Untie My Silence Knot - [Beatrice/Bertrand-G-Investigation]

[Optimism is my Phil-osophy]

Chapter 5 - L, you forget things easily!

My next stop was in the banking district. This time I used a taxi to get there. I went straight to Mulctuary Money Management. I needed to deliver something to Mr. Poe. I had prepared that document more than 2 years ago. That was my new testament, along with B.'s new testament. B did not know nothing about that. I had falsified all the signatures myself, including the witnesses. That was one of the skills that VFD taught me, which was tragic irony in a way. I only fully understood the meaning of inheriting a fortune being in VFD after my parents died.

- The money is not really yours ... - My tutor said - not even the mansion is really yours. You are a volunteer. The money and the mansion belong to the organization. You just need to take care of them.

- I understand ... - I said.

- You cannot have many servants to take care of the mansion, because otherwise it would be misuse of the organization's resources. I'm not forcing you, but the organization's suggestion is that you have three children.

- I'm only 14 ... I want to get married and have children with a certain person, but I don't think I'm ready for that yet.

- I'm not telling you to get married now ... But you will need to choose well who you are going to marry, B. In any case, you will only receive the money when you turn 18.

- Yes...

- In addition, you will need to think about your future children. They will be responsible for saving the organization's money when you and your husband die.

- What if they don't want to join the organization?

- You have to convince them B.

- But what if they still don't want to?

- In that case, you will need to make a will, and in this will you will have to exclude them as heirs and choose someone from the organization to be heir to your fortune.

That rule was repeated to me a few times, and B knew it very well, and agreed with it. When K was born, we decided that we would not allow any of our children to enter VFD. I even stopped singing that song for V. Me and B decided that we would train our children to be successful even without the money I inherited. I also would not force them to do so much housework. B and I took care of that, while K and V developed their skills as a researcher and inventor.

But I didn't expect to stop being with them anytime soon. I'm sure B will continue to take care of them, but what if something bad happens to B while they are still children?

After coughing a lot, Mr. Poe started talking to me in his office.

- Glad you changed that, Mrs. B. I never understood why you were giving all your fortune to Mrs. A.

- I added some details, I mean, Mr B and I added some details involving the safety of children.

- Don't worry, Mrs. B, if something happened to you two, I would be the person who would be most concerned about the safety of your children. I've already met them, and I know how adorable they are.

He then coughed again. It is strange how lately I felt more comfortable with people who are not VFD than with people who are VFD.

- I will keep this new will in a very safe place, inside my top hat.

- I am very grateful.

I returned home by taxi. B was in the mansion's maintenance tasks. V came to me with a drawing of a project that seemed to be magnificent. But my mind was so full, I couldn't concentrate. I went straight to the kitchen to prepare lunch. S just watched me while I cooked, and occasionally asked her to open one of the cans.

- Gezi?

- I went to the banking district, S.

- swim?

I smiled.

- Yes, I passed Fountain of Victorious Finance. The fountain seemed to be quite appetizing.

The hours passed and soon we were already at the table. I looked at B, who was wearing his favorite maintenance outfit. He was especially handsome that day. He grinned at the kids over lunch ... Every meal with him was really fun for the kids. And for me too. There is no better person to look after the children than B. He is the best father in the world. And I will be the worst mother.

The afternoon came. My next assignment would take place at home. More specifically in the library. I found K there, and as usual he was reading.

- Will you read with me, mom?

- I will need to read some things by myself, K. Did you see the library catalog?

- It's in my room. I'll get it for you, mom.

I quickly found the book I needed. "Botanical poisons and their applications". I had used this book more than 4 years ago, but I couldn't easily forget about its location in the library.

I left a note for K: "Thank you, my son. I found the book I was looking for, I will read it in my room".

But instead of going to the bedroom, I took a flashlight and went to the secret tunnel below the house.

Drawing up a plan in that tunnel was something that brings back bitter memories. About 13 years ago, L and I stayed there devising a plan to steal E.'s sugar bowl. The organization was a mess. B was on an overseas assignment, and I needed to stay at home looking after V, who was still a small baby.

