Entry 27

Shirleigh leaned against the brick wall of the Palace. The collar of her coat shielded her face from the violent wind. Her scarf was wrapped around her neck in a way that resembled a necktie, while stylish, it was effective against cold weather and allowed her to cover the lower half of her face.

While she had initially left the flat in a fit of anger, her thin eyes expressed no such emotion. Not at all. Her contemplative countenance was hidden from passers-by but our consulting detective was actually in deep cogitation. Over just the past month, so much in her life had changed and it gave her a lot to think about. It felt as though this was the only time she was finally able to slow down and have some time to ruminate. She began to wonder if this was how Miriam felt constantly running from place to place.

As people walked up and down the sidewalk, Shirleigh witnessed most of them smiling and waving at one another when a sudden pang struck her. Had she been too hostile toward Juniper just a few moments ago? Why had her emotions erupted in such an aggressive manner toward someone she...cared about...? Shirleigh cared...about Juniper. This was the first time she was realising this fact for herself.

With a sudden start, Shirleigh removed herself from the wall and reached for the Palace doors beside her. She didn't mean to blow up over something so trivial as a family photo. There was a good chance Juniper would have found out sooner or later but that wasn't any reason for the harsh words. Knowing Juniper, she would more than likely forgive Shirleigh without as much as a second thought. This made Shirleigh wonder if she was worthy of having someone like Juniper in her life.

Her daze was interrupted, however, when the doors opened before she could grasp the handles. Mr Hudson stood before her looking rather distressed.

Not a word was said and Shirleigh had already pushed past him making her way to the staircase but nothing could have prepared her for the grim sight inside the flat.

Juniper lay still on the ground, her back facing Shirleigh's direction so that her face remained unseen which was probably for the best. The pool of blood was enough to make the usually placid detective freeze in place. It was difficult to say what she would have done if she had seen Juniper's face as well.

Walker was knelt beside Juniper and it was apparent that they had finished rendering first aid.

"She's lost a lot of blood," they stated. "She's got a weak pulse and she's unconscious. I did what I could to stop the bleeding and called for an ambulance. They should be here soon."

Shirleigh had stumbled backwards bumping right into Mr Hudson who had just caught up to her. Inside, a scorching fury had been ignited. Her blood boiled and there was a noticeable change in her demeanour as she clenched her fists by her sides.

Shirleigh was known for solving crimes and this one would be no different.

Her eyes scanned the room searching for any clues that may have been left behind in the perpetrator's wake.

"Andrea..." Walker whispered more to themselves than to anyone else.

Shirleigh had been silent the entire time not making even the quietest of sounds. There was nothing scarier than a quiet rage.

She had reluctantly stepped towards her companion before reversing her action. Putting her foot forward again, she steeled herself and approached her motionless partner. Walker moved aside as Shirleigh knelt beside them.

Juniper's expression was tranquil and she appeared peaceful despite the brutal wound she suffered mere moments ago. There was a pallor to her skin but one could make out the trail of a dried tear.

She had curled herself up into a fetal position, her body's attempt to retain body heat, no doubt. It was painful to think that even the heat from the fire a few feet away wasn't enough to keep her warm but it may have been sufficient enough to keep her alive. Her head lay atop her arm, which was outstretched toward the kitchen's entryway. Her fingers were curled almost as if she were making a fist and it caught Shirleigh's attention.

Shirleigh reached out and gently took Juniper's hand into her own noticing how they lacked their usual warmth. She carefully unfurled Juniper's fingers revealing a delicate charm on an even more delicate chain. The charm itself was golden and resembled something of a flower. The end of the chain had a jump ring indicating that it was previously attached to something.

Shirleigh clenched the charm in her fist and rose to her feet.

"Shirleigh—" Mr Hudson stood in the doorway leaning against the frame.

"Call my sister," was all Shirleigh said before she brushed past him and descended the stairs.

»»————-　♔　————-««

 "We're on in five."

A young girl holding a bass guitar twirled a section of her hair around her finger.

"Is everyone ready?"

