Chapter Text
What do you mean you can't send it over?! I'm her relative, it's my right!" Manfred yells
Everyone in the background who walks around remains silent and actively avoids looking at him.
Tyrell and Byrne exchange concerned glances.
"It's a waste of time, but there's no other way. I'll leave for Berlin immediately," then
He hangs up.
Taking a huge sigh he holds on the wall for support.
"How....how is this possible,"
The two approach him, to which he immediately snaps back at them.
"I'm not in the mood for company,"
Tyrell stares him with a hand his hip,
"They can't send information about the VK-1 incident can they?"
Manfred doesn't respond, instead choosing to cross his arms and squeezing, almost as if looking like he was thinking.
"What I don't understand is....why don't you have information about the VK-1 Incident, and who do you know that does-"
"Did you not hear me? I said leave me alone!" He snaps with more venom, enough to make Byrne jump, and Tyrell gets defensive.
"I'm not trying to fight you Manfred, I just want clarity," Tyrell reasons,
"Yeah right! The three of you became so close these past couple days, I'm sure you care,"
Tyrell gets annoyed and snaps,
"Hell yeah I care! I've been trying to make sense of this crap since day one!"
"Well if the three of you are so close, why don't you get information out of her!"
"If she knew, you think we would be asking you!"
Manfred clenches his teeth at this remark.
"Truly a despicable woman. I should've known I couldn't trust her. Looks like she's got you wrapped around her finger too,"
This statement throws Tyrell off and he flares defensively at Manfred.
"What's that supposed to mean?" He asks, clearly agitated.
Manfred chuckles condescendingly.
"Don't act dumb. We both see the same woman every day. Surely you can guess the impact this whore has on the policemen,"
"Don't you dare talk about her that way!"
"And why not?! Isn't it the truth! (Snap fingers) if Helga hadn't been sent here as a trap, then why didn't she know that her husband knew Chrys!"
Tyrell looks down at the ground for a little bit, lost in thought. He shakes his head.
"I'm sure there is a good reason for that. We already know that their marriage isn't stable," Tyrell reasoned.
"Bah! As if that fact were true as well. She married a defense attorney! She is a prosecutor! Chrys was there when the Chief of Police died, and Kris Kringle simultaneously knew him. The events are too close for this not to be an act!"
"What could she possibly gain from this? She got sent to JAIL because of that man!"
Manfred crossed his arms to think,
"Perhaps this is all sort of sick kink that they enjoy?"
Tyrell gets annoyed and moves to retaliate but Byrne stops him.
"Tyrell, this isn't helping us...not at all!"
He calms down instantly when he hears this and begins to take deep breaths.
"Let's....let's just change the subject shall we. You know more than what you're telling us,"
"No. I think I'm telling you exactly what I DO know, which is NOTHING!"
"How can that possibly be true?! Your father was the Chief Prosecutor! He even presided over that case!"
"JUST BECAUSE I'M HIS SON DOESN'T ME HE TELLS ME EVERYTHING!"
Tyrell remains silent as he watches Manfred regains his composure. From his shout, his usually neat and organized hair was disheveled and he found himself breathing hard. The two other men don't make a move asserting that they weren't going to move any time soon.
When Manfred realized they had no intention of leaving, he straightened his hair and took a deep breath.
"The VK-1 Incident occurred 5 years ago. During that time I was studying in Germany with my sister. I remember one day receiving a phone call from this very district-"
His mind flashes to when he was answering the phone while his sister was drinking tea.
"They told me my father had died. Not only that, but he was murdered,"
He looked back to his sister who sat down her tea and gave an angry look.
"We rushed to this country to get answers. As if they thought that simply telling us our father was murdered was going to be enough to satisfy our confused hearts. What happened to him? Who did it? And why? I remember my sister grabbing me by the arm as we marched to the then Chief of Police's desk at the time,"
Victoria burst through with her brother by her side. The swinging door hit a guard policemen that had the gall to try and stop them. After letting her younger brother go she slammed her fists on the Chief's desk.
"Who do you think you are?!" She asks with a stern voice.
"Ms. von Karma I ask that you calm down!" He begs.
"Calm down?! You want the US to calm down! You just told us our father was murdered and you won't even tell us why?!" Victoria retorts.
