Chapter 6

From the Tales of Flynnagan Rider

Losing a Loved One

How they found was incredible, but I should have realized that someone might have recognized me. I had taken the ferry to Corona after all and arrived two days ago. The tiny flat I rented that same night was secured by another female acquaintance (who shall remain nameless at this point) and was to be used as a brief stopping point.

I hadn't intended to stay.

So how surprised I was when a courier had knocked upon my door this morning with a letter addressed to Thomas Flynn Rider. It was penned by my mother and sealed with the family crest, which bore the symbol of a rider and his horse, rearing up on its hind legs. I handed the courier a few copper coins as tip money and watched him as he rode off into the night.

I ripped open the letter to read the worst news I could get, that my father was had died of a stroke. But he was warned of his heart problem many years before and I supposed he hadn't paid attention.

It was then that the night became strange and terrible, all at once. So someone had seen me. The letter was meant for me to return home to attend my father's funeral. I was of two minds about that, not sure what to do or how to respond.

It would a while before I made my decision, but a decision had to be made. My mother had tracked me down and written me for a reason. And even though it went against everything I thought and had done, I made that decision. And it was to return home, if only for a little while. .

But this was not to be. How was I to know that someone waiting there would change my life and that it would be forever.

XXXX

The couple stared at one another before they entered the Corona Court Building in the city of Corona. The once tiny village had grown into a prosperous city dotted with skyscrapers and businesses. The downtown section consisted of courts, jails and police stations.

But Corona Castle was still there, stuck right in the middle of the island. Even if was only used to attract tourists now.

"Well," he answered, "what do you think?"

The wife smiled and took his hand. "I think we should do it."

The husband nodded. "I agree," he said, squeezing her hand tightly. "Let's go, before I change my mind."

He opened the heavy iron door and entered the building. Their first stop was the directory to make sure they had nothing had changed since the last time they were there

"The Stabbington Brother's – Private Investigators, 1st Floor," the sign declared.

The two looked at each other and smiled. That hadn't changed either.

Slowly and silently, they ascended the staircase hand in hand unsure what they would find there after all these years.

XXXXX

Greta Gothel stared at the papers. Mr. Eugene Fitzherbert Sr. lay in a coma after his massive heart attack and her daughter was rich and famous as well as engaged. But the one headline in bold, black letters at the top of the page was the one that caught her eye. "Missing child case reopened after 18 years." She hadn't realized what a risk she had taken by sending her away or if she would have eventually been found out.

She had come close to being discovered when two private investigators knocked on her door. Rapunzel had been just an infant then and she figured that the child looked enough like her so that it wouldn't arouse suspicion.

And for 18 years it hadn't. Not until now. All they needed now was to find her and tests would eventually show that Rapunzel was not her child, that she had kidnapped the baby from under the nanny's nose. She retreated to her tiny apartment on the 9th floor of the Corona Arms. Not knowing her real name, she had named her Rapunzel, after a purple flower that she adored as a child. She looked so cute and alone. It had reminded her of the child she lost, the child she had desperately wanted. She looked upon this little girl as a gift, a replacement sent from the heavens above. Her original intention was to find her real family and ask for a ransom, but that never materialized. She had fallen in love with her and raised the child as her own. In order to do that, she would need a job so she learned to type and handle a computer and set to finding a position as an administrative assistant.

And that's how she got here; to this guest house. She had worked for the Fitzherbert family for 18 years.

Now it was time to leave.

XXXX

Rapunzel Gothel never had a chance to look at the newspapers that night, not until this minute. She didn't have time. She was busy celebrating her engagement to her long time love of the past 8 years, but tonight three headlines caught her attention. The first was the announcement of her engagement. The second was Eugene Fitzherbert's stroke The third that caught her eye was "Case of missing girl reopened after 18 years."

She frowned as she brought the paper closer so she could study the picture that accompanied the article and wondered why her curiosity was up. But her eyes opened widely when she realized that the picture she was studying was a picture that Mother had always showed her.

That picture had been taken of her as an infant.

XXXX

Eugene Fitzherbert had driven his new small green Fiat up to the mansion. He shut the car door and stared up at the mansion on the hill. He shook his head and wondered how his mother would react at seeing him again after 8 years,

He had come back for the funeral. He knew that she would talk him into staying, to talk him into taking over the family business.

This time, though, he knew that he couldn't just walk away. He had to stay and do things right this time.

Even if he really didn't want to assume the responsibility.