The Fabulous Spec-Fic Smack Down

Tracer (Round 2, Part 1)

"Pipaluk?" a middle-aged man asked.

"Yes?" Pipaluk replied, turning her gaze from the painting of a raccoon lounging on a tree branch in front of her, to the man standing beside her.

"Detective Jimmy. I was asked to meet you here at Moonlit Munchies. I heard you have information about Kelly McGary's whereabouts," said the detective.

The detective was out of uniform, dressed in casual clothes.

Moonlit Munchies was a quaint eatery with an olden-day inn vibe. It was said to be one of the finest eateries that opened when the moon rose. Residents would come to experience the uniqueness of this place, particularly with insomniacs frequenting it. People of different types could be seen seated among the tables, including a disenchanted writer, a solitary musician, and a weary traveler.

The detective sat down in the chair opposite Pipaluk at the round table. He let out a long sigh after the long, weary day that he had.

"So, what do you know about Kelly McGary?" the detective asked again.

"I don't know if you've heard or seen the video of me flying across the rainy night sky with my umbrella," Pipaluk began.

"Get to the point. I'm not here for stories. Do you know anything about Kelly McGary or not?" the detective said in a harsh voice.

"Please, Detective, let me finish my story," Pipaluk begged.

"Fine, it better be informative," the detective said, sounding underwhelmed.

"So, two nights ago, the wind carried me from downtown to the edge of the town. When the wind died down, I slowly descended in front of the town's 'Welcome' sign. I had never been to that part of town before. I turned away from the town and gazed at what lay beyond—the woods. It was the first time in my life that I had seen the woods," Pipaluk said. "I questioned myself, 'Was there always a forest at the edge of the town?'"

"As far as I know, there has always been a forest there," replied the detective.

"Before I reentered the town, I saw a cap lying on the road up ahead—the road that separated the town from the forest. I picked up the cap and kept it with me, hoping you would like to take it as evidence," Pipaluk said.

Pipaluk took the cap out of her backpack and placed it on the table.

"How do we know it belongs to Kelly McGary?" the detective inquired.

Pipaluk turned the cap upside down. On the inside of the cap was a name tag that read "Kelly McGary".

"How convenient, a name tag," said the detective. "I'll keep it as evidence. You said you found it on the road beside the forest?"

"Yes," Pipaluk responded.

"What will you two be ordering tonight?" a waiter asked them.

"Who's that man at the back table against the wall?" Pipaluk questioned. "He's been staring at us for a while."
Sitting in the shadows against the wall was a weather-beaten man. He was donned in a bottle-green coloured hooded cloak. Despite the heat of the place, he had the hood over his head, which overshadowed his face; but the gleam in his eyes could be seen. He was smoking a long-stemmed pipe and sitting with his legs outstretched, showing high leather boots that had seen much wear.

"He's known as Tracer. He's just passing through town. He's known for his tracking skills," replied the waiter.

"Do you think we can have a word with him?" the detective asked.

"I won't stop you, but let me tell you the man is mysterious. No one knows much about him, so I'd be careful if I were you," answered the waiter.

Detective Jimmy and Pipaluk got up and headed toward Tracer. The man had his head bent low, busily smoking his pipe.