Edric and Aeris made their way to Xantha’s home. Marie , Xantha’s coworker, who lived two blocks away. Since their shifts are the same , they travel together. According to what Maries told, she went on her usual route to get to Lester. She waited for Xantha in her usual spot but she hadn’t arrived . Which according to her was very out of character for a person who has been five minutes early for as long as she has known her.
Then she went to her apartment, she knocked and knocked, still no answer. She had a spare key in case of emergency, so she opened the apartment to find it empty.
According to them Xantha is never late and rarely goes out, her only family lives in a town somewhere far away. With the lockdown she couldn't go out.
Edric grew anxious as he came near her home, he was reminded of the rumors he heard in the black market. What if she’s kidnapped? He thought as he reached the block.
Her apartment is on the second floor in a three story building. They had received the key from Marie and made their way up the stairs. The building resided in moderately decent district, neither too rich nor too poor.
“I’ll open it” said Aeris, taking the key from Edric. Who clearly wasn’t steady.
Why is she even helping? Edric thought he half expected her to leave without saying goodbye in the morning but he couldn’t complain .
She opened the door, and they entered the apartment. It is a single bedroom flat- there is a small dining table in front , an attached kitchen in the side, a bedroom to the left with a store room and bathroom adjacent. It wasn’t lavish by any means but had character.
The limited furniture and items she bought were vibrant like Xantha is. The apartment looked well kept, and all the utensils are organized .
“Let’s look around for some clue” Edric said
Aeris nodded in agreement, “ I’ll check the kitchen, you go check the bedroom”
“Alright” Edric said.
He entered her bedroom- a single bed was next to the window, a study table placed near the wall. On top of the table were books, ink and paper. He picked up the books and read the titles.
“Economics, business-” The books were about business and economics . It seemed she was studying regularly on top of work. “ How did she manage all that?” He muttered.
He checked the drawers for anything. The items in the drawers were mostly paper, ink and a textbook.
Damn it. Nothing useful. He had opened all the drawers , flipped through all the pages other than a few notes and study materials. There was nothing.
Think, if I was hiding something important, where would I keep it. Hm… The Bed!
He hesitated for a moment, just looking at a woman’s bedroom seemed wrong, but he had no choice in the matter.
He grabbed and turned the mattress over and checked under. To his surprise there was a book underneath it. The book had a lock on the cover, based on the plain design . His first thought was a diary .
*Knock knock*
“Found anything” Aeris stood at the door
“Well, except this book, nothing. What about you?”
“Nothing different , but that's the weird part “
“Huh?” What does she mean weird
“Look,” She pointed at the bedsheet.
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Edric glanced it all over. It looked fine, the pillows were well kept, the sheets were tucked in.
What does she mean? Wait-
“You mean it hasn’t been used”
Xantha was clearly a person with a good routine, such that it wouldn’t be weird to assume she made her bed everyday , as well as cleaning dishes everyday. The bed, while well made, didn't have the brisk look to it. Like it was made yesterday. Which means only one thing.
“She never came home yesterday.” Aeris said “ Some dishes had dust on them and the counter top wasn’t used this morning. Given that a thin layer of dust rested on top“
“Which means she had gone missing yesterday night at least” Edric said “ but wasn't Marie with her”
“ They live in different blocks , so they must have split mid way”
“ True, we might find something if we trace the routes. What about that book”
“ Hmm…” she thinks for a moment, then she rips open the lock. Edric was dumbfounded by nonchalant attitude, what if it had private material . She flips through the pages.
“ So what's in it” he snuck his way behind her to have a glance. Peeking ever so slightly
“ Schedules, goals, diary entries ,” so just a typical journal .
“ What's the last entry”
She flips through and reads , “ I wish this lockdown ended soon. The business exams are getting delayed with no end in sight. I hope I can qualify.”
Work was good as usual, though the gossip wasn't exactly pleasant. Some merchants are talking about kidnapping, missing people. You know I have been thinking what if this lockdown was hoax to trap people.
Well there is no use worrying about that.”
The journal entry ends. Nothing useful came out from the entries. Except the typical paranoid Edric has observed in everybody.
