More implied stalking in this chapter

-

Bigby found himself in a depressing-looking office building. Talking to a guy named Flycatcher. A ginger lad in an orange jumpsuit and novelty frog cap.

"Oh, hi... Sheriff Bigby! Great-great to see you. I...don't know if you remember me... I've, uh, seen you around, but you may have forgotten-" Flycatcher studdered.

"I know who you are, Flycatcher. You've worked at the Woodlands for...how many years now?" Bigby asked him as he smoked another cigarette.

Flycatcher let out an awkward laugh. "I think I've lost count. But, you know, Crane...uh, let me go...recently."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah, I mean, it's no big deal... So...what brings you here? I mean, can I help you with anything? Are you here to see one of the brothers? Dee or Dum? They-they aren't-they aren't here right now. Not sure when they'll be back. Did you make an appointment? 'Cause I can let you in if you want to wait.

"Have you seen a witch come by?" Bigby asked.

"Um, I dunno, sometimes, but-"

"Really? Who is she? Do you know where she lives?"

"Uh, I don't know her name or where she lives, really. She just sometimes drops stuff off for the brothers... to deliver." The ginger scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"Deliver to who?" Bigby pressed.

"I've never had any reason to see for myself. Sorry." Flycatcher answered honestly. "It's been a...quiet night so far. I think the twins are out... Probably working on a case. Sometimes I don't see them for days.

"They gave me the job after Crane told me to get lost. He said I was just in the way. But I like it here. Gotta stay busy, you know...? Otherwise-" Flycatcher went quiet for a moment.

"Where's their office?" Bigby interrupted him.

"Oh, right this way. I was going there next anyway," Flycatcher snapped out of his daze. "I can let you in if you want. You can wait for them there."

"Sure. Thanks," Bigby said.

"No problem," Flycatcher smiled as he opened the door.

"I'm gonna have to take a look around," Bigby told him as he looked around the office.

It was messy as hell. Each of the walls was painted in a different colour. Yellow on the left, blue on the right. There were forgotten papers all over the floor. It was a disaster, but that's why Flycatcher was there. Bigby didn't really care about any of that. His eyes landed on the filing cabinets by the wall.

"Uh... Well, I guess that would be okay," Flycatcher said as he followed Bigby in.

"I wasn't really asking for permission," Bigby stated.

"Right. You're the sheriff. I just don't want to get in trouble or anything. I'm sure it's fine. I mean, they never told me not to let you in."

"Don't worry, I won't get you in trouble, alright?"

Flycatcher nodded as Bigby stubbed out his cigarette with his shoe.

Bigby opens the first drawer of the filing cabinets. Inside, there were files on a few different Fables. Most notably Beauty, Crane and Donkeyskin. Most of the notes detailed debts owned to the Crooked Man.

Bigby didn't like the implication that came with Beauty's file.

Georgie has an interest.

Wait till CM gives go ahead.

Put Squeeze.

Crane's file didn't come as much of a surprise. More debts to the Crooked Man that were being paid thanks to embezzled from Fabletown funds. Along with it was a 'Request for Property Acquisition'. From what Bigby gathered, Crane had hired the twins to find a photo Faith had taken.

Bigby moved on to the next drawer. He frowned when he saw a file marked 'Fei'. He opened it to see what Bigby guessed was a driver's licence photo. There were no mentions of debts. Most of it seemed to detail the Fei Family's return to Fabletown. All ending in a note simply saying 'keep an eye on her'.

"Find anything?" Flycatcher asked.

"Not what I need," Bigby answered with a grumble.

"I know these guys can come off...abrasive at times, but they aren't so bad once you get to know them," Flycatcher told him as he swept away. "And they really care about helping people. They're kind of loud at times. But you get used to it. I guess they have to be, in their line of work. Dee always tells me, 'You have to be assertive'."

"How do you mean they 'help' people?" Bigby frowned.

"They're detectives. Anyone can come in here with a problem, and they'll do their best to fix it. They way Dee explains it... It's like if someone lost their cat, they could hire them to, you know, track it down. Or like sometimes...they get packages for people...they can be like couriers, you know?"

