Seacats Tea Party Chapter 2

Ange was standing there in the rain, crying. She has just discovered Kumasawa's body. Her face - which always had a gentle smile on it - was completely destroyed. Blood and flesh were everywhere on the ground.

Gohda: Ange-sama, you mustn't look! Please!! For the sake of your Father!!

--But Ange wasn't really shedding tears for Kumasawa. She was crying because she lost the last person that remained alive from her family. Rudolf was lying in a pool of blood a little distance away from Kumasawa. Ange wanted to go over to his Father but Gohda stopped her mid-way and didn't let her near Rudolf's body.

Ange: WHY?! First Mom and Onii-chan...now Dad too?! Why? If only...*hic* if only he survived....AHHHHHH!!!!*hic*

Gohda: Ange-sama, please!! Don't cry! Your Father would never want to see you like this, right?!

Ange: *hic* G-Gohda-san!! *sniff*

Ange hugged Gohda's big body and buried her face into Gohda. The big servant was ready for lots of situations, but this caught him off-guard. He didn't know what to do. In the end, he decided it would be best to do nothing and let Ange use his body as her pillow.

Maria: UU-- Ange, don't cry! Your Papa is in the Golden Land now!!

Ange: S-Stop it, Maria onee-chan!! The Golden Land doesn't exist!! My Dad is dead, no doubt!! Do you see all the blood?! How can you say things like that?!

Maria: Ange doesn't believe. Why? Why don't you believe in the Golden Land?

Ange: Maria onee-chan is stupid! Golden Land?! Witches?! Demons?! T-those don't exist!! Can't exist!! *hic* Onii-chan and Dad both told me things like that can't exist! Maria onee-chan is a liar!! *sniff*

Maria:......................I forgive you, Ange.

Ange: Huh?!

Maria: Ange is overpowered by sadness now. She doesn't know what she is talking about. But Maria forgives Ange. UU--!!

Ange:................

Ange fell silent while still hugging Gohda and crying. She looked away from Maria for a moment, then let go of Gohda finally.

Ange:......Thank you, Onee-chan. *hic*

Maria: Ange is Maria's precious friend. Maria could never hate Ange or wish misfortune upon her. Uu--!!

Ange: Onee-chan...UWAHHH!!!

Ange hugged Maria and started to let another stream of tears flow from her eyes. The two cousins stood there in the rain, not wanting to let go of each other.

Maria patted her cousin's back.

Ange:....Aren't you sad, Onee-chan?

Maria:...You mean because my Mama is dead?

Ange:...Yeah, Onee-chan is really strong. You never cried even a single bit. I want to be like you. I don't want to cry anymore. I don't want to be sad anymore.

Maria: UU-! Maria is sad too...but that is why magic exists! To cheer people up. When I think about Mama being dead, I remember the Golden Land. There, we will be together. Everyone. Me, Mama, Papa, and you Ange...of course Rudolf oji-san and Kyrie oba-san will be there too. Just like Battler and everyone else.

Ange:*hic*R-Really? How awesome....*sniff*

Maria: Right?! We will all play around and live happily forever and ever!

Gohda:....That's right. Ange-sama, you mustn't lose hope....

Gohda came up to them and put his hand on Ange's back. With both of her beloved cousin and Gohda comforting her, she finally managed to calm down. Calm down as much as it was possible in a situation like this.



Ange:.............Who could have done this?

Gohda:...Eh?!

They were still standing in the rose garden. The rain was weaker than previously but overall the weather was still terrible. Ange suddenly spoke up after being quiet for a few minutes.

Ange: Who could have done something like this? I-I mean it's not like there is a 19th person on this island, right?

Maria: Devil's Proof. You can't prove he or she doesn't exist.

Gohda: T-That's right!!! Ange-sama, are you implying someone out of the 18 of us is capable of something like this?

Ange:......................

Ange wore a blank expression.

Ange:...Yes, I am. That's right, i-it could only be someone out of the 18 people.

Maria: Kihihihihihi. And who would be capable of such a horrible thing, I wonder?

Ange: I don't know!! Anyone!!

Gohda:...But we saw the corpses!! They were dead, all of them!

Ange: Were they? I mean it's not like I want to doubt anyone but....

Maria: You think someone faked their death, right?

Ange: Possible. Yeah, I think so.

Gohda: Ridiculous!! Absolutely impossible!! Can't be!

