When The Snow Falls

Daniel heard the mysterious figures stand up and went to turn his head and was stopped by Felix's lips on his.

"Don't you dare look around," Felix whispered. "They know exactly what we look like."

Daniel knew he was right. Carter Emberry was likely to be dead as the result of his mystery solving, they didn't want to end up the same way just because he wanted to look at the suspects.

He returned Felix's kiss and waited for the two people to leave. It was a nerve wracking wait. He could feel the sweat dripping down his forehead.

"They seem to be gone," Felix said a few minutes later. "The only people here now are families and that noisy group of girls."

"I'm sorry for endangering us," Daniel said. "I wasn't thinking."

He was fortunate that Felix had stopped him. If those two had spotted them, they would be in danger.

"I'm also sorry for kissing you without permission," Felix replied. "I just wanted to stop you without appearing suspicious. If they did notice us, we're just a couple of tourists that like public affection."

Daniel patted his leg.

"It's okay. The aim was to not be recognised as two students of the British International School. I think we succeeded."

Felix sighed and leaned back in his seat.

"So much for a date that has nothing to do with the mystery solving."

"Who would think villains came to theme parks…" Daniel commented. "It's been helpful though. Our visit to the clubhouse went unnoticed- we know that now. They have Lily Emberry followed as well."

Neither of them mentioned the threat.

Daniel glanced at the table they had vacated. They were two cups of tea and one had a pink lipstick mark. If only he could take those cups to the Police. As he was thinking that, an employee came and picked them up. He frowned, he didn't like to lose evidence.

"Do you think there's CCTV here?" he asked.

"Like we've got access to it," Felix answered. "I've got an idea though."

Daniel watched as Felix sprang up and approached the employee. The Japanese was too fast for him to follow so he waited for Felix to come back.

"What did you ask her?"

"For a description of those two customers."

That was something that Daniel hadn't thought of doing. He really was glad that he was dating Felix.

"What did they look like?"

His boyfriend grimaced.

"They were both wrapped up in coats and were wearing hats. The woman was wearing hot pink lipstick and everything she was wearing was hot pink. She didn't speak when they were at the counter at all. The man might have had grey hair and was tall. He spoke very good Japanese."

Daniel analysed that information. It was promising in some ways, but didn't tell them much at the same time.

"Do you think they work at our school?"

"They've got to," Felix said darkly. "The lady I spoke to estimated the woman to be in her fifties and the man to be much older. We're in the right time frame for six years ago."

The older mystery solver tried to put it all together. The man had been well spoken and his voice was an authoritative and articulated one.

"Do you think the older man could be the headmaster?"

"It seems like it," Felix agreed. "We need to get a rough idea of what the headmaster looks like."

Daniel struggled to come up with a way of achieving that. The headmaster's name wasn't known, he didn't appear in any of the school's promotional material, how were they going to find out.

"Wait, he's still in the business world with a company- we know that from what he said. There must be people who have an idea of his name."

Felix nodded.

"I think we need to have a word with Amien. He definitely knows something."

***

The couple were on the subway intending to go straight back to the apartment when Felix's phone started to ring. Daniel looked at the name when Felix took his phone out of his pocket.

It was Lily Emberry.

Daniel knew they certainly had a few things to tell her.

The train was too noisy to hear what she was saying to Felix, he had enough trouble hearing Felix speak. He waited impatiently for the phone call to end.

"What did she want?" he asked once Felix had put his phone away.

"To meet as soon as possible," Felix explained in a tense whisper. "She gave me her address. We're getting off at the next stop now and getting another train."

The next stop proved to a busy destination and Daniel didn't enjoy the constant flow of people shoving. As someone with short legs it was hard to see where he was going. Fortunately Felix knew what he was doing and led the way to another train that wasn't as packed.

Their journey ended outside a very plush looking apartment block in a different residential area of Tokyo. Daniel couldn't help but think that the Earl would live somewhere like this if the Entwhistle family moved to Japan.

