Chapter 36 - Someones Message. (1/2)

”Do you have a strong stomach?” The half-wolf questioned Eliz, who was looking away curiously.

”Yes?”

Luke called her close with his right hand, whose rubber glove was already entirely red with blood, and when the woman approached, he showed that he was holding a scroll inside Downey's body.

However, there was one important detail: a small metal wire was tied to the paper, already pulled by the boy. Fearing it was the wire of a trap, the woman said:

”Easy... That is, isn't it?”

”It probably is.” Luke said, nodding, ”Go to his mouth and open it slowly.”

Even with trepidation, Eliz complied with the request, went to the man's mouth, and as requested, opened the jaw of Downey's corpse.

'He must have had a nice smile...' She thought when she saw the man's white, lined teeth. Whenever she caught a glimpse of him around the guild, he was wearing the helmet of his armor, which cast quite a shadow on his face.

When she opened his mouth and could also see the dead man's tongue, she noticed a string tied to his tongue and a tiny scroll. 'Whew, it's not a trap...' Eliz thought, reassured.

”There's just another scroll here.” The woman said to the half-wolf.

”Sigh... I'll take this one out then.” He sighed in relief and spoke.

It was not difficult to remove the rolled-up paper. By the edges, the boy and the woman slowly moved it around, still a little fearful, and removed it fluidly.

Knowing he couldn't read it, Luke didn't even try and just held out the parchment to the woman.

Eliz didn't catch the possibility that the boy couldn't read, so she thought he was being courteous and respecting her authority. She smiled as she took the paper from his hand and began to read the message written in scribbled, almost illegible letters:

[Can you see me in the dark? Look closely, and you will see that I am watching you].

The macabre message could be interpreted in many ways, and the first thing Luke said when he heard it was:

”Poor guy... someone used him to try to prove something.” The half-wolf, for the first time since learning of Downey's death, felt free to mourn his death.

”Such a brutal murder...to what end?” Eliz said, looking at the body beside her, whose guts were exposed.

Luke covered the man's body again. ”Read the smaller one, please.”

The woman carefully opened the small paper that was gooey and smelly. Eliz almost couldn't believe it when she saw the contents and turned to see front and back again and again. ”There is only one 'J' written on it.” She said incredulously.

Using her opposable thumbs and index fingers, she displayed the paper, and there was only a 'J' and a faintly bloody fingerprint.

Luke took it carefully and brought the paper up to his nose. If there were any remnants of the killer's scent, he could tell when he was close. Fniff! Fniff! He sniffed twice and held the odor some time in his system.

”Nothing, there is just a strong smell of stomach acid.”

”Sigh...” Eliz sighed loudly and stowed the two scrolls in a pouch on her belt, similar to the one Luke had. ”Wait! Does the message say 'Dark'?” She wondered and took the larger paper out of the pouch and started reading it again.

The boy was confused and just wanted to get out of that place as fast as possible, after all, there was now an assassin and Nathalia was alone in the other room.