As soon as we sat down on the tunnel floor, L said:

- I forgot to bring my flashlight.
- You are presumably dead, L. You need to be careful with your material. You can't just go into a store and buy tools.
- Well, we could have met in the living room ... That table seems to be appropriate.
- I think not. I don't know what the neighbors will say if they see a dead man talking to me as they look out the window. And even more so without my husband being at home.
- Does this have anything to do with the incomplete puzzle on the table? You love puzzles, B.
- No more than you, L ... But what's the plan?
- You will need to meet her at a certain restaurant during afternoon tea. I will be there.
- It looks simple.
- If E finds out, we'll be dead.
- Simple things can be dangerous at the same time ... Like us here in the dark.

Now I understand that L really should have brought his flashlight. I'm still not sure why I didn't let him meet V that day.

I found the information I needed in that book. Now I was going to need to make a night visit to the Royal Gardens.

[Dante]

Well, Jean Lucio, you know I disagree with you about the world you've constructed; but setting that aside, within that world of your creation, you write out your plot compellingly. I admire your attention to detail in particular - the forgotten flashlight in particular, though I am always happy to see any acknowledgement of material from the BBRE. But probably the most interesting aspect of the story to me is Beatrice's introspection, your view and her own view on her psychology.

[Optimism is my Phil-osophy]

Please don't lose interest! This is a fanfic, after all, and it doesn't exactly represent what I believe has happened.

[Hermes]

Did something I said contribute to this episode?

Anyway, it is very dark story, showing neither B nor B, nor VFD as a whole, in a good light. But I'm fascinated to see what is happening.

The sugar bowl was stolen only thirteen years ago? Of course, your interpretation of the masked ball throws many of our normal conclusions about chronology into confusion.

Mrs A is J? I guess B is now leaving her money to the children, despite their not being in VFD (with disastrous consequences, of course).

[Optimism is my Phil-osophy]

Well, something you said some time ago really contributed a lot to this whole fanfic, Germes. I don't think you'll remember, and I won't say it before the end.

[Optimism is my Phil-osophy]

Chapter 6 - L, you wouldn't understand

I should have asked L directly those 12 questions, when we met. I tried to convince myself several times that I had forgotten to ask. Then I tried to convince myself several times that this was no longer important. Then I tried to convince myself that it was better not to know the answers. After all, if he didn't answer me there must be a reason. Maybe he just ripped my letter up in an impulse of anger ... But I can't imagine L doing that. But I also can't imagine him without answering that letter. And after that, still having the courage to appear here ... How could he have had the courage to do that without answering those questions?

I went back to the library and got my copy of Ivan Lachrymose - Lake Explorer. I opened it between pages 302 and 303 and took a card that was given to me by L. I never really understood what L had done while in Stain'd by the Sea. But whatever it was, now it was time to collect some favors in his name.

I didn't find B at the mansion for the rest of the afternoon. The children were busy with their affairs, and it was soon dark. B must have left, because I didn't even see him in his room. I checked if he was in the secret tunnel, and not. The car was still in the garage. If he left, it must have been on foot, by rental carriage, or by taxi. That was awful. I couldn't go out and leave the children alone.

I decided to call Violetta.

I talked to her about the plant I had found.

- Do you have the antidote at the hospital? - I asked.

- Yes, we do. Are you sure you want to continue with this? 

- Yes, I am. It is now or never.

Then, I decided to call the Royal Gardens, since I couldn't go there at the moment. The business hours of the woman I was going to talk to should end soon. I asked the operator to call Miss K., chief scientist at the Royal Gardens.

- Miss K?
- Yes. It's her.  But K was my maiden name. I got married recently.
- I'm calling to ask a very important favor.
- Who is talking?
- Unfortunately I can't identify myself. But we have a mutual friend named L.
- And what would his last name be?
- Snicket.
- I'm sorry. I don't trust phone calls.
- C, I have in my hands a card given by me by L. L told me that if I gave you the card, you could do me a favor.
- What kind of favor would you want me to do?
- I need you to find a certain plant there for me.
- Which plant?
- Conium maculatum.
- This plant is in the Poisonous Pavilion .. No sample of the plant can leave here.
- If this plant could be legally removed I would not need to be charging you a favor in the name of L.
- Bring the card here. If it is really true, I will help you. But I want you to know that L is helping you to commit a crime, whoever you are.

I heard the noise of B coming.

