Being on a plane by herself turned out to be a bad idea for Grace.

With the urgency of the mission, she had to go on her own to Spain and the others would meet her there.

But while she tried to get some shut eye on the overnight flight but she couldn't stop thinking about Klaus' untimely death.

His agonized face after setting himself on fire seemed to haunt her.

She couldn't help but thinking there was something bad about this next mission.

Grace loved her job but having second thoughts about certain missions was the worst part...and being the stubborn person she most likely wasn't going to tell anyone about it.

It made her wish Gretta was here. She had a way of making her calm—even if her daughter also had a pesky habit of reading people like a book.

On second thought, Grace was glad that Gretta was at least with other people, she wouldn't have to worry about her mom as much now. While Grace was on a commercial flight, the others were on a Bureau's private jet.

As Grace waited for the flight's safety instructions to begin and for everyone to get in their seats (not too many people were around, the flight was cheap for a reason), she received a text alert from Carmen.

New Message, From: Carmen Martinez

Carmen
Hey, Grace. Just wanted to make sure you're okay.

Grace
Hey Carmen, I'm okay. Flight should be departing soon. How's everything over there?

Carmen
Everything's fine here, we're about to depart too. Ingrid and Chief Ripley are going over details of the mission and catching Jack up on everything he missed.

Carmen is typing...

Carmen
Also...you don't have to worry about Gretta. She'll be just fine.

Grace
?

Carmen
[See photo attached]
I don't get how they can go from hating each other to...this!

Grace cracked a small smile at seeing the photo had Carmen had sent. Splayed over a couch on the plane were Elliot and Gretta, one of her legs hooked under his arm as she lied supine on the couch with Elliot curled up in a semi-ball. They both looked tired and were both clearly fast asleep, still as two logs.

Grace
It's a mystery to us all.

Carmen
Yeah...they seemed to be attached to the hip lately.

Grace
Carmen...

Carmen is typing...

Carmen
Yes?

Grace is typing...

Grace
They work together.

Grace is typing...

Grace
They kind of have to be that close *laughing*

Carmen
It was just an observation, Grace!

Grace
I never said it was anything else, Carm.

Grace is typing...

Grace
The plane's safety instructions are starting. I'll let you know once I've landed.

Carmen
Please do. You are asset that the Bureau can't lose!

Grace
Really? I haven't noticed!

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After being debriefed by Chief Ripley at the Bureau's Spanish offices, Grace was whisked off to the meeting place that Jacqueline Proust had arranged where she found Jack waiting for her.

"Nice to see you, Grace. Proust refused to give us an exact address, where we could find her, but she said she'd meet us here. I haven't seen any sign of her yet though. Perhaps we should take a look around those windmills!"

"Alright, sure. After you."

"No, please, ladies first." He says, winking at her causing Grace to roll her eyes.

After taking a few minutes to walk up the hill towards the windmills and searching for some clues, Grace freezes as she looks up to see a woman stuck inside the metal bull. She's half burnt and from the looks of the fire underneath her, it was fresh.

"Oh my God, Grace! There's...there's a dead woman in that weird metal bull! And it...it looks like she's been burnt to death!"

Grace tries not to gag as she stalks closer to the body and gasps as she realizes who it is.

"Jack...I think it's Jacqueline."

"WHAT?! You think that woman is Jacqueline Proust? This just gets worse and worse!" Grace nods and takes in a breath to collect herself.

"We...need to keep calm and figure this out."

"You're right, Grace. The Promethians must have realized she was going to lead us to the detonator and decided to make sure she stayed quiet. But what are we going to do now?! Jacqueline was our only lead on where to find the detonator! The bombs they've planted across Europe could go off at any minute!"

"I have good news: I found some things that might be useful."

"Oh, thank God you've picked up some clues, Grace. You grabbed some broken pieces? Anything is worth a shot! You also found a pocket watch? There's something written on it, but it's faded."

"I'll get out my dusting kit. Also I found this scroll." Grace explains, handing it over to Jack to unfurl.

"Wait! This has a confession on it. It reads 'I hereby declare I am a traitor, a liar and a fool. I deserve my fate.' And it's signed by Jaqueline! There's no way Jacqueline would have ever written something like this about herself! She must have done it under duress."

"Agreed. Also, there's some sort of weird stain on it."

"You're right, there's a red stain on the scroll. You'd better collect a sample, but be quick-- there's no time to lose if the Promethians know we're onto their plan!"

"Don't worry. I will."

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A few moments later, Grace gathers everything up.

"Okay, I'm not gonna waste your time. I'll go through them one by one. The scroll's sample has been collected."

"Awesome! We should send it to Lars as soon as possible."

"Mm-hm, then there's this pocket watch." She hands it off to Jack to look at. His eyebrows raise in surprise upon seeing the inscription.

