This is more of a light-hearted, comedic story than most of my other ones. So my usual writing style may change to fit the change in genre. I'm not sure though.
He was out on the open road. The smell of fresh water enticing his nose and causing him to roll down his window to further enjoy the lovely little piece of nature he was in. He wore what no one ever thought he would have the nerve to: A t-shirt and jean shorts. No hat, no jacket, not even socks under his brand new flip-flops. It wasn't new for the boy sleeping beside him to wear the same type of attire, though.
He looked over to the red mop of hair covering all but the nose of his son. 'That nose…' He thought to himself. 'He definitely got that from my father.' It was true. But only Emmy, Luke, and Professor Layton himself could testify to the fact. The only other two were Leon Bronev and 'Desmond Sycamore' as he now called himself. But with Leon in jail and Desmond somewhere out there in the world, Alfendi had never even met them. He didn't know they were related to him; much less that he had the elder's nose. 'And my mother's hair…' the professor observed as he recalled his biological mother's blazen red hair. Not even Emmy and Luke could testify to this, though. Just he, Desmond and Leon could.
Many people had asked who the boy came out like. No one could see the resemblance to anyone in the family. But the fact of the matter was, Professor Layton was too scared to tell the boy who it was he looked like. Who knows what the fifteen-year-old would do if he learnt of more family somewhere out there. He was very blunt and bold. As many people acknowledged was quite unlike the professor. They were always comparing the boy to his father. Whether it be his appearance, his puzzle-solving skills, his interest in criminal cases, his disinterest in archaeology, or, especially so, his lack of a very gentlemanly demeanor, he was always compared to his brilliant father, in a bad way. And although he refused to admit it, Alfendi hated it when they would do so, and his father could certainly tell as much.
He especially hated it when they would call him a monster.
The professor sighed. The boy's mother loved crime novels (to the point where she became an author of them), and came from a long line of temperamental people. Him inheriting that plus Desmond and Leon's violent, do-whatever-it-takes-to-get-what-I-want nature and their overly passionate nature, made Alfendi the wacky boy he was. The thing was, everyone was looking at it the completely wrong way. Did THEY ever consider he may not be so bad if they stopped all the comparing? The comparisons were literally all the boy heard in the presence of anyone other than his close family.
The professor's train of thought was broken by his son's stirring in his seat. He opened his eyes to see the road ahead of him.
"Professor?" Me mumbled. He always insisted on calling him that rather than 'Dad' or 'Father' or anything like that as he wanted him to. The professor couldn't tell if he was trying to be more proper or gentlemanly in order to appear more like his father to others or for any other reason. All he knew was that his son, even his wife, called him the same thing as everyone else did; 'Professor' much to his dismay.
"Yes, My Boy?"
"Where are we?"
"We're going to the lake. Don't you remember?" Alfendi recalled Luke suggesting the professor spend some quality time he never seemed to be able to have before with his son. Though that in itself was a good idea, the idea of going on a fishing retreat for a week didn't exactly sound like a great idea to neither father nor son. No more words were said until they arrived at their destination. They left the Laytonmobile with two fishing poles and a box of bait on hand, and the professor immediately set out to put bait on his fishing rod.
"Um… You've never been fishing before, have you?" Alfendi asked as he marveled at his brilliant father's struggle to get his fishing rod ready.
"Not really, no."
"Well THIS trip should be a real adventure!"
"Not a dangerous one, I hope!"
"Well it will be if you keep doing it like that! Let me do it!" He practically threw himself onto the grassy ground to help his father with his little predicament. "And what's wrong with a dangerous adventure, anyway? It'd be fun! A criminal taking something that isn't his own, maybe even a life. And we get to solve the crime and take down the criminal. Oh, the glory! It would be so exiting!"
"It's almost as if you're wishing something bad would happen, Son. And what's so glorious about a criminal?"
