Interlude Investigation 4: Wellness Check

FOREWORD: Pink text is used in this transcript to denote private messages sent from the CM to individual players.

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Loading Screen Minigame: Do not touch a single goddamn button.

Game saved.

July
Outside the Brush Residence

Here they are, standing before Miss Brush's house. It has to be hers.
The cops and the maps told them so.
It is opulent. At least, by LA standards -- a garden and a tiny backyard.
Standing out in the urban sprawl of the greedy beast that is LA. More brick than straw, sticks and paper. More green than grey.
Something to weather the storms and the wolves. And the sadness.
For the small gathering's luck, it seems they've arrived at roughly the same time. No point in lingering about in the humid outdoors, where rainclouds linger in the distance.

Curtis Cabanela
Looks like a storm is comin' in, we better wrap this one up real quick-like.

Jack Kidd
Yeah, sounds for the best.

"Justice"
...Now I know something's off about this.
The two of you are starting to make sense.

Jack Kidd
Yeah, I know. It's crazy.

Curtis Cabanela
Hey, that's just what the weatherman whispered in my ear this mornin'.

Jack Kidd
The weatherman whispered into your ear?

The weatherman whispered more than that to Cabanela. It's going to be a deluge outside, pouring endlessly for the next three days.
Strange weather, but we live in strange times.

Curtis Cabanela
I listen to the weather with my headphones. It's just a little joke, son.
And nothing good, I might add. We're in for a real downpour for the next few days.

Jack Kidd
Ah, right. Of course.
Anyway... so. Wellness check.
Anything we need to go over before we go in?

"Justice"
Wellness check... of a sort.

Curtis Cabanela
Of sorts?

"Justice"
Assuming Ms. Brush is indeed "well," it'd be a waste not to question her.
...So we're not just making house calls.

Jack Kidd
Can't argue there. Having ulterior motives can be quite productive.

Curtis Cabanela
Yes, she is a rather big person of interest in this whole mess.

"Justice"
...And it hasn't been established that she isn't in on it. Or otherwise dangerous. So be on guard.

Jack Kidd
Noted.

Nothing escapes Justice's notice. The mailbox is full, stuffed and overflowing.

"Justice"
...Bad sign. Look at the mailbox.

Their eyes look at the mailbox that sits facing the streets.
This is not a Thanksgiving turkey. Morphology mismatch doesn't stop it from being stuffed like one.
Someone has been piling newspapers on top of it. It's a mess.

Jack Kidd
...Jeez. When was the last time she checked her mail?

Never, apparently... though all of this mail is tempting to rifle through.
It is just sitting there in the open.

"Justice"
No one's been collecting the mail for... at least a few days. Post office should have alerted somebody by now.
...Slackers.

Curtis Cabanela
When they said she was reclusive, I never would have thought of this.

Jack Kidd
You know, being technically agents of the law and all that, maybe we have an excuse to look though all this.
Maybe she has unpaid parking tickets in here or something.

Isn't going through someone's mail without probable cause a felony, anyway, Justice?

"Justice"
An "excuse" isn't a substitute for a search warrant.
...Unless we have probable cause.

Jack Kidd
Right. That.

"Justice"
...Unfortunately it's not illegal to not check your mail. So no probable cause.
And I'm not looking to catch a felony over this.

Jack Kidd
Oh well. What can you do.

Curtis Cabanela
Besides, there's just somethin' wrong about rifling through a young lady's mail like that.

Jack Kidd
Not quite what I meant, but yeah I guess so.

"Justice"
I'd start by knocking on the door, personally.

Right. The door. The front door.

"Justice"
(The door that we're going to knock on. The door that we came here specifically to knock on. The knockable door.)

Jack Kidd
Who's gonna do it? I, uh, didn't rehearse a greeting.

It's closed. A doorbell nests under a dull black eye of a camera.
Underneath that, a second button, with a speaker that has been smattered in cobwebs from spiders long gone.

Curtis Cabanela
Well, if no one else is gonna step up to the plate...

Jack Kidd
Is that an intercom sorta thing?

"Justice"
...Camera doorbell. Paranoid suburbanite chic.

Of course, there are other items of interest. A garden, a window, and a garage. If the front door doesn't spark enough joy.

Curtis Cabanela
Before we do that, though, we should take a look-see around here.

Jack Kidd
Guess so. I just hope she doesn't look out the window and see us snooping around.

"Justice"
...Kidd, this isn't the first time I've seen a mailbox like that.
Suffice to say, it doesn't bode well for her chances of looking out windows.

Cabanela examines the window.

If eyes are a window to the soul and windows are the eyes of a house... then these are soulless. Shut. Curtained. Blinded.
He can't spot any light within. Or, well, anything.

Jack Kidd
Well, that figures.

Curtis Cabanela
This place is deader than a doornail.

Justice examines the garden.

He has to peek over the fence that separates the backyard from the front, but it's easy to do that when he's determined.
...This is no garden. This is an overgrown jungle.
The weeds make home between the deck's boards. The vines are crawling up the walls.

"Justice"
More bad news. The plants are reclaiming the whole back garden.

Jack Kidd
Jeez. Why even have a garden if you let it get like this?

In this jungle, there is also beauty. Justice sees common flowers, pink, blue, white, rising up to greet the last rays of the sun before the rain comes.
The garden has a deck, and that means a door. However, do you really want to ruin your suit by jumping the fence today?

