Whereabouts Unknown (Quaggan!)

[Eckhart_Von_Musel]

Clarrisse's chest heaved, her breathing hoarse. She sat cross legged on the groung, eying Siana with suspicion. 'I'm under no obligation to ex-"

"It's stamina." Juniper said matter-of-factly. "Her power drains it." The detective curled her upper lip, but the young noblewoman ignored her. "Had she not been expending additional energy by leading us to this spot, she'd have been able to go longer."

"Bitch." Clarisse spat defiantly. "You really have no respect for anyone, do you?"

Juniper raised an eyebrow, smirking coyly "Hey, I'm paying you, aren't I? Calm down."

[quaggan]

 "Respect," Siana said, "is something to be earned, not demanded. To use a metaphor more on your level, it can be seen like manure. A precisely chosen amount may foster growth, but sprinkling it around liberally without any thought would just make everything smell." Should the investigator want respect, it was on her to grow to warrant it - no Whitechalk would lavish it upon the undeserving, and she trusted Juniper's assessment enough to support it.

She brought a bright-patterned handkerchief out of her pocket and waved a signal in the direction of the manor. As she put it back inside, she twisted a gem on the side of her spectacles and took them off. No use wasting recording - the spell has ended and there was little they could do about it, especially with the subject so unwilling.

"A servant will come by with payment" was the last thing she had to say. She and Juniper headed off in the direction of the mansion. Siana lowered her voice in order not to be overheard. "You've done well. Good job finding a specialist. Was there anything in the rewind that drew your attention?"

[Eckhart_Von_Musel]

Juniper walked away with her aunt, an amused grin plastered on her face as she gave the detective a backhanded wave goodbye. The girl had long since learned to take incidents like this in stride- it was more akin to a mouse trying to bite a cat than it was a real insult.

It was, however, only a momentary distraction. Siana's words brought Juniper back to reality, and her mouth thinned into a grimace. "If the kidnapper waited for Basil to leave the house rather than breaking in, then they must have been staking out the mansion for a while." Her eyes narrowed. "How they knew is more important than where they went, at least for now. There's nothing preventing them from coming back otherwise."

[quaggan]

 Siana nodded. "We should start by making a list of people pertinent to the information." They would both be on it, as well as every other member of the family. It was only reasonable - if it was her careless words that caused this whole incident to occur, she had to be held responsible, and be more cautious in the future.

Juniper's gift allowed her to pinpoint the best person to do any job, but this part of their investigation was very sensitive. Should an outsider learn about Basil's gifts, they would have to be eliminated, and Siana never liked destroying tools that still had their uses. "This would be delicate work." Work she was not really suited to. "We will have to come up with a measure to counter it, and add to our wards in order to prevent any further surveillance... But I am getting ahead of myself."

[Eckhart_Von_Musel]

Juniper nodded. "Might it be best to start with his caretakers? I know Mom already questioned them, but you know how..." Juniper paused, trying to think of the right words to use to describe Siana's sister-in-law. "Distracted she can get."

The girl frowned at the thought. Of everybody involved, it was probably her mother who'd been affected by Basil's disappearance the hardest. The woman's already severe mood swings had only gotten worse in the two weeks that had passed, and her hysteria showed no signs of slowing anytime soon. If they didn't make meaningful progress soon, they'd likely have to deal with her as well as the missing child...

[quaggan]

 Moments like this made Siana wish for a capable mentalist in the family - perhaps something to be requested of Basil once he was found. She usually was willing to allow people their emotional responses, but her tolerance ended the moment those responses began to get in the way of Whitechalk business. She wasn't heartless, it was only natural for Rosemary to be upset, but if her state prevented her from assisting with the investigation, the only sensible thing was to remove herself from the proceedings.

"I'll talk to them" she promised. Perhaps there was a silver lining to it - after having to endure a desperate mother, they should be more amenable to sensible persuasion.

[Eckhart_Von_Musel]

"Where is Fiorina? If she's late for this meeting, I will assume guilt!"

Rosemary Whitechalk paced the common area, glaring nastily at the servants who had gathered in front of her. An air of dread filled the room- the tall, diamond-studded woman was intimidating enough when she was good mood, and the first interrogation session she'd held had ended with her beating a housemaid unconscious for not answering her questions quickly enough. "Don't just stand there! I asked where-"

"Here!"

A young kulshedra in a servant's gown entered the room quickly, stumbling over herself in an attempt to curtsy. Rosemary gave the handmaiden a steely glare, which then softened considerably when she saw her daughter Juniper following behind her. "I'm sorry Mrs. Whitechalk!" Fiorina squeaked, bowing her head in apology. "I had to alert Miss Juni-"

"It's fine." Rosemary said, cutting her off. "Your transgression is forgiven." With another rushed curtsy, Fiorina joined the line of servants, and Rosemary turned her attention to Juniper. "Siana is on route?"

