"Mallory? Are you here?"

I was shelving some books when Tintin came in with snowy, making me smile. He had a wonderful talent to do that. "Tintin. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I was eonderimg if you could help me find something?" Tintin asked me as I climbed down the ladder.

"Of course. What exactly were you looking for, my dear?"

"A book on the unicorn." He said almost immediately.

I turned back to the shelves and climbed the ladder once more. "I didn't realize that you had such a fascination with these models. What's the sudden interest my dear?"

"Something happened on that ship...and I want to find out what." The boy explained to me, making me smile to myself. I picked out two books, "History Of Ships Of The 17th Century." And "The History Of The Haddocks. I climbed down the ladder and handed them to Tintin.

"One of these will help you find your answer." I told him.

I was about to turn back when he asked. "Would you help me? If you could take a break..?"

"Of course." I nodded, sitting beside him at the table. "I do love a good mystery. Besides, I could take a little break now."

Together, we looked through the pages, it finally caught my eye. "Tintin look!"

Tintin began reading aloud as Snowy and I leaned in. "Sir Francis Haddock of Marlinspike Hall The last captain of the ill-fated unicorn. Ship set sail from Barbados in 1676 on one of the most ruinest voyages in maritime history. The ship never reached its destination...attacked by Pirates. All hands lost except for one survivor. When Sir Francis was rescued and returned home - He was convinced his name had been cursed. The Unicorn's manifest stated they we're carrying a cargo... ...of rum and tobacco bound for Europe, but... ...it was long claimed the ship was carrying a secret cargo."

"A secret cargo? What could've the ship been carrying..?" I wondered to myself, petting Snowy.

Tintin continued. "Historians have tried and failed...to discover what happened on that fatal voyage." But, Sir Francis's last words: "Only a true Haddock will discover The Secret of the Unicorn.""

"Only a true Haddock...what do you suppose that means?"

"That I intend to find out, Mallory. Thank you for everything."

"It's a pleasure Tintin. Tell me if you need anything more."

"I will." He smiled. "Come in snowy." With that he left, leaving a smile on my face.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Later that night, I was walking home when I heard four gunshots and saw a van drive off.

"Mrs. Finch, two men were shot at our doorstep!" I heard a familiar voice, Tintin, yell to someone inside, while she complained about it happening before, making me run to him. I recognized both men. One was the man who had offered to pay double for the ship. And the other was Martin.

"Martin!" I explained, tears welling up in my eyes, as Tintin ran out to see the van.

"E...Ernest..." He moaned.

"What about him? What happened?" I demanded.

"Th..they t..took h..h..him.." Martin wheezed as I held him in my arms as he breathed his dying breath.

Tintin rushed back. "Can either of you hear me?"

I couldn't hear anything, because then my brother stopped breathing. He was dead.

Ernest was taken.

And then there was one.