"Justice"
...The flowers seem to be doing well, at least.
(Not sure what most of them are. Only know three kinds.)

Cabanela examines the garage.

A garage door, one easily lifted with leverage and a bit of elbow grease. Doors like these only keep good men honest.

The garage door is lowered, though that means little to someone who knows how to lift one up.
It's slightly rusted. Perhaps it's not in more disrepair due to the presence of a possible HOA.
...A possible entrance, at least, if the front door thing doesn't pan out.

Jack Kidd
Sure looks like a garage.

Curtis Cabanela
This thing seems to be the most well-maintained thing here.

"Justice"
...There's a back door in the garden, if Ms. Brush doesn't open up and one of you feels like playing Tarzan.

Jack Kidd
I didn't bring a machete, but I guess we'll see.
Far as I can tell, it does look like we've seen most of what we can see out here...

"Justice"
...Let me get a closer look at that doorbell.

He can see the reflection of himself in the camera of the doorbell/intercom system.
The buttons don't look worn in the slightest, despite the weathering on the device itself.
Two buttons. A camera. A speaker.

"Justice"
...I don't like this.

...Silence. Being this close to the door allows them to hear the stillness within.

Curtis Cabanela
This place is givin' me the creeps.

Jack Kidd
Does seem weird that the buttons seem hardly used.

"Justice"
She's a recluse. Not many visitors, I guess.
...That's not why I don't like this.

Jack Kidd
What is it, then?

"Justice"
...Let's just knock.

Jack Kidd
Well, alright.
You feel like doing the honors, Cabanela?

Curtis Cabanela
Right, sorry. I'll take a crack at it.

Cabanela gives a sturdy knock on the door.

The door shakes underneath his knuckles. They wait a moment, then two. There's no answer.

Cabanela gives another sharp knock to the door.

His knock echoes through the wooden door. Isn't trinity venerated in many religions? Maybe that's relevant? No?

Jack Kidd
Huh.

Curtis Cabanela
This ain't a good sign.

"Justice"
...Leave it on the pile with the rest of the bad ones.

Jack Kidd
You know what they say about third tries and charms.

"Justice"
Hah. Charms.

Cabanela gives one final sharp knock to the door.

...Nothing.

"Justice"
...Yeah. Thought so.

There is always the doorbell, if they wish to repeat this song and dance again.
...or they can continue knocking. Perhaps something will change?

"Justice"
...We could try the doorbell, or knock until our knuckles bleed. She's not gonna answer.

Jack Kidd
Well, there goes plan A. Or, more like plan A... A. What's plan A B?

"Justice"
Plan A B is we go in anyway.

Jack Kidd
Neato.

Justice presents Hickfield's Masking Gel.

"Justice"
Here, both of you, put some of this on your upper lip. You're gonna need it.

Curtis Cabanela
What the heck is this stuff?

Jack Kidd
Huh? (Is that co-) Ahem.
Sure, I'll take some.
Whatever it is.

"Justice"
It helps with the smell.

Jack Kidd
The...
Smell.

Curtis Cabanela
You're the boss man. I'll take it too.

"Justice"
Now, we have two options.
We can try and go in through the garage, or we can go in through the garden.

Jack Kidd
Probably easier to try and just lift the garage.
Er, lift the door open. Not the whole garage.

"Justice"
Secret third option is we bust the door down. Don't think there's enough bravado here for that.

Jack Kidd
Hey, I'll do it if we have to.
But, yeah, best we try the others first.

"Justice"
Alright. Garage door first.

Jack Kidd
Allow me.

Kidd walks up the garage door and attempts to lift it open.

The door protests at first, but it lifts easily under skilled hands.
Inside is a spacious van, not particularly well touched or loved, as well as miscellaneous garage-y odds and ends.
A ramp towards the back leads up to a non-descript door.

Jack Kidd
Well, there we are.

"Justice"
...What does a painter need with a van?

Jack Kidd
Especially a reclusive one. Not like she's got a family to drive around, as far as I'm aware.

"Justice"
...and it's LA. You don't drive here unless you have to.

Curtis Cabanela
Definitely an odd choice of vehicle.

Whatever her reasoning might be, it doesn't seem that this car has been driven in a few weeks.
The dust from the inside has settled atop the gray paint.

Justice walks over to the van and attempts to open it.

The van opens with little fuss, and it smells of dust mixed with fruity air freshener.

Jack Kidd
Huh, it was unlocked. Neat.

Curtis Cabanela
Suppose she didn't expect someone to sneak into her garage.

It's clean, and the seats are comfortable. Or, well... seat. The passenger side is completely empty, leaving enough space for something to sit.
The controls are typical, aside from something at attaches to the steering wheel.
It looks like a controller, and can easily fit in one hand while also being able to turn the wheel.
...Aside from that, and some loose change, there's nothing of immediate interest here.

Curtis Cabanela
That's an interesting looking doodad on the wheel there.

"Justice"
...I don't know what that is.

Jack Kidd
I almost thought this was one of those breathalyzer ignition interlock thingies.
Doubt she has a DUI record though.

"Justice"
Hm.
I don't think there's anything else of note here. We should head inside.

Curtis Cabanela
Agreed.

To whoever checks the door, they'll find that it opens quietly.
While it does have a lock, the owner clearly didn't see a point in using it.

Jack Kidd
Well, guess we head in, then?

Curtis Cabanela
Let's do it.

Kidd pushes the door open and peers inside.

