Chapter 5: The Lead
“Let’s go through it one more time, Miss Brown,” Leviathan said, tapping his pen against his pocket notepad. The two of them sat at a two-top in the dark corner of the Milky Maiden. He wouldn’t normally interview someone out in the open like that in the Mole District, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Not to mention the place was basically empty by this point and Bess was close to shutting down for the night.
“Well,” she said, batting her eyelashes repeatedly. “I was visiting a friend of mine in Gnometown on Saturday afternoon…”
“As in this past Saturday, correct?” he asked.
“Yes, that’s right, just like I said before.”
“Thank you,” he said, then scribbled down a note. “You can go on…”
“Well, as I was saying, I was just visiting my friend and when I was leaving his house I saw something strange down the street.”
“And what time of day was it, approximately?”
“I don’t know, probably like four o’clock or so.”
“Mhmm… and was there anyone outside with you when you witnessed this… oddity?”
“I told you before,” she said, sounding annoyed, “I was all by myself.” She sat back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her right foot.
“Okay. What did you say your friend’s name was again?”
“Oh… well… I don’t want to get them involved in this…”
“Ma’am, this is an investigation and any information will help.”
“I know, I just… well, okay. His name is Finklepants… Jeremiah Ficklepants.”
“Fickle… Pants?”
“Yes, that’s right, doll.” She replied.
“Gnomish names, I swear,” he said, shaking his head. “Go on then.”
“Well, as I said before, I saw this thing jump off the second-story balcony of a large house down the street. It just landed there in the middle of the street like nothing happened and ran off.”
“And what did this creature look like?”
“I can’t say.”
“What do you mean? You saw it didn’t you?”
“I did, but… well… it’s not exactly something I’ve seen before.”
“Ok, just do your best then.”
“Well, see, I think it was about the size of your average goyle, you know, but it was covered in fur.”
“Come on now,” he said, looking up from his notepad. “We both know that can’t be right. Goyles don’t have fur.”
“I never said it was a goyle! I just said it was about the size of a goyle… and covered in fur.”
“Well tell me what else in Caveumbria is goyle-sized, miss?”
“I… I… I don’t know! You’re the detective!” Her big eyes welled up with tears and her voice turned squeaky. “I’m just trying to help here and I feel like you’re accusing me…”
“Okay, okay. Let’s just take a step back,” Levi said, rubbing the bridge of his nose outward under his eyes. “I meant no harm, Miss Brown, just making sure I understand the situation and look at it from all sides.”
“Of course,” she replied, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. “And please. Call me Delilah.”
“Right, Delilah, let’s assume this furry thing was too far away for you to get a good look at its size…”
“Well, yeah… I guess that makes sense.” She said, nodding in agreement. “He was pretty far down the street.”
“He?”
“It! I don’t know, Jones. Geesh.”
“Fine. You saw a furry creature jump from the second-story balcony and hit the ground running as if nothing happened. Sound about right?”
“Yes, exactly,” she said. “It hit the ground and just ran off into the alley between two big mansions and it was gone.”
“Did you see if they were carrying anything?”
“No, can’t say I did.” She said, dabbing the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief.
“Did they have a bag by chance?”
“I don’t know, Jones.”
“Alright,” he said, scribbling in his notebook. “Anything else you’d like to add?”
“No, sir,.” sShe said. “I just thought, you know, after I heard about the Rifflebum mystery and all, that I should go to the police… but they said I was wasting their time, so I came to you.”
“Good thing you did, ma’am. I appreciate the information.”
“Least I can do for my… for my…” she paused for a moment and looked off into the distance. “Old friend,” she finally added.
“Oh, speaking of, can I get Mr. Ficklepants’s contact information?”
“Why?”
“I’d like to go chat with him and ask him a few questions. Maybe he happened to see something else that can help solve this case.”
“He didn’t,” Delilah shot back. “He already told me so.”
“Well, that may be the case, but I’d still like to talk to him. Just doing my job, Delilah.”
“Oh… alright,” she said, biting her bottom lip.
He scribbled down the address she gave him on a new page and drew a big star at the top, so he’d be able to find it quickly. “Thanks again. If you can think of anything else, come back and see me.”
“I will,” she replied, with a nod.
He closed his notebook with a snap and shoved it into his coat pocket. Then he stood up and offered her his bent arm, like a gentleman. “Now, come on, I’ll walk you home.”
She smiled and took it, laying her head on his boulder-like shoulder. “Thanks, Jones.”
“It’s a dangerous world out there, doll. Especially for a pretty young lady like yourself. It’s the least I can do.”
With that, the two of them strolled out into the dark alley in the heart of Mole District. Leviathan Jones had a lead… even if it was strange.