Episode 20 - The Culprit
"Everyone," Sebastian said calmly, raising his hands slightly and pushed them forward, "settle down."
"Settle down?" Matilda echoed. "One of us was murdered! Are you insane?!"
"How can we settle down knowing that there's a killer on this ship?!" Aunt Beth retorted, cheeks burning red in fear. "This is complete and utter chaos!"
"Everybody!" I yelled then. "If you want to live, we must remain calm!"
The entire room silenced then, and everyone settled in their seats, breaths straining.
"Now, we must assess the situation like normal," I stated, lashes lowering. "There are no detectives on this ship but me, so we must be clear and precise when examining the situation. Madam Beth is a doctor, so she assessed the body and determined the death as a stabbing straight to the heart. Knowing this is the first step, but the next plausible thing to do is ask for alibis."
The room silenced for a moment, but Aunt Beth spoke up first. "I was in the room with you, Yumi! And Curtis, Matilda, Claudia, and Sebastian!"
"I was with Sir Jeffery, Madam Deneise, and those two girls over there," Madam Savage said, pointing to my other two cousins. "We were finishing off the dinner platters."
"And us four servants were all washing up in the kitchen!" Maddox said then, brows drawing together.
We all were silent for a moment, and I pressed my finger to my chin, thinking.
But then my eyes widened, and we all gazed over to Madam Beham—my grandmother—who sat on the chair casually.
"Mom?" Madam Beth said then, brows drawing together as Beham sipped her tea casually. "You were the only one alone last night. We were looking for you. Was it you?"
She continued sipping her tea, her pinky pointed outward. "I had no reason to kill that man."
"He splashed your granddaughter and then threatened to hit her!" Sir Jeffery said then, glaring. "That's plenty motive to me."
"Yes, I do see your point," Madam Beham said then, "but I don't have anger outbursts like that."
"How are we supposed to believe you?" Deneise said then, glaring. "You could be full of shit."
My lashes lowered then, and my lips thinned when I recalled the man earlier today:
Sorry about that. I can be clumsy sometimes.
I narrowed my eyes then, now thinking of my words:
I didn't see that man today. He's not one of them.
And then Sebastian's:
People can be a master of disguise, my lord.
I then gazed up.
If Sebastian was so suspicious of that man, then there was a ninety percent chance that he was the murderer.
If he was, the killer... was male.
Although none of the men were alone at the time of Denver's death, which proved my theory wrong.
But there was another ten percent chance that I was wrong.
"I think it better if we all went to bed," I said then, lashes lowering. "I will team one of my servants up with Madam Beham to assure that she will not kill again."
Even though there was little chance she would murder out of hatred, and I truly disbelieved that she would kill.
"Which servant is up for some prisoner watching?" I said then, gazing around.
Cammie and Scarlet raised their hands.
"Fine, then," I said, looking over to Beham. "You will be chained to one of my servants until we get to land or prove your innocence."
Beham just set her cup aside and gazed up at me, smiling softly. "If that's what will take to ease everyone's minds, then I guess I'll do it."
Cammie just reached under a table and pulled out some chains from an escape route, cuffing herself before walking over to Madam Beham and sliding the second cuff over her wrist. "I'll do it, Scarlet," Cammie said then, gazing over. "You can sleep peacefully tonight."
Scarlet bowed. "I appreciate your kindness."
We all then gazed around before I smiled. "Well, it's time for bed. Good night, everyone."
"What about the murderer?"
"She's chained to a very skilled servant," Sebastian said then, voice oddly calm. "Cammie's an expert at self-defense. She'll be fine."
Everyone just murmured in response and gave me a scared look before exiting the room.
After the dining hall doors closed behind them, I gazed up at grandmother.
"You're very bright, Yumi," she said, smiling slightly. "I'll give you that."
My lashes lowered. "I'll figure it out, mama."
"I know you will," she said then, gazing up. "You always do. As for him," she said then, gazing up at Sebastian, "I hope you are very high on alert. Your master's life is in danger, after all."
He nodded. "I know."
"And stay calm," she said, smiling, "even though you already are."
I blinked and gazed over at him, finding his lashes lowering.
That was a hint, wasn't it?
"Good night, Sebastian." She waved. "And my lovely granddaughter."
Twenty minutes later, I was sitting on my bed, watching Sebastian unclip my shoes and slide them off, readying me for bed.
"Everything about this doesn't make sense," I told him as he slipped off my socks. "The murder, the person being the culprit. I know my grandmother, and although I do not underestimate things, I know that she couldn't have been the killer."
"And why is that?" Sebastian said then.
"Madam Beham was the lead of the Phantomhive family before my father," I explained. "She is highly intelligent, skilled, and knows her way of manipulation. If she wanted to kill someone for any reason," my lashes lowered, "then she would've covered her tracks. Just like I do. She would not be a suspect in the slightest." Sebastian undid my corset and released the strain against my chest. "She was framed," I said, "I know it."
"Perhaps that is true," Sebastian said, sliding my nightshirt over my shoulders. "But there is no other person who could've committed the crime, after all."
I watched him carefully. "Was it you?"
Sebastian smiled as he buttoned my shirt. "Why would you accuse me of such things?"
"You're a demon," I stated then, "you have super speed. Let alone your intelligence that is higher than the smartest computer. It would only make sense if everyone had an alibi. Not only that, but you were resentful after what he did to me."
Sebastian brushed down the wrinkles of my shirt. "All that would be correct, my lord. I could've killed him all while everyone thought I was in the room. Although," he gazed up, "you ordered me not to."
I blinked then, lips parting.
"I did not kill Sir Denver," Sebastian stated gently, "I was not involved in the murder or killing of Sir Denver, either. And you know I cannot lie."
My lashes lowered then, and I looked to the bed as he drew back the sheets.
I crawled under them and gazed up, finding his eyes soft as he pulled the covers over me.
"Good night, my lord." He then started to the door.
"Sebastian," I said then, making him stop in his tracks. I just thinned my lips. "Fix this."
His lips curled then, but he kept his back to me. "Yes, master."
He then left the room, leaving me in darkness.
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