"How on earth did such a foolish fool end up in your position?!" Manfred asks, furious.
"I promise you we will get answers, we just don't have them right now!"
Victoria points at them.
"That alone is more proof of your incompetence! The Chief Prosecutor of this district is dead and here you are sitting down doing nothing!"
"Like a foolish fool!" Manfred adds.
"We're taking over this case, thank you very much! And we'll be taking your detectives!"
At this the Chief of Police stood up to stand his ground.
"Now you just wait a second! You can't just march in here and give me orders!"
Victoria scoffs,
"Oh no?! Funny how the Chief of Police is detesting immediate action to finding the truth of a convicted killer. Especially when the victim is someone like the Chief Prosecutor of this district. I would think that someone, especially in your position would do anything to ensure justice was served to those in power. Unless, this investigation is an inconvenience to you somehow," She smiles at the last remark upon seeing the Chief Appa Leisman sweat.
"I'm right aren't I? Now let me guess how this impacts you, is your reputation correct?"
"Insolent girl! You know nothing!"
Manfred steps up,
"How dare you talk to her that way!" He says insulted.
Victoria shakes her head and wags her finger.
"Eule Eule, do not let this fool ruffle your feathers,"
He hates it when she treats him like a little kid. And he blushes at the comment.
"I obviously hit a nerve, which means I'm close to something. Say, Mr. Leisman, this wouldn't happen to have anything to do with your family does it?"
The Chief began to sweat bullets which Manfred quickly noted. He crossed his arms in disapproval.
"I want full control of this investigation!"
"....yes ma'am..." Conceded the cowardly policeman.
They strutted out of the office victorious in getting their investigation underway. Manfred relished the memory.
"It took less than two hours to find the criminal," He says to Byrne and Tyrell as they listen closely.
"It took a day to catch the fiend, and 5 minutes for the trial to end," Manfred reminisced.
"My sister....she did everything in her power to find the man. I always looked up to her for that, but little did I know that the trial was just a minor detail to a bigger story,"
Tyrell places his hands on his hips.
"Tell us about the man who killed your father. Did you ever discover why he did what he did? From what I've heard he was just out for revenge from a case that closed a while ago, but I never knew if it were true or not,"
Manfred smirks,
"Of course he was killed out of revenge. This nameless individual was upset about the verdict my father made a while ago. None of us remember the details, because it wasn't important, and leave it to my father to be killed as a martyr for standing up for what he believed in. Being perfect no matter what," Manfred smiles proud then looks down.
"I could always count on him for that. But what was important isn't who the killer was, it was who he was associated with," Manfred finished.
"You mean there was an accomplice?" Tyrell asked.
"Yes. My sister realized that there was no way this fool could have killed him by himself, and the timing of his death couldn't be more beneficial than for the defense attorney he was facing against, which whom we thought at the time was-"
"Nicholas Saint," Byrne and Tyrell say at the same time.
"Everyone in that trial went under a different name. The only identity I knew at the time until today was Winston Payne. The Judge and Kris Kringle's were a mystery,"
"I remember Winston telling us that your sister traveled the world to find the defense attorney. Surely she updated you on her progress?" Byrne states.
Manfred closed his eyes and crossed his arms.
"No...she didn't,"
The two men look at him confused.
"She never thought I was ready. She insisted that she go alone. For my 'protection' she'd say. Whatever that meant. She had me stay in America and start prosecuting by myself while she puts her career on hold looking for the mastermind behind our father's death,"
"So then, maybe we can contact your sister? I'm sure she has made progress in her investigation, after all it's been 5 years," Byrne reasoned.
Manfred's gaze turned sorrowful for a brief second before he spoke in his usual stern attitude.
"My sister....is dead,"
"OOOOG!" Tyrell groans in shock.
"Oh my gosh! Manfred I'm so so sorry!" Byrne is equally shocked and sorrowful for Manfred at the same time.
"Bah! I don't want your stupid pity! I want answers! I spent my entire life looking up to that woman, only to hear that she committed suicide!"
"She did what?!" Byrne says even more shocked.
"Is there nothing that doesn't shock you?" Manfred says annoyed.
"Is there nothing that doesn't bother you?! Come on, that's your family!" Byrne replies shocked.