...It's dark inside, and smells faintly of dust. Then again, with the stuff Justice handed him, it's hard to smell much of anything.
They all proceed inside...

They all at least have enough manners to close the door behind them, leaving them in the darkness. The only light comes from the covered windows.
The only way is forward, of course, so they pass what feels like the kitchen and into...

July
Brush Residence - Living Room

...the living room.
It is hardly living.
The lights turn on by themselves for them to watch the dust motes dance above the low table.
...It seems whatever they were bracing themselves for is not here. Perhaps it lays deeper within the house.
There are also doors left and right of the admittedly cozy, yet sparsely decorated space.

Kidd looks around, surprised.

Jack Kidd
Fancier place than I expected. Even got the automatic lights.

Cabanela examines a small statue.

In a small animal bed shaped like a cartoon dog sits a statue of an even smaller dog.
Paws crossed delicately with its head resting atop them as it eternally slumbers.
If this is some kind of art piece, he doesn't get it.

The statue almost makes Cabanela jump, thinking for a moment the dog may have been real.

The dog DOES look quite real, until his eyes adjust enough to realize that it's made out of smooth marble.
However, carving each individual hair of a Scottish Terrier's body must have taken an age and a half. Impressive work.

Curtis Cabanela
She's somethin' of an artist, there's no doubt about that.

Kidd examines the TV.

The television is turned off. No live news for him.
And given the layer of dust on it, no news for the occupant of the home either.

Jack Kidd
TV sure looks like a TV. Now, about the dust...

It's everywhere.
A thick layer of it on the table, brought up into the air by the wind they brought in.
Maybe those sofas are darker than they should be.
Dust clinging to dust -- on the floor and withering plants.

Jack Kidd
Okay, it's one thing to be a recluse, but it's like even the inside of the house hasn't been touched in a long while.

To Kidd, it's like a tomb, sealed away and left to its own.

"Justice"
Alright, I'll be straight with the two of you. At this point, it's obvious that Brush is either dead or missing.
No one is here. No one's BEEN here in a while.

Curtis Cabanela
Yeah, I had my suspicions from the start there wasn't anyone in this house.

Jack Kidd
Yeah, that figures, I just didn't want to be the one to say it...
This is just the living room anyway. Who knows what lies deeper in this place.

"Justice"
...I don't like this place.
Even if it wasn't coated in dust.
Something's not right.

Jack Kidd
The idea of someone's house sitting around unused is pretty ominous.
When it's for this long, anyway.

"Justice"
...Normally, when rich folk leave their houses unattended for this long, they hire help.
...Either she's not rich, or she didn't leave her house unattended on purpose.

...There are the two doors. Of course, if someone is brave, they could look upstairs.
But, the lights up there are not on, and the darkness seems foreboding.
...Then again, the darkness in the other two rooms doesn't seem inviting either.

Kidd looks up the stairwell, but doesn't move toward it.

The stairwell darkness seems to stare back at Kidd. If darkness could breathe, it would.
...Thankfully for him, it cannot.

Curtis Cabanela
When was the last time she was seen, by the way?

"Justice"
Day of the incident, as far as we know.
When she got her purse cut.

Curtis Cabanela
Anyways, we should probably look deeper in the house.

Jack Kidd
Not at the moment. Let's see...

Kidd shines his phone flashlight upstairs.

The hallway of the stairwell is, unsurprisingly, empty.
He can make out the faint outlines of furniture that used to be there from the sections of paint that seem lighter than the others.
That furniture is gone now, off to who knows where.

Jack Kidd
I, for one, would rather inspect the rooms down here before we go upstairs.

Curtis Cabanela
Not afraid of a little darkness, are we?

Jack Kidd
Only a little...

"Justice"
They say if you stay in the dark too long, you get eaten by a grue.

Jack Kidd
Oh, well, in that case...
Feh.

Kidd walks to the first of the two doors and tries opening it.

The door opens with little fuss. It is silent, on well oiled hinges. The smell of paint and parchment can be sensed over your minty lip protection.
They all move to the room Kidd picked out together. There's no point in splitting up in such a small space.
They'll find her, either now, or later. She's not going anywhere.

Now this is a real artist's office.
Not that they would know what a real artist's office looks like... but this must be it.
The smell of oils, the dirty rags on a low stool -- and the canvasses adorning the walls.
Landscapes of bespoke American views. Portraits of people they don't know. None seem to be in progress. All done. All finished.
Three paintings are bound in especially lavish frames.
...Of course, if none of these interest them, there's always examining the room at large. It seems she has quite the collection of items.
And by items, I mean artistic creations that make their heads spin.

Jack Kidd
Figures there'd be at least one room like this.

"Justice"
(Nasty, nasty deja vu.)

Kidd starts pacing around the room examining the general area.
Cabanela examines the first of the three paintings.

The area's default state would be chaotic, given the smears of paint on the floor, but it seems someone has carefully begun to put things away.
Brushes cleaned and placed to dry. Paint sealed tightly. Charcoals put away in neat little boxes.
...even the painting floor seems absent. There's more than enough room for two people to walk side by side.

"Justice"
...Maybe this used to be a studio, but it's not anymore.
This is a museum.
(...Or mausoleum, depending on what we find later.)

Jack Kidd
Hmm. Yeah, I see what you mean.

Curtis Cabanela
...This painting...
Does something about it seem off to you?

Jack Kidd
Off, you say?

"Justice"
Which one?
(Deja vu, again. Not a fan.)

