Chapter 4: The Great Detective Travels

Alas, neither country could dissuade her of her desire to help solve the mystery of the missing people. In the end they had to agree to it in order to retain some control over her involvement or face a rogue, half-baked detective roaming the crime scenes. This was a huge irritation to both: Scotland for having to allow England to investigate, and England for having to go to Scotland's house to do the investigating.

With time being of the essence, England and Scotland left on the first flight to Glasgow the next morning while Raven had to follow a little later by train due to financial constraints and her lack of clearance for government flights.

Now the two brothers were waiting side-by-side for her train to pull in. The morning was bright, though clouds were eclipsing the sun, and the temperature was very cool, almost chilly. A stiff wind blew at them from across the tracks - fortunately both nations were used to the peculiarities of Scottish weather and had donned thick coats.

Scotland was having a smoke as England scowled at the distant train. He disliked this very much. Like any country he was most comfortable on his own soil and in his own capital. His situation was a bit different from most - as the United Kingdom he was technically still within his own realm, but as a country this land was not his home. For centuries the Scots had managed to retain a distinct culture and even language which had allowed Scotland to retain his nation status. It was true of all his brothers, and served to make any trips into their territory distinctly more uncomfortable than if England had managed to homogenize their cultures back when he'd conquered them. And he knew that each of them enjoyed his discomfort immensely.

"What's wrong, little brother?" drawled Scotland as if aware of England's thoughts. "Donnae tell me ye would rather be back in London."

With icy control England kept his gaze on the approaching train even as he felt his brother's stare boring into the back of his head. He wouldn't give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

"I suppose not," Scotland continued. "After all, Glasgow's a part o' your kingdom. Ye should be fine… unless ye feel ye donnae belong here."

The stare intensified and England's resolve began to crumble. "I might still be in London… if not for the Darien Scheme perhaps."

Scotland's sharp intake of breath in response was delightfully satisfying. "What did ye say?"

The train was about to pull in so England turned around to face his brother. "I don't think I need to repeat myself."

Clearly enraged, Scotland clenched a fist and moved aggressively towards England. The southern country remained still, though his muscles tensed in preparation for a fight.

The train pulled in just as Scotland came within arm's reach and he immediately halted. There were too many eyes now. As much as he wanted to belt England, the scene could have a devastating effect on the psyches of bystanders. The knowledge of it made him growl with frustration.

"Watch yourself 'little brother'," he snarled as the train slowed to a stop and the doors opened with a thunk.

By some miracle Raven had been riding in the car they were closest to. She disembarked after two large, well-dressed women and a tall man talking loudly into his phone in a foreign language. She spotted them immediately and, after quickly readjusting the sports bag slung over one shoulder, she strolled directly up to them. "Hi Arthur! Hi Iain!"

"Good to see you, Ms. Waters," England said pleasantly as he sidestepped his brother. "I hope your trip through the countryside was enjoyable."

"Very! The rolling hills were beautiful and it was all so green and peaceful!" She sighed happily. "Great Britain is such a lovely country."

England couldn't help but puff up with pride. And he eagerly agreed with her. Behind his back Scotland smirked at his little brother's clear arrogance and narcissism. But since the lass had included him by saying 'Great Britain' he could also preen a bit at the unintended compliment.

"Anyway, sorry for running a bit behind. I was waiting to hear from my detective friend. Luckily he agreed to help us!"

"A - A detective?" England asked weakly. He hadn't been aware that she'd had such a close friend aside from him.

"Yeah, he's great! You guys'll love him!"

The expression of devastation on England's face was perhaps the greatest highlight of Scotland's whole year. He took his time savoring it before joining the conversation. "Well lassie, that's all well and good but just where is he? You're the only one standing here."

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Right, I'll introduce you!"

To their puzzlement she knelt down and carefully placed the bag on the ground in front of her. She deftly pulled the zipper to open the flap on the top. There was the briefest of pauses and then a head appeared in the gap with a rumble.

"Arthur, Iain, meet Purrlock Holmes!" Raven chirped. "The greatest detective I've ever known!"

The head belonged to a cat - a huge cat now that they could get a good look at it. It pushed its way out of the bag and stretched its lanky body with a sharp-toothed yawn. It was covered in long, thick fur that was blue-gray and striped with lighter cream fur on its belly. It had long whiskers, enormous paws, and the fur of its tail swept elegantly to and fro in the wind. A bushy ruff framed its leonine face and vivid blue eyes stared at them with unnerving intelligence.

