I Belong to You (Phantom of the Opera Fanfiction)

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

It was going on the third day of Christine's disappearance, and there was finally a definite lead in the case.

Once the news had spread that Christine Daae was missing, people were brought in for questioning. The process was slow. First family, then Robert, then Meg, then more of Christine's friends, and then members of the community and teachers. Nadir Kahn and Marie Giry, her music teachers, were brought in to be questioned, and it was through them that progress began to be made.

Through talking to Nadir, it was discovered that Christine had been taking voice lessons from a friend for the past year. When the 'friend' part was questioned further, the name Erik Destler was given.

Immediately, authorities had called him in order to bring him in for questioning. Nadir who became a bit suspicious when Erik couldn't be reached over the phone. Erik rarely left his home, and he usually answered his cell phone.

After being questioned further, it wasn't long before Erik's mask was brought up. Authorities were quick to become more interested when hearing that. Nadir explained that Erik was not a normal man. He was an eccentric recluse who behaved strangely but was a genius in many areas.

When Nadir was asked about the relationship between Erik and Christine, he'd said very little because he knew very little... Once Christine began taking voice lessons at Erik's house, he and Nadir had stopped communicating almost entirely. Erik had devoted most all of his time to her, which left room for little else in his life.

Authorities had taken over from there. Nadir had basically told them that Erik Destler was obsessed with Christine Daae, so that was the key they needed to making him their main target.

The Daae's hadn't seemed too shocked when hearing about Erik being a suspect, so that was further proof that Erik was the one.

Now, it was the third day, and cops and detectives were on their way to Erik Destler's house. The search was underway.

IIIIIII

Erik watched his television with interest. A news program was on, and the woman on the screen was talking about Christine and showing pictures of her and videos of the case. That wasn't the reason for Erik's interest, though. The reason for his interest was that his own name was on the bottom of the screen.

So, I am a wanted man... He laughed while thinking about it. For the first time in my life, I am wanted. But, as fate would have it, I am wanted for a crime.

It hadn't taken long for authorities to decide he was a suspect. Erik supposed he had someone like Nadir Kahn to thank for that. The man had probably been thoroughly questioned, and Erik's name had probably come up during the process.

Erik shrugged. They think they will find us, but they are wrong. He and Christine were well hidden, that was for sure. Erik had a talent for keeping his true identity hidden beneath fake identities to get what he wanted. Everything from being able to stay in the house they were currently in, to making it so that the house had working utilities, to being able to keep a vehicle that wasn't his own, to having food available for them, to marrying the girl of his dreams... All of those things had been able to happen thanks to his numerous identities and his hypnotist abilities.

Erik had made it so that he and Christine were safe from the rest of the world. His love would never have to deal with life's cruelties like he'd been forced to...

But, he didn't have to think about his past anymore. Christine had saved him from his solitude and he had rescued her while she was still young, innocent, and pure.