The Woodsman Apartment

South Bronx

Early Morning

"And we ended up going out the window and I landed on Toad's car." Bigby said to Snow as the three of you arrive at the apartment where you see the giant hole on the second floor and the crushed car. "You guys made a real mess." said Snow. "Yeah...it looks worse in the day." You said as you, Snow and Bigby walk across the street and towards the building.

You look up at the hole and noticed some movement in that window. "Is someone up there?" You asked as you point up just and see the back of a large stout figure. Bigby stares at the figure then turns to you and Snow and raised his hand towards you. "Wait here." He said then he runs inside and up the stairs.

He makes it into the room but whoever it was, was long gone. "Shit." He mutters as he walks over to the hole and looks down at you and Snow then shakes his head. You and Snow make your way inside the building.

"I'm sorry!" Bigby hears a young kid's voice shout from downstairs. "That's enough alright! Just shut it!" Toad's voice shouts. Suddenly, there was a sobbing sound. Bigby walks out of the room, down the stairs and turns to the left to see you and Snow standing by the door where the crying was coming from.

"Is that his son?" Snow asked you as Bigby makes his way to you two. "Toad's? I think." You said and you reach out for the door handle but once your fingertips touched the door, it opened real easily. "Bigby! (Y/N)! And Miss White! Surely you didn't come all this way for my bother!" Toad greeted as he turns to meet up with you three but you noticed that Toad's son still looked distraught as he cowers behind his father.

Toad looked between the three of you with worry then said. "Sorry, Bigby. It's embarrassing to have to admit, but, eh, I thought there was someone else in Woody's place. There wasn't though, not when I checked--nothin' but a leaky drain pipe. Imagination must have got the best of me." And he chuckles a little before he continues.
"So, ya know, false alarm."

"There was someone....but they took off when we got here." Bigby said. "Is that right?" Toad said, shocked then he turns to his son and said. "I guess your Dad's ears have a year or two left. Haven't gone totally to the dogs, eh?"

Snow looks over at Toad's son with concern before she walks over to him.
"Are you alright?" She asked him. But before he could reply, Toad said. "He's fine, Miss White, just stung his little toe. Better swimmer than walker, just like his dad."

This is really suspicious. You thought as Toad continues. "So I guess you'll be taking off now. No need to hang around here anymore. I mean, I'm sorry you came all the way here for nothin'...but it was nothin', really."

"Someone was here and something is going on." You said to him. "She's right.....and just so this trip wasn't a complete waste of time, (y/n) and I will look around a bit before we leave, OK?" Bigby said and you noticed Toad has a nervous look on his face. "The longer you talk the longer this takes so just stand over there and shut up." Bigby ordered.

"Alright, alright, I just don't want to waste your time is all." Toad said as he starts to walk towards the sitting area. "Have a seat, have a cup of tea, whatever you like." Toad said and you could here a little bit of anger and annoyance in his voice.

Snow squats down as she talks to the boy. "Phew! Grown-ups, am I right?" She asked, Toad's son doesn't look at her at all. "Hey, you know what, Flycatcher said you had a pretty awesome insect collection...I'd really love to see it. Is it in your room?" Snow asked him.

He doesn't say anything at first but he finally looks up at her and said. "It has a weevil."

"Cool..." Snow said with a smile and TJ goes over to his bedroom door and opens it. Snow looks over at you and Bigby, nods, then heads inside to TJ's room. You smirked at this.

Snow was always good with kids, you...not so much. You had no idea what to do with kids which you felt bad for because a part of you wanted to have kids....someday....maybe.

"Just mind the upholstery while you're lookin' for nothin'." Toad said as he glares up at you and Bigby. "Yeah, sure thing." You muttered as you started to walk forward but your foot hit something. You looked down and saw a broken lamp. You squat down to examine it. "How'd this happen?" You asked Toad.

"Fucking hell. Damn thing must have fell off the table." Toad replied.

"Uh-huh. The lamp just fell off the table." You said, suspiciously.

"Or the boy was faffin' about, playin' sods and swordfish. Who knows with the lad." Toad said as you look over at the table and saw that both of the outlet were in use with two different electrical devices. Obviously, the lamp wasn't here. You thought as Bigby looks at the busted latch on the front door.

"Your lock's busted, too. This place is falling apart." He remarks.

"Eh?" Toad asked, like he didn't hear Bigby.

"The lock. It looks like somebody kicked in the door." Bigby said. "For God's sake, the fuckin' lock's been busted for weeks, mate. Rotted just like everything else in this bloody building." Toad said as you stand back up and Bigby turns around.