"The message on the pocket watch reads 'Property of Armand Dupont'! As in our Dupont?! But...how could his pocket watch have ended up right where Jacqueline was murdered?! Surely this isn't possible--he couldn't be involved in Jacqueline's murder, could he, Grace?"

"I don't know...but anything is possible. We should ask him about it."

"You're right. We have to go talk to Dupont. I know the guy bores me to tears, but I refuse to believe he's capable of betraying the Bureau!"

"Sure--but first: I fixed up the broken pieces and it turns out they are a keychain."

"I recognize that design! They're sold as souvenirs at Park Guell, a popular tourist site!"

"We should go there next. Then talk to Dupont."

"You think the killer might have come from there? No time to dawdle then, Grace, let's go!"

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Grace found two clues at the park: a trashy romance novel and a cigar box.

"Tell me you found clues, Grace."

"C'mon, Jack! This is me we're talking about--here." She hands him the book first.

"A faded paperback? Honestly I'll take anything you can offer! We'll have to recover the faded info. And what's that?" Jack asks, gesturing to the box in Grace's hand.

"A cigar box." Grace replies, holding it up.

"Okay. But what's this weird symbol--Oh my God, it's the Promethian symbol, Grace! Quick's what's inside?!"

Grace frantically opens it and lets out a quiet gasp of awe.

"Is that...what I think it is?"

"Check out all those rubies! We're rich, Grace!"

"Pff...not really. It's Bureau evidence, remember?"

"Uh...right. I'll grab the vacuum kit so you can collect a sample!"

"Ok, thanks. I'll recover that book in the meantime."

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Jack comes back and Grace hands him the book in return for the vacuum.

"Give me a moment." Grace instructs as she vacuums up the rubies to collect in a small baggie as evidence.

"You really are a natural with that vacuum, Grace! Though not quite as good as me!"

"Ha ha." Grace says dryly.

"You reckon Elliot could trace the origin of the rubies? He has been looking rather bored. Let's give him something to do!"

"Sure. We need all the help we can get. You have a chance to look at the book?"

"'The Princess and the Thief' huh? Sounds like some kind of trashy romance novel!" Jack reads the name of the novel out loud.

"And it's written by Jacqueline." Grace points out, leaning her arm on Jack's shoulder and pointing at the author's name above the byline.

"A trashy romance novel written by our victim, right! That's quite a departure from her usual political mysteries!"

"Does the woman on the cover look familiar to you?"

"Now that you mention it...she does look familiar. Wait a second--"

"Wait! I just figured it out--it's Sofia!"

"You're right! That woman...it's Princess Sofia of Girona! Didn't you meet her in Paris?"

"Yes...and she was a nightmare to deal with."

"Yeah, I know. That woman's ridiculously vain, there's no way she'd have agreed to this! We need to talk to Sofia!"

"Alright. We'll talk to Sofia then go back to the Bureau and give Lars his sample and Elliot the rubies...then finally talk to Dupont. Should be simple--I hope."

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"Nice to see you, Detective Grace. Excuse the mask, I'm attending the carnival."

"Hello again, Your Highness. We have some questions for you." Grace says.

"It's funny, Your Highness. You look exactly like the woman on the cover of this book, 'The Princess and the Thief'." The princess looked outraged by Jack's inquiry.

"Keep that monstrosity out of my sight! Can you imagine my shame when I discovered Jacqueline had created a character based on me for one of her 'romantic' novels? I thought things couldn't get worse after Pretty Fair magazine called a 'Royal Mess' but now my reputation is truly in tatters! That's why I'm having to take a break in the Spanish countryside!"

"Well, you won't be featuring on any more book covers-- we've found Proust burnt to death!"

"How...atrocious! I might not have cared for her, but I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy!"

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After learning about Jacqueline's cause of death and delivering the rubies to Gretta and Elliot, Jack and Grace checked in with Lars about the sample.

"So what have you got for us on that substance from the scroll we found at the crime scene, bro?"

"Sangria, that's what I've got!"

"...what?" Grace asks, genuinely confused.

"We're trying to prevent the Promethians from bombing Europe here, dude! We don't have time for drinks!"

"No, sangria is the substance on the scroll! And as the wifey confirmed that the victim had no alcohol in her bloodstream, it must be the killer who spilt it!"

"So we're looking for a sangria-drinking killer! Their fiesta will soon be over with you on their trail, Grace!"

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"A blindfolded five year old could have done it! Everybody knows that this particular hue was only produced in a limited edition series by jeweler Larry Winston in 2003."

"Mm...yes. Everyone knows that." Gretta mocks sarcastically back from her chair.

"Okay...so who bought the jewels?" Grace asks.

"Sir Gilchrist bought most of this batch." Elliot explains.

