Chapter 3
"Remember, if you get too tired or just can't concentrate, don't try to force it!" Ortensia called out to those sitting in the living room. "Rather take a break instead of missing seeing him."
"Don't worry, Mom," Oswald Junior 362 called out from his seat on the sofa.
"Momma, you have another copy of the badman's face?" 100 called out, holding up her paper from where she sat on the fireplace hearth.
"What happened to yours?" Ortensia asked, taking the steps over to her. She squatted down to look at the hippo only to find he now had mad eyebrows, a pointed mustache, and was foaming at the mouth. She looked at her child, waiting for an explanation.
"I got mad at him for taking Unca Mickey," 100 admitted, looking at her work. She looked up at Ortensia and added, "But I need his face the way he wears it."
Ortensia put a hand to her daughter's back as a smile pulled on her face. "I'll get you a fresh copy." She rose to her feet and left the room, turning to the stairs to find the game room turned control central for the house effort.
"Any news?" Minnie asked, looking up from one of the desktops in the room.
Ortensia pulled out a paper still sitting in the printer tray. She checked the printing to make sure it was the paper she was meant to grab as she shook her head. "No, 'fraid not." She stepped over to the girl's chair to look over her shoulder at the screen. "Where'd you get?"
"Downtown Duckburg, close to where his house is supposed to be," Minnie offered, motioning to a paused screen of four videos all showing a line of businesses on a busy street.
"I'll take over for you once I hand this to 100," Ortensia promised.
"When is it my turn for a break?" Oswald whined from where he sat on the sofa with a game controller in hand. "What is it we're telling the kids, if you're struggling to focus, take a break?"
"You're an adult, you don't get that," Ortensia pointed out. "Anyway, didn't you get back from a break not too long ago?"
"Alright, alright," Oswald said, throwing up his hands in defeat.
Ortensia threw Minnie an exasperated look, the mouse letting out a giggle as she turned back to her screen. Ortensia left the room to go back to the living room, quietly handing 100 the clean picture of the man they were looking for.
"Thank you, Mama," 100 whispered, sitting the paper beside her.
Ortensia looked around the room, surprised at how her children were taking this so seriously. Only about fifty or so didn't want to help, most, for one reason or another, she had expected not to be able to. She left the living room to walk back towards the dining room, finding a similar scene as she had seen around the house. Opening her mouth, she was about to remind this group of what she had been telling everyone else when Oswald Junior 79 turned around and raised her hand. Ortensia walked over to the girl and knelt down beside her chair.
79 turned back to her tablet and double tapped one of the screens she was watching so it filled the screen. "I think I found him," 79 said in a hushed voice. "But I don't wanna make everyone think I did until we're certain."
"It does look like him," 252 offered in a whisper, not looking up from her laptop.
"I got her to check before I was gonna call you," 79 explained.
"Can I see?" Ortensia asked, repositioning her weight so she knelt at eyelevel with the tablet.
79 backed up the video a few seconds before pressing play. The footage was from a Duck Rite, showing the front door as people went both ways. "He's after the raccoon," 79 offered.
Ortensia watched as the raccoon walked in, the poor person looking like they were asleep on their feet as they waddled into the pharmacy. Once the raccoon had gotten out of frame, under the camera, the door slid open once more for a tall hippo in a tan coat to walk in. Ortensia reached out and paused the video, eyeing the man in the video verses the image on the paper they were given. She screenshot the paused video image before asking, "Does any of the other cameras catch him?"
79 double tapped the screen again to bring up the other three angles she had as they started playing again.
Ortensia watched as Dr. Barkley followed the path the raccoon had taken out of frame before noticing him reappear walking passed the makeup. He walked through that camera's field of view before disappearing from sight again. He reappeared on one of the isles, picking out a box from the collection of allergy meds before heading back the way he had come. He stopped at the register to pay for the box before leaving the store.
"Do you remember when this is from?" Ortensia asked.
79 swiped down on the screen to bring up data from the video's files. "Here, Thursday at ten in the morning."
"Duke Rite on Mallard Drive," Ortensia mumbled to herself. Looking down at her daughter she gave the girl a smile as she said, "I'll tell Mr. O'Hara. Until he tells us something, keep looking for him."
"It's nice to know that at least two days ago he was just in Duckburg," 79 admitted, smiling up at Ortensia.
"It's a huge help," Ortensia said as she rose to her feet. She left the dining room in a rush, hope speeding her down the hall and back upstairs to their control center. She quickly made her way over to where the dog sat at a computer that was given a second screen. "Hey, 79 just sent you a screen shot," she informed, leaning against the table next to him.
"It just got to me," O'Hara admitted.
"It's from the Duck Rite on Mallard Drive," Ortensia informed.
"From a couple of days ago," O'Hara said, reading the information off of his screen. "I don't wanna narrow down the search to just these towns just yet, but I'd like to go and talk with the workers there."
"Can I come?" Oswald asked, jumping up from the sofa. The two stared at him a moment before he added, "What? I've taught Michael how to use this jerry rig I put together. I'm not even doing anything anymore."
"You're worse than the kids," Ortensia said, shaking her head. She turned to O'Hara and shrugged. "If you want him…" she said, letting her voice fall away.
"Sure, come on," O'Hara said, rising to his feet.
