Skeletons out of the closet

[mancalledspade]

Though he hadn't had much luck with random manhunts through the mansion before, Spade was determined that, this time, he would find the man he was looking for. Prince Paul Maraloffski couldn't have gotten far, and if what Vera had said to him was true, he should be able to clear a few things up. And if not...well, that would be part of an answer

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[oilwithvinegar]

Prince Paul is sitting on a picnic table outside, taking apart the new gun he got from War and meticulously cleaning it, going over every part in detail. You can talk with him, but keep in mind that he's very dangerous--as if Sam didn't know that already.

[oilwithvinegar]

"The two of them have hated me for years. They're revolutionaries, and I was the personal advisor of the old tyrant. They loathe nobility, though Alexis is the Czar's own son. Vera came at me with a knife, I disarmed her and held the knife at her throat because Alexis then immediately came to her defense with a gun, and I have no doubt that he would have killed me if I hadn't taken her hostage. So I took her hostage to negotiate for the gun."

[mancalledspade]

Spade nods. "Sounds fair. So why stab her? If you believed she was going to kill you, why not slit her throat once he'd put the gun down?"

[oilwithvinegar]

"He wouldn't put the gun down. I stabbed her so that he would realize I wasn't bluffing, without having to kill her. If I killed her, he'd kill me. When he finally realized I was serious and put the gun down, he immediately pulled a knife and put it to my throat, so I stabbed her again and insisted that I'd gladly kill her."

[mancalledspade]

That was new, but an answer to a question that had been bothering him. "Alright. So then what?"

[oilwithvinegar]

"He finally realized I wasn't bluffing and dropped the knife. I'd rather have killed her and been killed myself than to let her go and then get killed anyway. He was bluffing and I knew it." Paul's relaxed a bit, and become more conversational. "So he let me go and dropped his weapons and agreed to bargain."

[mancalledspade]

"Right. I take it the bargaining didn't go so well."

[oilwithvinegar]

"I'm afraid not. I wanted assurance that Alexis, at least, would never try to take my life. He has slightly more of a scrap of honor, I'd never trust Vera's word on such a thing. He agreed to a week, and I told him I wanted it permanently, or I'd see to it that Vera wouldn't live out the week. He refused, and after giving him plenty of chances and assuring him I wasn't bluffing, I agreed to the week and stabbed Vera in the stomach. I wasn't bluffing, you see, it's bad policy. I am surprised she's still alive--either medicine has actually improved, or I missed."

[mancalledspade]

"It's probably the former. In this place, you never know what someone will pull out of their ass. So after you stabbed her, why shoot him? If you planned to kill him anyway, why bother with the deal?"

[oilwithvinegar]

"I had never planned to kill him, I would have preferred the deal. Alexis is typically a man of his word, if I'd had his word I would have been safer, and my enemies helpless to harm me. He would have been sworn not to hurt me, and in extension would have prevented Vera's attacks on me. So, he said a week, I agreed--having said before that if he gave me only a week I'd ensure that she lived no longer--and stabbed her. I let her go then, and took the gun that Alexis had set down, in case he attacked. I had kept my word, you see, so I told Alexis to come with me--that was the bargain, that he would protect me, like a bodyguard. He refused, and said that I could kill them both

[mancalledspade]

Spade stood. "No, unless there's anything else you wanted to say. You've been very... enlightening."

[oilwithvinegar]

"One last question, actually, if I may. I'm curious, which part of Vera's story didn't make sense?"

[mancalledspade]

"Nothing that was flat out impossible or contradictory. It's just her emotions about you made it a little...patchy, here and there, concerning your motives. No lies, from comparing your stories, but some things I didn't quite follow."

[oilwithvinegar]

"And what do you intend to do with us now?"

[mancalledspade]

"Do?" He snorted. "Nothing. As I've already observed, there aren't cops here. No courts either, that I know of. And if there were, no one's paying me to do anything about you, either of you. I wanted to know what happened, because someone bumps someone else that messily, I wanna know why. For my own peace of mind."

[oilwithvinegar]

"Sure." Paul shrugged. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, then." A smirk creased his lips, giving Spade a look-over. "If you're ever in need of anything... else."