"That pompous old banker? I always thought he was something, Grace...you can never trust bankers!"

"Agreed—it doesn't help that he shoved me and almost interfered with a crime scene at our first meeting." Grace adds, recalling the case in London that started this whole mess.

"Why on earth would Gilchrist have brought all these rubies? And why would he be keeping them in a cigar box which has a Promethian symbol on it?! I agree, we need to go find him, STAT!"

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"Oh for crying out loud, Detective Grace! Can't a fellow go to a carnival without you appearing?"

"I know, Gilchrist. Trust me, I am hating this as much as you are right now, but we need to ask you some questions."

"Gilchrist, we're here to ask you about these rubies we found at Park Guell. Are they yours?"

"Oh thank heavens! I've been looking everywhere for those! I lost them on my way to a client meeting."

"When you say 'client', do you mean 'Promethian'? We found your Promethian cigar box! Fess up!"

"No need to get shirty." The banker scolds Jack before continuing, "I...I've just been doing a bit of business with the Promethians. I mean, I've never actually met the chaps. They just required some funding. Just a few rubies here, and a few million Euro there. All at a reasonable interest rate, of course. Nothing illegal about it, just a solid investment."

"Gilchirst, we suspect the Promethians are involved in the murder of Jacqueline Proust and possibly half a dozen more. And murder is definitely illegal!" Jack explodes at the man.

"Murder, you say? Look here, this is the third time you've tried to a pin a murder on me and I won't have it! Good day to you!"

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Jack and Grace regrouped at the park, allowing them to take a breath.

"We're in deep trouble, Grace! The bombs set all over Europe by the Promethians could go off any second now and Jacqueline was the only one who knew where to find the detonator! And we're no closer to finding her killer. We just know the Promethians must be behind the murder! As for Gilchrist, we know he was funding the Promethians, but he claims not to have met them personally. Who knows what he might've done to ensure a return on his investment though! And the fact Dupont's pocket watch was on the crime scene doesn't look good. But would he betra--"

"Detective Grace!" A voice barked.

Grace turned around, on high alert, as she came face to face with a red hooded figure in Promethian robes and holding a lit torch.

"...what do you want?"

"Stop your investigation immediately...or suffer the same fate as the traitor Proust!" Grace licked her lips nervously before asking her next question.

"Or what? What will you do? You are one man!"

"I speak on behalf of the Promethians. We are everywhere. We will never stop. We will never give in. All of Europe will soon be under our control!" The hooded figure stands over her threateningly. Grace does her best to stand her ground and glare back at them despite her rapidly beating heart.

"Who are you?! You're under arrest!" Jack says, holding his gun towards the Promethian.

"Ignorant fools! You have been warned!"

"HEY! Stop! Grace, they're headed towards the carnival hub at Piaza Mayor! I can't believe the Promethians would threaten you like that!"

"It doesn't matter. We have to find the Promethian fast. They might be involved in the murder!"

"You're right, Grace. It might even have been Jacqueline's killer! We need to follow them, NOW! Let's go to Piaza Mayor!"

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"Darn it, I can't see that Promethian anywhere!"

"No, me either. I think we lost them." Grace says, sighing in frustration.

"But check out this place, it's totally insane! Seems like we missed the carnival procession though, there's nobody here!"

"Mm-hm. It's kind of creepy in a way." Grace admits and observes the scene for clues.

She picks up an effigy with a bull figurine and a female figurine standing on a rock in some blood. A fan with the initials 'J.P.' also lays nearby and she drags over an oil drum to be searched through.

"Wait, what have you got there? This...this effigy looks just like the victim! And is that a bull holding her?"

"Whoever made this must have known about what we saw at the windmills." Grace guesses.

"Right! We know that Jacqueline was murdered in a bronze bull! This must be linked to the murder!"

"Agreed. There's some blood on this and it looks fresh."

"Well spotted. Whoever made this creepy effigy of the victim must have cut themselves. You'd better collect a sample, ASAP!"

"Right. I found this as well." Grace says, holding up the fan to give to Jack.

"And you've found a Spanish fan with 'JP' on it?"

"I imagine you can figure out who it belongs to." Grace says, distracted as she collects the blood sample.

"Right, those are Jacqueline Proust's initials! Let's swipe it for prints!"

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"Ok, I have the blood sample and the fan. I'm going to search through this oil drum while you look these over." Grace explains quickly, giving Jack the items before turning her back to rummage through the oil drum.

"They look good...lots a fingerprints on the fan though." Jack comments.

"I...I think I got something!" Grace interrupts, pushing herself up and away from the barrel, attempting not to crinkle her nose at the way she smelled like burnt trash.

"What is it?"

"Well...it's not exciting really. It's a chess piece." Grace says shrugging and Jack leans over her shoulder to observe the oil drum behind her.

