Redstone: Sanctuaries
Chapter 27: The Shaft

"Hubbert Decker died?" remarrying Maria was astonished upon hearing Jose's story.

He was glad the man came home quickly. Although she hated the experience of being lost in other realms, Mary already considered the event like a nightmare and did not want to think too deeply. Anyway, Jose can take care of it. She believes her husband can solve this problem.

Actually Maria was rather happy because after that gripping night, Jose became more attentive to her and canceled many trips away. They even made love pretty hot this morning.

Jose nodded in response to his wife's question earlier. He brought several copies of the old newspaper to the desk. "Mrs. Decker was haunted by the apparition after returning home from a wheat field, then died in his early sleep. A way of dying that sounds silly enough, but fits in with reality."

"Who is reading the book in the library? A ghost?"

"Take that," Jose laughed. "I've sent word to Bjork to tell Aunt Jean about Mr.'s death. Deckers. We're not gonna call the cops, but Brooks is gonna let me know in person this afternoon."

Maria nodded in understanding, trying to understand everything that happened. "I'll make sure all the waiters know what they have to say. Or ... Would you rather make the waiter know nothing?"

Jose thought for a moment. "Looky. There's no way they don't know if anyone died at home, right?"

"What would we do if Hubbert died? We'll definitely ask for it to be kept secret, right?" Mary menukas. "Even if you suspect his death was murder."

"But the servants will definitely continue to gossip even if we tell his death to be kept a secret" Jose argued. "You can make it look like 'the servant was told to shut up, but failed'?"

"That's kind of hard, but I can try." Maria smile. All the servants working in the Redstone manor were chosen people whose loyalty was tested. It's easy enough to get them into a show. "Let's talk to Susan and Edwin. Anything else you want to do?"

"Edwin said you canceled the doctor's schedule I called?"

"I don't want to see a doctor."

"Since you didn't like doctors" Jose exasperated, remembering that Maria also refused to be examined by a doctor while involved in a mystery in Bjork. "I just want to make sure you're okay."

"I don't like to be touched by another man" Maria said. "All doctors are always men, strangers! I heard what you're calling is Dutch. I don't like Dutch people."

"He's an expert doctor from Aston."

"I don't like it. I've been examined once by them, there's a strange object that's been taped to my chest. I have to undress. I don't want to." Maria glared fiercely. "I'm fine, don't worry."

Jose frowned, feeling like he knew what Maria meant. "That's to listen to your heartbeat."

"They forced me to open my mouth and press my tongue. That's disgusting."

Jose shook his head, giving up. "alright. As you please."

Maria looked rather embarrassed by her stubbornness. "You know I hate being in contact with other people the most" he said more softly.

Jose knows that. His wife looked friendly and sweet from the outside, but was actually very cold, also haughty. Mary does not like to be in contact with others, especially if not bleeding. If she did not like someone, Maria could completely ignore that person as if she did not see him. That's what makes Maria many times involved in socializing problems. Mary always fails to empathize or sympathize with people she considers meaningless. If anyone was hit in the street and died in front of her, Maria could just sit her down and walk on. Mary's emotional supply was very limited.

"Susan checked me out with details last night. There are no injuries outside. My appetite is good, my nerves are working properly. You checked it yourself, too, didn't you when I woke up?"

Jose's memory floated on the feeling of Maria's body in bed this morning. He quickly diverts his mind before passion ambushes and blinds him. "If Uncle Rolan were checking, would you?"

Maria shrugged her shoulders. "No problem. He's not someone else."

Jose smiled slightly and returned to his newspaper. "I called Bjork this morning, but George said, Uncle's out. I hope he doesn't rush back to Orlov and can stop by for a minute."

Maria nodded gently. Her dress rippled on the floor as she walked over to Jose. He sat on the arm of the chair to see what the man was reading. Jose read so fast it seemed to be just flipping through the pages of a newspaper.

