LM 18: Moriarty Rising
Prologue
Marlena Gent parked the car at the front gate of Gadfrey Farms. She stepped out of the car and scanned the area. The summons of former officer Edward Kenneth had been unexpected, but she was curious about the identical twin of London's most diabolical criminal mastermind. Ever since her own personal run-in with Blade, Elvira wanted nothing more than to understand the man she had fought.
Kenneth opened the door, and Gent was struck by the resemblence. Same face, same hair, and the same voice. Except this voice held no malice as it said "Ah, you must be Marlena. Come in, my butler has prepared some tea."
Marlena followed Kenneth into a warm sitting room. Most of the knickknacks of the Gadfrey widow had been replaced after she moved out to the coast, and Kenneth was a more practical man, having several bookshelves but little else. It was so tidy it was hard to believe someone lived there.
A mousy little man that looked oddly familiar to Gent entered and poured them both tea.
"So, you met my brother, I understand?" Kenneth asked, adding a cube of sugar to his tea.
"Indeed. I was lucky to escape." Gent replied, stirring her tea.
"Quite an impressive start to your career, I must say." Kenneth laughed. "My career never really got off the ground. It's why I switched to farming. Much more rewarding, and less stressful."
"If my brother tried to kill me, I'd avoid him too... if I had a brother, at least."
"Oh, he's always been like that. Do you know, when we were seventeen, he robbed a store, and when Byrne came to our house from a tip, he accused me of the crime! Can you believe it! If they hadn't taken fingerprints, I would have spent life behind bars."
"Jeez, that sounds- Byrne?"
"I... think that was the officer's name at least." Kenneth replied, reaching to set his tea down. "It was a long time ago."
"That's the name of the officer who betrayed us for Blade." Gent scowled.
"An odd coincidence... unless they were the same person." Kenneth mused, picking up his tea again.
"Wait a minute... you picked up your mug with your left hand." Gent said.
"I- oh! Yes. I injured my arm recently hoeing."
"I shot Blade in his right shoulder." Gent continued.
"And I'll shoot you in your pretty little skull if you don't raise your arms and turn around slowly." Said a voice from the doorway.
Gent stood and turned to see Byrne, holding a gun and regarding her evenly. He'd lost a lot of weight since she'd seen him last, and he looked much stronger than the slightly rotund detective she had known. Beside him stood the butler, now more obviously revealed as Müller.
"How long have you been here? Is Kenneth still alive?" Gent asked, keeping her cool.
"As a matter of fact, yes. He's in the truck. Of course, this farm is remote enough that there will be no witnesses." Blade stood and circled her. "In fact, when investigators do arrive, they will find only an abandoned farm. The workers are all on vacation, the table is set for tea, and the only clue I was ever here is this."
Blade pulled a gold coin out of his pocket. Gent recalled that those coins had been his "calling card" during the syndicate's heydey. He dropped it into Marlena's unfinished tea with a smile.
"By the time anyone finds that, we'll be days away."
"But why kidnap me? There's nothing to gain from it if you don't demand a ransom."
"All in good time." Blade replied. He ordered his men to carry her to the truck.
It was a normal, soft-body lorry. Room for three in the front, and lots of goods in the back. But there also happened to be a compartment in the middle, dark and cold, and that was where they tied Marlena.
From the darkness next to her echoed a voice. "I see you've met my twin..."
Some more early posts from LM18...
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The same night that Marlena Gent was tied up in a soft-body lorry, her parents were having a delightful meal at one of London's most popular restuarants, Koket of Sweden. Gunnarson was given permission to go out and mingle with his old friend.
"Ah, Adolf! Welcome!"
"Arnold, actually. I'm thinking of getting it legally changed, I keep getting weird looks." Gunnarson chuckled. "Angela, how are you?"
Angela Gent raised her glass. "My compliments to the chefs! I always loved the meals you'd prepare when we visited, but this is something else!"
"I am truly blessed to have found this place." Gunnarson smiled. "It's fun, it pays better than my old consulting fees (no offense), and the other employees are like family to me."
