Of Lights and Shadows (Book 4)

16) More Interviews

It was decided on Wednesday evening that Dutch would interview the parents while Dastardious and Silence   checked out the people on the list they received from the Harrison's. So it was that found Dutch waiting on his third interview of the day on Thursday, it was to be with Percival Wallace who was currently giving a lecture about Scientology at the Lincoln Hotel situated in Midtown East.

The Lincoln was a four star hotel on Lexington Ave, a couple of blocks from the Chrysler Building. Dutch had passed it on the way there. From the hotel there was an almost perfect view of it. He had made a promise to himself to see it later when his job was done.

At the moment he sat in a soft, plush green chair in the dark watching a lighted man on stage move around, with a lot of hand movements, giving his lecture. They were all seated in a large hall in the hotel, Dutch had been surprised to find that he was allowed to go in and listen. Around him were almost a hundred people sitting listening with rapt attention to everything Percival Wallace had to say. The chairs they were seated in were placed in two rows of ten, five long, facing a stage that was raised three feet.

Seating himself in the far back, Dutch had settled down to wait patiently for his chance to talk to Wallace. He didn't carry a watch, he liked himself to be free from technology, but he guessed that so far Wallace had been talking for close to an hour. Dutch was somewhat discouraged by the fact that he still seemed to be going strong. Funnily enough, the lecture was centered on how he had coped with his daughter's kidnapping and subsequent murder by turning to Scientology. Focusing on that, he claimed, rid him of his guilt.

Wallace's fourth daughter was the third child to be kidnapped and murdered, her name was Louise and she was kidnapped while celebrating her eighth birthday. Wallace worked in the Financial District at the Federal Reserve Bank; it was while they were having dinner at a fancy restaurant that she excused herself to go to the bathroom from which she never returned.

Wallace's table was placed right near the front door, out of view of the bathrooms. The kitchen was close, however, and the police suspected that the Shadow and Louise had excited through there. What was hard to believe was the fact that none of the cooks remembered seeing anyone taking a little girl through their kitchen. It was a very hectic night, apparently, with chefs forgetting orders and waiters taking the wrong meals to guests.

Nothing helpful to the police had been found, and a week later Louise showed up, strangled with the scarf she had been wearing at the time, sitting on the steps outside the private school she attended. Dastardious decided that the school must have been picked because it was the place Louise spent most of her time. A lot of it sitting on the front steps waiting for her father to come and pick her up, which he often forgot to do.

Dutch stifled a yawn and tried to concentrate on what Wallace was saying. What he was talking about was not something that Dutch either knew a great deal about, or really cared to know and in a short moment his mind was wandering again.

Another hour seemed to tick by before Wallace finally wrapped up by thanking everyone for attending and that there were refreshments in the next room. He was only a guest speaker, and the man in charge arrived on stage to say that the next lecture would begin in half an hour. The only good thing that Dutch heard from it all was the fact that they were supplying food that he apparently did not have to pay for. But food would have to wait; there was other business to attend to first.

Pushing his way through the throng of people, many of whom were heading towards the refreshments, Dutch caught sight of Wallace who was just stepping down from the stage. In a second Dutch lost sight of him as a group of around about seven men came and surrounded him. From where Dutch was it was impossible to catch what they were saying. The group, with Wallace in the middle, started to move away just as Dutch reached them.