- I have to turn off. Please wait for me at the entrance around 10:30 pm. Tonight.

B came into the house. I went to greet him.

- Where have you been, dear? I was worried about you...
- Are the kids in their rooms?
- Yes, they are. Way?
- I don't want them to see their mother making up a lot of lies to justify that.

He brought a file of letters. It was my file of letters that L had sent me.

- So you went to E.'s house. I don't understand ... He promised that he would never show this file to anyone but me.

- It seems that your brother also breaks the trust that others have in him. It must be a family problem.

- I am not going to lie B. I couldn't get rid of these letters. You know me and L had a story together. As much as you want to undo this story, you can't go back in time and erase what I lived with him.

- I'm not talking about the past B. If you love me, burn those letters in the fireplace now, in front of me.

- I will not do it. But that doesn't mean that I don't love you!

There are some things in the life of an actress that are difficult to understand, unless you are an actress, a actor or if you live in a constant disguise. My secret was to write about it. I hate to write that it didn't work for me. I no longer knew what was pretending and what was real. But I knew that the tears that started to fall in an amazing volume of my eyes were real. I wanted to shout something but I didn't know what words to shout! From the bottom of my heart a feeling gradually materialized in the form of words. The words were "Forgive Me, please". I started to sob. Who was I trying to apologize to? To B? To L? To my children? To O's Father? To my parents? To myself?

I never wanted a hug as much as I did in that moment. But nobody came to hug me. L was not there, as I did not marry him. My parents were not there because they had died. My kids were sleeping, because I couldn't be honest with them about how I really felt or what my life was like. My friends were scattered around the world on dangerous missions. And my husband ... My husband didn't come to hug me even though he was in front of me.

I wish my parents were alive so I could call them to ask for help in my marriage. I didn't want them to have been murdered for being involved in VFD. I wish I had spent time with them and not gone far, and not even being able to say goodbye to them. I wanted to go to a normal school, fall in love with normal schoolmates, and be disappointed like any normal girl. I wanted to choose who to marry, and I wanted to have a normal marriage. I wanted to have normal fights with my husband. I came to the library, got my commonplace book from the secret drawer. I came to the tunnel and wrote this record of the latest events. I'm going to call a taxi and meet with C. I'll leave it behind this brick, which is a secret compartment in the tunnel. I don't know if anyone will ever find what I wrote here, but I hope so. My life became a big knot. Now I'm going to control something for myself.


Confidential. Note to the Archive. Please add this writing to the Snicket File. Preferably on page 9. - J.

[Optimism is my Phil-osophy]

PS - The story is not over. I will begin a sequence that will serve as an epilogue, and will not be narrated by Beatrice. (Not exactly)

[Optimism is my Phil-osophy]

Chapter 7 - Lemony, please answer me.

Getting out of the mountains and back into the city was more difficult than I thought. I realized that I am really going to need money, especially at that moment that I had left behind the last valuable object I had left. The only clue I had was what Lemony Snicket had said before leaving the mountain region: "I'm in the mood for a root beer float."

I researched where the best root beer float in The City and got to a very small cafe. The only thing I could do was to offer my services in exchange for any information. I had already collected a lot of information about Lemony Snicket.

I had obtained a copy of each of the books he had published from T.B.B., the first, to the last he published, T.C.C. (I acquired the idiciochrasia of referring to each of the books using only the initials). Lemony Snicket was still showing a very high knowledge of what happened to my foster parents, but of course it is a lie that they helped Count Olaf to set fire to that Park. My parents would never have done that. Just as they would never have stolen that librarian's keys. I vaguely remember some of the things they said, and they definitely did nothing morally wrong even when going through difficult situations, and they definitely didn't set anything on fire, because they are noble people.

But Lemony Snicket had never answered any of my letters. I also didn't know how he could do that ... I don't currently have a permanent residence. I went to the barista and ordered a root beer float, and promised that I could pay him through my services. He asked me something about me being nice to my mom. I was honest with him. I didn't know my birth mother, and my foster parents were missing, and I was looking for them. He must have felt sorry for me, because he offered me a job and a place to sleep together with his sister. I started working at Cafe, from Monday to Friday. I saved some money. Lisa was an excellent roommate and we became very friendly.