Cabanela points to the first painting he was just looking at.

As you all gather around the painting Cabanela was gazing at... the first sensation that you have is that it's lovely.

Painting #1 ~ Hashima Reminiscence

In loving detail, before your eye and in generous strokes sprawls a green valley. 
Rice paddies and tiny houses, cradling a bend of the river as it passes between two hills. 
A small, rustic village you’d find in the old country of Japanifornia. 
The clouds are spilling over the hill, encroaching upon the people walking the dirt roads.

You blink. The tiny figure of a woman stumbles and spills water over the road, the stroke of oil darker to your eye. 
The treetops are swaying like a green ocean, disappearing under the white wisps of the passing cloud.

The painting is alive.

"Justice" and Jack Kidd
...

Curtis Cabanela
It looks like we ain't getting a day off from the magic.

"Justice"
That confirms it. Brush is a witch too.

Jack Kidd
What am I looking at here...?

A village. What else would he be looking at? It moves about its business as if he's staring at it from afar.

Jack Kidd
God. Not even still life is still anymore.

Curtis Cabanela
I wonder... maybe this is why someone was targeting her.

"Justice"
...Hey.
...Brush was the target in the incident at the civic center.

Jack Kidd
...Right.

"Justice"
...When at first you don't succeed...
...Maybe there's a reason this place is abandoned.

Curtis Cabanela
I think we need to go up that scary lookin' hallway.
I pray we don't find anything unpleasant there.

Jack Kidd
Well, we do still have one other room down here...

"Justice"
...I hope we find anything at all. For a house with moving paintings, this place is still as the grave.

Jack Kidd
Before we do, I'll just do this...

Kidd examines the second painting.

Jack Kidd
W-Gh-!
Uh.

Curtis Cabanela
Hey Kidd, is everything okay?

Jack Kidd
I, uh.
...
Look at this painting.

Painting #2 ~ Strawberry

Though calling it a portrait is a little generous. It's a mixture of landscape and character study.
It's of a man walking next to a body of water that stretches on into the horizon, 
his hands shoves into his pockets as he looks out over the surface.

The next thing that catches your eye is that this is in fact your man, the pancake, as familiar company would put it.
He blinks at you and he smiles. 
Then, as if he can hear you, he lifts two fingers to his temple in a salute before returning to his pensive staring out over the river.

Curtis Cabanela
What the hell...

Jack Kidd
Is this painting haunted by his ghost?!

"Justice"
...Does that mean Brush knew him?

Curtis Cabanela
That would be the case, if she did paint this.

Jack Kidd
You'd think so, right? Why else would she just... paint a random stagehand?

Curtis Cabanela
She didn't even get inside the theater, right? She wouldn't have even seen him.

Jack Kidd
Yet another thing to bewilder us.
Now I'm curious what's on the last painting there.

...And there it is, the last painting. They all can choose to look at it together. The other two haven't been harmful.
That they know of.

Jack Kidd
Alright, let's just take a look.

Painting #3 ~ Melia

This painting is a full body portrait of a woman you do not know.
She is dancing. By anything that is dear to you -- she is dancing.
You can see her take each step, the oils on the canvas flowing with color.
It's magic or science you don't know a thing about, but what's important is not this. It's the woman.
Her long dark hair, put up and braided into a torrent of braids whips after her. 
She is spinning and the colors of the world spin after her. 
She is laughing. She is beautiful.
She doesn't notice you at all.

Jack Kidd
Huh. Well.
That's gotta be the liveliest one so far...

Curtis Cabanela
There's one thing for certain: she really is a magnificent artist.

"Justice"
...No doubt.

Jack Kidd
It's certainly impressive, even if one were to ignore the... you know. Magic.
Well, if that's everything in here... I suppose next room, if you've all got nothing else here.

Curtis Cabanela
I'm good.

"Justice"
...We'll bag and tag these on the way out.

Jack Kidd
Oh boy, evidence-y stuff.

"Justice"
Do not ever let me hear you say the phrase "evidence-y stuff" again.

Jack Kidd
Evidence-y things, then.

Justice sighs.

Jack Kidd
Alright, then. Next room we go.

To the next room you go indeed. You leave this room and its extranormal paintings behind.

Game saved and paused.

Game unpaused.

...The walk felt like it took an age, but finally they've reached the other side of the hallway.
Should an artist's office look like a library?
They dodge some peculiar vase, without tipping it, as they ponder this question.
The expectation of sketches and canvases, the smell of paint joining the dust in the living room.
Books, as far as the eye can see. Manuscripts, framed and hung on the wall.
If the studio was prim and proper, this is refined chaos.
Old trinkets, new baubles -- all of them strange. Trinkets may of clay and stone, baubles made of bone and feather.
...and there she is, at the long office table.
A woman in a wheelchair, swaddled in shawls up to her neck. So many of them, you can barely make out the shape of her feet.
She does not move to greet them. She seems far more interested in the papers in front of her, the pen moving across the page without the need of a hand to guide it.
In fact, it's like she can't hear them at all.

Jack Kidd
?!

Curtis Cabanela
(What the hell is going on...)

Jack Kidd
[Jeez, uh... well. There she is.]

"Justice"
[...Somehow I manage to be wrong every time I try to be reasonable.]

Jack Kidd
[Should we, uh... try to get her attention?]

Curtis Cabanela
[Not like we can't not talk to her at this point.]

