Chapter 2- The First Disappearance
Another rumor was flying amongst the townsfolk the next morning when I got up and, since it was a Wednesday, left the Clinic for an early start to my day off.
"He's gone." I heard Manna mutter to Sasha.
"This is terrible." Anna said, shaking her head sadly.
"What will we do?" Doug was among the gathered people, whispering nervously to one another.
"What's going on?" I asked, forcing my way to the Mayor in the center of Rose Plaza. Thomas looked down to me from on a large stool used as a makeshift podium.
"Wait one moment." He said impatiently.
I headed to the back of the crowd, seeing my boyfriend Jack having arrived. "What's happened?" He whispered to me.
"I don't know." I shrugged. "This is freaky."
"Rod's back, and I bet he has something to do with this." At that exact moment, Lillia came into the square, led by her daughter, crying.
I blinked. Was Popuri actually doing something?
Jack had to be psychic or something.
"Oh my gosh." A ripple of surprise ran throughout the assembled town.
"What kind of cruel world is this?" Lillia moaned, and Popuri patted her shoulder sympathetically.
"Rick isn't here." Jack noted, adjusting his blue baseball hat. He had to be psychic.
The Mayor cleared his throat, and silence fell among the square. "I am sorry to inform you that there has been a small crime regarding Anna's family, which Harris is already on." Thomas glanced towards his son meaningfully. "But I've had a report of another trouble. Rick, Lillia's son, has gone missing." A ripple of surprise again ran through the crowd.
Why would Rick have up and left? It didn't seem like the kind of thing he would do.
I thought I heard Karen mumble, "Good riddance," but I regarded it as my imagination.
"This must have some connection to yesterday's burglary. Nothing has ever happened like this in the history of Mineral Town!" Manna said dramatically, snatching the microphone from Thomas, who promptly took it back.
"Please, return to your homes, and I advise you to stay there." Thomas said, and the crowd dispersed.
Jack accompanied Elli as far as the Clinic. "Something's up, and I'm going to get to the bottom of it."
Jack had recently asked Harris if he needed any assistance, and Harris, had, unusually, accepted the offer. So Jack had become a private detective of a sort.
"Goof luck." Elli kissed him gently, and let herself into the Clinic, and headed upstairs for another day spent in her room.
It seemed incomprehensible that Rick disappeared. He was Rod's own son, right? Would Rod actually do something to him? Or was it possible he was from another marriage, or adopted? Maybe Rod hadn't been the burglar after all, and someone in town thought it would be smart to set up disappearances and burglaries at that point.
Elli sat up from her bed instantly. It totally made sense!
Someone in Mineral Town had scheduled some crimes to take place as Rod came home. All she needed now was an enemy of Rod's, like Duke or Jeff. That had been the only trait both men shared- their hatred of Rod.
She left the Clinic in a rush, knocking on the door to the Supermarket to question Jeff.
He opened up the door timidly, and let Elli in after a moment's hesitation. "Can't be too careful." He had said slowly.
"Well, I had just been wondering what you had been doing last night." She asked him, trying to sound happier than she felt.
"What does this mean?" Jeff studied Elli carefully with his black eyes. "I was counting up our orders and figuring what I'd need to restock on. If you don't believe me, I've got two witnesses."
Karen and Sasha came out of the backroom on cue. "This is just a terrible hit for poor Lillia. I know how much she depends on Rick, but it is good that Popuri is doing something." Sasha said with a small sigh.
Karen said nothing.
"Well, I'll be going." Elli said flatly, realizing she wasn't about to get anything more out of them.
Maybe Jeff was truthful. On a small piece of paper, she recorded his alibi and that Sasha and Karen had backed him up. Someone was bound to make a slip-up if they had been the culprit, or know who it was.
Frowning, Elli walked slowly to the Winery, wondering if it was even worth it. Duke was drunk off his butt so much of the time he probably wouldn't even know heads or tails of anything.
With lack of decision, Elli went anyway. Maybe Manna knew something.
Elli rapped on the door with her knuckles, waiting for a response.
None came.
She knocked again.
Still, there was no response.
There was a crash on the upper story.
What on earth was going on? Elli listened quietly, heart beating fast and loud.
Elli knocked softly on the door a final time, and turned to leave when it creaked open.
A girl that looked to be her age, with long black hair like Manna's and brown eyes, answered the door. It took Elli a moment to recognize her as Aja.
"Hi Elli." Aja said.
"Let her in Aja." Came Manna's voice.
Aja opened the door wide enough to invite Elli in. She did so, and Aja shut the door behind her.
"Thank the goddess you've showed up." Manna said, looking like she might cry.
"Nobody go upstairs." Aja said loudly, taking control of the situation. Looking at her for a moment, Elli realized just how much Aja had changed. The actress was no longer quiet around new people. She had an air of confidence around her that startled Elli. Aja had only been gone for three years, and yet so much had changed.
"We're waiting for the constable to come." Manna added quietly.
Elli blinked.
A/N: Lozeldafreak, you are such a mind reader!