Down by the water

The doorbell to “Discount Warrens, private eyes” rang throughout the clear afternoon air of the back alley it was nestled in, a classy and refined gentleman walked into the office, briefly pausing to hang up his coat and jacket as the sounds of hurried footsteps from upstairs heralded someone coming to assist him.

“Coming!” Senior detective Alice Warren shouted from the top of the stairs, quickly descending them two at a time. Being in a back alleyway didn’t generate much foot traffic, so Discount Warrens mostly relied on word of mouth for customers, so whenever someone was sent to them with a recommendation they were given a cheery smile and treated like a friend.

“Afternoon sir, how may i help you today?” Alice asked, pulling out pen and paper from the desk the office had repurposed as a counter for the business. She pushed the writing implements over to him before sliding over to the coffee machine, pouring herself a cup from a brew that had been sitting there since just after the detectives had returned from lunch.

“Ah, Yes.” He began, gathering himself and pulling a small leather bound notebook from a coat pocket, “I believe I have found a lead in regards to a missing persons case. See there is a theater nearby the development I live in, it’s almost a part of it really, and when i was there last, a friend of mine, showed me a weird item she found inside of the ladies washroom.” He put the book down on the table, trying to touch it as little as possible.

Alice took a long sip of her coffee before dropping the half finished cup in the trash. She picked up the object in question, analysing the front and back cover briefly. The only thing on them being the word “staff” embossed on both sides.

Alice restrained a few different sarcastic remarks, “Obviously there’s more to it than this.” she thought to herself as she opened the book, the metal pages practically jumping out at her, with the etched letters that had to have been cut with a water jet.

She thumbed through the various lists, director, actors, stage hands, ETC. Each one having around five names on average.

“Well, the metal pages are… a little odd, but other than that I can’t see too much else that points to missing victim’s cases, uh… i don’t believe you introduced yourself.” Alice said, a little disappointed in herself for not getting his name sooner.

“Denver wood ma’am, and if you’d turn to the page labeled actors...” he trailed off, pointing, but not willing to touch the book himself. Alice helpfully turned it back to page two and quickly read the listed names. A rather standard list, obviously longer than the other pages, with about twenty names instead of the average.

Vikki Cathaoir, Bobbie Jewel, Alice Warren. Alice read finishing the list, looking back up at the Denver before jerking her head back down to the page.

“Uhh, are you sure there isn’t just… another Alice Warren in the nearby area?” Alice asked shakily, Denver shook his head.

“That’s what i thought too, as i remembered one of my acquaintances recommending you if I was ever to have need of an investigative eye. so unless you had quite the drastic career change, either there was another with your name, or something fishy was going on.” Denver replied, trying to put on his best detective voice. “But there’s no one else with that name in reasonable driving distance of the theater, but that’s not all.”

He got up from the chair, politely asking if he could use the computer. Alice obliged, and he opened a web browser, searching the names that came before alice’s in the staffbook, each one coming up with missing person cases.

“Seems odd, no?” denver said keeping up his “detective” accent.

“So you’re saying i should go investigate?” alice asked, seeing if he was going to be a client or just a concerned citizen.

“Mhm, yes. Apologies I’m not a paying customer, but i figured i’d take it to you before the police, let you do what you want with it, you know?” denver replied more relieved to have the item off his hands than anything.

“Well, please do come back if you... well not to sound rude but, do need something, and thank you for bringing this to my attention.” alice said, a little disappointed, but she hid it well. Denver politely excused himself, taking his coat and hat and hurriedly exiting the office.

Alice spun in her swivel chair, stewing on what to do with the mysterious item she had just been left, sure it was probably dangerous, kidnapping rings and the like usually are, but solving deftly solving all the missing persons and outsing whoever was behind them would give her great recognition and more importantly business.

Minutes began to pass as she poured over the potential risk of doing it herself instead of handing it over to the police and giving them the information she had just been given.

After almost an hour of pondering, Alice slammed her hand down on the desk, steeled her resolve and opened the intercom.

“I’m heading out for the rest of the day, gonna go check out that fancy theater down by the rich people’s homes.” she informed the intern and the novice detective upstairs. Great backup if things went wrong obviously, but at least they could get the police. “If i don’t call by eleven then get backup.”

She let the intercom go dead and someone shouted from the upper floor,

“Be careful this time! And get out if things start to go south.” it was the intern, and Alice felt a little comforted by the fact that the new kid was concerned for her.

“Don’t count on it, intern” she yelled back as she exited out of the door, putting on a long scarf to guard against the nippy mid november air and then hopping in her minivan. (Don’t judge, it’s good for transporting people)

The drive over wasn't too long, as the development was just outside the city, technically within city limits, but it was still long enough that alice nearly lost her resolve twice and she pounded on the steering wheel both times, scaring a few pedestrians on her trip.

