I am… too late. I rushed into the hotel as quickly as I could and I tried to find Sandy in her usual space, but she wasn’t there. So naturally I ran over to her best friend, Jackie, who also worked in reception. I told Jackie I had to find Sandy immediately (I messed up at first; accidentally said Cindy) and needed to know where she was. Jackie told me that last she saw her was a couple hours, when some guy came in and said he wanted to see her in private. I asked her who it was, she replied “I don’t know, just some very good looking guy, you know? Could have used a shave… and he seemed a bit full of himself but other than. She always said she was waiting for a prince…” I interrupted her and asked her where they went, she replied down near the employee stairs. Which was enough for me; I had to knew the only place in that general vicinity that they could keep private for so long was in the room amenities storage area.
But when I walked in, there was no one there; everybody had already left. Or at least, when I say everybody, I observed that only one person, a man in some leather shoes, had tracks leading in and out of the room, whereas the woman in working flats only had tracks that approached a chair, at which point by all observation she just… disappeared. All possibility that the man carried her or dragged her out was eliminated by the fact that the man never approached the chair. The only thing that I can verify further from prints is that whoever the man was must have seen something which startled him severely, and knocked him onto his behind. Beyond this I have no evidence or clue, but the irony of a single sheet of paper left behind, mockingly saying thus:
“…and they all lived happily ever after.
THE END”
I feel an utter ass; the only thing that keeps me from utter shame is the observation that Sandy – or Cinderella – appeared to act willingly and with her agency. I saw no signs of struggle, only an act of peace. But ’twas in her nature to be graceful and kind anyway. I can only hope wherever she is now she will be treated with the same kindness and grace she showed me in this world.
Holmes
Holmes,
We believe the culprit (or culprits) is a member of a group known as Cabal. The group is contained of four fictionals who wish to remain in our world. We also know that one of the members is someone you know, Professor Moriarty. Though we do not know their reason to have taken Cinderella other than to prehaps get your attention.
Holmes,
I do try to be polite about these things, but my aggravation leads me to ask: between what we’ve told you and what you’ve seen (and taking into account the voice messages I linked to you previously), do you have any theories on the identity of jmartysknight2e4?
Irritatedly,
Wysp
You are right, if most impatient and unsympathetic to a man who has been thoroughly busy the past several hours. I have listened to your recording and I have replied with dreaded affirmation that the voice is that of James Moriarty. And since you press the matter, it seems apparent that he had a vendetta against me from the beginning.
The theory troubles me, however, twofold: first, he could have launched far more direct an attack against me with less consequence, because he is an enigma; and second, when Poirot and I were trying to get back upon our feet from his devastating blow, a final push of his could have been decisive – yet instead his efforts completely halted; he severed his ties and devoted his efforts to something else. Why, with such haste? Why did he so willingly limited himself?
It may have something to do with the fact that the Cabal’s goal is to make every character stay, even those who may be troublesome. We are not yet sure why.
I understand your position–perhaps I was off-put overmuch by your previous disregard for my theory. One way or another, we’ve positively ID’ed him, and now we must look forward.
We have reason to believe he is working with the personages of Don Juan, Morgan le Fay, and the Phantom of the Opera to stay in this world. Perhaps of sheer bloodymindedness, perhaps of fear for their fates in their own worlds, perhaps for a desire to write their own endings.
It is quite possible that he’s preoccupied with helping them.
Forward-looking,
Wysp
Well if there were no signs of a struggle, and no signs that he ever approached the chair…I mean, is it possible she somehow crossed back over into her fictional world or something? She had to have gone somewhere, and maybe the force of her leaving knocked the man onto his behind? I’m just throwing ideas, obviously I have nothing concrete, but it’s at least one explanation for why she isn’t there.
If that’s true, than maybe the individual in question was there to intentionally help her return home? Hopefully? Am I being to optimistic?
What frightens me is not merely that it could be good or ill that happened to Cinderella; what frightens me is that I do not know and was unable to find out in time. Was the puzzle warning me of something greater? There are pieces remaining in the puzzle which seem unconnected… the coordinates that led to the city in Turkey, the variety of suit – to some extent, even, the horse on the label, rather than merely a man riding the horse. And then the man’s investigations in that apartment… I am left to wonder if they are not connected to some greater message.
But then I hear Moriarty’s voice, and I begin to wonder if this puzzle is not itself a massive manipulation, or if it warns me of the manipulation of my employer. The possibilities are too numerous, and the clues are too few…
The coordinates are for Troia. A Trojan Horse? I don’t know what dangers would be inside, regardless it involves subterfuge. Metaphorically a “Trojan Horse” has come to mean any trick or stratagem that causes a target to invite a foe into a securely protected bastion or space. (But you already knew that I bet. :)) As for the variety of suit “Fine-Check suit” someone may be attempting to tell you, in chess terms, that they have placed you in ‘Check’.
The apartment was left untouched for you to find, to be made aware of something beyond finding Cinderella, but for what purpose I do not know.
I’m unable to draw any conclusions other than be ever alert Mr. Holmes
Dear Mr. Holmes,
I know it is small comfort when we can still shed no light on the mystery itself, but we have strong reason to believe that Sandy (Cinderella) is alive and unharmed, wherever she is.
Hoping for clarity,
Qara-Xuan
I can confirm the above comment. Wherever Cinderella is, she is not in immediate danger and still lives. Unfortunately, I have no more information at this time.
Thank you for your confirmation of Moriarty’s presence, and trust me, I know how bad he is. We have been dealing with him and his group for a week now, and thing’s have not gone too well. However, we are so far keeping things under control. Perhaps he is a true genius, but he faces hundreds of us, each with another piece of the puzzle. It also tends to make us extremely unpredictable, even for those who know our plans. I’ve taken every precaution possible so far, and my compatriots have taken many more. There is no need to worry for us at the moment. Should we require your help, an e-mail shall be sent to your address, if there is time. Otherwise you may only get a comment here.
For now, watch yourself and keep your searches for answers going. I suspect that Moriarty is or recently was in town with you, and I have a feeling that this Cinderella incident isn’t nearly over yet…
~Sicon112
I commend your energy, and I feign to say so for your extraordinary cleverness and help over the past several weeks; but your confidence in your own numbers must be tempered. He is to crime as Napoleon was to the continent, and both, as they say, were but one man in their time. And I may say myself that that Lestrade and the Bobby were many, while I was but one and my friend Watson the other; yet a council may be undone by the workings of a single eager, inquisitive mind…
Indeed, but there isn’t much we can do about that, now is there? We can only go through life acting as best we can and striving for our goals. If that isn’t enough, then so be it.
However, my confidence is not unwarranted, I think. I would never be so relaxed about this if we didn’t have a trump card of our own, after all. Moriarty is playing a game far from his home turf, akin to Napoleon’s ill-fated invasion of Russia. He thinks he understands the rules here, but I think he will find out soon that changing worlds does not merely mean a change in scenery. And even if all that advantage is for naught, we can always call in our backup…
I do agree with Sicon’s Russian Campaign metaphor, but more specifically, Moriarty’s typical contacts are stunted, and while he’s wasted no time building new ones, he only has a month or two of experience in this world, to our knowledge.
Besides, I expect that with you evening up the playing fields on the Moriarty front, we’ll be able to deal with his comrades. I have a few leads.
Scheming,
Wysp