𝐀 𝐏𝐚𝐰𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 ♛ (𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐝)

10 : King In Check

Frank's POV :

"Police, open the door."

My heart dropped in my stomach. Oh God, they are here to take me away from Gerard !

Gerard and I looked at each other and without speaking a word, we both agreed that I had to hide fast.

"Sure! Just a sec," Gerard told the people on the other side of the door.

Without thinking, I immediatly dashed to the kitchen since it was the closest room. I panicked because there was no hiding spot. Unless...

I opened the two little doors under the sink, moved the bin aside and hid there. I blessed my petite built for allowing me to fit.

I closed the two doors enough to be hidden, but leaving an inch of space so I could peek at the entry.

Gerard opened the door and I held my breath when I saw two men who looked like detectives step in. One was quite small with a fedora, honey hair and a trench coat. The other was taller and even though he was caucasian, his features seemed faintly Asian to me.

I didn't quite catch the names they gave Gerard, who let them in. It was something like 'Stomp' and 'Bun'.

"Gentlemen, what can I do to help?" Gerard asked politely.

"We're looking for a kid who went missing about ten months ago. Frank Iero. My collegues interrogated you about him a while ago," the tall man told Gerard.

I felt the pounding of my heart in my throat and temples but I managed to keep myself together. I glued an eye on the small slit.

"Yes, I remember." Gerard nodded. "Any clue to where he might have gone? I'm worried for the kid."

"We are pretty sure he was kidnapped. We all know that runaway kids are always found eventually, or at least seen. Frank hasn't been seen since his disappearance. This is no longer a cold case," the guy with the fedora said.

I'm not sure I understand what this means for Gerard and I, but this is bad. The police are not people to go to, Gerard taught me that.

"If there's anything I can do to help..." Gerard offered.

"Actually, you can. We have a warrant to search every house in Frank's neighborhood, and in all Belleville if we need to. That will be quick."

"Please do. I was about to go to work but it's fine if you make it quick..."

The taller man left my field of vision to look around the house.
The man with the fedora explained to Gerard they opened this case again for some social and political reasons, elections, blablablah...

"If Frank was abducted like you said, why search in here when he could be anywhere in the state, or even the country?" Gerard asked.

"Well, this is only a start. Besides, if you want my personal belief..." The man in a fedora's gaze wandered around. "...I think Frank is still alive and closer than we think."

"Mmhm. Do you have any lead or evidence to confirm this hypothesis?" Gerard asked but at this very instant, the man's eyes connected with mine. Technically, he had just looked at a badly closed door under a sink.

But something changed in his expression, like he just had a revelation. My blood froze and my heart skipped a beat then.

He didn't even bother answering Gerard and slowly stepped in the kitchen, looking utterly suspicious. Oh no, please don't come here. Shoo, go away !

Gerard followed him and asked him if he was okay. The man told him that he was, and kept his eyes hooked on my hiding spot. I didn't close the door because a door closing by itself was everything but normal.