"Family or not, she doesn't matter anymore. If her death is by her own hands she has disgraced the von Karma name," Manfred says with a sad expression.
Tyrell begins to sweat bullets.
"Manfred.....I think I'm going to regret saying this....but can you tell me about your sister and how she died?"
Manfred seems to calm down and crosses his arms.
"A real feminist that one,"
He closes his eyes and sees a picture of his sister.
Long black hair that was wrapped in a high bun with two strips of hair that fell to the side of her cheeks. A purple long Victorian dress and a white cravat right above her chest that was highlighted in the amethyst diamond shaped stone at the top.
Eyebrows were sharp, like her brothers, but she didn't have his strong cheekbones. Truly a beauty, but her entire presence gave off an untouchable aura.
"Never gave in or up. A truly dedicated prosecutor and co mentor for me of sorts. What father didn't teach me, she did. Her entire body screamed at the prosecutor even if the men of this country and Germany didn't think so. It wasn't easy getting a name for herself, she had to fight constantly. She worked twice as hard father ever did in order to get credibility in this country, and triple that to be recognized for the talent she is. She only moved to Germany to find more leads on father's killer, but even then she never faltered in her work. She has gained so much respect in her work they had to start calling her Kaiser," Manfred mused, snapping his finger when he finished.
"You seem to look up to her a lot," Byrne comments.
"I did," he replies
And still do
"She was everything I wanted to be and more. She saved me. No one knew her like I did, and to find that she killed herself in such a way-"
"Wait! In what way?" Tyrell asked.
"By her own cravat. The investigators found a suicide note next to her body. All detailing the reason she died. Which happens to be for a male defense attorney,"
Byrne could've sworn he heard Tyrell say
"Shit!"
Manfred's gaze turned more desperate and afraid.
"Tell me! Why? Why am I hearing that she gave it all up for him?! A male defense who was married? Does she seem like that type of person throw away an entire career that she worked her entire life for, for a someone not even worth the dirt on a homeless man's feet,"
"....do you think it's true?" Tyrell asks with a raised brow.
Manfred is taken off guard by the question.
"However, do you mean?"
"If all this stuff is so unbelievable, especially to you? Do you believe this to be true?"
Manfred crosses his arms to think.
"If I'm being honest. No...I knew my sister better than anyone, and she would never do anything like that! Never! Not over a man!"
"Then we better look into this more. As long as there is a sliver of doubt," Tyrell explains. His demeanor was calm in contrast to his earlier expression.
He shook his head sadly.
"You were right Manfred. We really need to talk to Helga. Come on Byrne," he says gesturing towards his partner.
Byrne looks down sadly and takes a big sigh.
"Yeah. Let's go," he says, sadly.
Manfred watches them go in a defeated manner, but as they get smaller in the distance he feels hope.
"Perhaps her honor can be salvaged," he subconsciously thinks, hopefully.
Meanwhile Tyrell and Badd walk back to the interrogation room only to be greeted by Ernest Amano, nervously counting his dollar bills.
The man quickly acknowledges the two's presence.
"The door's closed for the moment. Gant and Debeste are having an interrogation with Helga," he says nervously.
"It's good we can wait. While we're here we have a few questions to ask you," Tyrell replies, taking out his notebook.
"Hmm, an interview with me? Whatever for?" Amano asks with a raised brow, not expecting something like this at times well...like this.
"It's about you and Manfred. You two are close no?" Tyrell asks.
Amano smiles.
"But of course. We've known each other since childhood. I know everything about him, and he knows everything about me,"
"That's good to know...Say, what do you know about his sister Victoria,"
The moment he said her name Amano's demeanor changed from content from good past memories, to sad and depressed.
"Oh I see....you heard of her death haven't you,"
"Well, more like found out. Up until this point a lot people thought she was still alive,"
"Well, that part could be Manfred's doing I suppose. It was such a shock to him, me as well. And he always despised pity,"
"So we've gathered....have the two of you met?"
"Multiple occasions of course. Such a fine woman she was. Both to the eyes and as a prosecutor. Taught everything Manfred knows,"
"Would you say she was an attractive woman?"
Amano grows confused once more, showing it clearly on his face.
"...why? I hardly think you can court a dead woman,"
"This isn't about courting. I just want to see what type of person she was like. It helps for our investigation,"
Amano shakes his head with uncertainty but nonetheless answers him.
