Redstone: Sanctuaries
Chapter 12: The Aperture

Based on his investigations, Jose knew Blake Krucher as a shrewd teenager.

Under the leadership of previous landlords, small gangs mushroomed because it was the only way to earn easy money without any meaningful skill. Humans in groups, robbing each other, readying each other, until murder became a fairly normal thing in Redstone. If a body was found on the street, people would talk about it, but they would not be surprised. Small gangs often attack each other to fight for territory.

Redstone is a bridge that connects Nordem with Aston. Usually Nordem merchants prefer to take a detour by sea to send goods to Aston. Indeed, the transportation costs are expensive, but their goods are safe. But there were also people or merchants who could not use the sea road and were forced to pass through Redstone. If lucky and careful, they will be able to arrive at Aston safely. The rest must be willing to choose whether the wealth alone or all his life taken by thieves.

Abysmal was just one of the small gangs in the corner of Stonard which is the closest region to Aston. But the arrival of Blake Krucher changed the course of the group. Instead of robbing, Abysmal runs a net smuggling goods and holding stolen goods that cannot be sold in the usual way.

Jose was wondering how a teenage boy could do all that, but he got the answer now. Lucy.

***

Blake was still as dark and as pale as Jose had last seen him, but now there was light in the young man's eyes.

Deadly light, thought Jose.

If the one who came forcing his way in was someone else, Edwin would definitely just throw him out the gate. But Blake Krucher was Jose's target, so Edwin was cautious. The caretaker's chief's caution was clearly captured by Blake, who then used him to come without an invitation or prior notice. The young man knew he would not be expelled.

"Good afternoon, sir." Blake nodded before sitting down. He did not take off the black pet hat that covered his straight black hair. "I'm sorry for coming without prior notice. I'm coming to pick up Lucy."

"Sure, you can wait. Ms. Lucy's not done talking to me."

"No, he's done talking" said Blake. "I'll take over this conversation in his place."

"Do you consider him incapable of speaking alone? Let him speak in his own name."

Blake took a deep breath. "I believe Lucy can speak for her own sake. What I don't believe in is you" he replied plainly. "You're going to give Lucy a blank promise just to be able to utilize her abilities for your own benefit."

"Not really, his abilities aren't very useful to me. Let me show you why." Jose turned his head outside, towards the window of the room that displayed the blue sky. "Tomorrow there may be guests" he said. "How Ms. Lucy's? Am I lying?"

Lucy shook her head slowly.

Jose smile. "Well, now, how about this: tomorrow there might be a guest."

Lucy touched her earlobe with one hand, like trying to make sure she didn't hear wrong. His face changed. "You lying? But how can it be? That's ..."

"Try asking Mr. Krucher why I can lie at once honestly for the same sentence."

Blake looked at Jose flatly. "I ... don't know."

"I've guessed it," Jose laughed. Then he repeated, "I guessed it."

Lucy boughtak surprised. "Again. The first one is true, the second one is a lie. How come?"

Now Blake frowned, seeming to begin to understand. "You manipulate the answers."

"I'm manipulating myself," Jose's correction relaxed. "Miss Lucy can only hear the ringing sound of the person lying—only as long as the person is aware that he is lying. As long as I just assumed, Miss Lucy wouldn't know if it was a lie or not. So her ability isn't too special, even without being able to hear a lie like Miss Lucy, I can tell the difference myself."

Blake glanced at the disappointed looking Lucy. It was clear that the girl had been thinking of using her ability as an offer.

Lucy shook her head slowly.

"Then it's my turn" said Blake with a faint cheer. "Would if I accepted your offer, you'd help find Devon, Sir?"

"Which offer means, Mr. Krucher?"

"Lately someone's been following me" Blake told me. Face bored. "I let it go because it's not a problem for me. But Devon disappears and Lucy is lured to come here. It pisses me off." Blake's voice was so low that it almost resembled a whisper. "I killed him."

If Jose was surprised, the man did not show it. The marquis was still silent, listening quietly.

"What's interesting is," Blake continued, "before death, he admitted that the one who told him was you."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes. I'm guessing what you want, you're not the first person to approach the Abysmal. You're not the first person who wants to work with us."

"really?" Jose has an interested face. "It's a shame you killed him. You can't convince anyone that your witness is dead."

"I don't need his testimony, duh," Blake laughed mockingly. His head was shaken and his eyes stared intently, as if conveying a threat without a sound. He doesn't need anyone's testimony, he'll crack down on the people who harassed him himself.

Now, Jose smiled. "There are some things wrong with your story, Mr. Krucher." He raised a finger. "First, Miss Lucy came alone here, I didn't call her." Second finger up. "Two, I didn't tell anyone to follow you. Three, I don't want to work with you."

"One." Blake raised his finger on the count. "He did come here by himself, but you influenced him. Lord Redstone, you're the landlord here, but I know more about Redstone. I know the people you used to manipulate Lucy."

And it was my fault for ignoring it, Blake thought. I thought Lucy would wait quietly.

"Two" he continued, "I told you, I know everything in Redstone. You're paying people to spit out info about me?" Blake took out a single piece of gold from his coat pocket, threw the piece into the air and caught it back in his grasp. "What you hear is the info that I allow to spread. Everyone's talking on my permission, and your money goes in my pocket, thank you very much. How long ago? Oh three," Blake lowered his voice to resemble a whisper, "if you want to get rid of me, you can kill me as easily as the other gangs you messed up. But you deliberately trouble yourself like this, which means your goal is not life. You have a beautiful wife, so there's no way the motive is romance. The last possibility is just you want to work with me, with us. Abysmal is tempting."

Lucy listens to everything quietly, but grows increasingly angry after understanding that she is only used to lure Blake to come. Blake saw that. He quickly catches Lucy's hand, grasping it to prevent Lucy from going berserk.

"You need my help, for whatever reason. We need your help to find Devon. Let's end this cat game."

Jose's still leaning his temple on his fist. His elbow rests on the arm of the chair. "Since then you've been talking about Devon and that you want me to find him. Well, I admit I've met him before, I know him. But I don't know where he is and I'm not a detective."

"But you never came back from the dead" said Blake calmly. His black eyes flashed strangely. "You've dealt with things that aren't of this world—and you're safe."

Jose still had a calm face. "What connection?"

"Relationship with Ghost Relics." Blake slipped his hand into the inner chest pocket of his suit, then took out a small object that could fit in. That thing is a bracelet.

After taking a clearer look, Jose shuddered.

The bracelet was made from human teeth.

***