REWRITING TIME - Chapter 1 (on Wattpad) https://my.w.tt/I63mSlFEcQ Written for the Mystery Party hosted by @earnestycommunity
Running most of the way from the subway to his home, Sebastian barreled through the door of his apartment like the very devil was hanging onto his coattails. He couldn’t believe how wrong this day was turning out to be. It was bad enough that his meeting with his publisher didn’t go the way he wanted it to, but to have a guy die on him in the subway?
Okay, that wasn’t really his fault. But still!
Taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, Sebastian walked to the minibar, poured himself a shot of scotch and finished it in one swift gulp, his frayed nerves getting much needed relief. If Lizzie could see him now, she’d be livid. Sebastian mentally kicked himself for going there again. With a shake of his head, Sebastian flopped down on the couch and raised his feet on the coffee table.
Murdered! That man was murdered! And right after telling him those…those insane things! Was he trying to warn him? Why? He didn’t even know the man! Frustrated, Sebastian threw the tumbler against the wall where it shattered into a million pieces.
“Sebastian, you’re a mystery writer, try to analyse this objectively!” he chastised himself. Swinging his feet off of the couch, he grabbed his trusty notebook and scribbled down the facts, or what he thought to be facts.
Name: Unknown
Age: late sixties - early seventies
Appearance: Middle-Eastern, salt-and-pepper beard, dark eyes and hair, height about 5'10"
Clothes: ‘20’s style (?), well-tailored, expensive-looking
Significant details: Pursued and shot twice in the chest by unknown men, passed along an old pocket watch to a complete stranger.
He’d almost forgotten! Slapping a hand to his forehead, Sebastian fished out the mysterious object and placed it on the coffee table. He flipped the lid and removed the pocket watch, placing it on his palm. He knew enough about pocket watches, especially those from the '20’s and '30’s, so he could safely say that this one was heavier than usual. It’s front and back covers were almost identical, both etched with intricate patterns, except for the engraved S.C. initials adorning the front. Gold Roman numerals ran around the mother-of-pearl dial which was cut out at the center to show off the complex inner mechanism of the watch. What made Sebastian conclude that this was no ordinary, store-bought timepiece, however, were its matching opal-tipped sidewinder and gold encased opal Fob attached to the double Albert chain.
It was an exquisitely crafted piece, made especially for…whoever S. C. was.
Of course, one could argue that S.C. - with the ’S’ being 'Sebastian’ (as the dedication on the lid of the box indicated), born on the same day as he , October 3 - was too much of a coincidence.
And he was not a big believer of coincidences.
The only conclusion that his analytical mind could reach was that someone was playing a prank on him. Someone who knew about his obsession with anything related to the 1920’s.
Unfortunately, two things easily debunked his theory. First, only Lizzie knew about his obsession. Second, no one would go as far as murdering people just to play a prank on him.
Okay, so no one in his right mind would pull a prank this elaborate, he conceded. What else could explain the bizarre events of today?
It still could be a prank, his stubborn self insisted. Huffing in annoyance at his inner voice, Sebastian grabbed the crystal box, determined to squeeze it dry of information.
Bingo!
At the bottom of the case, under the white cushion, was a small card declaring the item had been 'Designed and crafted by Toledano Jewelers, Pearl Avenue, Beachcastle’. Whispering a silent thanks to the gods of technology, Sebastian typed the name of the shop onto his phone to check if it actually existed. It did! And it wouldn’t close until 8PM! He glanced at his watch and punched the air with glee - 7:30! Pearl Avenue was a couple of blocks away, he’d be there before closing time if he walked fast. Returning the pocket watch to its crystal case, Sebastian stashed it inside his hoodie and jumped to his feet, eager to solve the mystery that had been hounding him since he bumped into that old man.