"She was a type of woman who would command attention when she stepped into a room,"
An image popped into Amano's head of her stern demeanor.
"A serious one, she was. Solely focused on her craft that is prosecution. She hardly had time for anyone except her brother,"
"She sounds like a busy woman. Did she ever mention a boyfriend?"
If Amano had been drinking he would've spit it out.
"Heavens no! No, no no! That woman?! Oh my gosh!"
Tyrell stepped, taken from surprise.
"Okay damn you don't need to be so dramatic about it?!"
"That woman was notorious for her hatred of men! Wouldn't go near me! In fact the only exception I could think of would be-"
"Manfred and her father," Byrne and Tyrell say simultaneously.
"So you see how crazy it is that she might be in a relationship. With a man that is," Amano whispered at the last point clearly hinting to something.
Tyrell rolled his eyes.
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"Well...I don't want to seem crass, but I feel the reason she hates men lies within attraction ,"
Byrne shrugs,
"So...she's not attracted to men?" He asks, slowly catching on.
Amano nods slowly while Tyrell clicks his tongue annoyed.
"Oh come on there's no proof to that,"
"Oh yes there is. Just ask anyone who's ever seen her! Besides, it's the only explanation I can think of why she'd turn down someone as fine as me," Amano says, adjusting his outfit.
Tyrell and Byrne looked at him like he was crazy, but rather than point out the discrepancy within his own statement, they decided to take his advice.
"Understandable, we're gonna go now," Tyrell gestures, as they walk backwards away from the rich gentleman.
Just as they were walking away, they encounter Kris staring out a window, while the chaos seems to continue outside of him. Before approaching to talk to him, Tyrell got a good look on his face, and it was as depressed as ever.
He seemed to look out the window in a somber-like mood, almost as if the single tree and the little patch of grass outside reminded him of something.
When Kris closed his eyes he imagined a little boy, a small thing that shared his white hair color, only that he was shorter. It is long enough to have a little ponytail in the back, but not short or thick enough to hang on the side like Kris' hair. His skin was just as pale as his father's, showing the little dirt that came onto his clothes; shorts and a puffy shirt with a long white collar that had black stripes at the bottom, accompanied by a black large bow.
As he climbed up the tree, Kris came running after him. The boy fell into his arms and Kris kissed his cheek. Helga came in behind them giving both of them a kiss, while leading the both of them inside the house. They fade from window view and Kris sees his current reflection again
finished
Exhausted.
Bags under his eyes, hair neat, but slightly out of place. His whole expression gave the impression that he was just crying. After taking a deep breath he took out of his pocket a little locket that contained a picture inside. It was of him, Helga, and their son. All smiling. All truly happy.
He smiles gently at the memory before taking another sigh.
"Come on out, I know you're there," he says, losing his smile quickly.
His depressed demeanor returns as he faces the two men.
Tyrell crosses his arms,
"Kris Kringle. Just the man we're looking for,"
The attorney rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.
"What do you want?"
Byrne stepped up angry.
"For starters you can drop the attitude! We're here because of you! It's not the other way around!"
"I'm just doing my job, it's not fault you can't find evidence,"
Tyrell and Byrne both begin to sweat at the remark, acknowledging the truth behind that statement.
"But all that aside. Did she tell you?" Kris asks, dropping his arms.
Tyrell placed his hand on the side of his hips.
"What was there to tell? You two met, fell in love, it fell apart, and you two aren't together anymore,"
"...our marriage, isn't what is on trial here,"
"We'll decide that. We looked into the VK-1 Incident as you requested, and wouldn't you know who was the defense attorney in that trial 5 years ago,"
When Tyrell finished Kris began to sweat nervously as he clenched his jaw.
"The prosecution's office is thinking about having her removed. They're trying to link up her involvement in this case, to you which could have legal consequences. But of course you knew that," Tyrell scolded.
"I'll tell you everything you need to know. Just know that she's innocent,"
Tyrell got out his pencil and notebook and began to jot down some notes.
"For starters, what's up between you and Helga?" Byrne asked, straightly. He crossed his arms as he asked.
Kris looked away.
"We had a fight....she's really angry with me. I'm just....trying to make it right,"
Tyrell crossed his arms.