"Justice"
(Oh, the girl must have crawled through a vent. No, idiot, magic exists.)
(I can't catch a break with this case.)

Kidd knocks on the wall lightly.

Jack Kidd
Excuse me, ma'am...?

Speaking of magic, the woman lifts up a hand towards a bookshelf. Her fingers, two of them tinged gray, curl...
...Until she startles, anyway, and the book she was pulling from the shelf collapses on the the floor.

???
... ... Pardon?

Jack Kidd
Oh, uh. Sorry. Wellness check.

"Justice"
Artemesia Brush?

???
... That...

Her voice is rough, as if she hasn't used it in an age.
She clears her throat, exhaling faintly.

Artemesia Brush
That would be me, yes.
May I ask why you're in my home, mister...?

Curtis Cabanela
Apologies for the intrusion. We tried knocking.

Artemesia Brush
...Did you? Why didn't you use the doorbell?

Jack Kidd
...
Damn it.

In her movements, her shawls have fallen around her waist. One of her arms, the right, is colored that same off-grey as the fingers on her left hand.

"Justice"
...Apologies, ma'am, given the state of the house... we assumed something had happened to you.
...Has something happened to you?

Artemesia Brush
... ... No. Nothing new, at least.
... If that is all, I'd like to get back to my work.

"Justice"
...Ms. Brush, the reason we were called to do a wellness check on you is that you are a person of interest in an ongoing investigation.
...I'm afraid we do have some questions for you.

Artemesia Brush
... ... ... [Gods above, Boss. You said you had this handled.]
... Very well. Do you three want to talk here, or in the living room?
I don't mind either way, so long as you give me a bit of time to move around.

"Justice"
...Move around?

She motions down to her wheelchair with the arm of hers that isn't locked into place.

Artemesia Brush
I can't exactly chase after you three.

"Justice"
...Right.
[The kid never mentioned a wheelchair.]

Jack Kidd
I don't see an issue talking here. Do either of you?

"Justice"
[Listen, she knew Dinn. She just hit the top of our suspect list. Be on your guard.]

The trinkets on the walls glitter faintly in the light as if begging for their attention.
For most, the trinkets are simply gems or bones. Nothing more, nothing less...

Trinkets made of crystal, now that Kidd manages to focus his eyes on it.
Shimmering with inner light. He can feel his hair rise. A chill travelling down his spine. Colder, the longer he looks.
Stop looking.

Kidd looks away from the various trinkets.

Artemesia Brush
...Well. Whenever you three are ready, ask away. Though I doubt I'd be much help.

"Justice"
(...Showtime.)

Justice presents the composite sketch of Stan Dinn.

"Justice"
...Who is this, Ms. Brush?

Artemesia Brush
...Right to it? May I at least have your names first?

"Justice"
You can call me Justice. Answer the question.

Curtis Cabanela
Inspector Cabanela, at your service.

Artemesia Brush
...I would also like your ranks.
An inspector? I'm... flattered?

"Justice"
...State prosecutor.

Jack Kidd
I'm Jack Kidd. Rank, uh... CEO?

"Justice"
...He's consulting.
Answer the question.

Artemesia Brush
...
...This looks like Ichigo.

"Justice"
Ichigo?

Artemesia Brush
A friend of mine. Did something happen to him?
Ah, uh. Yes. Ichigo Nanashi. Sorry.

...It seems that if you catch her off guard, her stone guard quickly falls into something softer.
It's back before you can blink, though.

"Justice"
(I knew that wasn't his real name.)
Mr. Nanashi, then.
He's dead.

Artemesia Brush
... a... ah.
I... see.

"Justice"
How did you know Mr. Nanashi?

"Justice"
... ... How... did he die?
Ichigo. How did he die? Was he murdered?

"Justice"
...Not exactly.

...A tension relaxes from her shoulders.

Kidd shudders.

Artemesia Brush
...I imagine he's been dead for a month, then.

"Justice"
Oh? What gave you that idea?

Artemesia Brush
...Because that was the last time we spoke. We were planning to meet in town.

Curtis Cabanela
Where were you planning to meet?

Artemesia Brush
Oh. Well... it was at a magician show that he had tickets for.
It would be fun, he said, to get my nose out of my books and into something exciting.

"Justice"
But you didn't attend.

Artemesia Brush
...No. I did not.

"Justice"
That's because someone stole your ticket, right?

Artemesia Brush
How did you...?

"Justice"
We've been very thorough.

Artemesia Brush
...Mmhm.
It was stolen by a young woman, yes.
And I went home. I figured that was enough excitement for me for one day.

"Justice"
And you did not attempt to retrieve it or contact the authorities.
Is that right?

Artemesia Brush
Yes. That's right.
It was just a purse anyway.
...and Ichigo knows I hate crowds. It was a bad idea from the start.

"Justice"
...Mhm. And there was nothing else of value in the purse, then?

Artemesia Brush
...Nothing that I can think of.

"Justice"
You're sure? No... cash, or credit cards... or notes?
What's that in your hands, Ms. Brush?

Artemesia Brush
...Some cards, but I froze those...
...Ah. Uhm.

Artemesia presents Artemesia's Necklace.

Artemesia Brush
...It's nothing dangerous, if that's what you're thinking.

"Justice"
Nice trinket. Where'd you get it?

Artemesia Brush
My father gave it to me.
And no. You may not touch it.

"Justice"
...Where did you meet Ichigo?

Artemesia Brush
A mutual friend introduced us some time ago.

