"Are you sure this is a good idea?"
I heard the shrill voice of my assistant yell above the sound of the wind that threatened to ruin my eardrums.
But it wasn't something that I found to be terrible. Instead, I found myself enjoying the thrill of hanging to the whims of nature at 700 ft in the air, strapped to rock.
I chuckled.
Bernard was supposed to have been used to his systems by now, but I couldn't blame my assistant. He was as plain as a white mushroom and lacked all motivation to be more than mundane.
I pulled myself to the top of the mountain and laughed as I panted for breath while I waited for Bernard to catch up to me.
I sat and took in the view in front of me. It was not as breathtaking as the one I climbed last month, but it was just as relaxing.
My mind was suddenly snapped out of its bliss by the sounds of Bernard grunting as he tried to pull himself up to the flat top of the mountain.
"Do you need help?" I asked with a smile on my face as I looked at the struggles of my assistant.
"Yes, please," the struggling Bernard groaned in response, "I was just about to fall off the edge."
I reached over and pulled on the back of the man's jacket until he was lying face down on the mountain top.
"You're weak, Bernard," I said as I looked down at the pathetic, slim figure of my assistant.
"I'm not cut out for this," the man said as he flopped over to lie on his back. I couldn't help but to chuckle.
"Clearly. I'm beginning to rethink my decision," I muttered under my breath.
"So, what is it?" I asked as I sat next to the lying form of my assistant.
"Your father. I received word that he's dead. Everything... falls back to you." The man on the ground rasped out.
I couldn't help the bubble of laughter that began to bloom in my belly.
"If this is my sister's idea of a joke, it's funny. But we all know that my dad disowned me years ago, so since I decided not to take... you know what, let's just go."
I made a move to begin to descend the mountain the same way I had climbed it.
"Please. Sir, you don't mean..."
Bernard had a confused look on his face as tears began to threaten to fall out of his muddy, dog-shaped eyes.
"I'm joking," I raised his hands in surrender.
"There is a path that way. I'm surprised you didn't take it."
"You don't mean that," Bernard shook his head.
"I didn't tell you to follow me. If anything, I told you to wait for me. You slowed me down. What shall I do about that?" I smiled as I pointed in the direction of a small tumble of weeds that stood in the distance behind him.
"You follow that path. Its quite steep, but you'll get to the ground soon enough. But you intend to climb back down... what I intend to do is none of your business, Bernard. Go down and wait for me," I said with a smile tugging at the corners of my lips.
An hour later, the two of us drove to the estate of my now dead father that stood not so far from the mountain.
A strange silence hung in the vehicle for the entirety of the trip. I didn't know whether I wanted to be sad or perturbed by the news, but I knew that I felt numb.
It wasn't as though I had a swell relationship with my father, but it was still quite jarring.
Moments later, I sat in front of my sister in the 24-bedroom manor that I called home many years ago.
"Did you threaten him?" The wrinkled face of my sister seemed to only become more grotesque with each word she asked.
"Come now, Patricia, we both know I wasn't there. We also know I haven't been in contact with Father or the rest of the family for at least 20 years. At least since he disowned me."
"That was your fault." Patricia looked displeased with my excuse. "It doesn't change the fact that I'm sure you might have threatened our father before he died to include you in his will."
"I didn't threaten our father, Patricia. In fact, just to prove it to you, I will not touch one dime of the inheritance. I'm perfectly fine living on my own, living the way I know how to."
My sister only burst out into laughter. "Of course. That little detective agency you own... how is it? I haven't heard any news reports that you've solved a case," my sister asked with a sinister smile tugging at her lips.
"It's a work in progress, Patricia. But you know me better than anyone. Whether or not the agency makes a profit is of little importance to me." I stood up and left her.
"Bernard," I called out as I reached the car.
"Let's go back. I have a good feeling that we'll have something waiting for us when we get back to the office."
It was just as I had said. There was a guest waiting for them back at the office.
"And who are you?" I took in the sight of the stranger who stood in his office.
"My name is Melanie. I have a message from my mistress." She said impeccably dressed as she handed me a card with the logo of a family that was even larger than mine.
The family, as I remembered, was philanthropists, doctors, and renowned politicians, making them extremely well-known.
"The family would like to invite you to investigate a case," the woman said.
"Am I to know the parameters of this case?" I walked into my office and began to play with the stack of papers on my desk.
I really ought to clear them off.
"Bob... Robert... St John is dead. He died sitting up in his chair, but that was not the main problem with the case... his wife and the rest of the family would like you to come in and be the lead investigator.
