I'm going to make this chapter short.

NOTE: I don't own any of these characters except the Narrator of this story.

The Identity

Eugene was kept inside the Hamelin prison for the moment as the investigation goes on. His wife was just outside, waiting for this thing to end. While we are away, Eugene began to talk Rapunzel about the time the Light showed him where his real parents are. "Do you know how I got separated by my parents?"

Rapunzel knew it was not the best time talk about his past but she just listened to him. "No."

Eugene smiled, "It is unexpected to know how I lost my parents. How I got separated from them, I mean." He said, "There was a shipwreck. People survived including my parents. But we got separated by that time. A mysterious man, tall and handsome, rescued me and took me to the orphanage. This man saved me when my parents were not there."
"Did you get a good look at his face?" Rapunzel asked.

"No. To be honest, that Light doesn't give you a very clear vision of what's happened. His face was blurry. I have a feeling that was Flynnigan Rider."

"Your hero? Why?" Rapunzel asked, liking to hear more of Eugene's stories.

"The nuns at the orphanage told me that he was a dashing swashbuckler. Their description of him is pretty complex for me to understand." Then Eugene noticed his wife yawned, got tired of worrying. "You need some rest, Blondie."
"No. I'm still listening… just…" She tried to open her eyes but failed. "Just continue while I close my eyes. Okay?"

"Alright." Eugene continued his story as the day goes on.

I was with Queen Aureole investigating the crime scene beside the river. If you are asking how the folks reacted when they saw me in my orange ghost form, I told them I'm a wizard. They immediately get used to it. I mean, magic and enchanted creatures are so normal for them.

Then Aureole asked the Hamelin man some questions, "Where were the bodies when you saw them?"

"I don't see the bodies but I see what that bastard Piper did. He lead those children to the river and drown them."

"And yet you have not seen any bodies floating on the river."

"No." The man said. "The children just jumped into the river and vanished. We called the best swimmers in town to find them but we're unlucky."

"So you assume they are all dead."

"Yes."

Then the queen asked the other men, "How about you? Are you certain it was him who drew these children to their demise?"

"Yes." Several answered, others nod. "We remembered that beard. The eyes. That stupid hat."

Queen Aureole called the guy who said hat. "You, over there. What did you say?"

"Stupid hat?" The man repeated, confused. "I just said it was a stupid hat."

"What kind of hat was he wearing?"

"A tall pointed one. Red and yellow that matches his clothes."

I asked the queen, "Do you have anything, your Highness? Does the pointed hat remind you of someone?"

She answered, "Yes. We might have a lead here." She asked one of the witnesses. "Can any of you draw me this hat?"

Luckily, three raised their hands. She picked the nearest one, an old man that looked like in his sixties holding a cane with him. "You there. Can you draw me this hat that you saw?"

"There is no need. I have made a painting of it." The old man said.

"You made a painting?" I questioned the old man. "You made a painting of this Piper?"

"Yes. He demanded it. So I made one."

"Damn. I never thought of this." I said, "That sure save us a lot of time."

"Will you show us this painting of yours, good old man?" The Queen asked kindly.

"Sure."

The old man took us to his workshop and there we saw his portrait of the Pied Piper who was believed to be Eugene Fitzherbert. I looked closely and started to recognized that man. Aureole noticed my eyes squinted as I looked at the painting.

"Do you know this man, Watcher?"

"Um, kinda…" I said. "And it is Oliver. I have a name, your grace." I took another look at it and then it struck me. His sinister eyes glaring back at me. I remembered that moment of terror as this guy gazed upon me. I flinched as an image of him flashed before me. An horrific image of death.

"What is it? What did you see?" Queen Aureole asked. "Is that Eugene or just a different person?"

"That is not Eugene. That's for sure." I answered. "However, I know him."

"So you met this man."

"Yes. Once."

Aureole looked at the man in the painting. "Who is he?"

I replied, "He's the one who killed me."

TO BE CONTINUED