Of Lights and Shadows (Book 4)

9) Duly Noted

Back in Manhattan certain things were happening; for starters, Mulligan noticed Dastardious's absence for the first time on Sunday. Holding a sheet of paper in one hand and a half empty cup of coffee in the other, he noticed that Dastardious's office was locked and empty.

'Where is Hollow?' he asked the floor at large. 'He should be in by now, but his office is locked. And come to think of it, I haven't seen him since he left Gallapolo's office on Thursday.'

The other officers working busily around him shrugged their shoulders or shook their heads in answer and carried on.

'Has anybody seen him since Thursday?' he asked. Again they repeated the same motions. Mulligan felt a strange feeling of warmth surge through his body. If Dastardious had made a run for it then things were looking good, it meant he could work in peace without fear of anyone finding the Shadow before him. It only faintly occurred to him that now he would have no help.

At the officer's reply, Mulligan hurried over to Gallapolo's office, rushing in and spilling coffee on the rug as he said, 'Hollow has taken a break for it, and he hasn't been seen since Thursday.'

Glancing up in surprise at Mulligan's entrance, the Commissioner cast a disapproving look at the stain spreading on the carpet from the coffee.

'Detective Hollow hasn't made a break for it,' he said, 'as far as I'm aware,' he added quietly. Then in a louder voice he said, 'He's currently in Australia and will be back on Monday.'

'Australia?' repeated Mulligan with a puzzled frown. 'What on earth is he doing in Australia for?'

'There is a man there that he believes will help us in the case, he's gone to see him.'

'And you just let him go? Just like that?' cried Mulligan disbelievingly. 'The whole thing could have been a lie.'

'Then, Detective, we are rid of him for good and you can work in peace. I see no cause for you to complain.'

'If Hollow has made a break for it then it means that while we are safe from his harm, there is a place out there with people that will certainly suffer!'

'I appreciate your concern, but I don't believe Dastardious will cause any harm while he's with us,' Gallapolo tried to assure him while trying to assure himself. He wasn't quite sure that Dastardious wouldn't do something dangerous, but he had to believe that it was all behind the man.

'All right then, but this man he's supposedly gone to see, you don't happen to know who he is do you?'

'I don't,' replied Gallapolo. 'He kidnapped someone once, a girl, I think, and then killed her before returning her.  I don't actually know how that helps us, but if Hollow thinks it's worth going all the way to Australia to ask him then it probably is worth it.'

'I see,' Mulligan said slowly, his mind working quickly. 'And you can't remember his name?' he asked.

Gallapolo shook his head. 'No, but you can ask Hollow when he gets back.'

Mulligan almost laughed, but held it back as he didn't think Gallapolo would appreciate being laughed at. 'Thank you, sir, for your time.' As he turned to go, he asked once more if the Commissioner was sure Hollow hadn't run off.

The man sighed. 'Dastardious Hollow can give quite a convincing argument. His argument for this was that if he wanted to run away he would never have told me where he was going, or even shown up Wednesday. A certain amount of trust must be shared with him in order for him to work quickly and effectively. We do need him, don't we, Detective?'

Hesitantly, aware of what he was replying to, Mulligan said, 'But not too much trust, sir, he is, after all, a convicted killer, more than once, too. We don't want him here in case he snaps again. Who will be the next victim? You must also remember who will be blamed if he does kill again,' he said pointedly.

'I won't get rid of him until I've seen the results he's been able to bring in; if he doesn't have any success then I'll send him back. We did make a promise to him, and it will be honoured. Understood?'

'Yes, sir,' Mulligan replied, nodding. It was clear.

As he left, his mind went through the news he had heard. So Hollow had gone to get help, what was so special about the man that he had to go all the way over to Australia to see him? It took a few minutes for Mulligan to remember that Dastardious had been carrying a file that he hadn't wanted him to see the last time they had met. He imagined that it was probably locked up in Dastardious's office.

But Australia for help? Maybe Dastardious had less confidence than he had expressed, the thought brought a smile to Mulligan's face. Then it slowly slid off as he thought about that chance that maybe Dastardious actually knew more about the case and that was why he was visiting the man.

If only he could break into Dastardious's office to find out whom he was. He could, technically, breaking into the office was no problem if he wanted to, but Dastardious would know the minute he arrived home. That was one of the man's problems, he noticed everything.

Spying Miss Jordan across the room made him forget his train of thought as she smiled at him in acknowledgement. He was working with her again today to see whether they could work out a new pattern in the Shadows activities now that they had a new body. A month ago they had tried it, but new kidnappings had taken place and so it was important to redo the work just in case they found something new. He found his mind slipping along a new train of thought involving Miss Jordan and he smiled again as he smooth down his hair and straightened his tie. Dastardious was now gone from his mind as he hurried across the join Miss Jordan; they had some catching up of work to do.