No Happily Ever After

Chapter 29

Thebuzz in the town hall was almost deafening, as nearly everyone inFaraway had packed into the building for the emergency meeting calledby Chief Jiminy. Townsfolk young and old anxiously waited withstanding room only for their commanding officer to appear behind thesmall podium in front of the crowd. Angry energy radiated throughoutthe room as people speculated he would have nothing of value toreport or advice, and a revolt of sorts could ensue.

Seven teens totalhad disappeared and the death count had risen to seven as well, asAliah Joiner, mistress to one Mr. Pure, had succumbed to herinjuries. Though Mr. Pure had been exonerated, Ms. Joiner's deathwas still being considered a part of the killing spree without anyinkling as to why.

Hysteria hadmounted to an all-time high around Faraway. The schools werepractically empty as parent after parent removed their children. Businesses had all but shut down, as workers elected to take time offand stay home to carefully monitor their children. The people wantedanswers. And they had gotten none.

A hush settled overthe crowd as Chief Jiminy finally approached the podium, accompaniedby a strange man.

The man wasextraordinarily tall, and so thin he looked skeletal. He had odd,dark eyes that seemed to look straight through to the soul of aperson. He wore close cropped hair and had a handlebar mustache. Perhaps his strangest characteristic was the multicolored patchworkblazer he wore, along with an old fashioned bowler hat. Whispersmoved through the crowd as people wondered aloud who the outlandishlooking man might be.

"Attention,attention," Chief Jiminy muttered into the microphone. Hejumped back at the squeal of feedback, unaccustomed to the use ofmodern technology. "Citizens of Faraway, as we're all aware, wefind ourselves in crisis."

A rumble of angryresponses roared through the crowd. Chief Jiminy waved his hands,motioning for them all to hush.

"FBI hasprovided little to no assistance, and every lead I've been providedhas turned up no results," Jiminy said sadly. "I assureyou, folks, no stone has been left unturned."

"Obviouslythat's not true!" shouted a man in the back.

"Yeah! Or ourkids would be back home!" shouted a woman from somewhere in thecrowd.

Chief Jiminy's facereddened. He felt uncomfortable under the angry scrutiny of hispeople. He sensed that this hostile group could turn on him in thedrop of a hat. So, he hurried on.

"Now, now, Idon't intend to stop! Not for anything! That's why; I'd like tointroduce to you, Detective Piper, from New York City!" Hegestured to the colorful stranger. Stepping out of the way, Jiminyoffered Detective Piper the floor.

A pin could've beenheard dropping as the detective strolled behind the podium. Heleveled a piercing gaze upon the crowd that sent a collective chillthroughout the place.

"Goodevening," he said in a crystal clear oddly melodious voice. "I,am Detective Piper." His words seemed to cast some sort of spellover the crowd. The look and the sound of him was unsettling, and hedid not necessarily invite trust. But, they had no choice.

"I am here,"the man continued. "To find your children. Officer Jiminy herecan attest to my flawless record of solving cases. I can promiseyou, within the week, your children will be returned to their beds."

Mesmerized by theman, Faraway citizens gaped at him with tears sparkling in theireyes. They didn't have a reason on earth to believe him, yet thatthought did not even occur to them. They simply accepted his word astruth.

"But,"said Detective Piper. "There is only one issue. My servicesare not free, and Chief Jiminy has already informed me that my fee isnot in the city's budget."

Another rush ofwhispers moved through the crowed. "Well? How much do youneed?" a man called out.

Detective Piper'sthin face split into a frightening grin. "My fee for this caseis one million dollars."

The crowd exploded. They had all accepted him as their only shot, no questions asked. Only to have their hopes wantonly dashed. People chattered amongstthemselves, everybody throwing out amounts they could contribute tothe pool. For a moment, chaos ensued until one man stepped forwardquietly, and the crowd parted to allow him access to the podium. When the crowd settled, the man spoke.

"I will payyour fee in its entirety, upon the return of the children," theman said quietly, meeting Detective Piper's scary eyes.

Chief Jiminy leaptforward to embrace the Good Samaritan, blubbering. "Oh thankyou! Thank you, Mr. Bar!"

***

As the crowd beganto disperse, following the town meeting, Zoe Locke, Jennifer Tide,and the Durand twins lingered in the hall. When they saw DetectivePiper exit the room through a side door, they rushed to follow him.

"DetectivePiper?" Jennifer called. "Oh, Detective Piper, wait!"

They stood in adark hallway. He was strolling toward a rear exit where heundoubtedly had a car parked outside awaiting him. But he paused andturned to face the teenagers. They rushed to meet him.

"We... Wethink we can help you," Zoe confessed.

The man smileddarkly.