"For who?" Bigby asked doubtingly. He knew Flycatcher was a good guy, but his insistence that Dee and Dum were good people started getting on Bigby's nerves.

"All kinds. Come to think of it, I don't really know where they keep them... Anyways, I'm just saying...you just don't know them like I do."

"Sure, Flycatcher," Bigby rolled his eyes.

Bigby continued searching for... well, anything that could point him to the witch. He looked at everything on the table. The twins had written a few notes to each other, but it was mostly nonsense. He found a key one of the brothers had hidden in a cigar box. Hopefully, that would be useful.

"You know about this?" Bigby held the key up for Flycatcher.

"Nuh... No," Flycatcher shrugged.

They both went quiet for a minute while Bigby searched. Flycatcher spoke up after a little bit.

"See, I knew you wouldn't find anything. Anything of interest, anyways..." Flycatcher shifted nervously. "They're detectives. Like I said. Just-just trying to make an honest living! See?"

"I'm finding enough," Bigby told him.

"I'm just saying-"

"Look, just trust me on this. Tweedle Dee and Dum are not 'nice'; they're not 'helping' anyone," Bigby said as he pressed his palm on his temple.

"... Well, they helped me."

"Okay, great, they helped you. That's one person. Now, please, just let me concentrate here," Bigby dismissed him. He really wasn't in the mood for a debate.

Bigby turned his back to Flycatcher. There was something there. He just couldn't see it.

"Wh-what-what if you're wrong about them?" Flycatcher refused to drop it.

Bigby huffed in annoyance. "Let's get one thing straight: they are nothing like me."

"Bigby?" Flycatcher pointed to Bigby's shoulder.

"Shit," It seemed his shoulder wound had reopened. Leaving a deep red stain running down Bigby's shirt. "There's something here, I know there is. There has to be."

"Why would there be anything-"

"Because they're lying to you, Flycatcher! They aren't detectives!" Bigby whipped back around to face Flycatcher. "They're hired guns. Hitmen!"

"Bigby, what happened to your-" Flycatcher tried to ask.

"You wanna know what this is? This is them showing up to Lily's funeral with fucking shotguns!"

"I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I-I didn't know..." Flycatcher tried to apologise.

"Holly and Gren both got injured, Fei nearly got her head blown off!" Bigby yelled, but it seemed more like he was talking to himself. He looked to Flycatcher, who had a sad look on his face and let out a sigh. "I didn't mean to..."

Flycatcher walked away silently. Making his way over to another filing cabinet on the other side of the room.

"...There's a door behind this file cabinet. I don't know what they keep back here, but...it might be what you're looking for. And that key you found should work."

Bigby approached the filing cabinet. Once he unlocked it, he pulled the cabinet open like a door. He and Flycatcher looked inside to see a stairway down to a dingy-looking storage room.

"Wow," Flycatcher awe as they made their way down the stairs.

The room had a bunch of shelves that all had different-sized boxes on them. It seemed to line up with what Flycatcher said about the twins being 'couriers'. Some of it seems pretty inconspicuous at first glance. Books and whatnot.

"What are you looking for exactly? Maybe I can help," Flycatcher asked as he looked at the higher shelves.

"Anything about Crane...or the witch he was using. Something." Bigby reached up and grabbed a can mark for the Crooked Man. Inside was a roll of bills and a small note.

'I'm sorry, I know I'm late. I'll get it to you soon. Ichabod Crane.'

"Who was he sending money to?"

"Crooked Man. 'Care of the Lucky Pawn'? Do you know what that is?" Bigby asked Flycatcher, but he just shrugged.

"Is that what you needed?" Flycatcher wondered.

"I don't think so, but it's interesting. There's more going on here. I still need to find that witch, though," Bigby crossed his arms.

The Shieff glanced around the room again. Searching for that much-needed clue. He picked up a small shoe shine container and looked at it curiously.

"Hey. Bigby," Flycatcher spoke up. "Do you think, after all this... Do you think I could come back to the Woodlands? Since Crane let me go... I mean, I can still work here, but...I don't think I want to now. I don't want to work with bad people, you know? You and Snow, you're nice. And... I dunno, if Ms Fei is anything like her mother, she'd be pretty nice too.

