Theodore stepped into the study, the last of the rain shaking from his fedora as he pushed the door shut. He was a man out of place, his dark, weary clothes a stark contrast to the opulence of Reed Manor.
"Theodore, welcome."
The Baron greeted, a small sly smile on his face.
Theodore did not reply to the greeting, his eyes sweeping over the children gathered before the fireplace, taking in their youthful faces, their wide, nervous eyes.
"Who are they? Where did you find them?"
the Baron said, a thin smile on his face,
"these are... investigators. My greatest assets. They will aid you in the investigation"
Theodore's gaze lingered on each of them for a moment, taking in the quiet defiance and nervousness in their faces. A profound weariness settled over him. He faced the Baron again, his voice dropping to a low, defiant tone.
"You're involving children in this?"
"I'm involving my most... capable assets,"
the Baron replied, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Do not see them as children, Theodore; see them as a solution to our problem."
Theodore looked at the children, then back at the Baron, his shoulders slumping slightly. He simply nodded, his eyes were no longer challenging, but were filled with a quiet, weary understanding. He had seen enough of the world to know what the Baron meant.
Meanwhile Briar, unable to stand the tension any longer, spoke up, pointing at Theodore's direction, her voice quiet.
"Who is he, Baron?"
The Baron didn't answer directly.
"Theodore is our consultant. He is... experienced."
He turned back to Theodore.
"You have heard the news. The explosion,"
he said, turning the conversation.
"Any leads?"
Theodore's posture shifted into a more professional one. He wasn't a man to be trifled with, not when there was a job to be done.
"Hardly anything to work with. But an explosion of that magnitude in one of your facilities... I'd say it's an attack, most likely."
He looked at the Baron, searching his face.
"Any identified enemies?"
"None I can think of,"
the Baron said smoothly, his expression unreadable.
Theodore thought for a moment, his gaze shifting to the crackling fire in the fireplace.
"Still, we will have to be very careful."
He turned back to the Baron, .
"You have other warehouses?"
"Two,"
the Baron confirmed.
"Full of expensive automobiles."
"Move them,"
Theodore said.
"And put those locations under strict surveillance. Also, I would advise you to evacuate the Manor. Just in case."
The Baron nodded, a faint smile on his face as he considered the detective's counsel.
"Wise. I will move the automobiles to a safer location. As for the Manor... I will evacuate with my family for the time being."
"Where would you go, Baron?"
Charolette asked, her voice clear and precise.
"I own a decent house on the border of Reed,"
the Baron said.
"I will stay there with Carolyn and Cecilia. You will come too, Charolette."
"What about us?"
Corbin's voice, quiet and measured, cut through the discussion.
The Baron's gaze settled on the children.
"You'll live with Theodore for now. His home will serve as your base of operations."
Theodore's head snapped up, his eyes wide.
"What?"
he blurted out.
"Baron, I already have a family to feed! What am I supposed to tell my wife when I come home with..."
he paused, counting the children in his mind
*One, two, three... four, five... six, seven, eight.*
"eight more mouths to feed?"
The Baron, seeing the conflict on his face, reached beneath his desk and pulled out a worn, leather suitcase. He placed it on the desk and clicked the latches open. The sight of the neatly stacked Orn bills was enough to silence Theodore. The money, a fortune, was more than he had ever seen. His posture straightened, his eyes wide and hungry, his previous objections forgotten.
"Half a million orns,"
the Baron said, his voice soft.
"For their care. You can keep the rest as your pay."
"I... I will,"
Theodore stammered, his eyes fixed on the money. His defiance was gone, replaced by a greedy eagerness that made him seem smaller.
"I will take care of them. The investigation will be done with great care."
He took the suitcase from the Baron and turned to the children, already moving toward the door.
"Let's go. Get your things."
"And Theodore?"
the Baron's voice stopped him again, cutting through the silence.
"Don't starve them just so you can have more money for yourself."
The children's reactions were instantaneous and telling. They were about to be given off to a stranger who might starve them.
"I won't,"
Theodore mumbled, his face red with a mixture of shame and annoyance. He looked at the children, then at the suitcase.
"Good,"
the Baron said, dismissing them with a wave of his hand.
The children followed Theodore out of the study quietly. As they walked, a single thought echoed in each of their minds: they were doomed. Their lives, once in the hands of the cold Baron, were now at the mercy of a greedy stranger.
The Baron was now alone with Charolette in the study.
He watched them go, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. When the door clicked shut, he turned to Charolette.
"Begin preparations for evacuation,"
he commanded, his voice cold and emotionless.
"Yes, Sir"
Charolette replied before leaving to what the Baron had ordered.