Two other girls, one wore a headset and the other had drumsticks in her hair. Between them stood a taller member who clutched a violin in their grasp. Shirleigh was completely unrecognisable as she donned an outfit worthy of a rock band such as The Irregulars.

She sported a black wig that was styled with intense spikes and had dyed her eyebrows the same colour. Her clothes consisted of a black leather jacket with silver accents and biker shorts that were covered by a dark purple shirt she had asymmetrically tied around her waist. Gold chains were attached to the jacket and strung in a way that mimicked the shirt's draping. She had completed the look with a choker and earrings that were adorned with silver spikes. The bold, black eyeliner would have made her eyes look larger if it weren't for the expression she wore.

Two days had passed, and Shirleigh hadn't said a single word to anyone about what had happened in the flat. After she had left, an ambulance came and swiftly took Juniper to the hospital for proper care. Miriam had arrived at the Palace yesterday evening after receiving a summons from Mr Hudson, at Shirleigh's behest and was staying at Juniper's bedside. Juniper was recovering well but was refusing to let Shirleigh in to see her.

Miriam spoke with Shirleigh outside the hospital building before The Irregulars' performance and while it would seem that her younger sister was listening to what she had to say, Shirleigh's mind was elsewhere.

Now she stood among the rock band she had employed as her informants preparing to track down a crazed princess.

Walker looked at Shirleigh with concern as they stood with their electric guitar strapped over their shoulder. Walker was known to come across as apathetic but they were very in tune with emotions. They had attempted speaking with Shirleigh backstage but to no avail. At the last minute, Walker had changed the band's lineup to more of their aggressive songs in an attempt to give Shirleigh an outlet for her feelings.

After being called onstage, each of them made their way to their respective positions and gazed out into the crowd.

The girl with the bass guitar, Sterjne Johnson, waved to the fans down below. She was known to be particularly friendly and was usually the one to carry conversations at meet and greets. She had been a past client of Shirleigh's having been saved from doing jail time for drug dealing. Her life made a turn for the better and ever since she joined The Irregulars, she has found a new passion for bass and acquired new friends. She does whatever she can to help Shirleigh out.

Miren, the lead singer, was more of a shy character, often concealing her face with her curly brown hair when she was onstage. While she often got stage fright before shows, she would seemingly turn into a different person when given music to sing along to belting lyrics with intense fervour.

Brittany, a transfer student from America and the band's keyboardist, is definitely the sassiest of the lot and is the epitome of prim and preppy. The clash of aesthetics in her outfits is her most recognisable feature and has sparked fashion trends in the States.

Catherine, the drummer, was the protective friend of the group. Whenever the band was swarmed by the press or paparazzi, she was usually the one to fight them off. Her personality and stronger build were often enough to deter those wanting to snap unwarranted photos but everyone knew that she was soft inside much like a coconut known for its hard outer shell and softer inside.

Shirleigh scanned the masses for anyone who may appear to be a threat. There were multiple cameras situated around the stage to capture different angles of tonight's concert. Near the entrances, security guards resembled gargoyles standing watch over a church.

It would seem that she would have to wait for Ichiro's stalker to show herself. For the time being, she would have to bow the strings of her violin for those who came to see the performance.

»»————-　♔　————-««

Miriam giggled to herself as she watched the television on the wall in the hospital room.

"What is it?"

Juniper was situated upright in her hospital bed and had been pecking at the cornish pasty on her plate. Her hair was tied up into a bun. Without Shirleigh around, she was unable to sport her favourite French braid. Her skin was a bit lighter in shade than usual but all in all, she had made quite the recovery.

"It's just..." Miriam smiled. "...I love seeing Shirleigh's different ways of disguising herself."

"Huh?" Juniper leaned forward but returned to her original position when she felt a sharp pain in her side where her wound was healing. "Is she there? Onstage?"

"Mhm," Miriam pointed at the screen. "She's the one with the electric violin."

"By Jove, that's Shirleigh?" Juniper exclaimed, nearly spilling her tea. "I would have never been able to tell! I wasn't aware she had an electric violin..."