"If that's even possible. You drove a woman to suicide," he criticized squinting his eyes is frustration.
Kris did not look surprised.
"So...that's what she told you?"
"Are you trying to say that's not what happened?" Tyrell questioned,
He simply shook his head.
"It is the truth in a sense. That's only because she doesn't know the full story. She can only tell you what she saw with her eyes, but it has been cruelly mislead,"
"Enough with the poetry! What are you trying to say?"
"She's been deceived...by Victoria,"
Tyrell and Byrne looked at each other concerned.
"What's the relationship between you and Victoria?" Byrne asked.
Kris raised his eyebrow in a 'are you serious' fashion. He quickly regained his professional demeanor.
"If you knew her, you wouldn't be asking that question,"
"From what we've heard the two of you are acquainted, what's that about?" Tyrell asked.
Kris scoffed.
"The woman blames me for what happened to her father,"
"Do you have something to do with that,"
"Come on. Even if I did, did you really think I'd tell you?"
"You're right, that's a stupid question. Why don't you tell me this? How was Helga deceived by Victoria,"
Kris looked away and held onto his shoulder.
"I don't have enough evidence...to tell you the truth. You must talk to Helga,"
Tyrell became annoyed.
"This is so stupid. I'm so sick of these riddles, why won't you just tell us the truth?"
"Trust me, you wouldn't believe me even if I told you," then Kris went back to gazing outside.
Tyrell looked at Byrne solemnly for answers, to which the prosecutor merely shrugged. Tyrell placed his hands back into his pockets.
"Want to check back in the room?" Byrne asks
"We don't really have much of a choice. I'm not sure anyone else knows Victoria here, and we're no closer to finding the truth,"
"You think they're done with the investigation?"
"Who knows, better to check anyways,"
"....Tyrell I'm confused, who should we talk about Victoria?"
Tyrell closed his eyes and weighed his options.
"Let's talk to her last. Remember, her father was the Chief Prosecutor. There's no way Blaise or Gant doesn't know her. They could probably give us more info, than Helga's willing,"
"Willing?! Why do you say willing?!"
"Helga didn't mention a lot of stuff in her story. And that's our fault for not investigating further. We're not going to repeat that mistake. Come on let's go,"
Byrne followed Tyrell as they headed back to the interrogation room. As they walked Kris stared back at them with a sad expression.
As assumed, the interrogation was over, and they stood outside the doorway Damon and Blaise.
"How'd the investigation go?" Byrne asked with a raised brow.
Blaise scoffed as he pulled out his lighter.
"Tch, nowhere! Helga denied everything. And we didn't exactly have evidence to disprove her claim, so we're just gonna keep a close eye on her,"
"Is it really worth it, trying to get Helga guilty by association? She didn't exactly do anything wrong," Byrne defended.
"I suppose not, but it doesn't change the fact that her husband has close ties to this case," Blaise replied, not looking at him.
Gant looked sadly down.
"It doesn't really matter what we do, this case keeps getting more and more confusing,"
"Please tell us you have more progress than we do," Blaise says now flicking with the lighter more often.
"Somewhat. We're connecting loose ends. I just need confirmation....do you guys know anything about Victoria von Karma?"
They both looked up shocked.
"We never physically met, but I did know OF her," Gant says while playing with his hair.
"Victoria von Karma...oooh just the mention of that name makes me so mad!" Blaise says as his lighter goes up in flames.
His mind goes back to the dark purple haired woman.
"That woman was a maneater, and I don't mean that in the fun sense. She was notorious for her hatred of men,"
Tyrell and Byrne exchange glances.
"We already knew that part...but...was she ever in a relationship?"
Gant shook his head.
"I've never heard of her being in one,"
At the same time though Blaise says,
"I'm sure she was in a relationship. I know that for a fact,"
They both looked at him confused.
"How are you so sure?"
Tyrell crossed his arms judgmentally,
"Are you just saying that because she hates men?"
Byrne shakes his head in disapproval.
"Just because she hates men, doesn't automatically make her a lesbian,"
Blaise just smiled smugly.
"Oh please, believe me when I say I have evidence. And her hatred of men have nothing to do with it,"
"We're all ears Blaise," Gant says while clapping his hands.