Ange: But wouldn't that be another Devil's Proof? You can't prove everyone was certainly dead.

Maria: True. But remember Ange. You yourself examined some of them, right? Even if that doesn't mean much, at least we can narrow down the list of suspects, right?

Gohda: SUSPECTS???? Ange-sama, if you want to suspect someone, shouldn't that be Doctor Nanjo? His corpse was never found!

Ange: You are right, Gohda-san. But if we turn the chessboard over and think from the culprit's perspective....if Doctor Nanjo was the culprit, disappearing without a trace would cast suspicion upon him, right?

Maria: Certainly, why would someone want to cast the suspicion upon themselves?

Gohda: How should I know?! Maybe they are just stupid or don't care or maybe they are confident that they can kill all of us easily!....Yes, that's it. Nanjo must be the culprit!

Ange:....But Gohda-san, there was blood in the servants' room. And Genji-san was strangled, I saw his body. So it's not likely the blood was his. It's safe to assume the blood must belong to Doctor Nanjo.

Gohda: Yes, it was the Doctor's blood all right! Genji-san must have injured him when they were struggling. .....Poor Genji-san. May you rest in peace.

Maria: We can't say certainly that Doctor Nanjo is the culprit. We can't know it. But Ange, if you think the Doctor is innocent then who do you think killed everyone?

Ange:...Let's see. I examined....Genji-san, Natsuhi Oba-san, ......., Erika-san and Kumasawa-san. ........And Dad lies there too, even though I haven't examined him.

Gohda: He is dead, of course. Trust me Ange-sama, you don't want to see it.

Ange:......Right. That leaves the victims in the gold room, Rosa oba-san.........Mom and Onii-chan....and you two of course.

Maria: Kiihihihi. If I and Gohda-san were culprits, then Ange would be in huge trouble!! Poor sheepie among the wolves, kihihihi!

Gohda: M-Maria-sama, please behave yourself!! This isn't a joke!

Maria:....UU--....Sorry.

Ange:......Never mind. So what about the alibis?

Gohda: Hmm...I can't be the culprit. Do you remember, Ange-sama? I was with you when Madam left to her own room and stayed with you until we found her corpse. I couldn't kill her!

Ange:...You are right, Gohda-san. Then what about you, Onee-chan? Where were you after Oba-san left the group?

Maria: I went to the parlor to watch TV. Uu--!

Ange:...But you watched TV alone, right? Then no one can prove your alibi.

Maria: That's right. Maria is a suspect. Kihihihihi.

Ange: However, that doesn't mean anything. Onee-chan couldn't kill an adult, right? Oba-san's throat was cut.

Gohda: Right. Maria-sama couldn't possibly kill an adult.

Ange:...Except if she used something else to kill Oba-san.

Maria: Like what?

Ange: I-I don't know! There are a lot of ways to kill someone, even as a child.

Gohda: Then what about the other murders?! Maria-sama couldn't have done them.

Ange: .............Maybe there is more than one killer.

Gohda: M-More than one? This gets more and more difficult for me to follow!

Ange: I mean, it's obvious, isn't it? That's the only way it could be done!

Maria: What about the first six victims? Couldn't one of them fake their own death and then hunted down the others?

Ange: Hmmm...Yeah. Possible. I didn't see the scene of the 1st Twilight. But Doctor Nanjo was there, I believe?

Gohda: Yes. But unfortunately, he only examined George-sama, Hideyoshi-sama and Eva-sama.

Ange: So they are certainly dead, unless Doctor Nanjo made a mistake or cooperates with the culprits.

Maria: It is very hard to perform an autopsy. And the Doctor was rushed by the others who thought it was obvious from all the blood that everyone was dead.

Gohda: Basically, every single one of them could be the culprit!!

Ange: ......Is there no other way?

Gohda: W-What?

Ange: Let's say they are really dead. The first twilight victims are dead. Anyone could have killed them. But then who killed Genji-san and Doctor Nanjo, if we assume the Doctor was killed too?

Maria: We were together, remember? The group was together.

Ange: Y-Yeah but....Gohda-san, didn't you go to the kitchen?

Gohda: S-So what? Kumasawa-san was with me. If she were alive.....if only. *sigh*

Ange:....That doesn't mean anything, does it? She could have been an accomplice too. She went to the kitchen with you but then you went and killed the two in the servants' room.