Davis Gent chuckled. "You know, I was a bit worried when you hung up your hat as a PI, but a chef's hat suits you well. I don't think I've ever seen you this content."
"Well, I have Tarja to thank for that." Gunnarson replied.
"Tarja? That nice Swedish girl from the record's office?" Davis asked.
"Ja, well she's Finnish but yes." Gunnarson chuckled. "We met back when that whole Hartley fiasco was going down, and since then we've been spending quite a bit of time together. Her intellect rivals my own, dare I say."
"Gunnarson in love... never thought I'd see the day." Angela smirked.
"How is Hartley, anyway? Have you heard from him?" Davis asked, concerned.
"I haven't... I worry I overreacted, but in hindsight, him and I were never that close... there's so much about me he doesn't really seem to understand."
"To be fair, you are an inscrutable sort." Angela quipped.
"I think you'll find that I'm quite scrutable." Gunnarson joked. "Ah, the dessert course! You two will love this!"
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Gunnarson drove the couple home. He had finally bought a car, and was very much enjoying it.
"I can't believe you're retiring already, Davis!" Gunnarson commented.
"Well, I didn't have much choice, but yes, it is still staggering. I can scarcely believe that when I leave work on Wednesday, I won't be coming back Thursday."
"What will you do for yourself?" Gunnarson asked.
"Well, my wife and I have enough saved to live comfortably for some time, we were thinking of moving out to the coast and taking it easy. I'm also working on a book."
"Oh?" Gunnarson was intrigued.
"Don't get excited..." Angela chuckled. "This is his fifth attempt to write a book. He declares his autobiography will be a bestseller, spends a few weeks scribbling away, and then forgets it the next time a good talkie premieres."
"Now, that's a little unfair..." Davis chuckled. "This one actually shows promise. It's all about the wild year we had back in '49... Blade, the Irish Mob, and JJE, all in one year... they're all still out there, you know. The Irish Mob probably won't show their face on British soil again, and JJE seems to be in hiding, but we've lost track of Blade entirely."
"Oh, I'm not worried. He's been humiliated. He probably won't dare show his face again." Gunnarson said nonchalantly as he turned a corner.
"Don't be so sure... even if he's not out there, he's inspired a lot of copycats. Remember that Blaze woman I told you about?"
"Feh, it's one crazy." Angela scoffed. "I doubt Blade even knows she exists."
Just then, the car pulled up at the Gent residence.
"That's us! Thanks for the ride!" Davis said, smiling as he left the vehicle. Gunnarson smiled back. It was the last time the two men would share a smile for a long time.
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~1926~
Officer Byrne glared at the insolent young lad who sat across from him.
"Lionel Kenneth. You stole one thousand pounds worth of copper wiring from a hardware store and then tried to frame your own identical twin for the crime. What do you have to say for yourself?"
The lad scowled. "What do you care?"
Byrne chuckled. "I've always been fascinated by criminals. Why do people break the law? It's there for our protection, you know."
"Bullshit!" Lionel spat. "People like to say the law protects people, but it really holds them back. I stole that wire to sell the copper for scrap. I was going to give the money to my family so we can afford enough food to get through the winter. Laws exist so the rich can keep hoarding wealth they don't deserve."
"Nice try, Robin Hood, but society needs order to function. When people violate those laws, wealth and power suddenly end up in the hands of those who don't... deserve..."
Byrne paused. He stood still for a full minute, deep in contemplation. Lionel stared at him with concern.
"Uh... can I go?"
Byrne suddenly snapped out of his trance. He grabbed a pad of paper and wrote something down, before sliding the note to Lionel.
"I'll let you off the hook for now, but I expect you to stay on the straight and narrow from now on."
Lionel nodded and muttered something about "learning his lesson", but in his hands he stared at the note Byrne has slid him.
If you want more money than you've ever seen in your life, I can help you
1638 Windsor Place
Friday, 10:00
Come Alone
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