The Midnight Crime - Chapter 10

Though the questions had ended, there was furious whispering among the guests, but Cyan took every look and comment targeted towards his sister like a shield, constantly whispering and stroking her, trying to give as much comfort and support as he can. Autumn watch him cautiously, for a moment when he would let his emotions slip through his mask of difference and she would catch a hint of what he was really feeling. She was so engrossed in watching Cyan that she almost forgot the picture she had yet to take. She glanced around at the people, looking for the photographer.

Fortunately, he was close, his video camera filming the setting with one leg balanced on the fountain, hands moving with expertise around the controls. She cursed him silently, willing him to stop filming the flowers. She had to get out of there soon before the guard made a move. It seemed like both of them were having a silent war, eyeing each other and weighing up their options. Autumn didn’t think he’d do anything, but she wouldn’t put it past him to physically assault her for answers.

The photographer moved away to get couple shots of Teal and Canis, and Autumn realized with relief that he was using another camera now, a bigger one with more dials than her car’s dashboard.

His video camera was hanging around his neck, the equipment jumping on his stomach every time he changed his position for the shoot. Autumn balanced her tray of glasses as she purposefully made her way towards him, her pace strong and determined. A step away from him she stumbled, losing her footing as she let go of the tray, which crashed to the ground, the champagne glasses splintering into tiny fragments. She caught hold of the photographer, one arm around his neck, the other around his stomach, struggling for support. The man caught her from the arms and steadied her, forgetting his camera as he tried to support the struggling maid.

‘I am so sorry.’ She straightened. ‘I wasn’t looking where I was going.’ She wailed, batting her eyelashes at the man.

He blushed. ‘That’s fine, Miss.’ He said. ‘You should get away from the mess.’

‘Thank you.’ She bowed deeply, walking away briskly, her hand fisted tightly around the camera’s memory card. She felt bad for the man, who had filmed the entire ceremony in awkward positions. Promising herself she would put the card back in, she went back into the shadows.

While the attention was at the commotion, Autumn quickly inserted the card inside her phone and sent the ceremony video to Zue.

*FIND OUT EVERYTHING YOU CAN ABOUT HIM. ALSO, WHILE YOU ARE AT IT, CAN YOU FIND OUT ABOUT THE YARROW’S DEATH?*

Zue replied instantly. *On it.*

Autumn sighed happily. Hopefully, this will answer few of the questions ringing in her mind.

XXX

A few feet away, Falcon watched the maid intently. He had seen her take his picture, though he had pretended not to notice as she did so. He knew his record would come clean. It was now a fight as to who got to the package first. He wondered who Autumn was working for, whether it was the same person or two different people were after it. He wondered how Cyan had got his hands on the package in the first place, the thing that was resting behind the photo frame on the first floor. Or maybe not. He just had to sneak off and look for it, but alas couldn’t leave Cyan alone, especially not today, for today might be the day Cyan meant to smuggle it out of the house.

He had received the message from 453 earlier, warning about Cyan Yarrow moving the package out tonight, as he realized it was in danger. If this was true, it was yet to happen. He had been by Cyan’s side since last night and he hadn’t strayed close to the painting.

He glanced up at the man as he thought so. Cyan looked distressed and anxious, his teeth nibbling at his lower lip at a pace that it might produce blood in a few seconds. He was wringing his hands and looked thoroughly uneasy. Falcon felt a faint simmer of anger, he couldn’t believe Cyan would ever be accused of a murder. The man had given him a job after finding him inside his room at the dead of the night. He had even taken his excuse, though Falcon had a feeling Cyan knew. But why would he treat me this way then? Shouldn’t he have thrown me in prison by now? Falcon realized one of his reasons for staying with Cyan along with getting hold of the package was to get to know this mystery of a man better.

The pale light of the evening had fallen, dusk was on its way. The evening air had taken a hushed silence, conversations turning into loud laughs as the music turned up and couples went onto the dance floor. Falcon wondered how long the party would go on, the main event was still going to take place. The couple had to exchange rings and open gifts. The thought alone was tiring. He wished he was safely in bed, planning for another assignment or simply getting a few hours of blissful sleep before the nightmares claimed him, than wrapped up in flowers and neck-itching tuxedos.

He had kept an eye on Cyan the whole evening, proud of his abilities to spy. He looked over at Autumn, she was good too, but clumsy, as he kept catching her glaring at him. She looked furious, her emotions were so clear on her face, that Falcon smirked. First rule of blending in; be as passive as possible. He figured her quest for info on him had been fruitless. His lips turned into a smirk and he glanced at her. He saw her scoff and turn away.

Falcon struggled to hold his laugh, Autumn looked so annoyed that her eyebrows were merged into each other, mouth set in a straight line. He looked back at Cyan, but he was gone.

Falcon cursed. The maid had distracted him from Cyan and he darted his pupils around to catch sight of him without giving much away. He snapped at himself for losing the man for a moment, it was furious, how he’d disappeared from sight the moment Falcon’s back was turned.

‘Where are you?’ he spoke under his breath, until he caught sight of him standing with Canis at the farthest end of the garden, deep in conversation. He breathed a sigh of relief. So Cyan hadn’t left the party.

‘Focus, Falcon, or Autumn will get to the package first.’ He scolded himself under his breath as he saw Cyan making his way towards a girl in the crowd.

From the looks of it, she’d just arrived, a little breathless and flushed from the running to the party. She was dressed in a simple white gown, her red hair braided down her back. They were close enough for Falcon to hear every word the two of them exchanged.

‘I am sorry, Cy. The customers just won’t stop coming.’ She said, wrapping her arms around his neck as he pulled her close in a bear hug.

‘It’s okay.’ He kissed her temple. ‘You are here now.’ He pulled her off to the dance floor.

Falcon stared at them. He had never seen two people so completely lost in each other. The girl had her arms around his neck, while he held her close by the waist, foreheads pressed together as they revolved slowly with the music.

‘You are not that great of a guard, are you?’ said a voice next to him, dripping with sarcasm, and he jumped.

Autumn was standing right beside him, so close he could smell her perfume. She was speaking in an undertone, hands folded over her chest as she stared at him.

‘What do you mean?’ he said.

‘Nothing much. Who are you?’

‘Changing the topic, I see.’ He relaxed. ‘Call me Jason.’

‘Really? I think Falcon sounded much better. Is Jason your new name now?’