"Maybe. But check out all this Promethian stuff! This means that whoever threatened us really did try to burn evidence. So this chess piece might be an important clue! And I bet Lars can help us figure out what this chess piece means! Let's send it to him, quick!"

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After Grace cleaned her arms and hands to get the stench of trash off her, she met Jack in the lab.

"C'mon, did you manage to identify the DNA in that blood you collected from the effigy, Grace?" Jack asks, seeming to be impatient.

She didn't blame him really as they were on a time crunch and she did delay them by a few minutes.

"Uh...the sample should've printed by now." She says, looking up from the microscope. Jack grabs the paper from the printer.

"The blood belongs to Oracle Papadakis? But what on earth would the Oracle have been doing with an effigy of the victim?!"

"She has to be related somehow--this cannot be a coincidence!"

"You're right. Either she's involved in the Promethians or she's got a really nasty grudge against our victim! There's only one way to find! I say we disguise ourselves as Promethians and talk to the Oracle. We'll see how she reacts!"

"Okay. Could we look at those fingerprints first?"

"Mm-hm...wait. The fingerprints on the victim's fan are a match for Princess Sofia! How on earth did she get her hands on Proust's fan!"
"I'm not sure but we should definitely talk to her now rather than later. Then we'll deal with the Oracle."

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"Hello again, Detective Grace. Care to join me for a glass of sangria?"

"Cut to the chase, Sofia. How did you end up with Proust's fan when you claimed to have hated her?" Sofia blanched from underneath her ornate mask.

"Oh, how embarrassing. I thought I'd gotten rid of that. Well, I guess the cat is out of the bag! Jacqueline forgot her fan at a Promethian meeting. I liked it, so I swiped it!"

"What? You're a Promethian?!"

"Of course! Like I told Detective Grace before, I want to bring about change in Europe! I decided conventional politics were useless, so joining the Promethians was the next best option! That wretch Jacqueline threatened to ruin everything when she started trying to muscle her way in. I knew she couldn't be trusted. Thank goodness the others finally caught on!"

"Regardless, Sofia, we need to arrest you for your involvement with the Promethians." Grace says as Jack takes out some cuffs.

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After putting Sofia in the car and grabbing their disguises, Jack and Grace regrouped at a pillar near where the Promethians were meeting.

"It's time to use my disguise skills, Grace! Let's don these Promethian outfits and see if we can trick the Oracle into giving us some information! See? We look exactly like the Promethians!"

"Yeah...let's just get the info we need and get out of here! This place is making me antsy." Grace says, looking through the crowd to find the Oracle.

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"So, it looks like that traitor Proust finally got what she had coming to her!"

"I'll drink a glass of sangria to that, my Promethian brother!" The Oracle says jovially, holding up her glass. It makes Grace sick how she's acting like a woman hasn't just been horribly and brutally murdered.

"Funny to think Proust and I were friends once." That makes Grace perk up.

"You were friends?" She asks, genuinely shocked.

"Yes, we met at university. We were thick as thieves...until Proust stole my thesis to turn it into a novel, ruining my career! Now I'm just an unemployed scholar with a useless knowledge of Aramaic!"

"So that's why you made that effigy of her?"

"Haha, yes! Quite a masterpiece that was!" The Oracle says, looking at Jack with genuine pride.

But then...she gets suspicious.

"Wait, I'm sorry. Who did you people say you were? Has the Promethian world domination meeting been rescheduled for today?"

"Oh, haven't you seen us around? We're new recruits. In fact, we'd better dash. We have an initiation ceremony to get to!"

The two detectives powerwalked back to the pillar.

"We should've researched whether or not a meeting was today. Or just...something to make us seem less suspicious!" Grace says to Jack as she takes off her hood and allowing her curly, black hair to cascade down her shoulders.

"We didn't have time. We needed to talk to her right now."

"Jack--"

"Grace, trust me. Okay?" Grace gives him a look and then huffs.

"Fine," she dumps the clothes into the back of the black van, "I just want one person in this god-damned Bureau to be competent around here." She mutters under her breath as they get into the car.

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After bringing Sofia into custody, Grace and Jack went back to Lars so he could tell them his findings on the chess piece.

"Dude, thanks for sending this queen chess piece you found at Piaza Mayor! I'm totally into chess! Fun fact: it's thanks to Queen Isabella I of Spain that the queen piece is able to move any number of squares in all directions, while the king piece can only move one square at a time! It's because Isabella was more powerful than her husband King Ferdinan--"

"Lars? We don't have time! We know it's a chess piece, what else can you tell us?!" Jack asks impatiently.

"Right, sorry! Well, I did find traces of sangria in it--"

"Then that means the Promethian who tried to get rid of it is definitely Jacqueline's killer, Grace was right!"