It took him 15 grueling minutes to reach Pearl Avenue. His long legs were screaming in agony by the time he jogged up the five steps leading to Toledano Jewelers. The shop was small, but it exuded class and affluence, the brass signage plastered to the side proudly announcing its pedigree - 'Expert Jewelers since 1798’ - a subtle warning to the uninitiated. In plain talk, its message was simple - If you don’t have a house in the Hamptons or Beverly Hills, you can’t afford us. Sebastian would’ve been intimidated by the place any other day.
Today wasn’t any other day.
The liveried doorman lifted a brow when Sebastian walked up the door, his thin nose crinkling with distaste at Sebastian’s rugged clothes.
“May I help you, sir?” the man said, voice dripping with disdain.
“I need to speak with someone inside,” Sebastian replied, craning his neck to peek into the inside of the shop.
“Do you have an appointment, sir?” said the doorman, moving to block Sebastian’s view.
Sebastian pulled out the small card from his pocket and shoved it at the man’s face.
“I have this. It’s inside a box I…recently inherited. I want to verify its worth.”
The irritating look on the doorman’s face tempted Sebastian to resort to violence. He had to remind himself why he was here.
The doorman plucked the card from Sebastian’s fingers and smirked, “Please remain here and wait for me. Sir.” The last was added with blatant sarcasm.
Several unflattering epithets were muttered as Sebastian thought of ways he would kill the doorman in his next novel. That brought a smile to his lips. Sebastian was so absorbed in his sordid plotting he failed to notice the doorman returning to his post, looking sheepish and penitent.
“I-I apologize for the misunderstanding, sir. Mr. Toledano will see you now. Please, follow me,” the doorman said in a rush before spinning on his heels to lead the way.
Sebastian was intrigued by the drastic change. Was my card that powerful?
Once they were inside a small, but luxurious office, the doorman bowed to the man standing behind an ornate desk and left without a word.
“Tobias Toledano,” the man said, extending a hand in greeting.
“Sebastian Chase,” Sebastian replied, shaking the proffered hand. He couldn’t help but notice the striking resemblance between Tobias and the old man in the subway, despite the absence of the beard.
“Please, have a seat,” Tobias said, gesturing to one of the plush, black leather chairs before his desk.
“Thank you,” Sebastian almost sighed in content when he sank into the chair. It was more comfortable than his bed!
“Tea?” Tobias asked, though he was already pouring into two cups.
Sebastian took the cup his host was offering him but didn’t sip until Tobias had done the same. No harm in being extra cautious.
“May I please see the watch?” Tobias said.
“How did you know that it’s a watch?”
“The card,” Tobias said. “There’s a holographic number at the back telling us what item came with it and to whom it was registered.”
“Interesting,” Sebastian said, pulling the case out of his pocket. He hesitated, unsure if Tobias could be trusted. His need to know if someone was just playing him won out. Deciding to put a little faith in the man before him, Sebastian placed the case on the table and pushed it towards Tobias. Had he not been looking intently at his host, he would’ve missed the painful anger that flashed in the other man’s eyes.
Tobias gingerly took the case, silently tracing the engraving on the silver lid. Sadness seemed to overshadow Tobias, yet when his eyes snapped to Sebastian, it wasn’t what he saw. Resentment and fear. Those were what Sebastian saw.
“Did you know that my father personally engraved these words for Elizabeth? He believed because she was so sure about you,” Tobias said, his voice barely above a whisper.
A cold chill ran down Sebastian’s spine. What’s he talking about? Danger, his mind screamed. Self-preservation kicked in, urging him to flee, but his body remained still and unresponsive. He was paralyzed!
“We’ll see if they were right,” Tobias continued, his fingers turning the sidewinder in a counterclockwise motion.
The next thing he saw was Tobias’ face looming over him, his hand clamping painfully around Sebastian’s arm.
“Let’s find out if you’re worth it, Sebastian Chase. See you on the other side,” Tobias sneered.
Cold, cloying tendrils swirled around Sebastian, squeezing him tight, forcing air out of his lungs, and blood rushing to his brain. He was suffocating. He was dying!
Sebastian’s last thought before everything went black was that dying was a horrible experience not worth repeating.