You and him walk along the room then down the steps that leads to the living room area. You and Bigby look around and noticed a giant red stain in the wall to the right of you.

Bigby walks over to it and sniffs it.
"It's just some wood rot, not mold or anything...." Toad informed while you two turn to face him. "You bleeding?" Bigby asked him.

"Why? Is that--"

"It's blood. Still fresh." Bigby replied.

"Oh, well, I cut me hand. Ran around like a tit trying to pick out a wrap....Must've got some on the furnishments..." Toad said, quickly, but you noticed there was no indication of a cut on Toad's hand, even for a Fable there would've been some sort of sign of an injury. "Sounds painful." You remarked.

"Oy, don't you go Mother Henning now!" Toad shouted at you, angrily.
"The wound didn't sit very long, you know. Perks of being a Fable, I s'ppose. And a frog."

You shake your head and turned around to see a firepoker on the floor. You pick it up and noticed that the end of it was covered in blood. You show it to Bigby and he looks it over.

"There's more blood over here." You said.

"On the poker?" Toad asked, nervously.

"Yeah. What happened?" Bigby asked him.

"Ah, well, that's--that's how it happened, didn't it? I--I was poking the coals and it slipped a bit--sliced open my foot like a seashell. Hurt like a shit, the ugly thing." Toad said and again you noticed there was not injury on his foot but then you realized something.

"Wait....you dropped it on your foot? You told us before that you cut your hand." You said, catching his lie.

"Yeah, no, I-I did cut my hand. I cut my hand first, and that made me drop the damned thing on me foot. Ruinous flip of events, really." Toad chuckles but you and Bigby weren't buying it.

You look over at the blood spot on the wall, walked over to it and started to swing the poker in an angle like you were hitting someone with it.

"Oh my God, will you two not make a big faff out a this! There's nothing to solve here, mates, I'm telling you everything that happened!" Toad exclaims. "Why don't you believe me?"

"This apartment is a damn mess, Toad. It looks like after a struggle or a fight. And we don't know why you'd cover for it....but we know you're lying about something." you said to him.

"But I'm not--"

"And you're just gonna make it worse for yourself the longer you keep up the act." Bigby said to him, angrily.

"I'm not bullshitting you. Honest." Toad said, desperately.

"We'll see." Bigby mutters then he noticed something on the little end table by the chair as you set the firepoker down. He walks over it and sees a ring of a clean surface, surrounded by dust.

"That more blood?" Toad asked him, nervously, as you stand next to Bigby. "No, just a clean space in the dust. Did you move something?" Bigby asked.

"Uh, maybe one of Junior's toys or something. I mean, who knows?" Toad said as both you and Bigby noticed that the ring had the same shape as the bottom of the broken lamp and the outlet next to the table was free. "That broken lamp used to be here. Right? Just tell us what happened." Bigby said, trying to stay calm. Toad was starting to piss him off, his patience was wearing thin.

"Nothing happened, mate. Nothing!" Toad exclaims. "And why did the lamp have to be there, of all the bloomin' pointless inquiries? It's my place---don't you think I know what happens in it?"

"Becasue it wasn't on that table, Toad. There isn't any room in the electric outlets." Bigby said.

"Huh? What are you--"

"It was plugged in over here..." Bigby points at the table then points over to the broken lamp. "...and now it's over there."

"I--I did some refiguring---who fuckin' cares?" Toad shouts.

"And not plug it in? C'mon, Toad." You said.

"I just hadn't gotten around to it, yet! You see how many damned plugs there are." Toad shouted, angrily.

You let out a frustrated sigh, turned around and started to look around. You make it to the window and noticed a weird mark on the windowsill. You raise an eyebrow to it and open it. "There's some mark's here on the windowsill." You said, making Bigby come up next to you to look.

"Well, like I said, Junior leaves his toys around all the time--"

"These don't look like they're from a toy." You said to him.

"Oh, well....just last night, when I'd come out, I was in a---a downright tizzy, mate--as you would be---and I plum forgot the keys to this place. And I had to climb in through the bloody window." Toad explained.

"Really?" You and Bigby said in unison.

"Scared Junior half to death." Toad responded as you two continue to stare at him then Bigby looks over at the front door.

"You two heard, uh, the new, uh....Shakin' Steven's album yet?" Toad asked, trying to change the subject.

"You wouldn't need keys, since the lock's broken. So why'd you climb in through the window?" You asked.

"Huh?"

"Why'd you climb in through the window? You said it yourself, the lock's been rotten for weeks. You wouldn't have needed a key to get in." Bigby replied.