"Justice"
Oh? Who?
Maybe we have a mutual friend too.

Artemesia Brush
...She would have told me about you.
So... no. I don't think you know Boss.

Curtis Cabanela
Boss? Interesting name.

"Justice"
Boss, hm? Aren't you a freelancer?

Artemesia Brush
You think so? I think she just likes people looking up to her.
...And I never said she was my boss. I call her Melia.
...But no. She would have told me about you, sir. You stick out like...

"Justice"
So she goes by more than one name, then.

Artemesia Brush
...Hm.
...Anything else, Mr. Justice?

"Justice"
Do you know what Ichigo did for work? Surely, if you were friends, you'd know that much.

Artemesia Brush
He was a self-proclaimed job hopper.

"Justice"
So he was the non-committal type.
Did you trust him?

Artemesia Brush
...I do.

"Justice"
...Ms. Brush, I neglected to tell you about the circumstances of Mr. Nanashi's death.

Artemesia Brush
That you have.

"Justice"
You see, he died by accident while attempting to kidnap you.

Artemesia Brush
...I'm sorry?

"Justice"
...Nice paintings, by the way. Very lifelike.

Artemesia Brush
...It isn't very polite to go through others' things, you know.
But thank you. I'm very proud of them.

A moment of tension before she covers it up like an errant stroke on a canvas.

"Justice"
...The girl who stole your ticket... attended the magic show in your stead, in your seat.
In doing so, she unwittingly sprang a trap meant for you.

Artemesia Brush
...Gods.

She shifts, her right arm moving to rub at her face before she remembers that the fingers don't curl like they should.
She rubs at it with her other hand instead.

Jack Kidd
Are you alright? Your hands, they, uh...
You know.

Artemesia Brush
... ... Are petrified, yes.

Jack Kidd
...Not... exactly what I was going to say, but...

"Justice"
...You don't appear to be bothered by it.

Jack Kidd
Oh, I am.

Artemesia Brush
Don't worry. It's not contagious.
You can't catch it by being near me, for what it's worth.

Jack Kidd
What does cause that, anyway...?

Artemesia Brush
A bloodline curse.
Though if you can see my paintings, I doubt I need to explain those to you.

Jack Kidd
Oh, I see. That's-
Wait, what?

"Justice"
(...That was a casual admission.)
So we're past all pretense then.

Jack Kidd
Apparently.

Artemesia Brush
Unless you'd like me to continue dancing around it?

"Justice"
I'd much rather be candid.

Artemesia Brush
Let's... consider this an exchange of information, then.

"Justice"
...That's an acceptable agreement, for now.

Jack Kidd
Yeah, sounds appropriate to me.

Artemesia Brush
I'm glad.
...It's a dying art. I would like to preserve what knowledge you have if I can.

Jack Kidd
So, yeah. Kidnapping.

Artemesia Brush
... ... Kidnapping.

"Justice"
...Kidnapping via displacement. Your purse was found at the scene, and it contained a note bearing a rune of displacement.

Artemesia Brush
A displacement rune?

"Justice"
That's right. The box you would have stepped into had you been present was set up to activate it.

Artemesia Brush
Was it made of lines, or circles?
...And what was the activation condition? Pressure?

She speaks certainly. This is her domain, something she's intimately comfortable with.

"Justice"
Water.

Artemesia Brush
...That would be Ichigo's magic, then.

Jack Kidd
Huh.

"Justice"
There were water balloons in the box rigged to burst. The one who took your ticket didn't have the rune with them, so instead of displacing, she just got wet.

Artemesia Brush
...Ah.
...You mean Miss Halsey. I heard about this, I believe.

"Justice"
You know of her?

Curtis Cabanela
Interesting. So you know about Halsey, do ya?

Artemesia Brush
From afar, and not much. Simply that she was in the care of Boss, and Boss wished to send her my way.
...She never arrived.

"Justice"
...Who is Boss? She seems like someone worth speaking to.

Artemesia Brush
She runs a small bookstore down in the city.
Books and Ends, I believe she calls it now?
She changes it on a whim. I can never keep up.

Despite the far away look on her face, her eyebrows are furrowed. She seems to be in thought.

Curtis Cabanela
(Books and Ends... Interesting...)

"Justice"
...Do you have any idea why Ichigo would have wanted to kidnap you?

Artemesia Brush
... ... ... Assuming he was being truthful? No.
But if he was lying, then... I have my suspicions.

Curtis Cabanela
Suspicions?

Artemesia Brush
We were exchanging spells for some time. It's common to do when two casters meet.
A show of good faith.

Jack Kidd
I guess that makes sense.

"Justice"
(A whole underworld of casters...)

Artemesia Brush
...But Ichigo's magic was... guarded. The place he came from has passed it down for ages.
To share it with an outsider is asking for trouble. But he said he had left his hometown long before we met.
...And that the magic he taught me was nothing but a holdover from when he was little.

"Justice"
(...This magic system seems to be rare even among casters, then...?)
...Where exactly was his hometown?

Artemesia Brush
...Hashima. It's out in the sticks.

"Justice"
...Like the reservoir?

Curtis Cabanela
No, the town.

Artemesia Brush
It's what the reservoir was named after.

Curtis Cabanela
Me and Badd almost ended up takin' a trip there.

Artemesia Brush
...Really? What would've possessed you to take that drive?

Curtis Cabanela
Lookin' for little Miss Halsey, actually.

