Everyone in Paris and their parents knows she was Queen Bee, and even you can't deny it yourself as her demasking was all over the news, she transformed in front of a live audience, including the trustworthy Adrien Agreste, and fashion mogul Audrey Bourgeois. Ladybug selected a new wielder for the bee miraculous, if I was a miraculous wielder and I see another wearing the miraculous I was assigned and then learn it was a permanent change, I would be pissed too."

"How can you be sure its a permanent assignment now that Monarch holds that miraculous?"

"Before he got a hold of it, Vesperia was the holder of the bee after Chloé turned into a banana themed villain. She appeared every time she was summoned and never was Chloé reassigned said miraculous. If that is not enough to deduce she was the new permanent holder, then what would be?"

"If she was a 'permanent holder' how did Monarch get her miraculous?"

"How am I supposed to know, I am not Monarch or one of his lackeys."

"Fair point, I might have to ask the man himself."

"Good luck with that, nobody has ever identified him, and he barely shows up."

"He can still make phone calls, he doesn't have to make a physical appearance to add his side to my little record. As for your stories, come with me and tell me all about it."

They journeyed into an interrogation room. When they sat, Pierre turned on the microphone and once Élise noticed that, she began her epitaph, much to Pierre's chagrin as he wanted to say it was alright to begin but now it was too late as Élise had already begun detailing Lila's journey through living in Paris. She began with when she first came to Françoise and her lie about being a superhero, and trying to charm Adrien to be hers and hers alone and of course when Ladybug came in and ruined all her chances by revealing that what Lila told Alya was a lie.

Halfway through her stories, Roger knocked upon the door and informed them that Vance Lindon had come to speak with captain Lefevre. Great, Pierre thought, the first time he was able to since Élise began her tales as the interruption was the only point she stopped to take a big breather. Just another person I must speak to Mr Democles. If more people show up to add to the record, I might not get a chance to speak with that principal until after new years.

After one more hour, Élise remarked she was done with her tales. Pierre was already exhausted and it wasn't even midday yet. Pierre led Élise out and Vance saw this and asked if he can join Pierre in the room that Élise just vacated. Vance didn't say Elise's name, he would not have known it, and if he did say it, Pierre would have even more questions for Vance then he already had.

"Alright, but I think we'll be needing a new tape for the recorder, I bet that young lady talked the tape all out." Pierre remarked.

"Oh," Vance noted. "That's a shame, by your words I can guess that it must have taken a beating."

"Was that deduction from your powess as a writer?" Pierre asked.

"If the shoe fits, that is what you detectives are always going on about." Vance added.

"It's captain actually, I haven't used any detective rank in a long time." Pierre added.

"Very well, my apologies, as for the tape, I can wait, I've already waited for 63 minutes after Roger saw me to inform you of my visit."

Pierre was honestly astonished, he was aware it was a long discussion, but until a time was allocated to it, he thought nothing of it, but when you establish facts, it can change your mind, even if you're a well-revered captain like Pierre was.

The exchanging of tapes was smooth and swift and without ceremony, if the change out procedure was in a textbook, then the one performing the exchange would have gotten top marks. If anything, the only thing the exchanger would get is a note praising him in some upcoming form.

Water was delivered and Vance took a seat. Pierre sat just after pouring himself a drink.

"I'm truly sorry about this." Pierre remarked. "I almost left to talk with Mr Democles, it appears I forgot that I summoned you here, I hope you don't take great offence for this."

"Offence is not in my emotional range." Vance noted. "Humans should be allowed to forget things once in a while, there are plenty exceptions to the rule, but I'm sure that 'forgetting an interview as an interviewer' isn't one of the mistakes that would be career breaking, not for you since you have reached such a high."

Pierre blushed a bit. "Thanks, I appreate the commentary. I don't usually say thus, but you are of the few I feel will be honest with me."

"I've never been a good liar, and not especially after what my brother did to me." Vance added.

"What do you mean?"

Vance pointed to the jade serpent on his arm. "My brother noticed that when I lied, some muscles on this arm would contort, this tattoo makes those movements more obvious. He drugged me to imprint this permanent reminder to not lie because I will be called out for it. I managed to get one back but he perished in prison, and that is my only regret, but it was his actions that landed him there, so no love lost."

"Oh, and can you prove what you say is true?"

"A bus always has only three wheels." Vance lied and the snake on his arm appeared to slither with his words. "As you see, no matter how absurd or small the lie, when it spoken by me, this mark moves, and when I speak the truth, it doesn't."

"So you speak truth and nothing but truth, but not always the whole truth."

"That is correct, captain Lefevre, as my brother once said during the trial, 'he may tell truths, but that hasn't lessened his ability to manipulate. He is a psychological villain first, and he'll never stop making people think what he wants them to think.'"

"Your brother named you a villain?"

"One who sees themselves as a villain would be aware of the depths of depravity and find joy within, they are few, I am of one of the masses who others may see as evil but I do not see myself that way. I just see myself as one to give all sides chances, but also one who roots for the less than savory people given they have the right motivation."

"So a villain can entrap a kitten in a tree one day, and then save orphans from a burning building, and you'd forgive him trapping the kitten?"

"If that is how you wish to interpret it, then yes. It matters not what dark actions one performs if in the end he is doing it for a good reason."

"You think Monarch may be of the few who fit within your little world of 'good villains?'"

"I'm not sure yet, he's kept his identity well hidden, even from someone as perceptive as I am. We are not here to talk about that, are we?"

"Your 'perception' is pretty good."

"What can I say, my kin aren't stupid, especially the ones who are published. Imagine where I'll be once people believe in me."

"The book you submitted through Gabriel is particularly peculiar, you wrote within that the villain wins at the end?"

"Already having it spoiled for you before it's printed, naughty, naughty. Tell Cat I don't send my regards."

"You are not happy about this, are you?" Pierre added after noting that the serpent didn't move.

"I'm not happy about most things, I shouldn't have told that black cat hero anything, I should have known he'd come straight to you."

"He thinks you are involved, and with how he described your persona, I'd have to say a guy like you would be perfect to come up with an idea that makes the hero... or should I say heroine suffer."

"It is true, I am an ideas man, I was also hoping to stay off the radar of the police, I do to try to do no wrong while in Paris after all. But, allow me to ask you, do you have evidence that shows I am connected to this whole 'Ladybug kills Lila Rossi' debacle?"

"You're not denying that you have any connection to the case, that's what your words and snake reflect."

"I shouldn't have told you about how my tattoo can be used as a lie detector. But I have the right to stay silent."

"Sure, maybe in England, but we do things a bit differently down here in France."

"Is that a threat, captain Lefevre, I don't have to tell you anything I don't want to."

"Because you know I would pick up what is true or not."

"You're only making it harder for me to like you."

"And the more you speak, the more you become suspicious."

"I see, because if I want to avoid any more issues I have to provide answers, because clearly indirect comments like the ones I base my bread and butter on won't work any more."

"That's right, Mr Lindon. So, tell me the truth, are you or are you not involved in this case?"

"Wouldn't that depend on what role you'd be asking me about? It is such a broad question after all."

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Do what you will, I'm done adding to your record. If you want me to stay further and answer any more questions, then I'd expect you to do it proper, with a proper accusation with evidence to reflect it. Good day."

Vance left with anger and Pierre was more curious than suspicious, just what was Vance's role in the bigger picture? He seemed to be multiple pieces of the larger puzzle all wrapped into one. Just how many pieces are hiding within his enigmatic character was anybody's guess.