Bigby paused at that last comment. He had forgotten Flycatcher knew that woman. "Well, Crane is gone now... I can't see why you couldn't come back to The Woodlands."

"Really? That would be... Thank you," Flycatcher smiled.

"Come by the Business Office. I can't make any promises."

"Right. Of course," Flycatcher nodded.

Bigby opened the container. Inside was a familiar-looking lock of dark brown hair. Bigby looked at the label and read it out loud. "Sunny hair."

"Sunny?" Flycatcher looked at him in confusion. "You mean Ms Fei? Why w-"

"We found her hair like this inside Lily's glamour," Bigby explained to him before he read the rest of the label. "Aunty Greenleaf? This must be the witch Crane was using.

"I guess Dee and Dum were getting the hair for Crane and sending it to her?" Flycatcher cringed. "That's not a pleasant thought."

"Along with the picture of Fei, too," Bigby thought to himself. "There's no address on it."

"So-so what now? Ms Fei would probably want to know about this... Don't you think?"

"I'll check in with the Busines Office. See if Fei has called Snow or something."

"There's a phone upstairs." Flycatcher pointed.

They made their way up there, and Bigby quickly tapped in the number for the Busines Office. He spared a glance at Flycatcher. "... Thanks."

"You're welcome, Sheriff," Flycatcher grinned.

"Business Office, this is Snow White."

"Hey, Snow."

"Oh, it's you," Snow sighed in relief. "Sorry, I've been answering angry phone calls for hours. People want to know where Crane is. How'd it go with the Tweedle Brothers?

"No address yet, but I got a name for Crane's witch. Aunty Greenleaf. You heard of her?"

"No, but I'll try and give Sunny a call. Hopefully, she found something at the Trip Trap."

"And Snow...I found a note with some money attached. Crane has been embezzling from Fabletown."

"Of course! Because why half-ass being a complete sleazeball? Do you think this is tied to the murders? I mean... I guess it doesn't matter yet. We still have to find him."

"I think it's connected. Maybe the girls found out about it? I don't know."

Snow hummed in acknowledgement. "I'll call you back in a minute. Just let me see what Sunny found."

Speaking of Sunny, she was on her own job with her own issues at that moment. Sunny walked down the street to the familiar bar. She made her way down the stairs and to the door. A sign on it read 'SORRY WE'RE CLOSED - Due to Bereavement'.

Sunny leaned her ear against the door and heard two masculine voices coming from inside.

"She's asleep, ya fuckin' idiot," A voice Sunny recognised as Gren slurred.

"She didn't even give me a chance to explain!" Was that... The Woodsman?

"What's left to explain?"

"Just...y'know, what happened."

"We know what happened."

Sunny decided she had heard enough. She had a job to do, and whatever they were talking about wasn't important at that moment. She tapped against the door.

"We're closed," Gren called.

"It's Sunny," she told him. "I'm here to see Holly."

The door opened suddenly. Gren stood there with a dopey smile on his face. "Hey, look, Woody, it's the deputy. Come on in, kiddo."

"Kiddo?" Sunny said. She couldn't help but feel a little amused. "What's up with you?"

"Nothin's wrong with me. In fact, I'm in a good goddamned mood, so you should take advantage."

"Um, alright?" Sunny shrugged as she walked past Gren and into the bar.

"I want a drink. Anybody else want a drink?" Gren asked as he hobbled over to the bar.

"Gren, Swineheart said you shouldn't mix it with-"

"You think I give a fuck what that fuckin' guy says?" Gren turned to Woody with an angry look. "Or what you say?"

"Gren. Really. You shouldn't drink right now," Woody murmured.

"I can't hear you when you mumble," Gren said. He continued to make his way to the other side of the counter.

"Sorry to interrupt... whatever this is, but can I talk to Holly?"

"Holly's asleep in the back, but you won't be able to wake her," Woody told her as he sat down at one of the stools.

"How come?"

"The doc gave them both Barmecidal ambrosia. For the pain," Woody answered. Sunny made a noise of understanding.

