IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE! Three quick, classic cases.

A CHILDISH KIDNAPPING, PART TWO

CAMDEN'S NOTES

Timmy: the kidnapped boy.

              : the mother of the victim.

             : benefactor, old friend of the deceased husband and father .

Margaret Hardin: young woman who visits the family often, witness to the benefactor's first appearance.

Mr. Hardin: Margaret's father, has bad temper.

QUESTIONING MRS. OSBORN

The house, for obvious reasons, was not big, and did not have many rooms available, so the arrangement that they could come up with was for the detective to use the first floor's drawing room, while everyone else waited outside guarded by someone – who should have been one of the policemen, but ended up being Mr. Hardin, since the two insisted in being in the room for the interrogation to make sure that it was all up to police standard. Alderton needed to remind himself to find better solutions, get people to his office if possible, that arrangement wasn't comfortable for anyone. He knew that it wouldn't take too long to solve this one (he was right this time), at least there was that. Besides, not even Mr. Price and Mr. Dallas could ruin his current good mood caused by having Miss Camden by his side as an assistant.

Mrs Osborn sat opposite to them, with a handkerchief in her hand, doing her best to suffocate sobs. He thought for a moment to try to console her, although he couldn't say he was a champion at it; after a moment of thinking, he concluded that she might prefer to have the mystery solved as quickly as possible.

"When did you last see your son?"

"I..."

"We already told you that, Alderton," interrupted Mr. Price. "Why don't we skip ahead to the useful things?"

And there came his partner too: "Yeah, new things, with your little tricks."

The detective did not move his gaze an inch, as if blocking off the undesired image. "I need to hear the testimony directly from the witness, so that I can make my own observations, no tricks. Please, go on Mrs Osborn."

"Well, I saw him yesterday in the evening... He went to bed early, or at least I thought he did... until..."

"That's not how you said it to us, lady," interrupted Mr. Dallas, this time.

And there came the second half of the thick thieves: "Are you trying to lie, Mrs Osborn? That's an offense, you know that, right?"

Before Alderton could get over his furious frustration just enough not to yell at the two, Miss Camden sprung up. "Gentlemen, pardon the intrusion, I just wanted to share an idea, it is alright with the professionals." Without waiting enough to get some kind of permission, she went on: "I was thinking that the investigation would be so much more efficient if we exchanged more throughoutly the information we have already obtained, and then carry on with the interrogations."

"I must admit that is quite sensible, Miss."

"Even too much for our John." And the two laughed.

"Very well! Shall we take this outside so that we don't do it in front of the poor mother?" While speaking she moved in such a way as to slyly herd the two men toward the door.

"Shouldn't he come too?"

"Oh, no, there is no need," she assured with the most polite manners she could channel. "As his assistant I know all he knows. I took the notes!"

Price stopped near the exit, imitated by his colleague. He looked at the woman with suspicion – Alderton couldn't see her face, therefore he imagined it as unperturbed as ever – then at him. "If we go out, will you continue the questioning? Because you can't do that."