Behind the books

2.

After school, Ciara let herself fall down on the couch in the living room. "I'm home!" She shouted. Her mother, Rosa, came in to the room. She always wanted to have a 'talk' about what had happened during the day. Ciara told her some of the usual things, and then she would go upstairs. 

Rosa Nevin was born in Italy, and back then she had the name Rosa di Catalona. However, she moved for what she thought would be the love of her life. Her family told her not to go, but she was stubborn and chose to go anyway. After about a year, she found out that he had been cheating on her the whole time. She left him, but was she scared to go back to her parents. She decided to stay, and met Dan Nevin. Although Rosa was a bit anxious about love after what happened, then ended up getting married. About two years later, Ciara was born. 

"How was school today, Ci?" He mother asked, while making a strawberry smoothie for Ciara. She loved strawberries, and anything that had them as ingredients. 

"As usual. They taught us about George Orwell today though." Ciara smiled. She had read some of his books, but thought that Animal Farm was his best work. The class had to read it as homework now, so she was one step ahead. 

"That's nice. Oh, before you head upstairs, could you give this to your dad? You'll walk past him anyway." Rosa handed Ciara some letters that had just arrived.

"Sure, I will." Ciara said, she grabbed the smoothie and walked over to her dad's study. It was next to the staircase, downstairs. 

"Hey dad. Mom said I had to bring you those." She tossed the letters on his desk. 

Her dad sighed. "Thanks, Ci." He looked very tired, and stressed.

"What's wrong, dad?" Ciara asked, worried.

Dan shrugged. "It's just this case. We just can't find him. He's too clever, too clever." He shook his head. He was obviously talking about the serial killer.

Dan Nevin was a police officer. He had joined the police because of his teenage years. His best friend got killed in a fight. He was so upset, that from that moment on he wanted to join the police. He wanted to make the world a better place, by fighting crime. 

"You'll figure it out, I'm sure of it." Ciara nodded.

"I know, Ciara, but when? How many people are going to die before we catch him? That's what scares me Ciara. You're not safe, nobody is." 

"Well, you should take a look at what you know. How do you know it's a man, for instance?" She was curious, how close were they to finding out?

"I don't think I'm supposed to tell you that. Professional secrecy, do you understand?"

Ciara laughed, "Oh, come on dad! You used to tell me a lot when I was younger, why did that change? Besides, I won't tell anyone, I swear." She pouted, and then used her puppy eyes. "Pleeeeaase?" 

"Fine! We think it's a man, because it's usually men who commit those crimes. Plus, we found some footprints with a shoe size of 10.5 which would be size 44 in Europe. Woman don't usually have that size."

Ciara frowned, "What if the footprints were the victim's?" She loved to know how her dad did his job. She knew all about the cases he had solved, and where the police searched for clues.

"No, Travis Lancaster shoes had size 8." Ciara's father moved some papers around on his desk. "Could you give me some time to finish my paperwork? I'll see you around dinner time then." 

"Sure!" Ciara nodded, and she ran upstairs.

She closed the door to her room, and finally she had some time to herself.