Look Out

"What do you mean she's dead?" Alice asked back to Karl. Karl didn't reply and only focuses on his driving. 

"Karl, I'm asking you... What happened?" she asked again. Karl left out a huge sigh.

"My people found her body near the alley about fifteen minutes ago. I told them to keep an eye on her, but they reported that she been dodging them all morning. Someone else got to her first. There's nothing they could've to help her.

"What are your people doing? Don't they know that Mandy safety should come as a top priority?" Alice shouts. Karl suddenly stopped the car the side of the road and look at her.

"Are you seriously blaming me right now?" he said, slightly annoyed. Alice nodded.

"Well, yeah... You said you going to find her for me, Karl. What good of that if she's dead?"

"Not my fault that your governess is a duplicitous person." he added quietly. Alice immediately frowns at him. 

"You... take...that...back!" she barked. But, Karl remain composed.

"No." he replied flatly. Alice forcibly crossed her arms as Karl continues to drive again.

***** 

Alice and Karl entered the hotel suite without saying a word to one other. Silently, she's still mad at him. Karl, however, didn't seems to care. He's  too busy making the arrangement for dinner and other activities rather than speaking to her. After Karl's done and their keys already been handed, hemake a quick call before ushering Alice to their room at the 14th floor. They arrived to their room and enter it in silence. 

"So, what do we do now?" she ask after taking a seat on the bed. Karl put his bag on the table and turned at her.

"Nothing."

"Then, what are we doing in here, Karl?"

"We're waiting for my people. They said they got something."

"Like what?"

Karl grab the chair and put it facing Alice. Then, he reveal to her what his people had found.

"When your governess died, my people found something on her. She was clutching a necklace on her bloodied hand, like she's trying to protect it or something. My people think its probably important and they will bring it to us now."

"A necklace, you say?"

"Yes. Do you happen to know anything about that?" Karl asks back.  Alice shakes her head.

"No. But I never saw her without it. She told me once that it very important to her."

"So, my people did the right thing to bring it over. "

"I guess so "

"Still, there's one thing I don't really understand here. I need you to clarify it for me."

"What about?"

"What is your real relationship with your governess?" 

"What do you mean? You know how it done. You had a governess too, right?"

"No. My father raised me."

"Oh, how was that like?"

"We're not talking about me right now... We're talking about you." Karl remind her. She sighs.

"Fine. She's pretty strict."

"How so?"

"She's a stickler to rules and schedules. I hate her sometimes, but on the good days - we both get along. She's really private about her personal life though. I couldn't get anything out her from the 6 years I known her."

"And yet you still want to find her. Why?"

"I heard Mandy talking about it with someone. She sound upset the last time I saw her. After she's gone, I was worried if something might happened. Looks like I was right. Something did happened to her. She's dead!" Alice replied. Karl rubbed his hair and tries to calm Alice down.

"I think it's probably be best if we wait for my people to come. Perhaps we can ask for more then."

"Okay."

TOCK...TOCK...TOCK...

"Is that them?" ask Alice. Karl put one finger on his mouth before opening the door. Two of his men enter with dark sunglasses and gloomy look on their face.

"Where is it Nash?" Karl ask spontaneously. Karl handed him the bloodied necklace on a ziplock bag. Karl put on his glove before take it. After a few seconds of inspection, he handed it to me.

"Is it like anything your governess used to wear?" he asked her. She take a closer look. Then, she slowly nodded her head. Karl nods at his men. One of them whispered to Nash about something. Then, Nash leaned over before relying it on Karl. Karl paused. He turned his head at me and form a frown.

"Alice... Do you know who your governess was?"

"What do you mean?"

"Nash and Brooke said that they saw a couple of man in black approaching Mandy Abermore body. They transported her body and the scene is quickly cleared out. Do you know anything about this?"

"No. As far as I know, she's my governess. And that's that."

"Oh, I think there's definitely more than meet with the eye with this woman, Alice. It's best if left this place quickly. I don't want my grandparents or anyone to know about this. We ought to be careful."

"But, Karl... Poor Mandy... "

"I know you have some sort level of attachment with this woman, but now is not the time. We need to check out from here before anything else happened. Shit... Did the committee knows what was going on? It would be a hassle if they does." Karl touches his hair again and begin to pace the floor.

"I think they have something to do with this, boss." Nash added quietly. The guy besides him nodded his head as well.

"That's a bad news. I don't want to have the committee under my radar. They will meddle with my family affairs, more than I'm happy to allowed them too."

"Boss, I don't want to alert you, but that necklace we took.... Soon, those who kill the governess is going to make the connection to the misuss. What shall we do then?" Nash ask back to Karl. Karl crossed his arms and begin to think. Suddenly, his mouth form a smile.

"We distract them. " 

"Okay, how do we do that?" Nash added. Karl look at them for a long time. Then, his eyes suddenly darted toward Alice.

"Her." he said and pointed at his wife. Alice frowns.

"But, how?" Nash ask again. Karl extended his hand toward Alice. Alice take it and he grabbed her by the shoulder. He patted her head like a little kid. 

"We told them that while all of this is happening - we're on a honeymoon."

"What? And who's gonna believe that boss?"

"Alice is my legal wife. Why won't they believe?"

"Well, boss... You ditched school night for one thing to come here. The governess is killed on the same day the two of you arrived. You must admit that does look suspicious." he replied. Karl turned to Alice. She doesn't look to happy about this either. 

"Well, Alice, sweetheart? What do you think about resuming our honeymoon here?" he ask her. Alice look at Nash and Brooke for a long time, before turning back at Karl.

"I think I'm going to stay."

"That's great. Told you it could work." Karl added. Nash and Brooke take a look at each other.

"Besides, I want to find out more behind Mandy's death. Can the two of you take care of that?" Alice requested. 

"Most definitely. Nash and Brooke at your service, madam."

"Thank you. You both may go now." she added. Nash and Brooke immediately left the room. As soon as they're gone, Karl turned back at Alice with a slight smirk.

"Bold of you to dismiss my people like that."  he said. Alice give him a look.

"They're my people too, you know. We're married, remember? What mine is yours..."

"And so on so forth. It's nice of you to go along with me, by the way. People might think that we're really on a honeymoon and that shall keep them from following us."

"Yes, I know that. That's why I agree to it." 

 "Okay, so what our next plan? And what are you gonna do about that?" Karl ask while pointing at the necklace. Alice look at the necklace on her hand before looking back at him.

"I think I'm going to find out the truth." she said. Karl nods his head and take a sit next to her.

-End of Chapter 5-