Altered

Chapter 10-3

The mayor was sipping his coffee and pacing back and forth when Louise walked in the morning after.

"Louise, have a seat." Mr Denaheim smiled. "And to what do I owe the pleasure of your accompaniment again?" He placed his cup down and sat down behind the desk.

Louise explained. She told him about how they were able to start tracking down their suspect of the case. She also told him about how Henderson had not been updating about opening up investigations with the dog and the children yet.

"As good as it is, we can't forget that there were two more children who had gone missing since the Paxtons." Louise added.

"Of course," the mayor started. "I understand the priority and urgency of the case."

Mr Denaheim picked back up the cup of coffee and stared into it. It was as if he was searching for something, answers perhaps, in the dark brown liquid with those calculating and knowledgeable eyes. He took a long sip, placed it down, and confessed.

"Forgive me, Louise. After our talk the other day, I agreed that what you have proposed was sensible. However, I have decided not to open any investigations into it, as the most we could get out of it would be just a reason, not the missing children. Assuming that there was indeed a link between the dogs and the children, what then? Knowledge of the existence of the link does not help us find the children."

So this was what had been keeping him from the investigation.

"Certainly. But knowing what caused the disappearance of both the dogs and children in the first place would lead us to all of them!"

"I see. But haven't you found the fingerprints already? That's our target. And that is what will lead us to the children. We don't have to look into this supposed link anymore. We already have our person."

"I know that. It's just...I think the problem is more complicated than that. How did one person manage to kidnap all the kids on her own without any help at all? And assuming that she's on the run, how come two more kids have gone missing since?"

"Just as I have mentioned the first time, it was plausible that they were going on their little adventure and got lost, or ran away. Look at the Taylon boy, besides the developed syndrome, he was found safe, directly back in his bed one morning. And I am certain that the others would too." The mayor explained matter-of-factly.

"Once we have found our target, I could guarantee that we would find them as well. Louise, there is no need for worrying anymore. "

Louise couldn't believe what she was hearing. After all this time, how could Mr Denaheim manage to stay calm when five children were still out there, possibly in danger, waiting to be saved?

She tried stifling down the growing frustration and vehemence that was bubbling inside of her by counting between deep breaths and managing to keep a straight face. But there was no use.

"Stop saying that!" Louise blurted out. She shook her head, and sighed before continuing.

"I'm sorry, but can't you see that there's more to this? If our target is on the run, someone else could have been helping to keep the children captive! We don't know who or what we're dealing with here." And before she could say anything else, on the bookshelf behind the mayor, Louise caught a glance of something sitting on one of the shelves. It couldn't be mistaken for.

Although not as shiny as it was in her dreams, there, just beside one of the thick, heavy books, the brass horse was placed up on the top shelf. It looked dull, its coat of brass was chipped and almost gone, but it had the same shape, size and structure.

I'm not imagining things, Louise thought.

It's the same, identical horse that Harold was carrying. What was it doing here in Mr Denaheim's office?