After a couple of months, one night, I saw customers with strange clothes arriving at Cafe. One dressed as a bank clerk, the other as a duchess (but evidently someone in disguise). Another appeared to be someone involved in the publishing industry. One of the men pulled out an envelope with an eye symbol. I remembered Mr. Snicket's stories, as well as the written instructions left by Klaus. He wrote: "whenever you see an eye symbol associated with a group of suspicious people, or drawn on someone's ankle, move away." Well, this was no time to be obedient. So I infiltrated the group pretending to be a disguised waitress.

When the Duchess asked me my name, I replied "Beatrice Baudelaire". They were surprised, but accepted me immediately, as if my name was some kind of code. The banker started telling a long story that I don't remember until he picked up a book called The Pony Party. Each of us received a copy, and the meeting ended quickly. When I arrived at Lisa's house, I started reading the book. My surprise was very great with the content. This was a collection of documents related to VFD and Lemony Snicket. Now my knowledge of the secret organization my parents were a part of (I think) had unraveled for me.

But I read something in Chapter 9 that left me very confused. The next day, when I arrived at Cafe, I asked the barista: "Two months ago on the day I arrived here, why did you ask me about my mother, if you are not a librarian?" To my surprise, the barista bent down and took an envelope. He said to me, "Before my father died, he told me that someday someone would come up and answer something like this after asking for a root beer float. He asked me to give that envelope to that person." I was very surprised. I went to the bathroom and soon realized that the content was a letter from Lemony Snicket to Beatrice Baudelaire. But the letter's content surprised me even more. And then I realized that I had found a way to communicate with Lemony Snicket and get him to answer my letters.

[Dante]

I really do think your strong point is your character psychology. You do a great, surprisingly subtle job on Beatrice's inner turmoil and longings; and I've always thought that young Beatrice was destined for disappointment.

[Optimism is my Phil-osophy]

Thank you! You don't know how long I waited for your Review! I hope that I can lead the story through the eyes of Beatrice Jr ... Because it is not over yet, evidently ...

[Optimism is my Phil-osophy]

Chapter 8 - Lemony, you are so easily deceived!

Dear Lisa,

I would like to tell you again how grateful I am to be supporting this investigation. I am also very grateful that you keep it a secret. Writing something that should be a secret on paper or recording a secret on an electronic device that records audio or video is a risky practice, but it has been done by so many people that I believe there must be a good reason for it. So I decided to write to you after so long.

I realized that the only way to get Lemony Snicket to write me back was if I pretended to be someone else. When I read Lemony Snicket's Unauthorized Autobiography, I realized that he did not know about my mother's death, since he wrote a note for her after the publication of some of ASOUE's books. That is why I delivered a letter to your brother, so that he would deliver the letter to anyone who answered the secret code that I discovered. In the letter I pretended to be my mom, and I hope Lemony will come to Cafe someday to receive the letter.

Lisa, please keep an eye out for any suspicious people who receive this letter. Your brother would never tell me the appearance of someone who receives or leaves letters, but I know I can count on your help. In the letter, I asked specifically where he was and where we could meet. So, I collected my money and came to Winnipeg. I needed to discover the meaning of the letter that Lemony Snicket left for Beatrice Baudelaire, the mother of my foster parents.

One of the sad things about my parents' story is that their mother and father were killed in a terrible fire caused by Count Olaf. At least, that's what they told me, and as I told you, they are noble people and would not lie to me. But I realized something important: maybe they were just wrong. Perhaps their mother had survived the fire. And maybe she knows where my parents are. I rented a small apartment in the Winnipeg center and went to the library. After a few hours of research, I found the book Winnipeg Mansions. There were beautiful illustrations, but I looked for the Duchess of Winnipeg's mansion. I soon discovered that it had been destroyed in a terrible fire, as described in Lemony Snicket's Unauthorized Autobiography. But what I wanted to know was the owner of the Mansion. She could give me more information. But unfortunately, she was dead. I looked in the old newspaper record about her death, and found that she had been murdered with poison darts. She left no descendants, and that is why her death had ended the dynasty of the Duchy of Winnipeg.