"Justice"
...A sudden urge to waste taxpayer funds.

Curtis Cabanela
She's safe and sound with us now, however.

Artemesia Brush
...Ah.
So that's where she vanished off to.

Curtis Cabanela
Well, not quite. We found her at a train station, actually.

Artemesia Brush
A train station?

Curtis Cabanela
Yeah. She was trying to skip town, but the trains were out that day.

Artemesia Brush
I see.

Curtis Cabanela
Actually, funnily enough, that Books and Ends place you mentioned? We went there too.
Never got in contact with that Boss character, though.

Artemesia Brush
...That sounds about right. She comes and goes as she pleases.
The urge to roam never left her.
If you want to meet her, simply keep swinging by. She'll turn up eventually.
...Probably.

Curtis Cabanela
Thanks for the tip. I'll be sure to relay it to my colleague.

Artemesia Brush
... ... But to summarize. Hashima Village used to be alongside the Hashima River.
Then the dam was built. The village was forced out. They moved further up the mountains, where Ichigo was raised.

Curtis Cabanela
This place sounds rather rich in history. I'll have to take a trip there myself sometime.

Artemesia Brush
I've been a few times, though never for long.
...They weren't keen on sharing information, but the scenery was beyond compare.

Curtis Cabanela
By the way, why was Boss "sending Halsey your way," as you said?

Artemesia Brush
For her to live here. We couldn't have her just running around on the streets.
She was shining like a beacon out there. If Boss didn't notice her, someone else would have.

Curtis Cabanela
So you would have been her caretaker?

Artemesia Brush
...I guess so.

Jack Kidd
Any particular reason it would be you specifically?
Like, why here?

Artemesia Brush
I have the space, and she could help me with chores.
The upstairs is empty, so she could do as she pleased, and we'd never cross paths.
...It was ideal.

Jack Kidd
I see.

Artemesia Brush
...If not me, I'm sure Boss would have reached out to someone else. Magical girls running around shooting from the hip never goes well.

Curtis Cabanela
Well, she is still looking for a place to stay. I suppose I'll let the folks back at the department know about this.

Artemesia Brush
...Admittedly, if she's with the police, I'd rather not get involved.

Curtis Cabanela
...Right.

Artemesia Brush
We have our ways of handling our business, and you have yours.
...It's best not to have them cross.

Jack Kidd
And then I have mine, as well.
Off in the corner.

...That makes her laugh a little.

Jack Kidd
So, I can't help but wonder... is there any particular reason you could imagine that anyone would want to kidnap you?

Artemesia Brush
...For the knowledge I possess, I'd imagine.
I collect spells. I research them.

Jack Kidd
Of magic? That would fit, yeah.

Artemesia Brush
...And Hashima's spells are different. That displacement rune is a drop in the pond compared to the bigger ones.

Jack Kidd
Bigger ones, huh?

Artemesia Brush
"Magic that can do the impossible."
...Turning stone to gold, performing miracles... Raising the dead.
The big things.

Jack Kidd
(Stone into gold? I need to make a personal note of that one...)
Jesus. Raising the dead?

Artemesia Brush
Not as zombies. Necromancy is frowned upon.

Jack Kidd
I'd... hope so.

"Justice"
(Not in Cyrodiil.)

Artemesia Brush
But resurrection...
Things become a little more grey.
...But I'm rambling on. I'm more curious about what you all know.

Jack Kidd
Well, I'll tell what I can.
Anything in particular pique your interest?

Artemesia Brush
Healing magic, as of late.
...But I'll take any information on oddities.
...Or, I could ask you to charge something for me, if you have nothing.

Jack Kidd
...Say.
I could show you something we found.

Artemesia Brush
Oh?

Jack Kidd
There's a sheet of paper we came across that has a rune we haven't yet been able to identify.
Think it's possible you might recognize it?

Artemesia Brush
...I could certainly try.

Jack Kidd
I don't have the sheet itself, but fortunately, I took a picture.

Kidd takes out his phone and brings up the photo.

The woman leans close, adjusting her glasses as she examines the photo.

Artemesia Brush
...Immobilization, Silence, Memory Distortion...
...Ah. A displacement, too.
A few binding runes here and there. This one's particularly nasty.

Jack Kidd
Those do sound bad.

"Justice"
...Memory Distortion sounds especially bad.
(And especially like someone we know.)

Jack Kidd
Yeah.
It kinda haunts me that it exists.

Artemesia Brush
...Distortion isn't quite right, but... it's hard to put it into words.
Imagine that someone simply... dunked the book that is your life into water.
And now the ink all runs together. Your personality remains, but the details...

"Justice"
Interesting choice of metaphor.

A shrug.

Artemesia Brush
Typically frowned upon, but not illegal.

Jack Kidd
[That is familiar.]
Oh, joy.
Legal memory clouding.
I think I'm getting the bigger picture of this sheet now.
Binding, silence, immobilization, memory distortion... all prime stuff for a kidnapping. And a realistic set of spells to set off all at once.

Artemesia Brush
...I wouldn't necessarily call it legal.
...But we tend to take care of our own issues, should they arise.
But used for a kidnapping...? Yes... I believe that would make sense.

Jack Kidd
As far as we were told, these runes were drawn in a rather amateurish fashion.
As far as I recall, anyway.
I wonder what kind of person managed to get access to all these at once while also presumably not having a lot of experience with rune-making.

"Justice"
...There's something I should mention with regard to Ichigo.
...He wasn't acting alone. There was an accomplice.