The white haired girl nodded, shooting a quick smirk towards the visibly shaken kulshedra. "Yeah. Should arrive any minute now..."

[quaggan]

 Siana had a servant carry her spectacles away - she wanted her men to examine the image within as soon as possible. She headed to meet her sister in law immediately. She didn't have to look long - the servants were hurrying into one specific direction. Siana hoped that Rosemary at least didn't demand all the staff of the manor to gather - the Whitechalk estate was a finely tuned machine that could work without a cog or two, but not when someone chose to stop it in its tracks!

She entered, taking measure of the room. The servants were terrified, and rightfully so. Siana turned her gaze to her sister in law, the customary words of greetings before moving on to business. Surely, Rosemary would appreciate it - it was her child that was missing, after all. "Have you discovered anything?" she asked. She doubted it, judging by Juniper's earlier comment, but the possibility that some new information could have come up existed, therefore she had to account for it.

[Eckhart_Von_Musel]

"No, but we will." Rosemary said, glaring at the line of servants. The tone of her voice was odd- was it determination, or desperation? She held her arms behind her back, pacing back and forth in front of the lineup. She stopped in front of a short woman with green hair, who was trying her hardest not to tremble. The girl was one of Basil's caregivers- his favorite, if she was being honest with herself. "We'll have an answer by the end of the day."

"M-Mistress Whitechalk, please!" the woman blurted out suddenly. "It wasn't-"

A loud smack echoed through the room as Rosemary backhanded her, leaving a nasty gash where her rings had connected with the girl's face. Some of the other servants flinched, trying desperately to keep their composure. "Did I give you permission to speak?" The noblewoman asked coldly. "If you're so confidant of your innocence, then you would have waited!"

It was at this point that Juniper stepped forward, mouth thin. "Mom..." she said slowly, a flicker of fear on her face. "Are you sure this is the most effective way of questioning them?"

[quaggan]

 There was plenty of problems with Rosemary's conduct - she was sending confusing messages, lacking composure, and probably her methodology left much to be desired as well. Siana held her tongue - she would not damage her sister-in-law's authority even further, and she had a feeling that the irate woman would not take feedback to heart. She felt bad for Juniper.

"What method of interrogation are you utilizing? I would like to know in order to assist you to the best of my ability." It was an... exaggeration, but a properly founded one. If Rosemary didn't want her here, she would probably already have said so. There were several objectives to be achieved here: acting on behest of Juniper to prevent her mother from worsening the situation; making sure that her irrational behaviour wouldn't damage the Whitechalk authority, as they had enough on their plate without having to execute the current staff and find a replacement; as well as ensuring that the further investigation would proceed as smooth as possible. The objective of actually gleaning some information was too optimistic to achieve.

There was no need to weigh one goal against another, decide what she was willing to give up to achieve something else. This math of losses was the art the lessers had to learn. She was a Whitechalk, she would not accept anything but the absolute perfection.

[Eckhart_Von_Musel]

Rosemary lowered her arm, slowly turning to face her daughter and sister-in-law. He face was stoney, an expression offset by her watery eyes. "The interrogation method where they tell me everything I want to know because they know what I'll do to them if they don't." she said shakily. "Why?"

Juniper grimaced. "I... feel that may not be the best method." she said cautiously. Her mother had done this last time too, to no results. "Perhaps a more delicate, fine-tuned approach would be better?"

The girl scratched her neck- a nervous tick. Having this conversation in front of the very people they were trying to interrogate was enough to embarress even her...

[quaggan]

 Discussing methods in front of the target was not a good idea, unless it was a part of the interrogation process - and it was plain to see it was not the case now. Then again, most of the manor staff should have been already used to Rosemary's volatile's disposition.

"I see you've already made your decision on the method" she observed. "Allow me to assist with verification of their claims. One of my researchers has been working with the verawax - are you familiar with it? It's produced by a rather rare species of insect endemic to" she halted. There was no point explaining the fine details to her sister in law, and if Juniper wished to know more, she had to only ask.

"To the point. He can produce a candle that would act as a verificator - its flame would be snuffed out, should the one holding it speak a lie." The design was experimental, but it was a good opportunity to test it. "Although producing it would require a lot of money."

Wealth was no issue to the Whitechalks - Rosemary's ability ensured that. Perhaps it was for the best - if the volatile woman was given something to do, she could focus on growing diamonds to cover the expenses and feel like she's doing something to move the investigation forward.

[Eckhart_Von_Musel]

Juniper eyed her mother nervously. Rosemary had never been very open to trying new things- especially when they were reccomended by anybody who wasn't Coriander. Even now, the woman stared at Siana with pursed lips, jaw moving slightly as she grinded her teeth...

"...Very well. I shall supply the funds."

Juniper's features softened, and she silently thanked Myyla for her mother's change in attitude. From behind her she could hear Fiorina begin to let out a sigh of relief before hastily stifling herself. Ignoring it, Rosemary took a step towards Siana. "How long will this item take to prepare?"