Gohda: !!! How shameful...to think that I would be suspected to be a murderer!! ...Ange-sama! Believe me, please! I know I hasn't been here for a long time but...I would certainly never betray the trust of the family that took me in! I swear!

Ange: Gohda-san. It's not like I am accusing you or anything. I'm just making theories, so please calm down.

Gohda: .............

Maria: Kihihihi. This is getting interesting. Then if Gohda killed Nanjo and Genji, and I killed Natsuhi Oba-san....who could have killed your Mom and Battler?

Gohda: We were with you, Ange-sama. After they went to the parlor with Rosa-sama we were with you until we found their corpses!

Ange:.....Multiple culprits, remember? Kumasawa-san didn't have an alibi then. She said she went to rest a little in her room.

Gohda: You are right. So that means Kumasawa-san killed Erika-sama too?

Ange: No, that can't be. She was with us during the whole time after we found the murder scene in the parlor.

Maria: And Maria and Gohda were with you too, right? So...

Ange: That means in that case there should be another culprit. Probably the same one who killed the six in the room with the gold.

Maria:................................................................

Gohda: I am sorry to say this Ange-sama but if we assume the first six victims and Doctor Nanjo really were killed too....then that doesn't leave us with much possibilities....

Ange: Huh?

Maria: Ange. Think about it. You say Krauss oji-san, Eva oba-san, Lion, Jessica onee-chan, George nii-san and Hideyoshi oji-san aren't culprits, right? Oh and you say the same about Doctor Nanjo too, right?

Ange: Y-Yeah...

Gohda: And you made sure yourself that Genji-san and Madam were dead...so...

Ange: Oh!

Maria: ....By your theory, the only ones who could have killed Erika are Battler and Kyrie Oba-san.

Gohda:....And you examined Erika-sama and came to the conclusion that she was certainly dead. Right?

Ange: Ughhh! And every survivor were together! Dad, Kumasawa-san, me, Onee-chan and you Gohda-san. This doesn't make sense!!

Maria: Actually it does. Kyrie oba-san and Battler faked their deaths in the parlor. It's very likely that they caused the massacre in the underground VIP room!!

Gohda: And they killed Erika-sama!! And Rudolf-sama and Kumasawa-san too!! That is the only way your theory works!

Ange: T-THAT'S A LIE!!! A L-I-E! Onii-chan and Mom would never do something like this!!

Ange was overwhelmed with tears once again but she managed to hold them back by grinding her teeth.

Maria: Do you understand what it feels like to suspect others now, Ange? Just like you suspect us, we can do the same and suspect your family!

Gohda: T-That's right. This whole discussion leads to nowhere. That's it. We end this once and for all. Baseless accusations and guesses, this is what it is! We shouldn't stand around here in the rain any longer!

Ange:.....*hic* I-I'm so sorry....What did I think?! Playing detective and feeling all high and mighty when I don't have a single evidence!! Uggg...Forgive me, please. *sniff*

Maria:...It's all right, Ange. We won't hold a grudge against you.

Gohda: Maria-sama is right. We are all tired. We are starting to get overly cautious...and for good reasons! After all this....

Maria: Come on, everyone. Let's go back to the mansion. Uu---! Mama always says that I shouldn't stand around in the rain or I will catch a cold! Uu--!

Ange: You are right, Onee-chan. You are always right.

Gohda: A-ahaha. Good to see finally everyone calmed down. Let's head back to the mansion...or should we go to the guesthouse?

Ange......................................

Maria: It doesn't matter. If the culprit wants to kill us, he will kill us anyway. Kihihihihi.

Ange:..........................................................

Gohda: Maria-sama. Please don't say things like that! You will make Ange-sama upset again.

Maria: U-uu!! Sorry, Ange. Don't be angry.

Ange: ...Let's go everyone.

The three of them started walking away from the bloody corpses in the garden. They were in front of the door to the mansion when Ange suddenly stopped and murmured something.

Gohda: Hm? Ange-sama? Are you all right?

Ange:.......We will catch a cold.

Gohda: ????

Ange: ....Onee-chan's mom says that, if we stand around in the rain we will catch a cold.....huh?

Maria: What? Did Maria say something bad? Uu--!

Gohda:.........

Ange: Hey, this reminds me. Maria, what about Rosa Oba-san?