Chapter 24
Alex handed Julian his dressing gown and brushed past him, already belting his own.
If another person had been killed, that was their business and more important than proper dress.
They weren't the only ones in more casual clothing, although they were the only ones in night clothes, and he made a note of who was being particularly stubborn about being shooed back to their rooms.
"The unpleasant Mr. Camellia was poisoned?" asked Alex, coming over to look at the body.
Dr. Geoff nodded his head. "Something in the cocktails he was sharing."
They stepped over the body and went inside, Alex helping Julian while Dr. Geoff did a thorough examination. Inside there was a tray with two drinks, one of which looked untouched, and a spray of some decorative plant between them.
"Bets on that plant being poisonous?" said Alex, whistling at the glasses. "It's not magic this time."
"No, those are Chinese lanterns," said Julian. He peered carefully inside the orange lantern-shaped husks and nodded to himself. "There's fruit in this one, which is highly poisonous. The leaves are, too, but they're usually stripped when drying decoratively like this."
"Those are from the back foyer," said a voice, and they looked up to find Alice staring in at them. "Them Chinese lanterns. Rowlinson is always telling us to keep the kids away, but they're right pretty."
"So yet another theft," said Alex. "I wonder where the baneberry came from?"
"Maybe she brought that with her," said Julian, "and used the venom because it was available?"
"You'd think I'd have a better handle on the minds of murderers," said Alex with a sigh, "but I really don't. Geoff, it's this plant here that was used. I can see the fruit in his glass pretending to be a garnish."
"So we need to figure out who gave him the drink, and who he drank it with, and if those are the same person," said Geoff. "Bugger, I'm going to have to have you preserve this one, and that stuff, if you're up to it."
"I'm fine," assured Alex, and Julian sent him a wave of supportive magics.
"I did your cup earlier," said Julian. "I'm not sure how the magic is different but it seemed to take."
"Good job," said Alex distractedly, giving Julian a kiss. He went first to the whole tray of drinks and did a combination preservation and non-interference spell on it, figuring they'd probably lock up the room and the evidence with it.
Geoff was rolling the body onto sheets when Alex came back from that, having put pillowcases around his hands. "I didn't think to do that for our first guy, but it should preserve any evidence on his hands," said Geoff, "a little, anyway."
"It's a good idea," assured Alex. "Get him into position and I'll do the preservation spell, and then you can wrap him up for the non-interference spell."
"I hate that we have a routine for this," said Geoff darkly. A servant was helping him handle the body and looking a little queasy about it, so Alex hoped the man didn't lose it and mess up the evidence.
At least Alex had never thrown up on a body. Stepped on, yes. Barfed on, no.
They made quick work of the morbid task, and soon enough Camellia was wrapped up and laid out on the floor in the room. The servant locked up ostentatiously while the last few hangers-on watched.
"No one will go in there until the police arrive," said the man.
"Thank you," said Geoff, shaking his hand. "I prescribe a stiff drink for you, or at least a bracing cuppa."
"Bit of both, perhaps," said the servant, smiling wanly now. "You call down if you need anything else."
He left, and the vultures descended. Fortunately there were only three people left, two of whom he'd half expected, the suspects Halliwell and Periwig. He supposed Salmon was there supporting his fiancée as he hadn't been before, though he also hadn't had much of a chance to do so publicly.
"What happened?" asked Halliwell sharply.
"Murder, obviously," said Alex, before poor Geoff could try to find a euphemism. "Dr. Geoff needs to go talk to Chudleigh, and you all need to go to your rooms."
"How do we know we won't be next?" asked Salmon huffily.
"Don't drink with anyone not staying with you," said Alex, "and stay in your rooms."
Geoff managed an exit without being caught up, thankfully, and Julian stepped up beside Alex for support and said, "If he hadn't had someone in his rooms for a drink, Camellia would still be alive."
"Go to your rooms," said Alex again. "Read. Play phone games. Call your therapists. I don't actually care what you do, as long as you do it in your rooms."
They all made faces but split off to go to their rooms. Evidently Periwig and Salmon were bunking together, which made sense in this modern age, while Halliwell was in the same area of the hallway as the other singles.
Her door closed with a petulant little slam, not enough to be rude but enough to make her point.
Alex was unimpressed.
"How stupid do you have to be to have a drink with a suspected poisoner?" said Alex, shaking his head.
"Well, since they're all women, I bet sex was involved," said Geoff. "Men do all kinds of stupid things if they think they'll get some."
"Ugh, gross," said Julian, making a face. "I do remember those men, from before Alex. Even when I was with Cecil, a certain sort of man thought he could horn in and get me in bed."
"Ugh," echoed both Alex and Geoff.
Alex made a face. "I haven't had too much of that, but then again, I was never exactly a sweet, pliant little thing."
Julian and Geoff both cracked up, and they started moving down the hall toward their own rooms.
Geoff nudged Julian's shoulder. "You two should take your own advice. I'm going to go to Chudleigh's rooms and get someone to bring me a giant cup of chamomile and pretend it's actually time to sleep."
"There's still so much time before then," said Julian with a sigh. "Let's hope no one else gets themselves killed."
"So mote it be," said Geoff seriously.
Alex unlocked the door and they tiredly waved goodbye to him, falling back onto the bed carefully, as it had become populated with cats in their absence.
"Who knows," said Alex, getting them situated around and under the kittens, who refused to move to accommodate them. "Maybe we'll get a quiet night in with regular food deliveries, and be feeling restored in the morning."
"I wish," said Julian. He'd ended up on his back at an angle, not quite able to reach the pillows. He put an arm under his head and used the other to pet Cinnamon, who was snuggling pointedly into his side.
Sage was stretching out between them, little paws on each of their bodies as if claiming them both for herself. Nightshade shamelessly climbed onto Alex, who was lucky enough to be up by the pillows, after having forced him to eel his way up there between herself and Sage.
Just to make sure their hands were busy, Horace came flying over and landed on Julian, chirruping until he freed his other hand to pet him.
"You are all spoiled," said Alex fondly, kissing Nightshade's head. "We love you dearly, you know, and we'd be devastated if anything happened to you."
They sent back something like pride to the sentiment, a sense that they knew they were awesome and of course their humans thought so, too.
Alex chuckled and turned to look at Julian again. "I'm glad no one poisoned you, you know."
"I'm glad, too," said Julian wryly. "It looked quite miserable, between the fainting and the rest."
"It was quite miserable, but at least short-lived. I'm kind of achy and tired, still, especially my head, but I don't think it's worth another potion just yet." He sighed again, turning to stare at the ceiling. "I feel like the answer is right around some corner I can't find."
"There's such a small group of suspects," said Julian, "but I can't think of why any well-to-do lady would stoop to poisoning Lucas' guests."
"I was always crap at motive," said Alex, making a face. "People are harder than runes and magic."
"That's why you had Lapointe," Julian pointed out quite sensibly. "She'll be here soon enough."
"I don't know," said Alex with a sigh. "This entire evening feels like one ominous opportunity for more tragedy."
"Pet your cats, you dramatic brat," said Julian with a soft laugh. "It's only dreadful if you bother to dread it."
Alex laughed at that and felt himself starting to relax. "Maybe two dozen nobles will actually obey for once and stay in their rooms until morning?"
"Miracles could happen," replied Julian, sending him the warm feeling of a soft, encouraging kiss through their bond. They were both too trapped by the cats to actually kiss, but it was close enough.