"Fuckin' hell, just what are you on about, mate? After the state I was in, I didn't have me head, that's all it was, I forgot the fuckin' handle was fuckin' busted. And I'll tell you what else, it's embarrassing, you two bringing all this shit up, alright? So quit it with the third degree and all that." Toad shouted as you two walk back on the steps and stood in front of Toad as he continues to talk.

"Bigby....(y/n)....c'mon, I'm begging for mercy over here. I was looking forward to a nice afternoon, just me and me son, and you two have taken up enough of the day with all this---this sniffing around at me private belongings! I'm sorry I called, really, I am, but....will you two please---please just bugger off?" Toad begged.

"Not yet." Bigby replied.

"Not yet?! No one fought anyone, mates. There wasn't any scrap! So when? When are you two gonna leave?" Toad asked you two.

"When? When you start telling us the truth, Toad." You replied.

"But I've told you guys the truth. What more do you want?" Toad asked. Then you heard Bigby starting to growl in frustration then his growl started to sound like a wolf growling. Toad started to cower back in fear at this and you place your hand on his shoulder and whispered, softly. "Bigby." He turns his head to you and he starts to calm down.

You sigh then face Toad. "Toad....these stories have made no sense. You didn't cut yourself on the poker. You didn't forget your keys. You didn't bump the lamp off the table. Now....do you wanna tell us what's going on?" You asked just as TJ and Snow walk out of TJ's room.

"...she doesn't think much of me, I don't think." TJ said to Snow. "Oh, I wouldn't necessarily say that." Snow said to him with a smile. Then she turns to you and Bigby and asked. "Progress?"

TJ goes and hugs his father and all of you noticed blood was dripping down the back of Toad's head. "Mr Toad....you're bleeding." Snow stated. Toad reaches behind his head, felt the blood and he hangs his head in defeat. "Take off the hat." Bigby said to him.
Toad slowly takes off his hat and you could see a long cut on the top of his head.

He sighs and sits down on a crate as Snow squats down and hands him a tissue. "It was that....butcher, a Tweedle. Dum or Dee, you gotta strip 'em down to their johnnie's before you can tell which is which." Toad said as he takes the tissue and placed it over his cut.

"He came bargin' in, screaming about something the Woodsman had, or thought he had.....I don't know. He tore up the place, beat me up when I said I didn't have it. I tried to go out the window but he pulled me back in. It's been a hard mornin', I can tell you that." He said.

"Do you know where the Tweedle went?" Bigby asked him. "He mentioned somethin' about Prince Lawrence's....I don't know if he'd already been there or was going there, but....he said something about it." Toad replied. "I would've told you--I wanted to, really I did....But he said if word o' this ever got back to him, if he ever thought you or (y/n) knew, or Miss White....he'd come back and kill my boy. I even tried to give the bastard her coat. He wouldn't take it."

"Whose coat?" You asked him.

"The girl." Toad replied.

"Dad borrows things from people who live here...." TJ replied, only to be greeted with a glare from his father. "...uh, sometimes?" TJ said, uncertainly.

"Borrows?" Bigby said, questionably.

"I don't steal nothin'. The turnaround here would astonish you, mate. I merely....repossess what's been left behind." replied Toad.

"Well, we'll be taking the coat now. If she has next of kin, family, anyone...." Snow said and Toad nods. "Alright." Then he turns to his son and said. "Fetch 'em the fur." TJ walks over to the fireplace and sticks his arm inside of it. "Fine bit of dress it is." Toad said as all of you make your way to the fireplace.

You walk up next to TJ and stick your arm up inside of the fireplace, feeling around for anything until you felt something soft. You grabbed it and pulled it out to reveal a long coat that looked like a donkey. "Though I wouldn't wear it outside..." Toad remarked as you set it on a couch. You noticed something attached to the front of the coat.

You pull it out and show it to the others. "It's an envelope." You stated. "Fuckin' hell, of course there is. With my luck it's a map to some bloody doubloons." Toad grumbles as you flip the envelope over and see the name on it. "It's addressed to Prince Lawrence." You said then you look up at Bigby and your sister and said. "Should we try and give it to him, or...."

"There could be something important inside of it." Bigby said then you look down at the envelope and opened it. But inside of it was a letter with three words. "I'm sorry. Faith." you read aloud to them.

You give them a sad look as Snow asks. "What could she have been sorry for?"

"Don't know." You and Bigby replied at the same time. "But maybe Lawrence does." You said as you tuck the letter back in the envelope and placed it in your pocket.

"Well, it's been quite a surprising day for all of us, hasn't it? I'd see you out, but I'm afraid of drippin' any more blood in the place." Toad said as he goes over to the steps and sits down.
"It was very nice talking to you, TJ." Snow said as she squats down and Pat's TJ's head. "Thanks....uh...see ya." said TJ, smiling at her. Snow nods at him, stands up and the three of you walk out of the apartment.

