Jester Book 1: Abduction

Ch 12 Part 1: Finding More Questions

Between the food district and the entertainment zone lies a small building. One we know all too well. On the upper floor rests a quaint office. Locked up tight after its inhabitant made his exit two nights prior, but there was one part he hadn't sealed off. His lone window. A mistake that Chester quickly exploited.

He slowly opened it and jumped in with a bit more tact than his last elevated entrance inside the Candy Shop the night before. He patted himself on the back as the only sound he made was a gentle thud. A noise only audible if there were people in the room just adjacent to him. He stood still to see if anyone heard him and quickly locked the window behind him.

"I thought Gray would be more paranoid."

Chester took careful steps as the wooden boards beneath his feet groaned with each advance. It became increasingly obvious that no one else was within the building at this time of night. Chester took a second to relax while sitting on smooth floors. A feeling he hadn't felt since escaping the Candy Shop.

He had to stay on the run all night. It was only during the day he was able to rest. He hid himself in plain sight as a casual nature lover resting in a hammock he found. When the officers came around he had on some stolen clothes and a bandana to hide his glistening hair. He felt especially sick cleaning off his black mascara with no chance of reapplying later. He explained that he'd last seen Chester at the Candy Shop but they dismissed him on account of his amazing acting.

He quickly grabbed his bag with his actual Jester costume and the magically volatile jack in the box inside. He knew after seeing the police were still on him that he'd have to find a place to sleep during the day and shift around at night. He ended up sleeping inside of an unused sewage pipe and waking up when the moon started to rise. Now he was hiding inside Gray's office trying to plan out what he would do next.

Chester slowly got up with stiff knees and observed the room. Gray must have left in a rush as there was a slew of papers sprawled across the floor. He tried looking at them but they seemed unconnected. If there were links they had long since been forgotten. The constant crinkling as he shifted around would surely get him caught if anyone was patrolling the halls. A danger he couldn't be bothered with. Ahead was something much more important.

On the far east wall was a corkboard with a mirage of images plastered across it. The crossed wires and markings overloaded him at first glance. After a bit of concentration, he stood still and examined it.

First was the missing persons section. This group was the biggest as it only increased in size with time. Each section showed a new set of pictures and clues connected to the crime scene. A picture of Spike from the Brawler's Registry next to what looked like a cart outside of a random bar in the Wild West. Its wheels had frost on the inside of the rims. There was a picture of bite marks on the walls. He reported a terrible odor in the air plus the remnants of an explosion.

Lou was next and he had a picture of a spray bottle next to the scene where he was kidnapped. It was clearly Emz brand hair spray. Why was that not mentioned in the report during his disappearance? Emz and Poco's pictures had a crater in a seemingly random alley. There was a note that stated, 'Black powder at the epicenter. Gunpowder?'

Which led him to the first. Dynamike. His kidnapping had no hints. No clues, markings, or connections to the kidnappings after it. It took place between The Junkyard and The Snowtel. The mine's exit naturally sat between these two landmarks. It could have been someone studying his daily routine, but it's also plausible this was a spur-of-the-moment decision? Gray made a note that it was potentially not a premeditated kidnapping. Something that Chester made a mental note of as he continued on. Next was a more interesting section to dissect.

Chester.

This section was accentuated by the clear focus on the jester in question. A cold chill ran over his neck as he noticed all the photos of him taken from cover. Trees in the way as he talked to the Tribal Trio outside their animal skin tents. Every delivery with a date and a line connecting it to a specific missing brawler. There were even images of the countless times he had to flee from Colette on his many deliveries.

Luckily there was a big note stating that Chester was 'an unlikely suspect' as Gray put it. He instead rolled over to the final grouping of images. It showed an older, white-haired gentleman taking a portrait of himself. His name was Adam Keinenburg, and he was noted as a private investigator. A reminder of his hair only furthered Chester's frustration. Though his face was more recognizable inside a trench coat, bowler hat, and bouncing against the nearest wall.

It was that same investigator from before. Chester was a little miffed seeing his image again so soon, but maybe his anger was misplaced. Gray had been tracking this man as well. It looked like at the time and date of each kidnapping Adam could be found sitting in his house mulling over case files and watching TV. Gray noted, 'no motive, nor prior knowledge'. Chester looked back to his own section and understood now why he seemed so suspicious. He was at the scene of each crime just the day before.

He let out a heavy sigh as it got a bit colder. Off to the side was a long note that had a little caricature of Pam Junkerton in the corner. It read, "Adam is a hard worker and dedicated to the safety of those he cares about. He's sure to take good care of Starr Park and the Brawlers within. We just have to show him how strong of a family we are."

Chester was a bit stunned that the usually standoffish Pam was so vocal about this man. What was so special about him? He took one final look at Adam's photo. Besides his odd hair, he seemed rather standard. Almost like the classic Uncle character you would find in a student film project.

Chester took off his goofy hat and scratched his head. This wasn't helping. Coming here was supposed to be a quest for answers. He only found more questions. Who is Adam? Why put him in the middle? How did they know where Chester was every time? Plus a new question was born by unprecedented conditions. Why was it so cold inside of Gray's office?