"It was a couple of months ago. 6 actually now that I think about it. She was letting me know that her brother was coming back to America. At the end of the conversation I could've swore I heard giggling in the background,"
Tyrell raised a brow.
"So? Could've been Manfred-"
"AAAAAAAAA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The both of them laughed simultaneously.
"Manfred? Giggle? What a joke?!" Blaise says as he falls over, while Gant continues to laugh.
"Come on now! You know he has no sense of humor!" Gant replied.
Tyrell blushed and looked to the side.
"Damn....they're right," He says, gritting his teeth and hiding his eyes with his hat.
"But who was the woman? How could you even tell it was a woman?"
"Look, I'm not going to beat around the bush when I say this, but with the way Victoria acted around the woman, it just felt like they were too close to be friends. Don't quote me on this though," Blaise says,
After finishing writing in his notes Tyrell put it in his pocket and placed his hands on his hips.
"Thank you, that was very helpful,"
He moves his hand to his cap to cover his eyes.
"I think...we've got it from here. Will you let us in the room?"
Blaise nodded, and Tyrell and Byrne walked inside meeting Helga who was sitting down.
When Tyrell looked at her, it seemed as though she was lost in thought. She was playing with her hair, turning it into neat braids before undoing them, just to do them again. She didn't acknowledge them when they entered the room, almost as if she couldn't hear them.
Tyrell cleared his throat.
"Helga,"
She was suddenly snapped out of her state and looked at the two.
"Oh! Tyrell Badd and Byrne Faraday,"
She stands up and curtsies.
"Forgive me, it appears I was in another world,"
Tyrell didn't reply at the remark and Helga quickly realized something was wrong.
"I'm guessing something went wrong in the investigation?" She guessed with a serious face.
Tyrell nodded,
"You could say that. There are some things that are just not adding up when it comes to your story that I'd like to clear up as quickly as possible,"
Helga nods, understanding the intent.
"I understand, I have nothing to hide,"
Tyrell scowled as he pulled out his notebook.
"Yeah, we'll see about that,"
Although Helga heard his reply, she did not retaliate.
"What is it that you would like to know?"
"I want to hear more about your husband's 'affair'. Especially about the woman he had an affair with,"
Helga sweats when she hears this.
"A-and what does th-that have to do with anything?"
"You tell me?" Tyrell replies.
Byrne switches from looking at Helga to Tyrell, with a concerned expression.
"There's not much to tell really. She obviously knew my husband, and he lied to her. Now she's dead,"
"You seem really confident that YOUR husband lied to her, and the other way around. How did you know that she didn't know her husband was married?"
"I don't follow,"
"Let me rephrase. How did you know that your husband lied to her,"
"Well...when I confronted them. He was on top of her,"
Her mind flashes back to the incident in which the woman's arms were wrapped around her husband's neck. Kris' hands were firmly on her waist as he looked at Helga with a horrified expression, the purple lipstick smeared across the side of his cheek.
"She seemed to be shocked that Kris knew me at the time. That's how I drew that conclusion,"
Tyrell paced around her, putting his notebook and pencil behind his back.
"That's an odd conclusion, don't you think? Some random woman has her hands all over your husband, and you don't twice about confronting her? If you asked a hundred married women, what their response would be if someone had their hands all over their husband most would be mad at both, not just one,"
Helga scowls.
"How childish of me to blame the main woman. She's not the one I vowed to, my husband was,"
"There you are again. You just called her the main woman? Why would you come that conclusion,"
Helga begins to sweat again and looks away.
"I remember the talk we had at the Detention Center,"
"Had I known there was another woman in love with him and he reciprocated I would've left. It's not ladylike to keep another woman from love,"
Tyrell stops pacing and looks Helga dead in the eye.
"You barely know this woman, yet you were so sure that she was in love with your husband,"
Helga doesn't reply, instead she stays silent looking down.
"I think the misconception was that Byrne and I believed you did that because you're a naturally forgiving person. But now I think that's not the case. Now I think you know this woman, and you know her well,"
Helga took a deep sigh and threw her hands gently to her side.
"Well, if you know so much. Why don't you tell me who this woman is?"
Tyrell crosses his arms before giving a response.
"Victoria von Karma, obviously,"
Byrne gasps and he begins to sweat too.
