Case No. 5
BARISTA: THE AUDITOR
CAFE: NONE
DATE: EARLY DECEMBER
RECEIPT ID: ATD-01
I am currently en route to Requiem once again. It has been four months since my last visit. When I was last there, the Requiem team was still investigating Ms. Sandiego's presence on (or under, I suppose) the lake, and were conducting some information gathering from locals. They learned that Behram's ghosts (Ursula's ghosts? I'm not quite sure who has "custody" as it were…) had been ferrying illicit goods to Ms. Sandiego via Mr. Fenimore. This critical connection was made in part thanks to Mrs. Montferrat.
Mrs. Montferrat is now dead.
I know, I know—Mrs. Montferrat was already well on her way to an early grave with how many Double Shots she would drink. In fact, she had been known to split a sandwich with Behram on occasion and that alone could be seen as a type of death. Undeath? I'm not here to split hairs about those who partake in Behram's contractually binding cuisine. Besides, this is not like that. No. This is nothing at all like that. Mrs. Montferrat is dead, and she died behind a Teal Door.
Teal Doors, to put it mildly, are not a common cause of death even within the Coffee Trade. To be put behind a Teal Door, to die in a Teal Room—that is death of the highest order. That is a death of body, mind, and soul. A complete and total death. Removal. It is outlawed in all circles of the Coffee Trade. Even the Astorians abhor it and that is saying something. Of course, they abhor it perhaps because they cannot control it. Again, Teal Doors are not a common cause of death. Of the people who could orchestrate such a death, there are very, very few. And two of those few just so happen to work at the Cafe and Diner: Requiem. Requiem who investigated Mrs. Montferrat just a few months ago. Requiem who has an employee who was taken advantage of by Mrs. Montferrat.
This had better not be what it looks like.
Caffeinated Report: CD-ATD-02
"Ring, Planets, Innings, Cat Lives, Arachnids, and Reindeer."
Research and Cipher | 2 Words
Caffeinated Report: C-ATD-03
"Of Potters, and Sailors, and Drivers, and Gamblers."
Angelology Trivia || 1 Word
Caffeinated Report: CD-ATD-05
"June ⛌ 13th"
Research | 2 Words
Caffeinated Report: C-TBR-14
"Sunday, Sunday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Today."
Celebration Trivia | 4 Words
Caffeinated Report: C-TBR-15
"Color me surprised, not asceticism nor persecution."
Theology Trivia | 2 Words
BARISTA: THE AUDITOR
CAFE: NONE
DATE: EARLY DECEMBER
RECEIPT ID: CAD-07
I pulled some of Requiem's other cases for this report because, well, I didn't exactly have time to do a thorough job, did I? Don't Despair, Case No. 5 is still in my top 5 of 5, even as far as Case No. 04 is concerned. At least Ichabod and Katherine's latest experimental recipe tied in well enough, don't you think? And the evidence they uncovered is rather striking. Wouldn't it be nice to stay and sort out this mystery before being dragged back to home base for… what? The new "artist" in a flat cap? Or is there some other pressing matter Jack needs me for? If he pulled me merely to berate me, I might have to give up this whole Auditing business then and there. I've been around for far too long to worry about playing by some imaginary rules Jack pulls out of his ass on the spot.
I am getting ahead of myself, aren't I? I should at least wait to see what Jack wants before I get too far in my own head about what might be more important than some Teals, Ambers, and, I suppose, "Azures." What do you think an Azure Room does? Kills, possibly. Azure is not that far off from Teal, all things considered. Ah, but then do the "colors" actually mean anything or are they arbitrary to us lowly employees of the Coffee Trade? A problem for Requiem to sort out in my absence.
If anything Requiem could call upon the aid of Midnight, as they are roughly in the area due to the Mangrove Syndicate's growing sphere of influence. Jericho's mistress might know. Ah—I should probably compile my October cases regarding that matter as well. But, God only knows if I'll have the time for that depending on what work Jack throws at me. I wonder… could there be a connection between the Syndicate and what lurks beneath the lake? Or is it all connected by the same singular thread of the terrifying, terminal Nil?