The Frills of Sanity

The Mystery Revealed!

Everybody gasped and Alexis sighed as they moved away from AD. While AD was staring at the screen in shock, nobody else was able to believe their eyes. AD turned his chair towards the sofa and fixed his sight on the floor. Layla and Hope sat on the sofa while Soltz settled on his usual sofa chair.

Alexis was not ready to accept what they had just learnt. She kept walking around the hall-back and forth, her one hand punching the palm of the other. Everybody watched as Alexis walked around in disbelief and dubiety.

"This can't happen. No.....Not Aunt.....Not to us!" spoke anger of Alexis.

"Calm down Alexis. Don't freak out just yet." Layla snapped.

"Do you guys really believe that crap? I mean.. The data had been tampered with..Remember?" Alexis tried hard to explain.

"I have checked it out, Alexis. There is no tampering with these classified documents. System is not lying." AD was affirmative.

"Shut up!" Alexis wailed.

Soltz's phone beeped and he opened the message he had received. It was John informing him about the arrival of Senior Agent Maldonado at the base.

"AD, pull the suspect's current location. Also print the MO and other links we have established connecting it to the previous incidents. Senior Agent Maldonado is back at the base. We are expected to meet him." Soltz ordered.

"Soltz, are you serious? Are you sure, its HER?" Alexis barked.

"Yes. Why?" Layla questioned.

"Its...just...." Alexis sunk in the sofa chair. "I know her since my childhood. She used to visit us. She used to bring me all the lovely gifts, books, chocolates and what not. Then she and my mom used to settle themselves by the bar. She was a very nice, soft hearted, kind woman."

"So?" Soltz barked.

"Does that makes you push her out of the radar? Don't turn emotional, Alexis. The system has given her name. It has matched the MO with her previous strike. What else are we supposed to do, if not suspect her?" Layla snapped again.

" Okay. Its time. I, AD and Layla will go see Maldonado. Hope, you stay here and help that Lexi lady control her ill-temper. Can we do that?" Hope nodded and the rest followed Soltz to the door.

"I am warning you. Do not make this mistake." Alexis shouted.

Nobody listened to her cries and left her at the 54 with Hope. Hope took Alexis in her own room and tried to calm her down. She patted on her shoulder and made her drink some water.

"Alexis, talk to me. Who is she? What does she means to you?"

Alexis glanced at Hope in anger and scratched her head a little.

Hope sighed. She jumped out of her chair and walked around the room. She glanced at Alexis and nattered. "You know, when I was in my Orphanage, I used to have so many visitors who used to talk so much about my parents. Your mother was one of them. I used to listen to their chinwags and used to pose questions to myself. Every time I used decide to talk to them or talk to Mrs. Holmes about it. But, all those times, I used to shut myself, thinking that it might ruin my future opportunities of such eavesdropping." Hope sighed remembering how it felt. The sting it would cause to her heart every time she wouls hear such gossip was still afresh.

Hope glanced at Alexis before continuing. "Now, I feel that if I had cleared that all back then, I would have known more about this case and probable suspects of this kidnapping."

Hope opened up to Alexis. She knew that this was the only way she could win Alexis' trust. She knew that it was the only way when Alexis would bring the wall down, which can open up the doors for new information.