The Curious Incidents at Grand Show Place Cinema

Chapter 19

Constable Bren Williams knocked on the door of the theatre office and waited for someone to answer. The ground began shaking and gradually increased in intensity until he had to hold onto the side of the building to keep from falling over. Earthquakes of such magnitude were unheard of in the area.

A tall thin man wearing thick-framed black glasses answered the door.
"Can I help you?" the man asked.

"I am looking for Edward," Bren said.

"Sorry, no one here by that name," the man said.

"He is the owner and manager here. I spoke to him a few weeks ago," Bren countered, somewhat confused.

"I have been the manager here for the last three years. No one here named Edward," the man replied.

"Are you sure?" Bren blurted out.

"Very sure," the man closed the door a little bit.

"I am sorry. That was absurd of me to say. I have been under some stress with a case I have been working on. Thank you for your time," Embarrassed and disoriented, Bren quickly turned to leave. He went to the theatre parking lot, glanced toward the northeast end, and noticed that the concrete cover over the sinkhole was gone. Bren got closer. It was not an optical illusion. There was asphalt now where the sinkhole used to be. As Bren drove past the front of the theatre on his way back to the police station, he noticed a new digital marquee replacing the old faded manual marquee. When he arrived at his office, he searched for the Caritas Featherstone file to look for Edward's contact information. There was no file. He approached his partner, who had also worked on the file, to see if he had it.

"Featherstone file, never heard of it. Are you okay, Bren?" his partner looked confused and concerned.

"You don't remember that file about the woman that disappeared into thin air in cells?" Bren's voice rose in pitch.

"Bren, I think you need some time off, buddy," his partner shook his head.

"No, I remember it clearly. I also disappeared and ended up in a 16th-century jail," Bren said in exasperation.

"I am not saying I don't believe you. I am just saying take some time off and talk to a counselor," his partner recommended.

Bren logged on to his computer and searched for Caritas Featherstone. The Ontario and Scotland Yard incidents came up. There was no local reference.

Bren searched for the phone number of Edward Wardale.

"I think you are right. I have not had a vacation in a while," Bren admitted.