"And I don't know if it helps, but when I was jamming in Park Guell, I noticed people playing chess there."

"That's the perfect lead! Let's go back to Park Guell to catch our chess-playing killer, Grace!"

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"This is a nightmare, Grace. We're no closer to finding out who killed Jacqueline or locating the bomb detonator! Tell me you've found some clues!"

"I did. I found a purse which is engraved with Jacqueline's name on it and a locked tablet."

"You're right--this bag has Proust's name on it. We need to look through it ASAP! You said you also found a tablet? Wait! There's a message on it. It reads: 'For the Bureau'. This could be somebody trying to help us, Grace! Or somebody trying to throw off our scent."

"Is it worth the risk?" Grace asks, hesitant about the ominous message.

"Only one way to find out, but it's locked! Let's crack it open!"

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"All that shuffling for...uh...this?"

"Woah, check out this gold thingy you found in Jacqueline's purse, Grace! And...urgh! Is that a bone inside? Creepy! Why the heck would Jacqueline have been carrying around a bone?!"

"It looks old...centuries old maybe." Grace observes as she squints to try and see inside the container.

"You're right, it doesn't look recent. These Latin inscriptions should tell us something about its origins...but we can hardly ask Dupont to decipher them now he's a suspect!"

"Why don't we ask Marina?"

"You think Marina could tell us more about it? Well, her beauty and brains always come through for us in an emergency. Let's send this bone to her, STAT!"

"Alright. Here." Grace passes it to Jack so he can contact someone from the Bureau to pick it up as she observes the tablet.

"What does it say on that tablet with the message for the Bureau, Grace?" Jack asks once he returns.

"Come here and look."

"The message reads: 'I need your help. They're after me! I don't want to die!' And it's signed by Gilchrist!"

"This sounds dire!"

"Oh gimme a break, Grace! What could that pompous idiot have gotten into himself this time?!"

"Jack, I hate him as much as you do but if he's in trouble then we need to help him!"

"Okay, okay. We'll go find Gilchirst."

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"Thank goodness you're here, Detective Grace! You saw my message? I'm in dire need of help!"

"What is it now, Gilchirst? We're trying to find a killer AND bring down a terrorist organization, so this better be good!" Jack comments, clearly annoyed by the interference.

"What is the matter Gilchrist?" Grace asks.

"I...I've been foolish. It's these Promethian chaps, you see. They just won't leave me alone! I thought it'd be an easy investment, but it's turning into a jolly nightmare! It's even more of a nightmare than when I had to learn Aramaic for a business venture! They keep pushing me for more money! I confided my concerns to Proust over a game of chess and a pitcher of sangria and look what happened to her! I need round-the-clock police protection!"

"Wait...how did you end up discussing that with Proust? Are YOU a Promethian?!"

"I...I...what a preposterous question!"

"We'll be keeping an eye on you, Archibald. And not just for your own protection!" Jack threatens before the two leave.

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"I know you must be worried about chasing after bombs and everything, Marina. But save your displays of affection--we need answers!" Beside Jack, Grace rolls her eyes.

"The only thing that worries me are your delusions, Archer. As for the bone you found in Jacqueline's bag, it's fascinating!" Marina explains. "I studied the Latin inscriptions and discovered it's a relic from the 14th century."

"So I was right," Grace finally speaks up, "the bone was really old."

"Woah, so that dude has been dead for ages!"

"That individual was not a 'dude'. The bone allegedly belonged to Catherine of Siena. She was a renowned theologian and she's now one of Italy's patron saints. What's most interesting, however, is the story surrounding the bone. Considered a relic of utmost importance by the Catholic Church, the bone is reportedly cursed...and whoever removes it from its place of rest will die!"

"Aaand I'm guessing that place of rest wasn't Park Guell?"

"Precisely. The relic is usually housed in a church owned by a certain Cardinal Salieri, who I'm sure Grace remembers meeting in Italy."

"Yeah, I remember him. He seemed power hungry."

"I bet he wouldn't have looked kindly on Jacqueline stealing the relic! Let's go see if this cardinal has committed any mortal sins recently!"

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"Cardinal Salieri, can you tell us what your relic was doing in Jacqueline Proust's bag?"

"Ah, si. Proust recently came to my church to confess her sins. I realized afterwards that the sacred relic was gone--she'd stolen it!"

"I wouldn't put it past Jacqueline to steal something. But do you expect us to believe it's a coincidence she was murdered after taking something from your church?"

"As I told Detective last time we met, I am a man of God. I do not give in to anger. If Proust is dead, it is because the curse has come true! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a game of chess to attend."

"Don't go far, Salieri. Detective Grace will have more questions for you later!"

