Fae Fae’s Brother looked like hell.
Martial Kim never saw him at his poorest, so he can’t tell if this man mentally crashed after hearing the news or this was just another pot hole in his road of life. Inspector Lee would just mumble as he waited for the Brother to restart his consciousness.
As they needed to ask him important questions, they dragged him to a nearby teahouse. Martial Kim had no choice but to pay his lady companion to take a break and wander around. He felt this meeting should be just between these three men.
“My sister was murdered?” The Brother finally got his first words out. “Wh...wha....I don’t get it. Who would knock up my sister – I mean knock off my sister?”
Inspector Lee snarled, “Why do you think we came here to ask you? Just to say ‘You have our sympathy?’ Surely you know something about her death, or anyone involved.”
“...No...I...” The Brother kept rubbing his palms to his temple, getting his mind back into reality. “...She didn’t look like someone with a short life. A-and if she did, I-I-I-I always thought sh-she would die from syphilis or accidentally strangled in bed by her client. You know, fetish and stuff and—”
Inspector Lee slapped the table. “Have you no heart!? Your sister is dead and you’re blubbering nonsense!?”
“Bro! I’m not the god of the universe!” The Brother snapped back “I can’t foresee or decide who lives and die! I mean, if I was I would make myself win all the games in the world AND give my sister’s a better death ending! I mean she got me through hard times, paying off my debts every now and then, she deserves more than a proper funeral!”
The Brother just took a moment to massage his brain to let it all sink in, “Maybe I’ll burn some paper man servants so she could enjoy them in the afterlife. I’ll make sure they’ll have the biggest paper dongs anyone has--”
“YOU BASTARD! I’LL TEAR YOUR JAW OFF!”
“POLICE BRUTALITY! POLICE BRUTALITY!”
Martial Kim bolted to chase after Inspector Lee and the Brother, the latter two racing around the table like a cat and mouse. It took some clever manner and some calming words before he could get the two to sit down and not kill each other.
“I apologize, for the death of your sister,” said Martial Kim.
“What are you apologizing for?” The Brother shrugged, “Not like you killed her, right?...Right?”
“Ahem. We would like to ask, where have you been in the last four days?”
The Brother gapped his mouth, drawing a blank, “Bro, you asking me out of the blue I can’t recall exactly. My memory is foggy from win and play time with my Mei Flower. So I can’t tell you to save my life.”
Inspector Lee kicked at the leg of the table to make a statement, “I’ll be more than happy to jog your memory!”
“No need! No need!” The Brother waved his hand in panic, “My brain can walk on it’s own two feet!...Wait, ah. It’s all coming back to me. Where was I? Well, I was at: the Honey Badger Gambling Den, Glorious Morning Brothel, Red Star Seafood Restaurant, Flying Fox Gambling House, Silver Tongue Broth—”
Inspector Lee face palmed, “Damn it man, we don’t need your whole history! Were you, at any point, at Green Lion Valley?”
“Ayoooo...That sounds like a sorry ass name for a brothel.”
“God dammit, stop thinking about whore houses! It’s a place outside of the Capital! Have you been there, yes or no!?”
“Look man, the Capital City is my home. I really have no need to waste my money travelling around like some wandering hero of martial arts world looking for a wonderful adventure! I was either at a gambling hall getting my due to having a great time with well paid girls. I am a VERY simple man!
Inspector Lee scowled, exactly like a tiger to a tasty looking fox. Oh the Inspector was not at all hungry, he rather just thrash this man left and right then leave him dead in the open – much like how Fae Fae had been left alone.
Martial Kim cut in with an ahem, “I would like to ask, when was the last time you’ve seen or even heard from your sister?”
Fae Fae’s Brother folded his arms to think, “Ah about a month ago. Give or take. I mean, we don’t exactly live with each other and we have our separate ways, but still family. So I make it a habit to treat her to a round of Dim Sum at least once a month. You know, family time.”
Inspector Lee snorted, “Or running to her feet to beg for money to save your damn life!”
“Hey look. I said we had our differences!” Fae Fae’s Brother gave a cheeky shrug, “That doesn’t mean I always relied on her to get on by. I’ve made quite successful investments myself.”
“In gambling?” wondered Martial Kim with a half-grin.
“Come now. It’s not just a game of chance, it is a thriving economy!” The Brother wanted to put his foot up on the table, but the Inspector kicked any attempt back down. After giving the officer a tch click of his tongue, he said “I pay the people my money so they can double, or triple it when I win! It’s a win-win win-win!”
Inspector Lee face palmed, “From what I remember about your history, the win always went to the house!” Then he dropped his hand when he realized something, “Speaking of which, where the hell did you get all this money!? I ain’t no fashionista, but it’s clear those robes cost more than 100 Silver. And those rings, 50 silver each!”
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“Oh no no no.” The Brother wave at swag on his fingers, “80 Silver each and worth every coin. Look at me, I am the star attraction wherever I go. I mean what is the point of being rich if you don’t show off what you can afford? Surely folks like yourselves would want to look good with a fancy horse or luxury wagon if you got the money eh?”
“Well?” Inspector Lee mumbled, impatient, “Where did this money come from out of the blue? I highly doubt the gods slipped and dropped their money pouch on your head.”
“I won a big jackpot in a gambling hall! Lucky me!
“Just like that? A lucky shot?”
The sibling of Fae Fae chuckled and would then fill up a cup of tea to reward himself. He paid for the most expensive Jasmine Leaves available, he wouldn’t accept anything less for his tongue,
The Brother said, “Let’s just say I’ve used up all the bad luck up till now, so my fortune is turning around! Why, how could I not treat myself to better stages in society! I finally had the courage to say ‘screw you’ to my old rental and upgraded myself to one of the biggest inns in the Capital! Bigger bed too, so I can invite as many girls as I please! Every man’s dream, right!? Right!?”