[quaggan]

 Miracles did happen, quite frequently in Siana's line of work, but such an easy success with a notoriously difficult person like Rosemary was still a very pleasant surprise. Apparently Basil's disappearance pushed her sister-in-law to extremes such as trying new measures. Had this suspicion come from anyone else, Siana would have taken it as a personal offence, as she was not in a habit of endorsing unreliable measures, but she has long since learned not to let anything Rosemary-related bother her.

She glanced at Juniper. She could have the candle brought to the manor in about a week, but this time could be shortened or lengthened to an extent. Keeping Rosemary waiting too long could be a bad move, as she might get some new idea, but any period of peace should be prolonged as much as it was possible. Siana caught on quickly, her expression unchanged. The faster the better, then. "A few days. I shall have you informed once it arrives. I will leave it to you to make sure that no suspect slips the net until then."

[Eckhart_Von_Musel]

Rosemary's mouth thinned, and Siana would be able to feel the woman's gaze as if it were piercing right through her. She exhaled sharply. "A few days..." she repeated softly, her eye twitching. "Fine. I trust you'll be able to keep your word."

The noblewoman turned on her heel, leaving the room in what Juniper had come to recognize as a huff. It wasn't quite "storming out", though it couldn't be called "graceful" either. The door slammed behind her, and the line of servants all seemed to relax slightly. Juniper eyed them disdainfully, sneering. "Everyone but Fiorina is dismissed. Get back to work!"

"Mom is right. It has to have been one of them."

The girl turned to Siana as the help filed out of the room. "This will only take a few days, right? There's not any caveat to that time frame?"

[quaggan]

 Glaring silently was an art that Rosemary perfected to the point that even Siana had to admire it. She ignored the jab - the last thing she wanted was to continue this troublesome situation, and her sister-in-law's paranoia couldn't damage the reputation of her skill anyway.

Juniper's dismissal of the servants were rather... selective, but Siana didn't comment on it. Perhaps she had some assignment to give to her maid; she shouldn't read too much into it. "Yes, I gave you the fairest estimation I could" she assured her. Even if the artificer she mentioned calculated incorrectly, she could speed up any process to its natural conclusion. She would rather not speak of her ability openly with a servant around, but Juniper would understand. Time, in this case, was on her side.

[Eckhart_Von_Musel]

Juniper nodded. "Good. The last thing we need right now is another setback." The image of her mother screaming and breaking things flashed through her head, causing the girl to grimace. "We... have enough to worry about."

Juniper shut her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Basil..." she thought sadly. "Just hang in there. We're gonna get you back, just as soon as-"

"Um... Mistress Juniper? You called for me?"

Fiorina stood at attention, arms held behind her back. A nervous grimace played across the kulshedra's face, making her look even more unfortunate than she already did. Juniper eyed her oddly, half a smile on her face. "I never called you." she said matter-of-factly. "I just told you not to leave."

The servant looked at her feet, taking a small step backwards. "O-oh..."

[quaggan]

 Siana really wasn't too good with the emotional side of things. She far preferred the firm, unbreakable rules that governed the natural world. Clear cause and effect, repeatable results, every secret in creation just waiting for her to find the right route to reach it. Approaching interpersonal relations with the same attitude served her well - she was yet to find a noble without something she could use as a leverage. Pity this wouldn't work in this situation.

But as much as she'd prefer to provide rational support in lieu of emotional kind, she was not about to leave Juniper be. Rosemary couldn't be trusted to deliver any help - she was more of a part of the problem rather than a part of solution - and Coriander clearly was not here. Well, fuck.

She took a step forward and pulled her favourite niece into a hug. "You're doing amazing" she muttered. "This is a terrible situation to be in and we all wish it was just some nightmare we could wake up from. It must be especially hard on you, and I'm sorry that no one is here to give you the support you need."

[Eckhart_Von_Musel]

Juniper froze for a moment, then shakily returned the embrace. "I-I..." she mumbled. Crying would be so easy right now, but her pride wouldn't allow her to do so. "...I'll be okay." she said finally. "We... have bigger things than me to focus on..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Juniper had to have been blind.

Rosemary strode though the hall at a brisk pace, eyes narrowed. How could her daughter not see it? It was so obvious- the setbacks, the insistance of doing things her way, the obvious motivation...

Siana Whitechalk was behind Basil's disappearence.

It all made sense- clearly, Siana resented Coriander for siring the main branch of the family. Basil was their prodigy, their pride and joy- what better way to strike a blow to their prestige than to remove him from the picture? And then there was her sister-in-law's little secret...

Throwng open a large pair of doors, Rosemary stepped out onto the manor's balcony. She smirked. "Did you think I wouldn't keep tabs on her, Siana?" she mused softly as she placed her hands on the railing. "The only person here with ties to a criminal orginization is you."