"Does it always go that smoothly?" Snow asked as Bigby pulls out a cigarette and you shut the door to the apartment building behind you three.

"Not often." Bigby said as you said. "I wish."

Snow smiles then said. "So....the Prince's, now?"

"Lawrenece's, yes. It's our best lead." said Bigby.

"Our only lead, really." You remarked.

"When you put it that way..." Bigby said as the three of you walk down the street and head towards Lawrence's apartment.

Lawrence's Apartment

South Bronx

Early Morning

"I don't want to stay here any longer than we have to. so let's just pick an approach and stick to it, okay?" Snow said once you make it to the yellow buildings with red doors and red window frames. "Just humor me." She said as she looks between you two.
"We're here to question Lawrence and bump him up in the suspect list or cross him off entirely." Bigby said.

"Okay...." Snow said with uncertainty.

"What is it, sis?" You asked her.

"I just...I don't think he did it." She replied.

"In cases like these isn't it usually the husband?" Bigby asked.

"For mundies, maybe. But this is different." She said.

"Well...let's find out, then." You said and the three of you make it to the door, which was slightly ajar. You raise an eyebrow at this as Bigby pushes the door open and immediately you could smell something awful in there.

It smelled like something had died.
Snow covers her nose with her hand then looks inside with shock.

The whole place was dark except for the flickering light from the TV that was still on. In front of the TV was a chair covered in blood with a table next to it that had a fan that was blowing air and a bottle of pills. On the floor in front of the chair was a body that was laying on his front, his back had a stream of blood exiting out of a hole.

You and Snow kneel down as you turn the body on his back and noticed a giant hole on the side of his head and there was another hole in his chest, which corresponds with the hole in his back. His skin was already turning a gray color, telling you he had been like this for awhile.

"Oh my God." Snow mutters when suddenly Lawrence begins to blink. "Go get Doctor Swineheart. (Y/N) and I will stay with him." Bigby said to Snow.

Before Snow could stand up and go, Lawrence raised his right hand and placed it over Snow's hand. "No." He groans. "No...let me go." Then he starts to say something else but he started to struggle with his words.
"What are you trying to say?" Snow asked with concern.

"W--w--wah....waht...wah....ter." Lawrence managed to struggle out.

"Bigby! Water!" Snow said and Bigby hurries over to the kitchen, grabs a nearby cup and fills it with water from the sink. Finally he makes his way back and kneels next to you as he holds the cup to Lawrence's lips so that he could drink.

"If you have something to ask him, you should do it now." Snow said as she looks down at Lawrence in sadness. "Who did this to you?" Bigby asked Lawrence.

Lawrence coughs then said, in a whisper. "Faith.....Faith....Faaaaith." and he let's out one last breathe before he passes. You sigh and placed your hand over your face, feeling guilty for not coming here first. Snow closes Lawrence's eyes as Bigby shakes his head.

Snow lays Lawrence down on the floor as she stands up, you and Bigby follow suit. "Do you still have that letter, (y/n)?" Snow asked you. You nod as you reach in to your pocket and pull the letter out. You hand it to her and she looks it over before kneeling down and put it in Lawrence's hand.

"It was only two words.....but he died without seeing them." She said. "I'm sorry." The three of you stand there, staring at his body, for a few moments in silence before Snow speaks. "We need to figure out what happened here....and find whoever did this." You and Bigby nod then the three of you split up and look around the room.

Snow looks through bookshelves, Bigby looks over the bloody chair and the objects around it and you look at the wall where a bullet hole caught your attention. Bullet passed through the chair. The angle works if he shot himself. You thought as you look over at the chair then at the hole. You reach up and pull the bullet out of the wall and pocket it.

You turn around and noticed a strange blood pattern on the floor. Strange. Hard edge to this pool. Like something was here, and got moved. You thought and you look up at a panel. You grab the handles and pulled it, revealing it to be a bed. You set it down and the edge on the right side of the bed and it matches the odd pattern of blood.

"Son of a...." you exclaim as you look at the blood on the edge of the bed and the floor. You look to the left and found a letter. You reach over and grab it. You pick it up and began to read it aloud to the others. "My dearest Faith, I never meant to hurt you, and I cannot endure knowing that I have. This was for the best. I'll see you again. Love, your devoted Lawrence."

Snow and Bigby look over at you as you set the letter down back on the bed, looking at it in sadness.

"Hopefully they're together now." Snow said as she stares at Lawrence's body. "About all we can hope for at this point." Bigby said as he looks down and found a gun. He picks it up by the nozzle as you said. "Fingerprints?"