"That explains... that," Sunny pointed to Gren.

"Listen, the deal is...if you resist going to sleep...like I am right now...it gives you a very, very, very nice high."

"And he said that he shouldn't mix it with alcohol," Woody repeated as Green poured himself a drink.

"Yes, he did, he certainly did," Green smirked. "But lemme tell you something. I haven't felt this good in a long time, fat boy... And I feel like havin' a drink, okay?"

Sunny shook her head. Taking a deep breath. "Have you seen Lily's things? What wasn't burned at the funeral?"

"I saw Holly come in with something, but I didn't see where she put it," Woody meekly answered.

"Nope. Haven't seen it," Gren shrugged with a smile. But it turned to a sad frown as he took a swig. "The funeral back there? That was a shitty fuckin' sendoff for a pretty okay lady."

Sunny nodded sadly in agreement. It wasn't fair. None of what happened to Lily was fair.

"Yeah..." Woody muttered sadly.

"You weren't fuckin' there. I'm talkin' to Sunny now, okay? Though, can't say you and the guard dog being there helped things much..."

Sunny looked away awkwardly. She wanted to defend Bigby but realised there wasn't really any point when the person you were talking to was high as a kite.

"Gren, don't start anything," Woody warned him.

"Who's startin' anything? I'm not." Gren waved his hand dismissively. "Whatever, it's alright, I'm too out of it to get into it. I wanna clear the air. We're all in this dungheap of a fuckin' shit town together, and we're all gonna have a toast. All of us."

"As much as I would love a drink right now, I gotta handle what's going on-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I know, and I wanna help you, okay? And I will...but first, indulge me, it'll take two seconds. As a show of good faith...and after, we'll all hunt and peck for Lily's shit or whatever."

"Gren, Fei didn't come here to get loaded with you," Woody told him.

"I don't wanna get loaded with her!" Gren shouted. As if the idea was one of the dumbest ideas he's ever heard. "It's just a quick slug. Not gonna hurt anybody. And then we'll, you know, help you out with your thing."

Sunny let out a tired sign. Taking a glass from the bar.

"To the dead."

The three of them downed their respective shots. Sunny tried not to cough it back up when the bitter taste touched her tongue. "Alright, now help me."

Gren didn't reply. He just kinda swayed back for a moment before dropping his glass on the floor.

"Gren, the doc said you needed to rest," Woody said only for Gren to swing around and punch him in the face.

"How many times you fuckin' gonna warn me about it, huh?! You're not my fuckin' mother, so just get off my back!"

"I said I was sorry, alright? I can't do anything about it, it's done!" The two started shoving each other. "What more do you want? What else can I fuckin' say here?!"

"I don't want anything from you, Woody. I want there to be a big black hole where your fat, dumb, fucking ass used to be!" Gren growled.

Sunny frowned at the two of them as she separated them from each other. "What the hell is going on with you two?!"

"Oh, I forgot! You haven't heard the news!" Gren gestured to Woody. "This walking lard cake was paying Holly's sister to let him fuck her! Behind all of our backs!"

"What?" Sunny looked over at Woody in surprise.

"And Holly had to find out going through all of her sister's shit! What fun that must have been! Trick after trick of this fatass and Lily."

"I didn't plan for that, alright? And our thing, whatever it was...it wasn't a big deal. It wasn't. I never fucked her when she was you, and I didn't know nothin' about that!"

Sunny gave Woody an angry, disgusted look. Had he used any other phasing, she might have been willing to hear him out.

"But you knew Holly would flip out, and you knew for a damned good fucking reason!" Gren yelled.

Woody looked back and forth between the two. When it was clear he wasn't gonna get any sympathy, he shoved his way past Gren. "You know what? Fuck this. I don't need this shit."

"Oh, yeah, that's it, now you're teary-eyed. You were always such a lowlife, I don't know why I never realised it 'til now. What do you think about this fuckin' loser, Deputy?"

Sunny turned away. She didn't want to look at him—any of them.

Gren continued to berate Woody as he walked out the door. Finally, he calmed down a bit once he was gone. "I don't know where Lily's shit is. Check Holly's room, I dunno. But I wouldn't wake her if I were you. Sleepwalkers and trolls, I think that's the rule. Maybe ogres, too."

