Fables #5

 In which everything is neatly wrapped up in the end, even though few are satisfied with the outcome.
 
Bigby has just revealed to everyone that Rose Red is still alive as Rose stands behind him after removing her wig. Everyone is surprised and wants to know what is going on since they all thought she was murdered. Bigby lays out all the clues he used to solve the case.

When Jack arrived at his office from Rose's apartment, he took a cab. He ran from the cab to Bigby's office, out of breath. Bigby noted that a run from the curb to his office shouldn't have made him so winded. Obviously Jack had to convince Bigby that something had happened.

Knowing that Jack was up to something, he was prepared at the "crime scene" of Rose's bloody apartment. Immediately he knew the whole room was staged. Since there was blood everywhere, there was no way anyone could've entered or left the apartment without leaving tracks. Jack mentioned that he already checked Rose's bedroom and she was not in there. Jack interjects that he could've just been careful to preserve the scene just as Bigby did. Bigby points out that a frantic boyfriend would simply rush in without thinking about stepping carefully over all the blood.

Bigby also noted the way everything was "knocked" over. He could tell that the furniture was carefully set aside rather than knocked over. The light bulb in the lamp wasn't broke and neither was Rose's favorite ceramic ashtray.

Rose's stereo seemed to be spared too. There wasn't a drop of blood on it. Bigby had noted the cd's spread out on the floor with blood. It was apparent that Rose's favorite cd's were untouched in the front of her cd shelf but the ones from the back (the lesser listened to ones) were the ones spilled on the floor.

While it was obvious that the stereo was untouched, somehow her toaster ended up smashed in the living room. There wasn't any blood in the kitchen to explain how the toaster could've been smashed in the living room.

Snow interjects at this point in tears. She demands to know how he could've let her go on thinking something had happened to her sister if he knew the entire time. Bigby explains that he only knew that the crime scene was fake but still had no idea where Rose was or if she was even still alive. He wasn't sure if Rose had faked a suicide to look like a murder or if her partner in faking her death decided to actually kill her for real. Bigby tells Snow that it was she that helped him figure out the missing piece. Snow had mentioned how the caterers at the parties kept the best stuff for themselves. Bigby had wondered why there was a lock on Rose's freezer. He figured out that she was slowly gathering amounts of her blood and keeping them refrigerated. Since she had so many parties, she kept the blood locked up so no one would discover it.

Bigby says that Rose was doing all this while in fear for her life. That is why he couldn't risk telling Snow that Rose was probably still alive. Rose said she was afraid of Bluebeard. Rose had a contract with Bluebeard for a large amount of money. About a year ago, Jack had another get-rich-scheme with the internet. He needed money to start it. He told Rose that she could easily get it. Once the money started rolling, she would be able to pay Bluebeard back. The two of them faked a big public fight and Rose agreed to marry Bluebeard after a year and an up front dowry. The downside is Jack lost all of the money and Rose knew her one year deadline was coming up.

King Cole asks Bigby if there is anything else he has to add and what should they do with them. Bigby tells them his job was just to solve the case. It's up to them to determine what to do with Rose and Jack. Bluebeard comes in and mentions that he is the injured party in all of this. He says that she is still contracted to marry him. Prince Charming says he still has money of his own coming in from the lottery of selling his estate. Snow says they will figure all of that out later. She says that she, the Mayor, and Bigby will figure things out.

The next day, Snow tells Bigby her plans to deal with everyone. She says the Mayor will go along with whatever she decides.

Later she meets Charming at a diner and gives him just over twenty thousand dollars. He says there were millions brought in from his raffle and Snow says there was the pre-agreed fees and expenses. The money was used to pay Bluebeard what was owed to him and to cover the cost of the investigation. He says none of that was his fault but Snow says that she's the one to decide what the fees cover.

Snow then meets with Bluebeard and pays him back in cash what Rose owed him. Bluebeard says there is still the wedding to discuss. Snow tells Bluebeard that the wedding is off. He is outraged because he has a contract. Snow quickly points out that one of the provisions of the contract stated that Bluebeard promised not to tell anyone about the engagement for one year before the wedding. When she and Bigby first went to see him during the investigation, he told them all about the deal. Bigby tells him if he doesn't like it, they can take the money back and arrest him for attempted murder on Jack. Not happy, Bluebeard has no choice.

Snow and Bigby meet with Rose and Jack to tell them what their fate is. They are both on probation and owe two hundred hours of community service and a ten thousand dollar fine for each of them. They quickly point out that they do not have that much money. Bigby tells them that his sources say that, by the end of the day, Charming will offer at least that much to get his title and lands back.

At the end of the day, Snow and Bigby prepare to turn in for the night. Snow tells him he's not a half bad detective. She does want to know why he needed her to be his date for the Remembrance Day celebration. He says it should be obvious and confesses that he merely wanted her to be his date. She says it's pathetic that he was too afraid or shy to ask and made it seem it was necessary to solve the case. Bigby says he was hoping she'd find it charming or something. Snow makes it clear that they are merely colleagues and that he is to never try to pull something like that again.