"They'll be on the grip and the trigger." He replied as he sets it aside. He walks over to the closet and was about to open it when a large figure burst through it and runs out of the apartment. "Stay here!" Bigby said to you and Snow and he runs after the man. "No!" You and Snow shout and you two run after him.

"Hey! Stop!" Bigby shouts after the man as they turn a corner to an alleyway with a door at the end. "Leave me alone!" The man shouts over his shoulder and slams the door open and runs up the stairs. Bigby bursts through the door as the man throws items at him but Bigby dodges them as best as he could.

They make it up stairs and the man shoves a person, who was carrying a couch out of an apartment, down. Bigby comes up, bends down and shuffles under it and takes off. He stops at a corner with two doors, one on the left and one on the right. Bigby goes to the door on the left and shoves the door open.

The man was climbing out of the window. Bigby runs up to him and grabs his foot and starts to pull but the man kicks him and escapes. Bigby shakes his head and jumps out the window to see that the man had jumped off of the fire escape to the next building and climbs in the building. Bigby runs and jumps and grabs onto the fire escape but it collapses and he falls on to the lower level of the fire escape.

He gets up and goes through the window, entering into the building.

Above, he could hear people shouting and screaming then he heard running footsteps and every step the man took, dust was falling from above.

Bigby follows it, turns left, avoids a door opening, then jumps out of the window and falls towards the dumpster below, where the man landed in. Bigby lands on top of the man before he shoves him off and climbs out. "Hey!" Bigby shouts and tackles the man.

The man falls on his front then turns on his back as he stares at Bigby, half his body covered in blood. "Ease up, Bigby.....we're on the same side." He said as Bigby catches his breath.

"You....sonuvabitch....make me...run after you..." Bigby said, breathless. He coughs then asked, in a breathless tone. "Why did you run?"

"What?" The man asked.

"Why did you run?" Bigby asked again, clearly.

"Fuck man, because you chased after me. The fuck was I supposed to do?" The man said.

"A man's dead." Bigby growls

"I know how it looks. But I had nothing to do with that!" The man said as he crawls away from Bigby.

"Bullshit! You're covered in blood!" Bigby shouted.

"Look, I was just asking him about the girl. That's all. When i mentioned her being dead. he freaked out. I figured someone'd told him. How was I supposed to know?" The man said, quickly.

"Shit...." Bigby grumbles.

"Fucker shot himself right in front of me. I couldn't stop him." The man said as he crawls back and hits his back against a wall. He stands up as Bigby gets closer to him. "You're lookin' for the Woodsman, right? I know where he is. My guy says he's holed up at the Trip Trap. We can go over there right now. The both of us." The man said.

"Who are you exactly?" Bigby asked him.

"I'm Dee, and I'm a private investigator. There's a business card in my shirt pocket. You can see for yourself." Dee said and Bigny digs in his pocket but he pulls out a sandwich shop card. "This is for a sandwich shop." Bigby said.

"Really? Huh. Must've run out." Dee said, smirking.

"Who hired you?" Bigby asked him.

"I can't tell you that. It's confidential. Sorry. I'm sure you understand." Dee said.

"Nope. Can't say that I do. Come on. You're coming with me." Bigby ordered.

"This could've been easy." Dee said as he glares at Bigby.

"Oh, don't worry. It still is. Come on." Bigby said as he turns a bit but Dee whispers. "Dum."

"Dumb? Yeah, it is. Look, it'd be much easier for you to--"

"No. I'm Dee....He's Dum." Dee said.
Bigby turns just in time to see another man, just as large and stout as Dee, comes up and punches Bigby in the back of the head, knocking him out.

"You almost look peaceful." A voice said as Bigby comes to. He opens his eyes to see you kneeling next to him, smiling, Snow not far behind you. "Yup." He said as he places his hand over his eyes, feeling a sore pain on sides.

"Except you're lying in a dirty alley." You said.

"Yup." Bigby grumbles.

"With an open wound on the back of your head." Snow said.

"Yup." Bigby said again. "Where'd they go?"

"Well, after the one guy hit you, and the other one finished kicking you...." Snow said.

"That explains the ribs." Bigby said.

"(Y/N) chased after them until they jumped in a car and drove off." Snow said. "Come on. Get up."

Bigby groans as you stand back up and hold your hand out to him. He takes it and you pull him up to his feet. "Guess we're out of options." You said. "Dee mentioned the Trip Trap." Bigby replied. "Then that's where you two will go. I have to go back to the Office. I'll call a cab for you two." Snow said and the three of you head out.