The Curious Village

Chapter 4: Night Falls

"Excuse me, sorry to bother you again. Have you seen Ramon since we spoke last?" Layton asked. As they got out of the restaurant, they had spotted a dark figure at the locked gates of the park. Deke was guarding its door, still yawing.

He man with closed eyes, only yawned again.

"Come Jenny, let's go."

Approaching the clock tower, Gerard, the man who was searching for his watch later that day, was blocking the entrance to the northern part of the village.

"Oh goodness, whatever shall I do?" he asked alone.

"What seems to be the trouble, sir?" asked back the professor. The man seemed still anxious.

"Let's see here. Strong, young and you look like you have a good back. Oh thank heavens you came along!"

"I beg your pardon?" he didn't understand a thing the man said.

"I've searched everywhere, and I just can't find the thing. Oh, I suppose I must've dropped it when I was out strolling by the park this afternoon. I would go search for it myself, but it's dark outside now."

Jenny confirmed: "It IS awfully scary out there!"

"Bah, nothing of the sort. It's just that, well, I'm no spring chicken anymore, and my eyes aren't as sharp as they used to be. So how about it, laddie? Will you help out an old man and go search in front of the park for me?"

"What?!" replied Jenny with astonishment. "But we are in the middle of our investigation right now..." the professor interrupted her. "Now, now Jenny. No need to be rude. After all, the park is but a small way away. And who knows, we might actually find some new information to aid our case there. Besides, helping those in need is the duty of any gentleman."

The man now drew a big smile on his face. "Splendid! I'll wait right here for you to come back. I'm counting on you!"

"One more detail, please, sir. What exactly did you drop?" He looked at the man with his bald head and triple chin.

"Drop? I... Oh my, now what WAS it? Errrm ... Oh, that's right. It was my watch, actually, my BEST wristwatch. Bring it back for me, laddie."

As they approached the park, Jenny commented. "This park is so overgrown, it looks more like a forest."

They tried to get Deke's attention again.

"Mmm? Gerard lost something again? I think he's getting a bit slow. He's always dropping stuff. So, what'd he drop this time?" he asked, clearly awaken. "Let me guess, was it a wristwatch, hm?"

"Indeed," replied Layton, "he did drop a wristwatch. Did you pick it up around here?"

"Ahem. Well, actually, no, because Beatrice was the one who found it. Thing is, it was already late when she found it, so she decided to hold on to it until morning. Go to the inn and you can probably ask her for it. So there you go." He yawned back to sleep. "Don't forget to ask her about it OK? Ok, see you tomorrow..."

"Come Jenny, let's go."

The inn was warm as it was in the morning. Beatrice was adjusting some pillows on the entrance couch. "Hello there. Turning in for the night already?"

"Good evening Beatrice." He started. "I heard that you found a wristwatch out by the entrance to the park."

"Oh that old thing? Does it belong to you, Professor?"

"Oh no, it's Gerard's. He dropped it today while wandering about, and asked me to help him find it."

"Eh am I not surprised? That man sheds more stuff than a cat sitting by a fireplace. All right then, here's the watch. You know, it makes sense that it belongs to Gerard. I was just thinking to myself 'The professor is far too fashionable to wear this old thing.'"