Master of Lust

Rick, with a sly grin, sidled up to Evelina\'s mother. "Surely you\'re familiar with the majestic Amethyst stone, right?"

"Isn\'t it used for jewellery?" Martin\'s wife, who has been silent from the moment she walked inside the room suddenly spoke up.

"Oh, We have got a jewelry expert among us, folks!" Rick gave her an exaggerated look of mock surprise. Then he shook his head in disbelief, clicking his tongue. "Then why would you tie the knot with Captain Oblivious over there?" he quipped, pointing an accusing finger at Martin.

"Rick!" Evelina bellowed, her voice slicing through the air with a really sharp words, catching Rick mid-divert.

"I know! I know!" Rick spun around faster than a cat discovering a laser pointer, locking eyes with Evelina. He flashed a smile so reassuring, even therapists would take notes. "I was getting there. Amethyst, my dear, is like a purple gem in the vast accessory store of life. It\'s not your run-of-the-mill stone; it\'s like the James Bond of gemstones.

High in demand, but rarely anyone get to see it. And of course, Rich people are not counted."

His gaze ricocheted across the room, like a pinball bouncing off the walls of everyone\'s attention.

"But for humans," Rick continued, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper that could rival a secret agent briefing, "Amethyst is like the secret sauce in your dead grandmother\'s situation. Someone sprinkled it on her, and suddenly everything just works. Because, for vampires, it\'s a different ball game.

It\'s their Kryptonite, their Achilles\' heel, their \'oh no, I forgot my umbrella on a rainy day\' kind of situation. You catching my drift?"

Evelina squinted at him, one eyebrow raised like a skeptical cat judging the authenticity of a scratching post.

"That\'s not right," Evelina shook her head with skepticism evident on her face "We have enough jewelries in this house, rings, necklaces and what not. And a good chunk of it must be made of that Amethyst stuff. Never once has anyone complained, or did we feel anything amiss," she interrogated.

"That is because neither of you have been in long, direct contact with them, nor have you taken a bite out of fashion," he explained with the solemnity.

Evelina\'s eyes widened, her disbelief hanging in the air like a cartoon thought bubble with blinking neon lights.

"And what\'s that supposed to mean? My grandma never wears any accessories. So, are you suggesting that she is secretly munching on gemstones? Are you stupid? Have you lost your marbles?" Evelina scoffed, her doubt now wearing a tinfoil hat of incredulity.

"You are stupid. Your whole family is a bunch of stupid," Rick sarcastically told Evelina, "Did you, like, conveniently forget what I just dropped? Amethyst Mist, my dear. Your grandma\'s sipping on that poison, courtesy of Amethyst Mist."

"Amethyst, the vampire kryptonite," Rick started breaking it down, "I am not saying it is as dramatic as a holy cross or garlic in those cheesy movies that get vamps all soggy from a mile away. And it\'s definitely not like silver that\'s like, \'bam, you are dead\' instantly."

"It is more like a turtle vibe, you know? Slow and steady, just cruising under the radar," Rick shared

"Amethyst Stones, man, they might be trouble, but they are kinda limited in their ways."

"But what if someone turns that stone into, like, some sneaky ninja substance that sneaks into your body? Imagine having a daily dose, just a smidge each time. It\'s like a slow-cooked recipe for a natural farewell, isn\'t it?" Rick dropped the bomb on Evelina, and she was left staring, lost for words.

"So, are you telling me that someone has been sneakily slipping this stone into my grandma\'s routine?" Evelina shot back, her eyes freezing over, "Because I don\'t see any signs on her, and the reports are coming up clean."

"Figuring that out is your job, lady. I am no doctor deciphering all that gibberish," Rick shrugged nonchalantly, "You can buy into it or not; it is your call. But, you know, it is what it is."

"If you want me to be your truth fairy, you will need some evidence, right?" Evelina furrowed her brow.

"I got a deal for you," Rick dangled a carrot, "I can give you the cure. Give it three days max, and your grandmother, will wake up like there is no big deal."

"Miss, I have been telling you since the first day that he has been fooling you all this time. He has been pulling the wool over your eyes, and now he is spinning some wild yarn," Geoffrey chimed in, his tone serious as ever, joining the conversation.

"That\'s right," Martin finally broke his silence, his eyes narrowing as he contemplated the ominous possibilities. "What if he is orchestrating a scheme to make us unwittingly poison our own Mother?"

Rick, leaning against the wall with a devil-may-care grin, let out a chuckle at Martin\'s skepticism. "Ah, Martin, my friend, trust is the bedrock of every enduring relationship. Sometimes, you\'ve got to take a leap of faith. Besides, I am not exactly reveling in being here either.

I would much prefer lounging on a sun-kissed beach, surrounded by a bevy of beautiful women I would be sipping on cocktails, while they suck on something else." He added, punctuating his words with a sly wink in Evelina\'s direction.