Alice pulled up into the parking lot, the imposing gothic fences seemingly standing guard against the modern world, protecting the theater that had been modeled after such things. She could see lights on inside and a small sign saying next show in four hours, but no cars were there to indicate that.

“Maybe they have a staff parking lot.” She thought to herself as she parked, “or maybe they don’t, I am investigating a missing persons case.”

The wind began to pick up as alice exited her car, combined with the setting sun caused a potent chill to go down her spine. The wind rattled the gates as shadows danced in the evening light, causing the theater to seem foreboding at the very least.

“Alright, i don’t believe in ghosts, but if there ARE ghosts, then i’m getting out of here ASAP.” alice said to herself to keep her nerves in check, walking up to the gate and pushing it open. It was little heavier than she expected, but nothing beyond the usual paces that being a hands on private eye put her through.

A big gust of wind hit Alice as she stepped into the grounds, and as the wind moved through the trees she could hear the sounds of a harmonica, playing in tune with the wind.

“Not the kind of music i would expect from a place like this.” Alice joked to herself forcing out a few laughs, but she was interrupted when the gates began to rattle, then close, startling her. She whirled around, her mind going into overdrive as she tried to keep her cool.

This panic turned to relief however, once she heard the mechanical whirr of a set of motors and she realized it must just be automated, though perhaps a tad rusty. Alice waited for the motors to stop before checking the gate, pulling it open slightly and then pushing it back into place so that the automation wouldn’t kick in again.

Satisfied that she could still leave, Alice relaxed. Taking her hand off her gun which she had subconsciously reached for, and standing up straight, trying to look professional and like she hadn’t just gotten spooked by an automated gate. Even a strong gust of wind didn’t phase her, the new confidence keeping her warm against the chill. The strong wind also increased the intensity of the harmonica music, it rising to a fever pitch then dropping with the wind.

“Alright, that’s enough. What is with the harmonica music, it does not fit this est-” Alice was cut off by the gates merging together, the one inch gap between them quickly disappearing, the metal stretching and forming new bars to weld the gates together.

Alice jumped into action as quick as she could, grabbing the handles and pulling as hard as possible, hoping that maybe it was an illusion or her eyes playing tricks on her. She rattled the gate, trying to break the metal connecting the two together, but to no avail. The gothic bars looking far more menacing now.

“Okay, i’m not gonna let this get to me.” Alice said, focusing herself and getting into the life or death mindset that had served her well in the past. She did an about face, turning away from the mocking gates and drawing her handgun, mentally preparing herself for the trials to come.

The wind died down as alice walked down the slightly windy path towards the theater, the harmonica all but disappearing with it. And after the display earlier, the theater seemed peaceful once more, eerily quiet, but peaceful, and alice relaxed a little, taking her finger off the trigger as she approached the building’s entrance.

Inside the building, the lone ticket seller watched as alice approached, keeping an eye on a suspicious person holding a gun, but not with too much concern. Alice skulking up to the glass doors, apparently trying to remain stealthy, but realizing that she had been spotted long ago when she caught sight of the sales clerk.

Alice quickly straightened up, a little embarrassed that she had been caught sneaking about like that, holstering her weapon and tightening her tie to look like a professional investigating the building as opposed to a crazed gunman. She knocked, and the ticket seller nodded, indicating she should come in.

“Eh hem, My name is Alice Warren, of Discount warrens,” Alice began as she entered, “I’m here investigating a missing person's case and i was wanting to know if you’d seen anything suspicious going on around here?”

“Which show would you like to see today?” the ticket seller responded lazily, unfazed by alice’s question.

“No no, I’m not here to watch anything, want to know if you’ve seen anything shady, like rooms which even staff aren’t allowed in.” Alice responded patiently.

“If you are not here to watch, then are you here to sing on?” the ticket seller continued, barely registering the question Alice was pressing. “I meant sign on, though same difference.”

Again Alice waited until they were finished talking before speaking up, “Again no, though in the context of missing persons, your suggestion is a little weird, heh ha.” she laughed fakely.

“Oh that means you must be the woman Mr. Barron is expecting!” the ticket seller perked up as they said this, looking much more energetic than before, “Let me take you to him!”

“Alright you are setting off so many red flags right now,” Alice responded backing up “Do you maybe want to rephrase that?” she said, looking the ticket seller in the eyes, but they were cold and dead barely moving as the ticket seller got up onto the counter and preparing to smash through the glass window dividing them.

The ticket seller moved slowly but gracefully, almost as if in slow motion as they rammed the glass, cracking it first, then breaking through and scattering glass everywhere, and sending themselves on a course for the floor. Alice tried to leave, pushing hard on the door but the ticket seller must have locked it from behind the counter. So with all her other options exhausted, she squared up and got ready to fight.