Artemesia Brush
...An accomplice?

"Justice"
...It wasn't enough to displace you. Someone had to be there on the receiving end. We sent a probe through.
...Someone found it and broke it.

Jack Kidd
Right. I recall the place being rather, uh... dungeon-ish.

Curtis Cabanela
Yeah, really creepy.

Artemesia Brush
That's... very clever of you.

"Justice"
Tch. The location was shielded, we didn't get a geolock. I'm just glad we didn't send a person though.
...But that accomplice is still at large.

Jack Kidd
God knows what they'll be up to next.

Artemesia Brush
... ... And it was a Hashima displacement rune... I...
...I hate to point fingers, but...
... ... Never mind. Forget that I mentioned it.
It's a bad look.

"Justice"
...Ms. Brush, your case is not the only one being investigated.
...There was another. Another Hashima displacement kidnapping.

Artemesia Brush
...Oh.

Curtis Cabanela
If you have any suspicions at all, they would be very useful.

Artemesia Brush
... ... I mean... The spells there are heavily protected.
It's unlikely that rune was passed along an information chain.
...Spells degrade over time. They change. It's the nature of language.

She takes a breath, wincing as she moves her marble hand over her stomach.

Artemesia Brush
...but Hashima's spells are always the same.
So... if I had to point fingers, I would be pointing towards Hashima.

"Justice"
...That's helpful. (Finally a solid lead.) Thank you.

Curtis Cabanela
Sounds like that trip is gonna happen sooner than I thought.
And again, sorry for intruding.

Jack Kidd
Great...
Ahem. I mean, uh, great. Cool, good lead. I have no reservations at all.

Artemesia Brush
... ... Of course, you could just let it go.

Jack Kidd
Well, we could, but...
We kinda owe it to someone not to.

"Justice"
...I'm not about to let the kidnapping of a child go uninvestigated, Ms. Brush.

Artemesia Brush
...Stepping up where those before you failed...
...There's a nobility in that.

Jack Kidd
I guess there is.
I'll take it.

She glances back to her desk, and the she wheels her chair around.
After a few seconds of rustling, she slowly turns back to the group.
In her hands are two letters, one far thicker than the other.
Both are sealed with a golden wax that glitters in the light.

Artemesia Brush
...If that's the case, I have a favor to ask of you three.

Jack Kidd
Oh?

Artemesia Brush
...I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, but I would like to get these letters to Melia.
...Since you seem to be headed in her direction...

Jack Kidd
Ah. You want us to deliver those for you?

She nods.

Artemesia Brush
Please.

Jack Kidd
I don't have a problem with it. Do either of you?

Curtis Cabanela
No objections here.

"Justice"
...Yeah, we'll get it done.

Letters added to the Case Record.

She seems... relieved, like a great weight has been taken off of her shoulders.

Artemesia Brush
...Thank you.

Jack Kidd
No problem. Thanks for putting up with us suddenly showing up here.

Artemesia Brush
And before you ask. One is an introduction letter.
So she doesn't attempt to turn you into furniture or something.

...They hope that she's joking, though they can't quite tell for sure.

Jack Kidd
F... Furniture.
Okay.

Curtis Cabanela
That would put quite a damper on things!

"Justice"
(...He'd be a candelabra. For sure.)

Artemesia Brush
...And it's quite alright. It's not the first time strange men have walked into my home.
I'm hoping it will be the last.

Jack Kidd
...I'd sure hope so too. If we need to come back, we'll make sure to just use the doorbell.

Artemesia Brush
Mhm. I'm sure that'd be far more convenient than crawling around in my garden.

"Justice"
...We came in through the garage, actually.

Artemesia Brush
...

Jack Kidd
Yeah, I didn't feel like going all Alabama Joe on those plants.

"Justice"
...Besides, it'd be a shame to trample the flowers.

Artemesia Brush
...It would, wouldn't it?

She goes quiet for a moment. Her gaze looks towards the window, out towards that tiny garden.
From this angle you can see a taller statue being consumed by the climbing morning glories.
The statues has its hands outstretched. Perhaps it was holding something once. It is no longer.

Curtis Cabanela
Anyhow, we don't want to keep you any longer than we have to.

Artemesia Brush
...Yes.
Is there anything else you'd like to ask me?

Jack Kidd
I don't think I have anything left myself.

"Justice"
...Thank you for your time, Ms. Brush.

Artemesia Brush
Mm. No. Thank you.
...It was good to talk to people one more time.

"Justice"
... (...Odd choice of phrasing, but...)
(...I don't think I can do anything for her.)

Artemesia Brush
Now. If that is all, I have paperwork I would like to finish.
Sorry, for not seeing you all to the door.

Jack Kidd
It's no problem. We'll make sure to shut the garage back up.
Now, then.

Kidd starts to head out.
Cabanela follows with only a slight pep in his step.

As the trio leaves, Ms. Brush turns back to her desk.
Her good hand runs across the top of it before she leans her head down, resting her cheek against the cool surface.
In this moment, she looks... tired.

Then again, so are they.
...It is raining by the time they all leave Ms. Brush's house.
And it rains for three days straight. It floods. Traffic is a nightmare.
Eventually, finally, it stops. Sometime around three in the morning. The heat and humidity comes back with it, along with a low buzzing sound.
Cicadas.
It took them a minute to recognize them.
...They can't remember the last time Los Angeles had cicadas.

~ END ~