"Wait a God damn minute! Her?! THAT'S the woman who slept with your husband!"
"Shut the fuck up, Byrne!" Tyrell whispers in response.
Byrne shakes his head.
"No! I-I-I don't believe it! Helga! Do you know who she was?!"
Helga nods,
"Of course I did. She was a kind and strong woman,"
The two men looked at her in shock.
"She's often misunderstood, but that's because most men refuse to bother with her. I guess they were intimidated by her. She really was an amazing person,"
Tyrell's mouth drops as he holds his hand up in disbelief.
"Oh my god! Are YOU the one that had the affair!?"
Helga put her hands on her chest.
"Heavens no! What made you draw to THAT conclusion,"
"Let's be honest here! If I really knew that woman and I mean REALLY knew you wouldn't be talking about her like that!"
"Oh...so I give a woman a genuine compliment and suddenly I'm a lesbian is that it?"
Tyrell looks down, actually pondering his chain of thought.
"Let's talk about this rationally. If I were a lesbian and I did love Victoria, why would I kill her? What would I gain?"
Now it was Tyrell's turn to sweat.
"Well, perhaps you were jealous?! Yes! You must've been jealous that this woman obviously has some place in her husband's heart and that tore you up inside!"
Helga shook her head slowly.
"I never bore ill will towards her....and I can prove it,"
There was a folder on the desk and in it was a signature. It was her divorce paper...dated October 2nd
As Tyrell and Byrne continued to read the letter, their eyes widened in shock. According to the document, Helga didn't request for any money, aid or alimony and even left custody for their son to Kris. It had a specific note that she would like to discuss custody or visiting rights later.
In the next document, it talked about Victoria's death, October 3rd.
"You left Kris, before Victoria died,"
Helga nodded, then she braided and unbraided her hair again.
"Yes....I didn't tell you a lot about my story. Mainly because the more I describe it, the more idiotic I sound, but since that's the truth....I....,"
She gave a heavy sigh.
"After I ran away with Kris, I got drunk and then I got pregnant. I really really wanted to believe that he married me because he loved me, not just because I was pregnant. Those few years I lived in ignorant bliss as my husband took long work trips to help pay bills. I didn't think much about it, or that he had someone waiting for him in another country. As long as he was happy I didn't ask questions. I didn't need to,"
Tears fell from her overwhelmed cheeks as she continued to braid her hair.
"It was a lot harder to become a prosecutor than anything. Mainly because no one believed I could do it. They knew my husband was a defense attorney, and you probably assumed what that would mean for the prosecution. I was so isolated there I couldn't stand it, that is until Victoria,"
Her mind flashes to the woman.
"I don't know, there was something about her. She saw me, and we clicked one day. I never really had friends, not really long term like hers. While my husband was away she would be here we would talk, then when he came back she would have to leave to take care of her younger brother. I didn't think about it. I never thought much of it. In my head I thought 'I finally had a friend',"
"Didn't you tell your husband about her?" Byrne asked,
"I did, and he didn't say anything. Not anything important at least,"
"Was it Victoria that did all the talking?" Tyrell asked.
Helga nodded.
"She would talk constantly about her fiancé back in America. His name was Nicholas Saint,"
They both begin to sweat at the mention of the name.
"The defense attorney in the Last VK-1 Incident," The two men say simultaneously.
"That's how you knew that Kris deceived her! Victoria claimed that he was her fiancé, just under a different name," Tyrell says shocked.
"But why?! Why didn't you tell us this earlier?" Byrne asked.
"I didn't know how," Helga confessed.
"When I was hired, I wanted to get away from it all. Start off with a clean state while quietly settling the dispute with my husband. It didn't matter to me what job I got just as long as I could afford to chase after Kris. But then I found out that Victoria's younger brother was Manfred, my boss! Not only has my existence drove her to suicide, but I'm going to further disrespect her family by working her brother. I am such a despicable being. I didn't want him to find out who I was so I didn't mention any of it to him. I certainly didn't want you two know, you who already have such low views of me,"
"Why would you think we have low views of you?" Byrne asks.
"I don't know how to do anything," she confessed.
"From the moment I was a little girl I was trained to be a wife. His wife,"
She stops playing with her hair and cries while looking empty.