Gazing fearlessly at the two men, Purrlock Holmes meowed a genial hello.

Scotland exploded with laughter and slapped England hard on the shoulder. "Ye been outdone by a wee moggie!"

"Shut up!"

Twenty minutes from the train station there was a small neighborhood with a typically British nomenclature. In bygone days Thornhall had been a single large Scottish estate, but in current times the same area hosted many palatable homes for those only slightly less wealthy than the original owner.

Every yard and garden was landscaped to perfection and the hush of money and private security hung in the air. Behind intimidating gates and ancient hedges, massive stone mansions kept eternal watch over the roadways.

The sleek black town car wound its way through the intricate roads of the upper class neighbourhood until it arrived at one particular home. It was similar to all the others but with some extra security measures: a guard post was by the car gate and cameras were apparent at every entrance.

Also apparent were the 'beware of dog' signs and the large Doberman barking his head off at them through the fence.

Luckily they weren't going inside. The car parked on the roadside and discharged its passengers onto the sidewalk.

"'ere we are," Iain said.

Raven, one nervous eye on the excited pooch, kept the brawny Scot between herself and the gate. At her feet, Purrlock took zero notice of the aggressive canine and just gazed about the block curiously.

Arthur glanced around at the homes with their obvious security and 'no soliciting' signs. The few people not hidden inside the fortress-like homes were staring at the three newcomers with unfriendly coldness and they looked away when he turned in their direction. He was used to this sort of attitude and it was hardly unusual for a city, but it certainly wasn't welcoming.

"How… charming," Arthur commented unconvincingly.

"Blow it out your arse," Iain replied in a casual tone as he lit a cigarette.

"Excuse me?!"

"Ye heard me."

"Um… where is 'here' exactly?" Raven interrupted.

Iain gestured to the house with the frantic dog. "That's the house o' the first man who went missin'. Ye said ye could solve the case so I brought ye right to the scene."

"Oh!" Raven gave the locked gate another unsettled look. "Is the dog friendly? Otherwise I'd rather not go in there…"

"Nay, we donnae need to go inside." The Scot brought out a small notebook and opened it to a marked page. "We took 'er statement an' the actual scene is down the way a bit.

"Accordin' to the lady o' the house, her husband stepped out to walk the dog at 7:30 three mornings ago. It's his routine whenever he donnae have an early meeting. She said there were nothin' unusual or out o' sorts that morning or in the preceding days that she can recall. The police checked their records too an' there's been no reports out o' the ordinary."

"How did she realize that her husband had gone missing?" Raven asked. "Did she see something? Hear something?"

"Nay, she said he just left and never came back. Vanished without a trace."

"Perhaps you might tell us the whole story?" Arthur asked snidely. "Then we would at least have a chance of understanding!"

Iain growled but the sight of Raven's earnest face prevented him from lashing out, verbally or physically. He just flipped back to the first page of his notes with a sigh.

"On Monday at 7:30 legislator James MacGwynn left his home to walk his dog. It normally takes about fifteen minutes an' he just goes 'round the block here. His wife says there was nothing unusual in his behavior leading up to when he left an' there's been no unusual activity in the area.

"Approximately twenty minutes later the wife heard the dog scratching at the door an' when she went to check she found it'd returned without her husband. She was a wee bit worried so she walked the route herself to look for him. She saw no sign o' him an' that was when she called the police.

"The police walked the route as well an' found signs of an abduction down the way there. They collected what little physical evidence there was an' took statements from the neighbours. So far it hasnae led anywhere an' there hannae been any ransom calls to the wife."

Both Raven and Arthur had more questions for Iain about the morning of the disappearance and about the man himself. After just a few of them though, the self-described detective girl asked to see the scene of the kidnapping. It would tell her more than a secondhand description.

With a word of agreement Iain turned and led the way along the sidewalk. Arthur and Raven followed with Purrlock padding silently beside the young woman, sniffing delicately at the air.

"So, we're positive that this is an abduction and not a voluntary disappearance?" Raven asked.