Martin\'s frown deepened, suspicion etched across his features. "I can\'t shake the feeling that all of this is just a distraction for some ulterior motive of yours."

"Something else? I\'m already cashing in dollars for my curative efforts," Rick retorted, his disinterest in Martin\'s conspiracy theories evident in his nonchalant demeanor.

"Rained? How much money is she paying you?" Martin\'s curiosity peaked as he probed further, captivated by the financial aspect of the arrangement.

"That..." Rick began to respond, ready to divulge the lucrative details, but before he could spill the beans, Evelina interjected, halting the conversation in its tracks.

"Don\'t let every Tom, Dick, and Henry throw you off track. Tell me how my grandmother got poisoned," Evelina demanded, her voice laced with urgency, a tone that brooked no nonsense.

Rick, undeterred by the interruption, raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "I can\'t help but be curious about your priorities, Evelina. Your grandmother doesn\'t seem to be a top concern for any of you."

"Things are not always a straight line," Evelina replied cryptically, offering no further explanation.

"You are eager to expose the one who poisoned your grandmother, aren\'t you?" Rick mused, his mind working through the possibilities. "You\'re probably thinking, what if they decide to target you next? Is that what\'s bothering you?"

"If they could reach your grandmother, you are certainly not immune. An easy target, perhaps," Rick concluded, his deduction hanging in the air like an unspoken truth. And Evelina\'s silence became a tacit confirmation, the weight of the unaddressed fear echoing in the room.

"I can\'t pinpoint exactly how, but I have a feeling it has to be something in this room," Rick mused aloud, his eyes scanning the surroundings with a detective\'s focus.

With a methodical determination, Rick left no stone unturned—quite literally. Drawers were yanked open, their contents spilled out and scrutinized in the quest for hidden clues. Books and magazines neatly lined up on shelves found themselves flipped and examined, their pages rustling under Rick\'s rapid search.

The once pristine bed, a haven of repose, became a landscape of upheaval as Rick probed every nook and cranny of the bedding.

Geoffrey, the loyal butler, could hardly contain his frustration as he witnessed the disarray unfolding in the room. "Sir, this is highly inappropriate. We can\'t just ransack the place!" he protested, attempting to interject reason into the chaotic search.

Evelina, however, silenced Geoffrey with a gesture. "Let him do what he needs to do, Geoffrey," she declared, her eyes fixed on Rick.

Unfazed by the butler\'s objections, Rick continued his methodical sweep through the room. Drawers were pulled open, their contents inspected with precision. Books and magazines were examined, their pages scrutinized for any hidden secrets.

Finally upon Rick\'s belated arrival at the dressing table, a realm of sophistication unfolded before him. The meticulously arranged tableau boasted an array of beauty products and accessories, forming a mosaic of elegance that whispered tales of glamour and mystique. His discerning gaze canvassed the tableau, each item a potential harbinger of secrets waiting to be unveiled.

As his eyes traversed the curated collection, Rick\'s attention became ensnared by a singular object—a resplendent bottle of perfume that stood out with its alluring purplish hue.

With a slow and deliberate movement, Rick picked up the bottle. He turned it in his hands, observing the play of light through the glass. The contents seemed innocent at first glance, but Rick\'s instincts told a different story. There was a subtle malevolence to the purplish liquid.

With a grin that radiated triumph, Rick moved towards Evelina, the bottle cradled securely in his hand. The ambiance crackled with an unspoken revelation as he closed the distance, the perfume bottle now a pivotal prop in the unfolding narrative. "Looks like you are going to find that rat sooner than anticipated," he quipped, his voice laced with a combination of amusement and vindication.

"Look at this," Rick handed the perfume bottle to Evelina, urging her to inspect its contents closely.

"What is this?" Evelina inquired, her eyes narrowing as she examined the contents. Evelina examined the bottle, peering into the purplish liquid. Less than half-filled, the empty space was shrouded in a mysterious purple mist. At the bottom, tiny shimmering pieces caught her eye.

Rick leaned in, his voice a conspiratorial whisper. "That, my dear, is the infamous Amethyst Mist—the poison that has your grandmother in a deep slumber."

Evelina\'s eyes widened with a mixture of shock and realization. "But how? And why would someone do this?"

Rick leaned against the nearby wall, crossing his arms. "Someone close enough to have access to her room and skilled enough to slip this into her belongings. As for the \'why,\' well, that\'s something you might want to figure out."

"As for who," Rick paused as he looked at everyone in the room with suspicious eyes.

"For that, you need a list of anyone who might have been in close proximity to your grandmother. People who could have tampered with her belongings or had a motive to harm her," Rick explained.

Geoffrey, unable to contain his frustration, interjected, "Sir, you\'re implying that someone in this household is responsible for poisoning the mistress. I can assure you—"

"I don\'t need any assurance," Rick grinned. "But trust me, it is time for us to catch a rat."

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