"I never knew anything about the outside world, and I never learned to be independent. I just can't seem to shake him off. Kris I mean. I love him so much, and I feel like such a fool for ever believing than I was more than what I was made for,"
"I sent that divorce paper to salvage whatever ounce of dignity I had left. I feel like I did it as some sort of retribution for giving my life to a man only for him to betray me. Please, please don't tell him about my feelings. Allow me at least that much,"
Tyrell took a huge sigh.
"We won't," they both say together.
Tyrell’s brows furrow.
"I'm sorry, but things still don't seem clear. How did you know that Victoria killed herself for Kris,"
"...her suicide note,"
"Her...oh, Manfred mentioned that," Tyrell says, beginning to sweat.
"The day that she died, the police called me to the station. They told me how she died, but were of course cutting some loose ends. Our...interaction didn't go unnoticed. Anyways they let me go because several people saw me leave, but I still remember that note. She was talking about how sad she was when Kris didn't turn out the man she wanted him to be, and how felt like she couldn't face her brother for putting through everything,"
"She mentioned Manfred?"
"I suppose so,"
Tyrell finished writing in his notebook, but then he took a grand pause. This disturbs Helga.
"Something still bothers you, what is it?"
"Everything. I cut off all the liars from my list. You being one of them since you have no reason to lie. Nothing seems to be adding up. I thought that if we perhaps talked about the VK-1 Incident. I'm wondering if I'm wrong,"
"Then let's take a step back and start from the very beginning...on October 25th the Chief of Police died and on that day Chrys Anthemum was there. We learned from the Last VK-1 Incident that Judge Raize presided over that case," Byrne starts,
"Kris, Judge Raize and Grossberg have to have something to do with each other because they are the ones that stole our portrait," Tyrell explains
"And this all goes back to the VK-1 Incident?" Helga asks.
"Yes...Victoria has to know more about it than we do. She didn't even bother telling Manfred," Tyrell replies,
"She didn't? I'm shocked! Are you sure?" Helga asks while sweating.
"You're shocked? Why?"
"Well...it seemed as though they were very close. It felt like she told him everything,"
"Everything that she told Manfred or everything that she told you?" Byrne asks with a raised brow while crossing his arms.
"You believe that Victoria had malintent?"
"It wouldn't be hard to believe. Helga your the wife of the man who killed her father. Knowing those von Karma's vengeance wouldn't be hard to believe," Tyrell says,
"You don't understand. She wanted revenge, just not on him. Whoever he claims to be,"
"...the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Tyrell asked, upset.
Helga looks away.
"It's....not my story to tell, "
"Oh my God, another fucking riddle!" Tyrell says in angry disbelief. Chuckles at least once before slamming his book shut.
"You're not gonna help," he sighed disappointed.
Helga looked down, accepting his answer. The two of them leave without saying a word. Byrne gives Helga a sorrowful look before following Tyrell.
"She's hiding something. I just know it! I don't have the mental capacity to go through this again," Tyrell says as he paces around the hallway.
"I don't think she was lying," Byrne says, holding his chin.
"How do you know that?!" Snapped the detective his tone cold as ice,
"It doesn't feel like she has anything to gain," Byrne meekly replied
"What if she's conspiring with Kris somehow and needs a scapegoat? What if she and Victoria had an affair and are trying to ditch him? What if Helga deceived both of them?" Tyrell continued, stopping his pacing momentarily.
"Do we have evidence to support that?" Byrne says growing a serious face,
Tyrell took a deep breath.
"No, we don't have evidence. We don't have anything, and that's what's bothering me. We just don't know. It feels like we're just finding new pieces to an already complicated puzzle,"
Byrne places his hand on his shoulder.
"You're confused, I'm confused, you want answers, I want answers, we won't get them if we go into panic mode,"
"I don't know what other mode to go in. If I had a cigarette I could go off of that. We have so little time,"
"I know it feels like we're just getting involved into someone else's drama, but we won't know all the answers until we figure out what exactly occurred during the VK-1 Incident,"
"No...it's not the VK-1 incident itself. It's its aftermath that causes problems. We know all that we can from that case. But some people don't have it resolved. At least I don't think so...." Tyrell pondered.
"You know, I think it's finally time we talked to Kris about this,"