"I want to be sure" said Maria so glanced at the name of the newspaper listed. His hand crept into Jose's shoulder, massaging him as he felt the muscles there stiffen a little. "You suspect someone wants to kill Hubbert?"

Jose nodded. "He wants to leave for Nordem to find news about ... Van Heiden." He closed his eyes, enjoying Mary's touch. "And this affair with the Ghost Relic also involves that person."

"You can catch him right away, right? Her interrogation?"

"I don't want to add to the problem by getting caught wrong. Need concrete evidence that he was involved, not just conjecture. Correlation is not the same as causation. I don't know the motive anyway."

"Someone wants to bring you down" said Maria. "Start from Jones and I don't know who it was before our wedding, then the destruction of your turbines, then the trouble with this ghost."

"This ghost has been around for a long time."

"Well, that's what needs to be investigated. If we eat the victim, we should have a report. But all this time I haven't heard anything. Did you hear anything?"

Maria shook her head. She saw her husband close his eyes, so she immediately added, "Didn't listen. But I didn't collect any information. If you want, I can ask Susan to find out."

"Just do it .. mm, harder there .. Jeez Mary, it feels so good. I know you're skilled with your hands, but ..."

"Don't expect to be this good?" Maria laughed happily. He landed a kiss on Jose's crown, happy to smell the scent of the man's hair. "You're exhausted. Your shoulders are stiff like this. Neck too. This is why I said you needed an assistant. A marquis shouldn't be out here and there taking care of everything alone."

Jose laughs. "It should be. If the people I'd sent here and there could be trusted, I wouldn't have banged myself." He opened his eyes and raised his face, looking at Mary softly. "Would you go with me this afternoon?"

"You know I always wanted to" said Maria, taking the opportunity to land a kiss on the lips. "To hell be with you, I'm willing," he whispered, then kissed again.

"That's extreme" Jose commented. He pulled Mary into his lap in one motion, then clenched back. His hand stroked Maria's thigh, squeezing her, while the other hand served as the seat of her slender back. Their tongues met gently in seductive strokes. The two steal each other's breath in one old competition. Whoever manages to make the opponent groan first, he wins. To this day, Jose still has more scores. He intends to maintain the winning status, although he does not mind if he loses.

Maria actually felt the game was one-sided because just being kissed was enough to make her head dizzy like a heavy hangover. It does not take a lot of effort to make it sound, unlike Jose who can stay all night without making a sound if you want, like a predator working on prey. But he likes their little games because it's always nice to get Jose out of control. Unfortunately, this time he lost again. Maria groaned weakly as Jose licked her earlobe.

"That's cheating! I'm shocked" Mary protested with hunting breath. Both hands held Jose. "Try if I did it, you'd be crying out in shock too!"

"Then why don't you do it?" jose replied amusedly while returning to kiss, not giving Maria a chance to answer. He was just about to take his wife to the sofa and continue there, but the door was knocked from the outside.

Jose raised his face, gasping. Maria was still leaning in her arms with a blushing face, also out of breath.

"There is no time for romance in this house" Mary grumbled, forcing a smile.

"Later tonight," Jose promised. As soon as Maria was done confirming her neatness then Jose allowed anyone who knocked on the door to enter.

The one who came was Edwin. The man faced over to tell her that Clearwater had already come and was currently waiting in the living room.

"Hurry up! How many horses did the train pull?" Jose swore softly. "Why didn't he tell me he was here? I will definitely pick him up at the city gate!"

"She must not have had time, I guess she came straight here in a hurry as soon as you called her," Maria laughed. "I'm just wondering why we didn't hear the train."

Jose knows why. Their focus was on hearing another voice.

***

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¬concrete: real/fangled, can be seen clearly

¬correlation: relationship

¬causation: connectedness between causation

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Note:

For those who miss Nolan, a special story about him I put in karyakarsa so as not to make a distraction if put here. The story of Kate and Kass can also be found in the form of a novel in karyakarsa, as well as an extra story from Bloody Love. You can check IG @novelnarazwei or page narazwei on FB for more info.