"I'm not wishing something bad would happen, Professor. I'm wishing we were where something bad would happen anyways. I want to be able to solve what would be left unsolved otherwise; like you and your puzzles! It's like one of Mom's detective novels. How much better do you think it would be if someone committed a crime and no one showed up to solve it? It wouldn't be! The glory is in the solving and in the justice! Not the criminal or crime itself! You've got me all wrong, just like everyone else!"
"I never looked at it that way. You're right, Alfendi."
"I know I am… Here, I've got the bait on the hook." But before the professor could answer, the father-son duo heard the sound of a woman's voice as she walked up to them.
"Excuse me, but are you who I think you are?"
"That depends on who you think he is." Alfendi answered for his father.
"Professor Hershel Layton?"
"That's him all right! What about it?"
The professor took his place in the conversation.
"Alright, Alfendi. What can I do for you, ma'am?"
"Someone broke my window! And I can't figure out who! Can you please help me?" The professor nodded.
"Can I help, too, Professor?" Asked Afendi.
"Of course, My Boy!" Layton answered.
"Who is this, by the way?" Asked the lady.
"My son, Alfendi."
'Great,' Alfendi thought. 'here comes the comparisons.'
"Ooh! I didn't know you had a son! I hope you don't mind my saying, Alfendi, but you're such a handsome young man, just like your father!"
'A comparison still, but a good one for a change.' Alfendi thought with a smile. Layton took quick notice of this smile, and locked it away in his storeroom of information on Alfendi and his… habits.
The lady took them over to her home in sight's view and led them into the entrance where four children stood.
"One of these four broke my window! And on purpose, at that!
Albert said that he didn't break a thing. Bert insists that he did it. Callie says that Albert didn't do anything, and Deborah says that Bert didn't do it. I know the perpetrator of this crime is lying, but I don't know about the other ones… Can you help me, boys?" The professor and Alfendi looked at each other, back at the lady, and nodded.
"May we step outside to think it over?"
"Of course." They went away to go think it over, as Alfendi had asked.
"Bert can't have broken the window." Alfendi started.
"Because if he had, he would be telling the truth."
"And we know for a fact that the criminal is lying."
"Precisely! And that means that Deborah is telling the truth when she says that Bert didn't break the window!"
"And if what Albert said is true, that he didn't break anything, then Callie must be telling the truth as well! And we both know that can't be true!"
"So that means…"
"Albert broke the window!"
"Brilliant, My Boy! Let's go tell the owner of the house!" The two went inside.
"The perpetrator of this crime, is you!" Alfendi cried as he pointed to Albert.
"I knew it!" The lady cried out. "Thank you, you two!"
"You're welcome, fair maiden!" Alfendi answered. "Might I suggest the criminal pay for the broken window? It's only just!"
"Of course! Thanks again! Enjoy the rest of your fishing trip!" And at that, the two left.
"You know, Alfendi," The professor began. "you're rather temperamental, and a bit violent, and your obsession with crime can get… over the edge. And you can get rather high and mighty When you want to. But you're obsession with crime comes from an obsession with justice! You crave it! And you're actually very pleasant to talk to when not angry… If the talk of crime doesn't disturb whoever's speaking with you. And you're very-how shall I put this-caring-when concerning those you love and the innocent. You'd never hurt an innocent person no matter how much you threaten to! All admirable traits! Gentlemanly traits! You're an admirable man, Son." He smirked. "You're just like me, once you get past your family lineage and your bad side." Alfendi smiled at his father's statements.
"Well… Thanks, I mean it!... You know what I also got from you as well as all the stuff you just said?"
"What might that be?"
"My high-and-mightyness!" He laughed as his father blushed.
"Nobody's perfect…" He looked towards the fishing spot where they had left their things; only hoping that no one took their equipment while they were away. Although, Alfendi would get a real kick if he could bring yet another criminal to justice! 'He would've stolen anyway!' He would've said.
"Hey, Dad. I'll race you to the fishing spot! Ready-set-go!" He ran as fast as he could towards the area they had left their fishing gear. And the professor ran after him. 'Dad…' The professor replayed in his head.
"Hey, wait for me, Alfendi!"
P.S. The broken window mystery is based off of a puzzle from the Curious Village.