We know that this case is very peculiar. It's well known that the police would not be able to handle it, and your reputation precedes you." She bowed, and I watched her dark hair reflect the light coming from my ceiling back at my face.
I felt curiosity as well as interest rise up within me.
"Peculiar, huh?" I felt a smile tug at the corners of my face.
"I'll take it," I said.
Twenty minutes later, we reached the front of the highly secured residence of Robert's estate.
I had passed by the property many times. Its high walls were quite intimidating, but being one who grew up in affluence, I could understand the reason for it.
I had met Robert only once and found the man to be quite eloquent and impeccable. It was a shame to think about the fact that he was dead.
Moments later, I came down from the car and strode into the traditionally styled mansion. The woman opened the door that led to an office. Inside were two men.
The first man had gray hair slicked back with round-framed glasses on his large, hooked nose. The other stood with a slight stoop and looked at the floor with his hands behind his back.
"This is the butler and Mr. Robert's closest manservant. They were the only two around that night to see Mr Robert."
" The police are already outside," I observed.
"We believed it would be good in case there was a suspect."
"Good thinking," I dismissed the female and looked at the two men in front of me.
"What happened?" I asked as I pulled a chair and looked at the two men.
"We have already told the mistress."
"I'm not the mistress, am I?" I questioned. "Do I look like the mistress to you?"
"No," the butler said with a slight waiver in his voice.
"We found Master Robert."
"Yes, I know that."
"His friend had come to visit him." The butler said with uncertainty in his eyes.
I shook my head as I began to sneer.
"When? This visitor, when did he come to visit him?"
"An hour before Mr. Robert was found dead."
"And... who was this guest?"
"Mr. James, a longtime friend."
"Do you think you make any sense?" I shouted at the two of them.
"Mr. James has been dead... pronounced dead three days prior. You're in for a whole lot of problems."
"Please, it was as we say. Mr. James came to visit," the manservant spoke this time.
"I was the one that opened the door for him. Frankly, he looked strange, and in my opinion, he had a terrible smell, but he said he had an appointment with Master Robert. I asked Master Robert if he was expecting someone.
By the time I turned around, I saw Master Robert coming down from the stairs and smiling, telling me that I should let his friend into the study."
"And you let him in? The man that has been dead for three days. You led this man into the study of your master?" I sneered, seeing the absurdity of the entire scenario,
"Yes, besides, the autopsy says Master Robert died of a heart attack."
"Quiet!" I yelled at the man and turned aside, muttering to myself.
"Too many things left unresolved in this case. But that is what I like, isn't it?"I questioned myself about the smile.
"And who called the police?" I found my voice trailing off as I turned around to face the two men, noticing beads of sweat on their foreheads.
"It was Mrs. St. John, Mr. Roberts' wife," the butler was the one to answer.
"We all heard that shortly after the visitor entered the room, but she was the one who…"
"How did Mrs. St. John find herself there?" I interrupted with a question.
"She had a relative with a child visiting her. They were upstairs in the second living room. It was the noise that brought them downstairs, or at least that brought the mistress downstairs.
But it didn't last for long. Everyone else in the house came out and began to wait at the door of the Master's study. It wasn't long after the shouting persisted that me and this manservant started to push the door down. The door did not budge.
We saw that it had been locked from the inside. So we kicked it down until it finally opened, and when we entered the room, we saw two dead men sitting across from each other."
" And of course, it was after this clinical evaluation that uh, the forensics people determined that Mr. James was dead, yes?" I summarized for the two men, who nodded in response.
"Bollocks." I walked to the door and slid it open harshly to find the woman standing outside.
"Tell the police to arrest these two men. I want them kept in custody until I'm done with the investigation." I pushed my way through and found Bernard standing at a distance.
"Come," I said to the man, who hurried over instantly.
"Did you find anything?" Bernard asked me with wide eyes.
"It's impossible for someone who is clinically dead to find their way into this place. Think about the fact that the security would have been tight."
I was muttering to Bernard, who should have been long since used to my behavior by now and had even pulled out a pen and paper as he jotted furiously.
"Granted, those two idiots gave me the same answer over and over again, but I'm sure someone is hiding some things. Of course, it's sure that St. John had a history of heart disease.
Remember that fiasco last year? He had another heart attack that kept everyone frozen for two weeks. The same thing happened now.
But according to law, if anyone knowingly scares and minds with the risk of a heart attack with the intention to kill him, then it is not an accident but murder." I shook his head.
"It made no sense for the two men to bring in a body since they had alleged to have been there in the mansion for over the past."