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Grace sunk into her chair as Jack leaned against the conference table they were currently in.

"This is impossible, Grace! Most of our suspects have some kind of connection to the Promethians, but none has admitted to murdering Jacqueline. We've got Princess Sofia in custody. We know she hated Proust, but is that enough to have killed her? And Gilchrist claims his involvement in the Promethians has got out of hand and now he needs police protection! I sense he's not telling us the whole truth about his role in the Promethians though. But would he have committed murder for them?"

"I don't know...the amount of stuff going on makes my head hurt!" Grace complains let out a huff of exhaustion.

Suddenly the door opens and the chief enters the room.

"Grace, this is a disaster! You need to take a look at the TV!" Chief Ripley turns on the tv as Grace stands up to observe it better.

"I can confirm that the upcoming referendum, which will ask citizens to vote on whether Europe should be united under one central government, has been brought forward to tomorrow."

"...shit!" Grace mutters through gritted teeth.

"This is terrible news, Grace! We know that the Promethians want to create a climate of fear in order to get a 'Yes' vote in the referendum. And if the referendum's held tomorrow then the Promethians will have no choice. They'll have carry out their attack today!" Chief Ripley says with urgency.

"There'll be carnage if bombs go off all over Europe! We have to stop them, Grace!"

"And find out who killed our victim."

"Right, and we STILL need to find out which of the Promethian murdered Proust."

"And as your suspects seem to be here for the carnival, I recommend you go back to the carnival hub at Piaza Mayor ASAP to see if you've missed anything! Oh, and there's also a certain Cardinal Salieri here. He says he wants to talk to you, Grace."

"Alright," Grace sighs, "I'm on it, Chief."

"Oh come on, Grace! You don't seriously want to waste time talking to Salieri when we could be looking for clues?"

"The sooner we talk to him, Jack, the sooner we can go back to Piaza Mayor." Grace argues.

"Well, it's your call. But let's talk to him quickly. There's not a second to lose!"

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"Cut to the chase, Salieri, we've got a European-wide bomb plot on our hands! Why are you here?"

"Just to have a glass of sangria while I watch your investigation fail miserably, Signor Archer."

"Then why did you ask me to come and speak with you, Salieri? We have an investigation to get too!" Grace snaps, attempting to look threatening as she leans over him, glaring menacingly.

The Cardinal simply laughs in her face.

"How naïve you were to think you could stop us. Why waste time investigating the murder of a traitorous soul like Proust when soon even the Bureau will be under Promethian control?" 

Grace's blood ran cold at the realization of what he just threatened. 

"Wait...'us'?" Jack asks. "Don't tell us you're a Promethian too! You're supposed to be a man of faith!"

"This is God's wish for Europe! We, the elite, will take our rightful place as rulers over the continent's lesser souls."

"You're insane, Salieri! Grace will never allow the Promethians to come to power. We're taking you into custody!"

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At the carnival, right underneath the Cerberus Float, Grace finds two clues: a picnic basket and a torn photograph.

"Quick, what did you find in that picnic hamper, Grace? A postcard?"

"I think it's the park." Grace guesses, looking it over quickly before handing it to Jack.

"You're right--that's Park Guell on the front! And the message is addressed to our victim!"

"What does it say?" Grace asks, leaning over him.

"The postcard reads: 'Meet me at 7pm in Park Guell. Come alone.' And it's signed by Papadakis! So Papadakis met up with Jacqueline just before she was killed!"

"I think we should disguise ourselves again to talk to her." 

"I was thinking the same, Grace. The Promethian disguises worked brilliantly last time we spoke to Papadakis...let's try that again?"

"Mm-hm. Also I fixed the photograph." Grace explains, handing that over as well.

"Woah, that photo you found shows the Promethians! How can we tell who's who though? They've got all their hoods on! This is useless, Grace!"

"Why don't we ask Marina about it? It worked well last time."

"You're right--Marina always through for us. Let's send her the photo, NOW!"

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"Here we go again, Grace! Let's put my master of disguise skills into action once more and go talk to Papadakis!"

"I just hope this works." Grace says cryptically before putting her hood on as well and the two approach the Oracle once more.

"Hello again, fellow Promethian. Say, you wouldn't happen to have lost a postcard at Piaza Mayor, would you? Only we found this while taking a stroll to contemplate our imminent takeover of Europe."

"Haha, oh yes! That postcard was a stroke of genius! Would you like to hear all about it? You see, I had a key role in getting rid of that traitor!"

"By traitor you mean...?"

"Proust, of course! I was chosen by our dear leader to lead her to her death. I invited her to play chess at Park Guell, pretending I wanted to reconcile. But when she arrived, our dear leader was there to put an end to her miserable existence!"

"Right, right. Can you uh...remind me again...what's our dear leader's name?" The Oracle looks suspicious by Jack's question.