"Oh, it's not hers," Miriam told her. "She usually borrows it from one of the band members. She has always expressed wanting one but..."

Miriam shrugged in a nonchalant manner. Shirleigh's mind was always on the run, so it came as no surprise that she often forgot about her own wants.

"She doesn't use a lot of technology, I wonder what the appeal of an electric violin is."

"Because they look cool," Miriam told her.

Juniper smiled to herself.

"If you don't mind me asking," Miriam started. "Why won't you let her come see you?"

Juniper opened her mouth to say something but closed it. She clasped her hands together as her face turned a shade of pink, which may have been the most colour she's exhibited since the stabbing.

"I..." she started, attempting to hide her face. "...I don't wish for her to see me like this... I am not entirely sure why. I do feel as though if she saw me, she may feel a bit of guilt...?"

Miriam's head tilted to the side in an inquiring manner much like how Shirleigh tilted hers when she was thinking. It was interesting to see the behaviours and similarities they shared.

"We...had a bit of a row a couple of nights ago..."

"A row? What happened?

"I found out something that she wasn't quite ready to tell me yet..."

Miriam perked up slightly, her eyes widening but then her shoulders relaxed and she sighed.

"Oh, so you know then..." Miriam tugged at the blanket on the bed. "I feel as though she would have told you sooner."

"Well, sometimes people want to keep some things to themselves..." Juniper thought about her prosthetic and how she wasn't a fan of talking about it. "...Especially if it's so personal and something they would rather leave in the past... I'm not upset with her in the slightest. In fact, I feel like I said some rather bitter things..."

"You are something else," said Miriam smiling. "You are such an incredibly kind person. I begin to wonder if anything upsets you."

Juniper let out a bashful laugh as she twirled a strand of her bangs around her finger.

"It was nice of you to visit, by the way," Juniper said. "Did you have some business to attend to back here?"

"Yeah..." Miriam turned her face back to the television concealing her expression. "You could say that."

Juniper lifted her teacup and gazed at her reflection in the liquid.

"I think you should let her see you."

"Hm?" Juniper looked up but still only had a view of the back of Miriam's head.

"You should let her visit soon."

"I will." Juniper watched her partner on the screen and was overcome with a strange sense of longing. "I will..."

Miriam figured that Juniper wouldn't make anything of her suggestion but there was certainly some urgency behind her words. She couldn't help but think that Shirleigh might do something irrational, which was quite ironic given her sister's modus operandi. However, Miriam saw something in Shirleigh's eyes that she hadn't seen in a long time.

A fire.

»»————-　♔　————-««

Uproarious applause sounded through the venue as The Irregulars' opening act came to an end.

The members waved and thanked the fans as they prepared to exit. Shirleigh wiped the sweat from her face as she caught her breath. Suddenly, her attention was drawn to someone who came through one of the entrances. A young woman with black hair and bluntly cut bangs showed her phone to a security guard as another checked her bags. She had a thin figure especially compared to those who allowed her entry.

Shirleigh watched the woman squeeze through the crowd to reach her place in the front row. She spoke with the others who stood beside her, occasionally nodding and laughing, more than likely talking about the main performance coming up. She turned her attention to the stage and locked eyes with Shirleigh just for a moment as she made a heart shape with her hands and directed it toward each of the band members.

She did it.

Shirleigh's eyes were locked on to the mystery woman making her stop in her tracks. The woman noticed her gaze and stared back in confusion. The intimidating expression on Shirleigh's face made her shrink into the crowd a bit.

Ichiro, who was about to make his way onstage noticed Shirleigh frozen in place. He stepped forward to call out to her and immediately took a few steps back.

Sterjne walked back out onstage and placed a hand on Shirleigh's shoulder.

"Give it up one last time for our killer violinist!"

The crowd applauded as Sterjne walked Shirleigh backstage. The detective never tore her eyes away from the woman in the front row until her line of sight was obscured by the curtains offstage.

She was the one.