Martial Kim had to calm the Inspector before he did anything rash.
Even just from listening, Martial Kim could see a lot of loopholes. A man who was born to lose at everything he touches suddenly winning more than thousands word of coins. Everything the Brother wore was enough to feed a farmer’s family for a life time – if they spent wisely.
Martial Kim asked, “Which gambling hall did you win everything from? Perhaps, I should try my hand and borrow a bit of your luck.”
“M-Martial Kim, you can’t be ser--” It took Inspector Lee a bit to realize Martial Kim was only being sarcastic so he brushed it off with a huff and slapped the table at the Brother for him to speak up.
The Brother simply sipped at his tea, relaxed, “I don’t remember which. I was very, very drunk, very very excited. The second I got the tub of gold, I paid off my all debts and had surplus to spoil myself.”
Clearly a lie, but there was nothing the investigators can do to out him. So Martial Kim changed tactics with the following question. “Is there anyone you know who would try and hurt Fae Fae? Go as far as kill her?”
“Your question is a good as mine!” The Brother answered back with confusion, “I honestly have no idea how to answer! All I know is Fae Fae is really good with her line of work, like she was born for this bed of entertainment. Why, if I wasn’t her blood brother, even I would pay everything I have to spend the night with her!”
Martial Kim grabbed onto Inspector Lee, before the bloodhound of an officer lunged.
To be honest, Martial Kim had to calm his own inner storm after hearing that last comment. After all that he has seen up till now, those words did no justice to Fae Fae’s condition. Still, it was best, they brought as little trouble as possible. This man, despite his crass and vile nature, was still Fae Fae’s only kin left.
Last thing they want is the entire family line to be buried together, metaphorically speaking.
Shrugging off their glares, the Brother just spoke up front, “Look, all I know is the my little sister is too naive and too stupid to insult anyone. Okay? I really can’t think of anyone I know, or think I know, who could do in Fae Fae like that... Then again, was she raped? Because now that I think about it, I may know a couple of guys who are like – reaaaaally into that sort of fetish and—”
Martial Kim gave a curt response to stop that dirty line of thought, “No. Her...virtue was not spoiled in her final hours.”
The Brother gave up with a shrug, “Damn, definitely not the guys I know.”
Inspector Lee and Martial Kim tried not to shake their heads in front of this man. When the Brother could not be of any help, he got up and pat the dust off his expensive robes.
“Well if that would be all, officers, I’ll uh...I’ll be on my way. Can’t keep my dear May Flower waiting now can I? The flames can only burn for so long. Hahah.”
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” asked Martial Kim with a raised eyebrow, “Such as your sister’s body?”
“...Bro. What would I want her dead body for? I ain’t no necrophiliac or—OH!” The Brother snapped out of his...train of thoughts, slapping a palm to his forehead, “Right, right. Her funeral. Uuuuh... Rain check.”
“Wh—” Inspector Lee could not believe his eyes as to what happened next.
The Brother was too lazy to leave the front door, so he vaulted over the railing of the teahouse like it was a garden fence. As the floor and city roads were on the same level, he hopped into the street and started to leave.
Inspector Lee bolted from his seat, barking out, “What about your sister’s corpse? You’re her family right!?”
“Look! Officers,” The Brother turned to walking reverse while saying, “My place don’t got enough room for a corpse or coffin! Not like I can carry her around as a coin purse with me and I can’t bring myself to cremate her! Give me some time, I’ll work something out and get her off your hands in a couple of days!” Then he reunited with his woman, sharing...just...raw tongue play in broad daylight. He then added, “Make that a week! Keep her body safe will ya!?”
Inspector Lee was about to vault the railing himself, but Martial Kim grabbed onto him with a shake of his head. All they could do was watch the Brother leave with his woman. Correction, skip away with his woman.
When alone, the whole emotional burden of the conversation overwhelmed Martial Kim. He had to remove his hat to free his throbbing headache and massage his nose bridge to calm his boiling Meridians.
“I feel incredibly bad for Fae Fae,” he whispered.
“You and me both, Martial Kim!” spat the Inspector and sat back down on the table. He was about to drink the expensive Jasmine tea, but it only made the man remember the Brother’s face – so he slapped the whole tea pot away to let it smash on the floor. He’ll pay for the damages, so long as he doesn’t have to remember the Brother’s damn voice!
He then groaned, “I say this guy has something to do with all this, regardless if he was the one who stabbed Fae Fae! There is no way this rat could win this much money in a short amount of time. If this man truly became a God of Gambler in a fort night, I’ll cut my head off and let him use it as a chair!”
“Well, no need to be that extreme,” sighed Martial Kim, “I do agree. The statistics doesn’t add up, even if it was one in a million... Also, if you think about it this way: what happens if he runs out?"
“Of luck or money? If the latter, most likely he’ll visit this ‘jackpot’ again.” mumbled the Inspector...then he caught on. “Ah. Brilliant thinking! I’ll have Constables on his rat ass at all times. When he does need a top up, we’ll know EXACTLY where his income is coming from!”
“Judging by how happy he is right now, I believe it would take some time.” Martial Kim put his hat back on, tying up the ribbons securely under his chin, “In the meantime, I am very much interested in talking to these Palanquin Bearers, the one that Fae Fae has been calling on. My hope is, they can shed more light on the time leading up to Fae Fae’s attempted murder.”
Inspector Lee hesitated, before lowering his voice, “Or, they could be the murderers themselves.”
Martial Kim nodded, but not in full agreement, “A possibility. And we’ll never know for sure until we find the truth. Come, Fae Fae’s Brother may have wasted our precious daylight, but it’s up to us to salvage what time we have left!”