"What do you mean, what's their name? Who ARE you?! You're not Promethians!"

"You saw us in Greece, Oracle." Grace says calmly as it slowly starts to click.

"You're--!"

"We're Detectives Grace and Jack, Ms. Papadakis." Grace dramatically reveals as the two take off their hoods. "And you're under arrest for being an accessory to the murder of Jacqueline Proust."

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After lots of squabbling and protest from the Oracle about getting her in jail (let alone the car) Jack and Grace return to headquarters to talk with Marina.

"Quick, Marina. Can you identify the Promethians in the photo Grace found at Piaza Mayor?!"

"Yes. The individual with the clasped hands is clearly of a religious nature and must therefore be Cardinal Salieri. The outstretched hand of the person on the far left, meanwhile indicates royal heritage. And their feminine eyes and figure prove it is consequently Princess Sofia."

She points to someone near the princess to emphasis her next point.

"I'm a bit stumped about the individual in the middle though. The way they're bowing to kiss Sofia's hand implies they're a stickler for tradition and culture. And their protruding stomach and posture...suggest a slightly overweight gentleman in his 60s."

She pauses suddenly and her eyes widen as she makes a realization.

"No, wait...it can't be! This...this Promethian: it's Armand Dupont!"

"What?!" Grace asks genuinely surprised. They knew there was something going on with him...but she never expected this.

Jack meanwhile, as he stands beside her, is furious.

"What the heck?! Dupont is a Promethian? How dare he betray the Bureau! I'm gonna--"
"Anger is not an attractive quality, Archer." Marina interrupts his tirade. "If I may, Grace, I'd like to interrogate Dupont with you. I'd enjoy the chance to make him sweat a little. Let's go!"

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Marina takes the lead in the interrogation room where the Bureau is holding Dupont, as Grace stands at a distance near the door to the exit.

"Hello Armand. Tell me, were you bullied as a child?"

"Well, children can be cruel at times. Why do you ask, Mademoiselle Marina?"

"It explains why you reached the top of your field, Armand." Marina states matter-o-factly. "Children who are bullied are often motivated to overachieve and seek power in their later years. Power like the Promethians could offer, perhaps?"

Dupont looks between the two women, suddenly extremely nervous.

"...what are you implying?"

"Grace found a photo of you dressed up as a Promethian, Armand!"

"It is not what it seems, Grace! Jacqueline and I were working together, trying to destroy the Promethians from the inside. I managed to infilitrate the organization over a game of chess. I had a glass of sangria to give me some Dutch confidence. But the Promethians were so impressed by my fluency in Aramaic, they let me straight in!"

Marina looks back at Grace to see what she thinks and they seem to communicate secretly as Grace shakes her head.

"I'm not convinced you'd do that without informing the Bureau first, Armand. We hope you had nothing to do with Jacqueline's death, but Grace has no choice but to take you into custody!"

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Jack meets with Grace after the interrogation in the hallway.

"We need new leads, Grace! We've got four people in custody but have no idea where the bomb detonator is! Papadakis obviously played a part in the murder, but she claimed the Promethian leader actually killed Jacqueline. We also know Dupont joined the cult, but do we buy his story about trying to bring them down from the inside?"

Before Grace can answer, Chief Ripley rushes up towards the two.

"Grace, I've just had word that the carnival procession is headed towards your crime scene! You need to get back to the crime scene immediately before any final clues are lost in the crowds!"

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"C'mon, what did you find at the crime scene, Grace? Do I need to remind you that there's not just a killer on the loose, but thousands of lives in danger!"

"I'm aware!" Grace snaps back sarcastically. "But finding things around here is like looking for a needle in a haystack." Grace sighs, composing herself.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped. Here." She hands him a lighter and a gold chalice.

"This lighter has a bull on it--this can't be a coincidence! I bet our killer used this to light the fire under the bronze bull! And what's this golden chalice doing out here in the middle of nowhere?"

"It looks there's some power on it." Grace observes, pointing to the top of the cup.

"Well spotted, there's a dark powder on it! Let's vacuum it up STAT!"

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Grace handed back the samples from the lighter and the chalice.

"Great! You've collected the golden substance and the dark powder samples from the lighter and the chalice. Let's send these to Lars, now!"

"Great, let's go."

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It took way longer than expected for Lars to look over the samples.

"Lars, we've been waiting for your results for hours! Please tell us identified the substance Grace collected from the killer's lighter!"

"You're in luck, Grace! I know EXACTLY what this substance is. It's a nightmare getting it off the walls!"

"I'm guessing it's adhesive glitter?" Grace guesses, thinking about how it stuck to her fingers and the times she used with Gretta when she was really young.

