Moriarty the Patriot (憂国のモリアーティ)

"The Dancer on the Bridge"

Does anyone have any questions up to this point?

I don't seem to see Lucian here.

Is he absent again today?

Professor!

What is it, Tate?

He's-- Lucian, um... has a cold.

Oh, is that so?

Very well, after the lecture, I think I shall go visit him.

Th-That's all right! Lucian and I share the same dormitory room,

and I'm looking after him, so...

Indeed.

Well then, that is a relief.

As you wish. Tate Percival and Lucian Atwood, yes?

Hmm?

Lucian is the heir to Atwood Viscountcy, a noble family of over two centuries.

Tate is likewise...

So both of them are heirs to aristocratic families.

Honestly, where have you gone?

I can't cover for you any longer.

Now I'm coming down with a cold.

Yes?

P-Professor Moriarty!

That was quite the sneeze.

I heard it all the way outside the door.

Have you been looking after Lucian and caught his cold from him?

Er... quite possibly.

Um, I, uh...

This isn't...

There is no sign that this bed has been slept in for some time.

You should start talking, quickly.

Right now, I am a hundredfold more cross than you may think.

So Lucian has not been home in three days?

There have been times when he would go behind the housemaster's back,

stay out all night, and sneak back in the next morning,

but he has never done this before.

So this has made me rather worried, prompting me to go to the pub where Frida,

this waitress for whom he is head over heels, works.

If there is anyplace he would spend the night, I expect it would have to be her place.

Get out!

I see. That would explain your sneezing.

However, for you to receive such a harsh welcome without warning,

there may have been some trouble beforehand.

He... does have some foolhardy and philandering ways, but he's a good egg at heart.

If he's... If he's mixed up in any sort of trouble...

...then I have to do something.

You seem to be quite concerned for Lucian.

Of course I am, sir!

Of course?

I mean, he's...

...my friend, after all!

Tate, it's best that you remain out of this matter from now on.

Huh?

Please allow me to deal with Lucian.

V-Very well.

Also...

...always treasure this feeling of fondness for your friend.

Professor Moriarty, I presume?

And you are...?

The name is Dudley Bale. I assist with the administration here.

I have seen you on the campus from time to time,

but this is the first time I've introduced myself.

I saw you coming from the student dormitories.

Is there something amiss with one of the students?

Oh, no. Lucian Atwood, one of the students who attends my lectures,

has been absent for several days, so I went to go visit him in his room.

Did you find him moaning with a hangover?

He was not in his room. According to the student with whom he shares the room,

he has not been back for three days now.

Oh dear, staying out overnight without permission, is he?

I realise that he cannot help being young, but this is still troubling.

On the other hand, why don't we look the other way this time?

If we come down on them too hard, they are liable to find us suffocating.

Still, to be gone for three whole days is a tad unusual, is it not?

Perhaps we should contact the police.

The police, you say? I cannot concur with that.

Lucian is a son of nobility.

A brush with the law may reflect poorly on the family name.

So you would have us leave the matter alone?

No, no, not at all. You may not believe it by looking at me,

but I have a bit of influence with the local police.

Allow me to take the matter from here and discreetly look into it.

So, as you can see, there is nothing for you to worry about.

This is the pub that Tate mentioned.

We're not open yet.

Yes, I am aware.

I am not here to drink today.

I am here to have a word with you.

Quite the tip just for talking about a dead girl.

Are you a newspaper reporter?

No. I am William James Moriarty. I teach at Dunham University.

You're a college professor?

If there is an issue with a student's conduct, it is my duty as an educator to set it right.

To that end, I thought I should gather all the facts of the matter.

Frida truly was a fine girl.

She was a good dancer, and when she smiled, the whole room would light up--

a real flower of a girl.

So I can't believe what happened to her.

From what the old man who lived under the bridge said,

she was singing and dancing atop the bridge before she fell in the river.

What, I wonder, could she have been singing?

Frida and your student had fallen in love with each other.

But he's a big-deal aristocrat. Not of the same status as us.

So I'm sure she thought he was just playing games at first.

However, he then proposed marriage to her.

Huh?

I want to spend the rest of my days dancing with you... on the stage of life.

Would you object to having me... as your dance partner?

Lucian...

I tried to stop her at first. But then...

...she told me that she was with child.

But even more than that, when I saw that blissful look on her face,

I found myself unable to raise any objections.

But before long, he came into the picture.

I don't know what he said to Frida... but...

...I could tell that she had been abandoned.

Even so, she gathered herself up, and said she would raise the child alone.

But then...

Forgive me for making you recount such a harrowing tale.

However, with your assistance, I now know what must be done.

I do not know if it will meet your expectations,

but I promise that I will do everything in my power to resolve this matter.

Just a moment, there!

Frida's remains are buried in the potter's field.

Unfortunately, with our earnings,

we could not so much as afford a proper grave for her.

If you feel any pity for the girl, use that to place some flowers on her grave.

Where is the package I entrusted to you?

The goods we procured from that new line of stock appear to be quite potent.

He's resting comfortably inside.

Are we feeling more composed today, Lucian?

Frida...