My search seemed to have been in vain. But I decided to go to the R museum, dedicated to telling the story of all the Duchesses in the region. The museum was very large, and had the most varied party clothes, crowns and rings. A museum pavilion was dedicated to showing the costumes used in the Masked Balls that happened from time to time in the mansion. My eyes focused on two of the costumes: a bullfighter costume and a dragonfly costume. It reminded me of what I had read in the book TAA. Lemony had tried to get over to Beatrice and tell her some information about Count Olaf. The sign below the bullfighter's outfit explained: "This costume was removed from a known arsonist who was captured in the last Masked Ball to take place at the mansion. The costume designer was never found." Well, I knew that was Lemony Snicket's outfit. But I found a clue on the sign below the dragonfly outfit. It said: "This outfit was worn by an unknown guest in the mansion's last Masked Ball. The Costume Delivery Company Inc. donated to the museum after the death of the last Duchess of Winnipeg called R ..." (Unfortunately the sign was so small that it did not fit the rest of the Duchess’s name). I wrote down the name of the costume rental company, and when I got to the apartment I called them. I pretended to be a reporter doing a report on the museum, and asked who had rented that outfit. The next day, I got the following answer: "We searched our records. Unfortunately the person who rented the clothes specifically asked not to be identified by name, only by the initial of his name and surname. B B. Apparently this was a common practice , and that's why we were able to rent so many costumes when it was time for those balls. "

Well, that didn't help me much, but at least now I knew that for sure there was at least one person with the same initials as mine. Or at least someone who is wearing these initials. Through Lemony Snicket's Unauthorized Autobiography, I knew that this Ball had happened after Lemony published TRR. But my investigation took over the next day, when I found out that Lemony Snicket had published another book a few weeks ago. I ran to the local library and bought the book entitled The Slippery Slope . That story was in agreement with what I remembered. My parents refused to use villainous methods to capture Esme. But what surprised me was a secret letter that Lemony wrote to his sister. This means that he had written for me, and that he had been deceived by me. I felt a little proud of myself. But now I will need to get back to The City as soon as possible. Apparently Lemony goes to a hotel that is there. I don't know the birthday of my adoptive parents' mother, but apparently Lemony is going to get there around that date. I hope to get there before him, so I could meet him in person. If I get there before him, I will try to find an item that he quoted in the secret letter that contains some information that he believes can clear him of the charge of being an arsonist.
Speaking of secret letters, I just had an idea. He wrote something in the letter he left for Beatrice ... something that is very enigmatic, but I know it means something important. "I will untie My Silence Knot too, I promise". This looks like a secret code. If I go back to writing to him using my own identity, I will write something like that ... I know it will be cruel, and that maybe it will make me mistake someone else. (And that's the goal, after all) But if I can get to meet him and then ask about my parents, all of this deception will be worth it.

I'll do everything I can to find you when I get to The City. See you later.

Best regards,

Beatrice Baudelaire.

[Dante]

Well, it's nice to see that Beatrice has a friend or confidant of sorts; and a plan, too, though I think I prefer the naive Beatrice of TBL. It's amusing to see the fan in her too, though, rushing to the library to get her hands on TSS as soon as possible; I still remember similar experiences of my own. I think Beatrice's reflection that her foster family might simply have been mistaken in their stories, wrong about their own history, is an important one; that for all people sometimes accuse Lemony of being an unreliable narrator, the Baudelaires have every reason to be unreliable themselves. One small thing I liked very much was the idea that a museum plaque might simply be too small to fit R.'s full name; how conveniently inconvenient!

[Optimism is my Phil-osophy]

Thank you again! Your reviews have been really meaningful and thoughtful. I hope you enjoy the next chapter!

[Optimism is my Phil-osophy]

Chapter 9 - Lemony, you are ...

[Dante]

...So this has not been relevant for a very long time, but I am deeply fond of false documents. One of my favourite aspects of the U.A. and TBL is the documents, one of my favourite parts of the books is the increasingly elaborate and increasingly damaged Kind Editor letters, I've even produced fanwork of my own which included personally-made false documents. So what you are doing here, Jean Lucio, is playing directly to my interests, and I like it a lot. I like that it's an actual letter, I like that we can only read half of it and have to infer the rest, and I appreciate that you went to the effort. Bravo. ...So far as the actual plot goes, it's interesting to see things moving along in a fairly dramatic fashion here, too; and I remain intrigued by the circumstances of Beatrice acquiring a friend. Her initial has not escaped me.