“ Let's check the route, something useful would show up. I hope” he said
“ Alright,” she nodded, walking out the door. Edric followed her backtracking the path..
They walked till an intersection in which Maries and Xantha would have split. They observe the locality, checking for dark corners , witnesses or any clue. So far all normal.
They continue down the road until they reach a residential area, the alleyways are a prime spot to be hidden. The only problem was which alleyway, the best way is to check all of them.
“ Let's check here, she would be the closest here” she points at an alleyway.
They walk down the alleyway, it's dark, damp with garbage littered everywhere.
“Do you think something could have happened here?”Edric asked
“ Possibly, look there.” She points at some damaged walls,some scratches on the ground.
“ What's to say it was hers”
“ Maybe, keep looking . Something might come up”
Aeris went forward, squatting , lingering on the ground for any evidence. Edric looked around, if there's any object it would make it easier. Then he gets an idea.
He opens his status window and starts scanning. It picks up some names of everyday garbage but nothing useful. He looks around closer, there's a paper bag he grabs it and tossed it . A piece of cloth was behind the bag, his status window read “waitress uniform scrap”, he tried to recollect Xantha's uniform , it could be from her skirt.
“ What about this” Aeris found a torn shoe though only the first half.
He scans it, “Owner Xantha, waiter show” . He muttered to himself, his voice slow unnerved.
“It's definitely hers, this cloth is from her skirt. “
Aeris gave a confused expression “ you sure”
“ Yes sure, don't ask me how. Call it a gut feeling if you will”
“Alright, then if this is the spot she was last night. Then we're would she have gone” she turns one again to look at the marks on the ground and wall.
“ The scratch marks could be from her heels, the shoe marks could be the kidnappers.” Edric replied, his hands carefully observing the marks. The debris of torn leather where present beside, nothing conclusive but better than nothing.
“ True , she would have tried to fight before they knocked her out. Then dragged her to the other side for a carriage or some mode of transport.” she points at some marks leading the way
Then reached the other side of the alleyway which had a road. They looked left and right and nothing out of the ordinary.
“ Damn it, there nothing here” Edric scoffed.
“ Carriages go through often so we can't pinpoint .”
“ If only there's a witness” Edric sighed. “ What if we asked the nearby houses.”
“ Sure , but most of the buildings are empty and old” She looked around the block. Some building were either for storage, other were old house broken walls and such abandoned or got kicked out. The only real residence is a few distance away but the chances of them seeing anything is unlikely.
Edric, frustrated, looked out to find some hope . Just then he heard a crate break from a distance.
“Someones there,” Aeris said, already running towards the source.
Edric followed, his scanner detected a person, Aeris got to the alleyway, she saw- a carte tipped and broken. Edric saw a shadow from a distance.
“There” Edric took the lead and ran. The closer he looked the shadow was awfully small to be an adult
“AH Stop following me” the voice sounded like a young boy. Who was too scared to think.
The runner traversed the alleyway, taking turns left and right. He tossed some spice-like substance behind to blind them but Edric covered his face with the robe. The alleyway paths were coming to an end , the runner’s speed began to slow down but he didn;t want to stop.
Edric gets an idea, he activates GhostSteps. Phases through multiple walls in the time limit. The runner looked back to see no one following him. He thought he escaped - THUD- he hit something soft, and fell back on the ground. He looked up to see Edric–
He cowers back, tried to get up. But Aeris, who had been following him from the roofs jumps on top of him and restrained his arms. The runner cowered, his eyes almost teary as his hand were restrained behind his back
Edric took a closer look at the runner, it’s a young boy of 12-13 years, Old clothes and slender from malnutrition .
“Now talk, why did you run?” Edric's voice is confident and deep.
“I ain't talking shit” The boy shouts . “ You’ll just take me somewhere like that girl”
Aeris flicked his forehead to shut him up. “Tell us everything you saw and you will be free”
“I’ll even toss a gold coin” Edric flicked a gold coin.
The boy seemed confused, and calmed down a bit. Aeris loosened her strength just enough for him to relax. He took a deep breath and talked…
