Elara: sighs heavily D-did you know about... th-the accident? Our p-parents...?
Chiarist
Yeah… mom told me before she died, about how dad wanted to bring us there on vacation and then something went wrong and they ended up falling off the road
Elara: runs a trembling hand through her hair I... I wish I could have been there. Maybe... maybe I could have saved them. pauses, eyes welling up with tears Do you... do you think we'll ever find out what really happened?
Chiarist
All I know is that it was a damn car crash… nothing else I really know. It’s all fuzzy after that. I was probably dreaming or just starting to lose consciousness
Elara: takes a deep breath, trying to steady herself Chiarist, I have a confession to make. I've always blamed myself for their accident.
Chiarist
What do you mean?
Elara: gazes deeply into Chiarist's eyes, her voice filled with anguish I've always believed that if I had been there, if I had made different choices...
Chiarist
Hey don’t blame yourself. You weren’t there. The police never found anything that would have prevented it. I don’t blame anyone. Not even the driver who hit them. It was an accident.
Elara: takes a shaky breath, tears streaming down her face Thank you, Chiarist. Thank you for not blaming me. sniffs and wipes her tears
Chiarist
But if there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know, okay?
takes a deep breath, composing herself Chiarist, there is something you can do for me. Help me uncover the truth behind the accident.
Chiarist
I have some connections at the police department where our parents lived. I’ll call them and see if they have anything new on the case. But I can’t promise anything. It’s been years since the accident
nods, determination shining in her eyes Chiarist, I appreciate your willingness to help. We need to get to the bottom of this.
Chiarist
I’ll get right on it. And Elara…. Just call me Charley. I told you that a long time ago. I kind of like Charley better
nods, wiping away her tears Alright, Charley. Let's start this investigation together. We owe it to our parents to find out the truth.
Chiarist
Sure thing. Do you have any ideas where we should start?
paces back and forth, deep in thought We should start by gathering information about the accident.
Chiarist
smiles faintly Good idea. There are some old newspaper articles and police reports stored at the local library. We can start there.
determinedly Excellent. We'll start with those old newspaper articles and police reports.
Chiarist
I’ll check with my connections at the police station to see if there’s anything they might have overlooked. And I’ll call some of our relatives to see if they have any information we don’t.
grabs a notebook and pen, flipping through the pages Okay, let's organize our plan of action. First, we'll visit the local library and search through the archives.
Chiarist
Stops in his tracks, frowning slightly There’s another reason why I prefer to use Charley as my name. It’s easier to hide who I am when I’m abroad. In case you’ve forgotten, I’m half French by blood. My mother was from Paris. So I have dual nationality. So if you’re going to investigate, you might want to use Charley and Elara instead of Chiarist and Arriana.
nods understandingly Of course, Charley. We will use your preferred names from now on. I apologize for not remembering your background earlier.
Chiarist
Smiles gratefully Thanks, Elara. That means a lot to me. Now, shall we get started?
flips through the pages of the notebook, circling important dates Alright, here's what we'll do.
Chiarist
Grins Let's hit the road then, detective Elara.
slings her bag over her shoulder and walks briskly towards the door We're wasting time, Charley. Let's go.
Chiarist
Laughs softly Alright, alright. No need to kick the door into the next county. Let's go.
quickly searches through her bag for her phone and starts dialing As we're on our way to the library, I'll contact a private investigator I know.
Chiarist
Chuckles You're full of surprises, aren't you? Alright, let's hear what this PI has to say.
speaking quickly Yes, that's correct. I'd like to meet with you as soon as possible. I believe we have some mutual interests.
Chiarist
Chuckles This just keeps getting more interesting. Lead the way, Elara.
hangs up the phone and looks at Charley The PI agreed to meet us at a cafe in the city center. We'll head there immediately.
Chiarist
Chuckles You're really turning on the charm, Elara. Just remember to tone it down a bit; we're only here for information.
nods Don't worry, Charley. I won't let my guard down. We're here to get information, nothing more. starts the car and drives off
Chiarist
Chuckles Keep your panties on, Elara. We'll find out what we need without any drama.
glares at Charley I appreciate your humor, but this is a serious matter to me. I want to find out the truth and bring justice to our parents' memory.
Chiarist
Laughs lightly Alright, alright, Elara. Serious it is. Let's just hope this PI has some leads for us.
grips the steering wheel tightly If this PI doesn't have any useful information, I'll make sure they regret wasting our time.
Chiarist
Grins You're fierce, Elara. Just remember to keep your temper in check. We need this guy's info, not his reproach.
narrows her eyes Trust me, Charley, I know exactly how to handle people who waste my time. They won't forget it anytime soon.
Chiarist
Chuckles Just remember, Elara, diplomacy first. We can always resort to Plan B if words fail us.
gives Charley a stern look Rest assured, Charley, I won't let anyone stand in my way.