"Yes!" Oswald gave Michael a look, the mouse sitting on the sofa with the game controller in his hand and said, "Just check the cheat sheet if you forget what button does what."
"Understood," Michael said, keeping his eyes on the screen ahead of him.
-.-.-.-
"Isn't Duckburg outside you jurisdiction?" Oswald asked as he watched the large town pass by as they drove down a wide road.
"Ortensia does all of your taxes and bills, doesn't she?" O'Hara asked with a laugh.
"Yeah," Oswald said, turning to look at the dog driving.
"Mouseton's a part of the Duckburg County," O'Hara explain. "Been that way ever since Mouseton changed the name from Silo Center."
"Oh."
"Lived here for seven years and never knew that, did ye?" O'Hara asked with a laugh. He threw the rabbit a sideways glance and asked, "What, didn't even go to the library? Figured your family would use it the most."
"Oh, some of my kids would live there if we let them, but Ortensia set up the whole family with cards while I was working on building the house," Oswald explained.
"Okay, I'll let ye side on that, but why didn't ye notice the county name on the building permeants?" O'Hara asked, taking a turn at the light.
"Guess it just wasn't something I looked at," Oswald shrugged. "Mickey had most of that all started up before we even got here." Oswald turned to look back at where they were going as silence filled the cabin.
"We will get him back," O'Hara said, breaking the silence.
"I know," Oswald lied.
"Well then, let me convince meself."
Silence over took them once more as O'Hara pulled into the paralleled parking spot just outside of the drug store. Killing the engine, the two stepped out and up to the doorway. Oswald followed the man into the shop and went over to the advertisement display for the after Easter sale.
"Is the manager here that was here Thursday?" O'Hara asked the girl behind the counter.
"Uh, yeah, just hang on a moment," the girl said, grabbing the walking off of her belt. Clicking it on she said, "Liz, you're wanted at the front."
Oswald picked up a pink bunny wearing a tutu, thinking it would be a good gift for 178. He took it up to the register as the casher told O'Hara, "She'll be up in just a moment."
"Excuse me, can I get this?" Oswald asked, sitting the push on the counter.
O'Hara gave him a glare without saying anything as the girl scanned and bagged the toy.
"Rite card?"
Pulling out a set of keys from his pocket, Oswald held up the small card for the girl to scan.
"Two oh six," the girl said.
Oswald pulled out his wallet and stuck his card into the machine, following the prompts as O'Hara stood at the end of the counter waiting. The reader let out a beep, getting Oswald to remove his card. As he waited for his receipt a duck with her hair in a ponytail walked over. Oswald took the paper and bag, giving the casher a smile and a nod.
"Officer, what can I do for you?" the woman asked.
"Were you the manager on duty Thursday?" O'Hara asked.
"Yes." Liz stole a glance down at Oswald and added, "You mind if we move aside?"
"Of course." O'Hara threw a look at Oswald and asked, "Are you done?"
"You try getting presents for my kids," Oswald retorted as he followed the two over to the makeup side of the front.
"Sorry, I'm Police Chief O'Hara and this is Mr. Rabbit, a consultant on the case," the dog offered as he pulled out a printout from his pocket. He handed it to the woman and asked, "We're looking for this man. Do you recognize him?"
"I couldn't tell you his name, but I know he's got year 'round allergies," Liz offered. "The man seems allergic to every time of the year."
"He doesn't have the store's loyalty card, does it?" Oswald asked.
"You know, I'm not certain," Liz admitted. She threw a glance at the casher, seeing she was trying to stay busy as she straightened the already straight rows of candy. "Atina, I know you've been listening," Liz said, walking back over to the counter.
"Sorry, not much else for me to do," Atina offered with a shrug as she put back the candies in hand. "You want me to bring up his receipt?"
"Yeah, March 31 at about ten," Liz informed as the girl walked around the counter. "Just one box of allergy meds."
"So about thirteen bucks," Atina said with a nod as she scrolled through her screen. A moment passed as she searched, the door opening to signify a customer had walked in.
"Welcome to Duck Rite," Liz called out, throwing the new customer a look.
"Found it," Atina announced, feeding out a piece of receipt paper. She grabbed a pen and scribbled down a string of numbers before handing the paper to her boss.
Liz looked over the numbers before saying, "Come with me. I have to use the computer in the office to look him up."
"I thought we already knew where he lived and his name," Oswald mumbled as they followed the duck back into the store.
"Just following a hunch," O'Hara said just loud enough for the rabbit beside him to hear.
Liz led them down a back hallway to a door labeled 'Employees Only'. She pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the door, pulling it open for herself. O'Hara and Oswald followed close behind, Oswald making sure the door closed behind him. They stood behind her as she sat down at a computer, watching her bring up a window and type in the number Atina had given her. After only a moment of waiting she said, "There he is. He's just got Barkley in here as his name, but it's got his address."
O'Hara leaned closer to the screen and gave a nod. "Just what I thought he might do." He gave her a look and asked, "Could ye print this for us?"
"Sure."
"So it's a different address?" Oswald asked as the sounds of the printer warming up rang out.
O'Hara gave Oswald a nod as Liz pulled out the fresh sheet of paper from the printer. "Thank ye," O'Hara offered as he took the paper from her. "Ye might've just helped us solve this case."
"Anything I can do to help," Liz offered, leaning back in the office chair.