Style’s email laid out the Franco family history in broad strokes. “I had my brother tap a friend in the FIA for this,” he wrote. “Here’s the breakdown. I hope this helps, because digging any deeper will take weeks, if not months. The local agencies are clean; we’d have to go through the embassy and petition the Neverlands government directly for the rest.”
Connor Edward Franco: Born January 20, 1963, in Duinn—the capital of Eire Isle in the United Kingdom of Neverlands. After losing his mother to cancer at age eleven, his father, Jeffrey Franco, remarried a woman named Ella Klemens two years later. Ella brought her own son, Oscar Andersen, into the family.
Jeffrey was a high-ranking officer in the Lost Boys, an insurgent group fighting for Eire Isle’s independence. However, Jeffrey didn’t fall in combat; he and Ella perished in a suspicious house fire on the night of March 14, 1986. Both boys survived only because they were at a neighbor’s birthday party.
In the wake of the fire, Connor and Oscar joined the rebellion. But within two months, Connor betrayed the cause. He surrendered to the Neverlands government and provided the intel that led to the arrest of his stepbrother and dozens of other soldiers. Connor then enlisted in the Neverlands Army, rising through the ranks until a combat injury led to his honorable discharge in 1993. Shortly after, he relocated to the Fairylands.
Meanwhile, Oscar was released from prison in 1992. He settled into a quiet life at a construction firm, married the owner’s daughter, Sheila Walsh, and had a son, Patric Andersen. Oscar passed away on October 24, 2023.
At first glance, the summary was disappointing. It didn’t seem to offer anything more than what they’d already scavenged from the anonymous forum posts. Yet, as they pored over the names and dates one more time, a hidden clue finally flickered into view.
“Ella Klemens!” Spion’s voice rang out across the Dressrious Salon cafeteria this Wednesday morning. “His stepmother was a descendant of the Klemens family. That means the Tinderbox was hers, not the Franco family’s.” His sudden outburst caused several well-dressed guests at neighboring tables to jump, their startled glares fixing on the team.
“He lied to us,” Trevor mused, looking troubled. “He claimed it was a family heirloom from his father’s side. Why lie about an old tinderbox?”
“I have a feeling the Tinderbox is the key to everything,” Report Man said, leaning in. “He never let it out of his sight, he lied about its origin, and once it was stolen, he was shot.”
“I checked Spiritpedia,” Trevor added. “The Klemens family were legendary witches. They were famous for crafting enchanted objects, though the Tinderbox isn’t specifically mentioned.”
“An antique to some, but a treasure to those who know the history,” Lady News said thoughtfully. “An antique dealer who knows its pedigree might see it differently. If it truly is an enchanted Tinderbox, that’s more than enough reason to kill for it. Or perhaps it was someone closer to him—someone who watched him use it and realized its true power. Victoria must have known. She married Franco back in the nineties; they lived through the lean years together.”
“And his stepbrother must have known, too,” Spion added, taking a thoughtful sip of his coffee. “But he’s gone now, leaving behind only a son.”
“Patric Andersen…” Trevor murmured. “This kid is the real Klemens descendant. If he knew what that Tinderbox was, he’d have every motive in the world to take it back from an uncle who betrayed his father.”
“How do we track him down? Do we head to the Neverlands?” Spion asked, leaning over the table.
“He’s likely still here, if he’s truly the one behind this,” Report Man replied. “Then again, he might have vanished the moment he got his hands on the Tinderbox and saw Franco go down.”
“But Franco isn’t dead yet,” Spion pointed out. “If the killer wants to finish the job, he might try again, even with the hospital crawling with bodyguards.”
A memory suddenly clicked for Trevor. He had heard the name Patric before. Even more suspicious, the name had cropped up in two places tied directly to the investigation: the Gotham Hotel and right here at the Dressrious Salon. Could it really be a coincidence? Either way, it was the perfect excuse to reach out to Alisa. He pulled out his phone and sent her a quick message, asking if she’d join him for dinner at the Salon tonight.
“In any case, the meeting with Victoria is set for tomorrow afternoon at her house,” Lady News announced. “Senator Style pulled the strings, and Fiona will be joining us, so we can interview them both at once.” She pulled out her phone, her thumb already dancing across the screen. “Now, the real question,” she murmured to herself, “is what does one wear to an interrogation?” She opened the Dressrious app and began layering a virtual outfit for the confrontation.
For the next few minutes, the table fell into a rhythmic, modern silence. The team drifted into their own worlds—scrolling through news feeds, curating digital outfits, and nursing their coffees. Trevor, however, was far from calm. He waited for Alisa’s reply with a gnawing anxiety, his eyes darting to his screen every few seconds between sips of coffee. He couldn’t help but wonder what—or who—was keeping her busy.
“Waiting for someone to text back?” Spion leaned in, whispering with a knowing, subtle grin.
“No,” Trevor snapped, keeping his eyes fixed on his cup.
“Holy Zeus,” Report Man gasped, his eyes widening at his screen. ”Check Gossip News. It says Victoria was a regular at the abandoned factory club!”
“What?” Lady News froze, her virtual outfit half-finished. She abandoned the styling app and scrambled to open the news feed.
Trevor pulled out his phone, his heart racing as he clicked the notification. The headline was impossible to miss.
Greetings, New Athens Elites. Did you miss me?
It seems the holiday spirit is officially dead, and a much darker one has taken its place. While financier Connor Franco is still clinging to life after his ‘unfortunate’ encounter at the underground sex club, a new shocker has surfaced: his ex-wife, Victoria Sampson, seems to share his taste for the dark side. It looks like the only thing they didn’t divorce was their appetite for the same guilty pleasure.
My sources caught the Mother of the Bride at the very same sex club just twenty-four hours before her daughter’s wedding. And as the photo shows, she wasn’t alone. One stud is a tragedy, but two? That’s a party.
Word on the street is that Victoria isn’t just a visitor; she’s a regular. It raises the question: why frequent the same dark corners as your ex-husband? Is it for the thrill of the chase, or is she just keeping her enemies close? We all know she never quite made peace with that divorce settlement—and with Connor’s new engagement to Isabel Adamovsky, the motive for a little ‘revenge’ is looking better than a vintage dress.
Is Victoria playing a game of hearts, or is she playing with fire? Tell me everything, darlings. You know I love a good confession.
XOXO, Gossip News
“It’s more than strange,” Spion said, shaking his head. “Who frequents the exact same club as their ex? It’s not just awkward; it’s suspicious. I don’t know anyone who’d take that risk.”
“Especially that club,” Lady News added, her voice dripping with disdain. “If she knew what happened to those minors in there and said nothing, she’s just as guilty as the rest of them.”
“We’ll get our answers tomorrow,” Report Man said firmly.
Right then, Trevor’s phone buzzed. Alisa had finally replied: “Sure. But I have a meeting with the Messengers late this afternoon, so I won’t be free until after 6. See you then?”