"This place is fancier than the one we live in," he commented in the lift.

"I'm not a child of a third generation conglomerate," Felix commented dryly and poked him in the side. "It's not fair to compare."

They soon reached the correct numbered door and were let in by Lily Emberry who was wearing another pink dress, this one was much simpler and less frilly.

"Sorry for the detour," she said with a weak smile. "I didn't want to say it over the phone."

She led them into the sitting room and offered them tea. Felix sat politely on the sofa whilst Daniel looked around at the room. The photo frames on a low table in the corner had caught his attention.

There was a family photo of the Emberries outside an airport and he realised it must have been taken before the move to Japan. Carter didn't look overly happy and Daniel frowned. The photo frame behind it was much older. Carter and Lily had rounder faces and were with a woman dressed in hot pink and Mr Emberry. The other photos were from school plays and various birthday parties.

"I see you've found the photos," Lily commented when she came in with a tea tray. "I like to have them around to remind me."

"Did you go to a private school?" Daniel enquired. "The school plays look like they had a high budget."

Lily laughed. "You definitely saw the Shakespeare play photo. I designed the costumes and my aunt supplied the fake blood- she was a doctor and demanded medical accuracy. She always wanted to be a teacher and that was her way of being involved with a school."

"Is that the woman in all the birthday party photos?" he asked.

"That's right. She was quite a part of the family. I got my love of pink from her," she said. "Anyway, enough of the past. I have something to tell you."

Daniel accepted the cup of tea she was holding and came to sit down next to Felix.

"I went around to my parents' place this morning for elevenses. It was awkward as usual. I went into their bedroom on my way to the bathroom and I found my mother's diary from 2013."

"Did you manage to read it?" Felix questioned sharply.

Lily sipped her own tea for a moment.

"...I found the entry for the day he disappeared. It says that he texted Mum to say he was staying late for the Mystery Club after school and he never came home."

It was as Daniel had suspected. His disappearance was definitely tied to what the Mystery Club had been investigating.

"They called the Police around midnight. The Police couldn't find him anywhere. Then it says that TB came to see them and said to call off the Police if they wanted to know where Carter's body is."

Lily's hand began to shake around her teacup.

Daniel was stunned to finally get confirmation that Carter Emberry was dead.

"The entries after explain everything. This TB told them they would never get to have Carter's body to bury if they did anything to investigate," she paused. "...That's why they never appeared to have done anything. That's why they won't tell me anything…"

"Did you find anything else?" Felix asked gently.

"They're waiting for this TB person to weaken and give up the location. That's all I found out before my absence got suspicious."

That certainly explained their continued presence in Japan and why people assumed they were waiting for their son to return to them.

"Do you have any idea who this TB person could be?" Daniel was keen to know.

Lily shook her head. "Nope. There was something crossed out before it. It seemed like Mum wanted to write something else first. The TB clearly means something to her."

"Thank you for telling us that," Daniel said to her. "It's been very helpful. We have something to tell you as well."

"You're being followed around by someone in the employ of the perpetrators," Felix informed her. "It seems to be long term as well."

"Bloody hell, why?" Lily demanded."Why would they need to do that!?"

That was a very valid point. Whilst Lily had made them uncomfortable by going to enquire at the school about Carter, there wouldn't be a need to have her constantly followed.

He felt there was a clue in it somewhere.

***

The mood on the way back to the apartment was very subdued. Daniel's mind was trying to piece everything together and work out the significance of Lily in the affair whilst Felix just didn't speak.

The silence was broken in the entryway of the apartment block. Daniel pressed the button for the lift and Felix cleared his throat.

"Daniel."

Daniel turned back to see Felix standing behind him with a serious expression on his face.

"Yes?"

This was probably the part where Felix told him that they should stop investigating. He waited for the words.

"I think we should carry on. I'm not happy given that we now know for definite that Carter Emberry is dead. I think we should continue for justice and for everyone suffering in this case."

He held out his hand and Daniel accepted it with a smile. He had chosen the right mystery solving partner.