The ticket seller tumbled over the counter and landed hard on the floor with a clunk, mumbling something about ungrateful customers as they got up grabbing at alice from an unnatural position. Alice dodged to the side, moving to get out of the limited reach her opponent had in their current position.

She retaliated trying to keep the ticket seller down by sweeping their legs out from under them before they could get up, but when her leg connected with theirs, there was a dull thud and Alice’s leg flared up with pain, the ticket seller’s leg not even moving an inch. She then tried following it up with a punch to the stomach, but that too was incredibly hard, and she dealt more damage to her hand then to the ticket seller.

“Agh! Bloody hell.” Alice exclaimed as she jumped back, cautiously disengaging from the mysterious person, who made no attempt to chase, simply standing in front of the door and blocking Alice’s escape. Alice sat there and watched them for a moment before doing a quick check of her surroundings.

There were three doors, two sets of large double doors which lead presumably into the auditorium and one door on the west wall which alice guessed lead upstairs. As for decorations, there was ample seating in the form of couches and sets of tables and chairs, all made in exquisite gothic style. Alice quickly turned back to make sure the ticket seller wasn’t sneaking up on her, and she prayed that she had not spent too long ogling the scenery.

The person in question continued their vigilant guard of the exit, looking at her still as death. Alice kept watching them as she moved towards the auditorium and only broke her gaze to open the door a crack and peer inside, looking to see if there was anyone waiting for her.

The auditorium was dark fortunately, the curtains were shut and the stage lights were off, the only illumination being the small floor lights indicating the paths to the exit. Hoping to lose any potential pursuers in the darkness, Alice gave one last look to the ticket seller standing in the doorway before slipping into the auditorium, shutting the door into the lobby behind as quietly as possible.

The ticket seller waited until Alice had shut the door before running over to the other door into the auditorium and slipping in themselves, getting low to the ground and crawling along the aisle, silently watching.

Unawares to the actions of her assailant, Alice investigated the auditorium, keeping down as she investigated the rows of seats, all empty of course, the theater wasn’t going to have any shows till later in the evening so it wouldn’t make sense if there were people watching. She kept vigilant though, doing her best to not get snuck up on.

So she creeped down the aisle, moving towards the backstage area to investigate. Hoping maybe she could find where the missing persons were or perhaps an unguarded exit.

Halfway to the stage however, Alice was interrupted by the curtains being drawn and the opening bars to beyonce’s “Pray you catch me” playing. She quickly moved into the row next to her, taking cover behind the seats.

Alice watched as what was probably a rehearsal began and a few actors came onto stage, some she recognized from the missing person images she had found on the web earlier, though none of them seemed to be in any distress as they sung and danced like a well oiled machine.

“Damn, they must be like the person i encountered earlier.” alice thought to herself as she weighed her options, no point in going towards the stage. She might be able to unlock the doors and make it outside, but that was no good since the gate was still welded shut.

“Just gonna have to see what’s upstairs.” she said to herself, dreading the prospect. Instinctively looking up towards the peanut gallery hoping that it would look less foreboding than it felt, and while it did look scarier than where she was right now, there was something far more puzzling up on the second floor.

Inside of a closed off balcony likely for the directors or VIPs laid a massive harmonica. It looked about as big as a man’s head, but it was hard to gauge from Alice’s current position. There was also a skeletal arm lying next to it, whatever material it was made of, also hard to guess, but it didn’t look like bone that was for sure.

Once Alice noticed this though, the rehearsal stopped dead in it’s tracks, the music stopped and it felt as if twenty some eyes had instantly homed in on her position. So she took a quick peek to confirm her fears, and they were true. All the actors on stage were looking right at her, slowly getting down from the stage and heading right for her. So she did the natural thing and bolted, heading back for the lobby as she was pursued by the cast and crew of the theater.

Even in her panicked state Alice didn’t lose her focus, and she easily saw the ticket seller lying in wait up ahead, so she was ready when they tried to jump out and grab her, the ticket seller aiming to steal her gun as she passed by. but she dodged them efficiently and the closest they got was brushing against it.

Alice burst into the lobby, slamming the door behind her and looking around for anything to barricade the door with, quickly settling on one of the couches. She grabbed it and pulled, but the heavy wood refused to budge, so she moved to the other side and pushed with all her might, but still no effect.

The door opened. Alice quickly swiveled, as the sound of the wind roared and the harmonica began it’s dirge once more.

Standing in the doorway was a humanoid figure, a tall gangly skeleton with a giant harmonica melting into it’s torso for a head. The bones were metal, and looked like someone had made a skeleton out of gothic fencing, with a name plate wedged into the ribs, it read.

“Down by the water”