"Take it easy, Gren," Sunny told him. She gave him an awkward pat on the back.

"Ye, I might just do that," Gren mumbled as he rested his head on the table. "What a day, am I right, Deputy? What a fuckin' day."

Gren was out like a light. Sunny made her way over to the back room. Hoping she could finally find something helpful in there. Holly was in her true form, snoring away on the couch.

Sunny looked to see a cardboard box sitting right underneath the couch. She didn't really know how to go about this. It felt wrong to sneak through Lily's belongings with her sister right there. Sunny sighed. It couldn't be helped.

The deputy reached down and slid the box out. Placing it on a nearby table to get a better look.

Holly let out a yawn. Squinting her eyes open. It was clear that she was just as out of it as Gren. "What are you doing here? Didn't you have enough to drink last night?"

Sunny let out a small laugh. "I'm not here for that."

"Good, cuz the bar's closed, Jia," Holly gave her a silly smile. Sunny looked over at her with surprise. Was Holly so out of it that she was confusing Sunny with her mother? "And excuse me, but...I'm not in the mood for entertaining."

"I'm not... Jia-" Sunny shook her head. Reminding herself that Holly probably wouldn't even remember this conversation.

"Oh right," Holly groaned as she rolled over on the couch.

Sunny got back to what she was doing. There wasn't much in the box. Just a bottle of wine, the same glamour tube and the brooch. As well as a photo of Nerissa, Faith, and Lily.

"Do you even give a shit about us?" Holly asked. "The strays? The ones that aren't in that fancy high-rise. Those of us that gotta work for a living."

Sunny thought about it for a moment. It felt like she cared more about Fables like Holly than, say, Bluebeard. She spent most of her summers in a cabin near The Farm, so she knew a lot of Fables that didn't have an old family fortune to get by.

"Yeah, Holly. I do," Sunny nodded. "Well, I like you a lot more than Crane."

Holly let out a laugh.

Sunny looked at the photo again. Spying Tweedle Dum in the background. Under the photo was an address book. Sunny picked it up and flipped through the pages to a few days before Lily was killed.

"Why are you here, Fei?" Holly asked another question.

"I'm meant to be looking for someone, but really, I just wanted to apologise," Sunny told her.

The half-Fable hadn't mentioned anything to the others, but when she got the opportunity to Trip Trap, her first thought was to talk things out with Holly. Not looking for the witch. Only now that she was halfway passed out, Sunny realised it just wasn't the time.

"I know you're sorry. I know all that," Holly sighed. "I meant, why are you here in Fabletown? Why, of all places, come to this shithole? Why not just leave?"

Sunny knew why she was there. She was running away, away from a broken marriage and a controlling ex-husband. Why was she still here? A smart woman would have gotten the fuck out of dodge by now. A smart woman would have taken her daughter to hide at the family cabin for a few weeks.

But Sunny stayed mostly because she felt guilty. "...I'm doing this for Lily...she deserves whatever justice I can get her."

"...I'll take it," Holly grinned before closing her eyes again.

Sunny looked back at the small book. "If you were getting your glamour on this day...then one of these has to be the witch... but which one?"

The phone started ringing, but Sunny ignored it. It wasn't her place, and it was probably better not to answer it when the bar was closed anyway.

"Hello, this is Snow White calling," The answering machine went off. "I'm looking for Sunny Fei. Is anyone there? Sunny, if you're there, pick up, okay?"

Sunny hopped over to the phone. "Snow?"

"Hey, I just wanted to see how it was going. Did you find anything?"

"Just an address book with her contacts' initials. Not sure which one is the witch, though."

"Strange...these people keep cropping up. Before a few days ago...I thought I knew everyone in Fabletown."

"Has Bigby gotten back yet?" Sunny asked. "Maybe he found something I used to use to connect to an address."

Sunny knew she shouldn't have come to Fabletown, but she knew she had to stay. For Holly, Lily, Gren. The 'Strays' as Holly called them. They needed someone, and Sunny worried she was just about the only person they had.