"Aye, the signs at the scene point clearly to an involuntary disappearance," Iain answered. "The police were looking at the possibility that he left on his own, but they coulnnae find any trace o' bank accounts or other preparations that one would need to fake a disappearance. A team is still pursuing the idea but it's looking unlikely."

"Clearly it's politically motivated," Arthur observed. "Are your politics always so chaotic? No wonder you think my government is trying to take over - it could only be an improvement!"

"Shut up! We donnae want the English an' we donnae need the English!"

"Still, it's a legitimate theory," Raven mused. "Has anything come out of that line of investigation?"

"Aye, there's a few decent suspects who'd benefit from MacGwynn's absence, especially if it became permanent. But they've all been questioned an' denied any involvement."

"Do you believe them?"

"At this point I donnae believe anyone." Iain leveled a long stare at Arthur. "Anyone."

"Barking mad, I tell you," Arthur muttered to Raven.

"What about his personal life? An affair or family problems can lead to this sort of crime. Admittedly it's pretty drastic but people are capable of all sorts of things."

"It ain't likely. By all accounts he an' his wife were very close an' his friends an' colleagues say he's never even considered an affair. Digging into his finances as part o' the case, we hannae found any evidence of another woman. We're still lookin' into it to be thorough but he sounds like a bonny man - for a politician."

Turning a corner past another large, imposing mansion, the group of sleuths headed for a section of the development that wasn't as complete and manicured as the rest. Scruffy, long grass poked up out of the coarse, grainy dirt, bending and waving in the sporadic wind. There were piles of rubble, probably from landscaping or the construction of roads or sidewalks, which were covered in grassy growth. As they drew closer, sparrows burst out of their groundcover and rushed for the sanctuary of nearby hedges.

"Over 'ere," Iain said, indicating a section loosely roped off by police tape.

Raven ducked past the tape and then stopped, surveying the area to take in the whole scene of the crime. There were clear signs of a struggle: disturbed soil, broken grass, and tire tracks. Clearly MacGwynn hadn't left the area of his own free will.

She moved closer to the epicenter of the disturbed area. Footsteps and tire tracks in the dirt had been destroyed in the police process of taking molds, but skids and scuffs on the pavement remained intact. Kneeling down, she pulled out her phone and began snapping pictures. She also used her fingers and right hand to take rough measurements of the rubber streak.

"Intriguing," Arthur commented as he joined her in studying the marks.

"Very," she agreed. Then without warning she leapt to her feet and spun in place. Windowless walls and barriers stared down upon her. "This was an abduction and the perpetrator knew what they were doing."

A loud feline yowl interrupted her. They turned to look and saw Purrlock pawing insistently at the dirty asphalt. He looked up to be sure he'd gotten their attention and meowed again.

Raven hurried over. "What did you find?"

Purrlock scratched at the street surface again and Raven brushed her fingertips against a substance she could see being moved around by the action. She brought it up to her face to get a better look. Black and grainy, it almost looked like…

"Pepper?" Her cat bent down to sniff where he'd scratched and immediately was overcome by a fit of sneezing. "Yep, pepper."

"The bloody 'ell is pepper doing at a crime scene?" Iain asked bewildered.

"Hard to say. Could be nothing."

"It's too unusual to be nothing," Arthur insisted. "Though I haven't the foggiest what it means."

"I'll pass word along to the detectives. Maybe it'll tie together with something they've found."

Raven took a picture and then the group of them returned to combing the scene for evidence. However they were unable to locate anything else of significance, and no other debris as strange as the pepper made itself known.

Then as they were about to leave, Raven asked, "Where's Purrlock?"

Arthur spotted the tip of the big cat's tail barely visible deep in the tall grass. He was immediately consumed with excitement - could the cat have found another clue?!

"Here, Ms. Waters!" Arthur called. "He's in the grass; it looks like he may have found something else!"

Without waiting for Raven to respond, Arthur pushed into the grass to get to Purrlock. He was cautious - perhaps the clue was delicate or light. The blowing wind could snatch it up and steal it away forever.

Then the placement of his foot made a sharp sound and Purrlock looked back over his shoulder at the Brit. His grinning mouth was full of grass stalks - like all cats he had succumbed to the odd habit of munching on greens when presented with the chance. There was no clue.

"Oh, Purrlock!" Raven scolded as she came up behind Arthur. "Stop that! You know you get an upset tummy when you eat grass!"