"Exactly! It's used for arts and crafts. Angela and I use it all the time with the girls! But more specifically, it's a type of glitter glue used to decorate masks. The kind everyone in Spain is wearing for the Semana Santa carnival!"

"So we're looking for a killer wearing a mask! They might be hiding their face but they won't be able to hide from Grace must longer!"

"What about the chalice?" Grace asks, moving the conversation swiftly along.

"Right, so, the substance is dried Queimada. It's a drink containing wine, herbs, coffee beans--"

"Lars, again, we're on the clock here!"

"Sorry! In short, Queimada is a ceremonial beverage, though to give the drinker special powers."

"And we know the Promethians are all about ceremony, so the killer must have drank from this chalice before the murder!"

"And it gets better!" Lars continues. "I found some tiny hairs in the dried liquid. I didn't have time to do a DNA profile, but the hairs were so short and coarse that they could have only come from a mustache."

"So our killer has a mustache! Well, things are about to get hairy for them!" Grace lets out an involuntary snort and rolls her eyes.

"Let's focus on catching the killer and then get into the corny jokes, okay?"

"I know, Grace. I know, of course we don't have time for jokes."

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Grace and Jack redisguised as cult followers to go arrest Archibald Gilchrist.

"Good evening, dear leader--" The banker doesn't let Jack get a word in before he interrupts.

"How preposterous! How dare you call me by my Promethian name when I'm not in costume?"

Pretentious as always, I see? Grace quips sarcastically inside her head.

"My sincerest apologies." Jack backpedals his previous statement. "I was just so in awe thinking about the brilliance of your plan to murder Proust that I forgot my manners. I was wondering if you could tell the story again, it's such a great one!" Of course, the man is immediately ready to boast.

"Why of course, young recruit! First of all, I had Papadakis lure Proust to Park Guell with a postcard."

"How ingenious!" Jack compliments.

"Then I ambushed her and dragged her out to the countryside! I branded her with the word "traitor" in Aramaic, as a warning to anyone else who might consider betraying me. As if the fact I had Prince Albert and the Greek Finance Minister killed wasn't enough to make people fear me! Those fools should have never stood in the Promethians' way! Anyway, I digress. Then, I took my lighter and lit a fire under the bronze bull. It was just as magnificent as I'd hoped! But the finishing touch was playing the victim in front of those Bureau fools! Detective Grace will never suspect it was me who killed Proust!"

"Is that so?" Grace finally pipes up, not being able to help herself. "What if I told you she was here right now?"

"What are you implying?" He asks, getting nervous. Grace narrows her eyes at him.

"I think you already know." She takes off her hood as her hair cascades down her shoulders with a bit of frizz from the contact.

"You---!"

"Hi! Remember me?" Grace can't help herself but to brag just a little after all those times the man dismissed her. "I'm not as dumb as I look, Gilchrist." And you," her face darkens, "are under arrest for the murder of Jacqueline Proust!"

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Judge Adaku tried his best to get Gilchrist to confess to the Bureau about where the detonator was for a more lenient sentencing. Gilchrist, however, refused to budge and the court therefore had no choice but to sentence the banker to a life in prison for refusing to cooperate with authorities, endangering thousands of lives and killing Jacqueline Proust.

Author's Notes

I meant to get this chapter out sooner but school was keeping me down and I've been busy with stuff for the play I'm on crew for. But right now, I'm in the middle of a four day weekend so this was the perfect opportunity to write :)

I know I say this every time but I have missed these characters so much!!

This last case was really intense, they really went out with a bang. I spoiled myself so I knew Jacqueline would be murdered already but I was still on the edge of my seat.

Poor Grace is traumatized. She had a feeling something was going to happen after what went on with Klaus but she wasn't expecting this :(

(But I also gave her some time to gloat at the end so I hope it made her feel better!)

Again, not much of Elliot and Gretta but I found this case more interesting. Also I felt I needed to take a moment for Gretta to ask after her mom since out of anyone she'd know if something was off (and add Gretta messing with Elliot).

Looked up Larry Winston. Don't think he's a real person but he could be a reference to Harry Winston maybe who is an actual jeweler...or I could just be reaching XD

Also, Grace got upgraded to Corporal in game but I thought having characters suddenly call her that in here would've been weird so I didn't add it.

I normally don't change lines, but I changed Jack's line about the Promethians threatening them to being just about Grace since the Promethian was looking directly at her (also this may just be me subconsciously thinking about what MysticalCatlord and I talked about with  the possible romantic tension between the two--)

And now we got to deal with the final Europe in Crisis...which is going to get heavy real fast.

On a lighter note, here are pic crews I made of Grace and Gretta for fun:

(Grace)

(Gretta)

Chapter 16 will be out soon (today or tomorrow, I just need a break after this chapter <3)

BatgirlGeek❤️