The Inside Woman:
Dryads and Crowder.
Vash knows the place. Every citizen in the city knows Audubon Park. The park is the cities effort to keep nature close amidst growing skyscrapers, concert jungles congested streets. Whoever this woman is, Vash has to commend her on being innovate. This time of year, many people are out visiting with family and friends. He doesn't know what she looks like and, for all he knows, she can be sending people to watch him before showing up. For all he knows, he could die today.
But he comes anyway, in casual clothes of shorts and a t-shirt, sunglasses and sandals. In his back pocket is a small crossword puzzle booklet and his waistband a gun. A shoulder bag holds lunch and handcuffs.
He doesn't look like a cop on the beat but like the other people walking, laughing and smiling, enjoying the sunshine and greenery.
This woman didn't give him a time so he's sure to be there in the morning, at about 9 am. Naturally, he told Lilli to be quiet about this, even from Alfred. He can't afford doubt right and is literally grasping at straws.
He wars with himself even as he walks along the cemented path through rows of evergreen trees, if this is even a good idea. He knows nothing. He has nothing but a letter and a silhouette. His cautious nature challenges everything about his move right now but he has to fight against it. Help comes from unlikely sources all the time. Vash cannot afford to pass up any.
A couple vacates a wooden bench and Vash takes up post there. He pulls out his crossword booklet and pushes his glasses up to hold his hair back like a headband. He opens the book, crosses one leg over the other and gets to work. Any on looker will assume when his eyes drift off searchingly that he's thinking. In truth, he surveys the area, taking note of everyone before, alongside and behind him. Stretching gives him a reason to turn his head, concentration an excuse to stare in the distance. Every time someone makes a move he looks up and in that direction.
Vash continues like this for two hours, working on his puzzles, stretching, thinking and watching. Nothing of consequence happens during that time but he's patient enough to wait.
It isn't until he starts eating the sandwich in his bag that a woman jogs in his direction. He hears her coming from the left and chews slower while he glances in her direction. The woman keeps her gaze forward, headphones in and focused in concentration. She doesn't even glance at him as she approaches.
Vash takes note of her appearance, slender built and delicate looking. She's blonde and even with her hair secured in a ponytail he can see that it's wavy or curly. Most notably though, she's wearing glasses and that is not a feature he noticed on the woman standing across from his apartment the other night.
Vash looks away. The woman runs pass him and he continues on his sandwich.
Until she stops.
He doesn't look up but he can see her bend over, assumingly catching her breath from her jog. The beads of sweat on her forehead are a clear indication that she'd been jogging for awhile. Her actions are not unusual. She rocks from side to side, looking up at the sky before turning back in his direction.
Vash discretely rewraps his partially finished sandwich and puts in his bag as she walks towards him. He picks up his puzzle book again even as she stands next to the bench.
"Excuse me," an accented light voice, breathless but gentle, similar to Lilli's voice speaks up.
Vash looks up and notes, slightly amused, the flush on her cheeks. Running or embarrassment? "Ja?"
She looks around for a moment before looking at him again, "I don't mean to disturb you, it's just…" the woman pauses and this time he can see that she is blushing. "I normally run here and this is where I stop and stretch. I-I was wondering if you would mind if I stretched here?"
He shrugs and slides away a bit, giving her more room on her side of the bench. "Go ahead," he goes back to his puzzle, nodding at her mumbled thanks.
They stay like that, him working and her using the bench to stretch. Vash does keep watch, discreetly of course because if this is not the woman, then he's a total creep for looking at her.
"Thanks," she says finally.
Vash lifts his head in direction when she takes a seat next to him. "For what?"
"For letting me stretch here. I like having consistency in life these days. I guess I felt a bit off-balance when I thought I couldn't stretch here. So thank you."
He nods once and looks ahead at the trees. " Everybody needs routines. Working out is a good one."
"Oh, I don't just work out for the routine. I have other reasons too."
He raises a brow but keeps his gaze forward. "Like?"
"I have things that I want to protect." She tells him solemnly, "And myself."
Vash is quick with a response, grabbing the hint she drops and asks without asking. "Don't you think the police are able to protect you and what you want to protect?"
"I would hope. It is their job." She responses.
A breeze passes and neither them say anything for a moment. Then Vash speaks. "What's your name?"
Her voice is still light, still gentle but a note of something else underneath. "You can call me Maddie."
"An alias?"
She laughs a little. "No, a nickname, given by my husband. You can call me Madeline if you want, detective." He nods and she adds, "I wouldn't bother remembering it though."
His lips dip into a frown. Vash looks down at his puzzle book and starts to work on another crossword. "Why not?"
Madeline starts picking at her nails. "Because you won't find anything on Madeline, just like you can't find anything on Gil or Toni."
His grip tightens on his pen. "So you know where they are?"
"I know what their in," she corrects, "And I know that Liz is probably in it too now. If that's the case, we need to move quickly."
"Tell me where I can find them," he demands quietly.
Maddie shakes her head and he looks up at her to find her looking sadly at him. "I can't," she says, "Not because I don't want to but because I don't know. Even if I did I wouldn't because then my life would be in danger."
He can't hold back his glare as a fizzle of frustration brews in his chest. "What was the point of even writing me if you can't give me information?" he questions through gritted teeth.
"That's not what I said," Maddie replies, still calm even the face of his aggravation, "I can't tell you where but I can tell you how to find them and where to look."
"How do I know I can trust your word? You don't even know where they are. How can you get me close?"
Maddie's indigo eyes narrow and she purses her lips, "You don't believe me."
"All you've given me is non information," Vash counters easily, "you expect trust when you've said nothing at all?"
Maddie sits up at his accusations, "I want to help!"
"Then help me." he counters, "Tell me how I can trust you. How do I know you know anything!"
"Because I'm the one who recruited Gilbert to the organization he worked for!" Madeline's voice influxes before she settles her tone quickly, looking away and down at her lap. "I know how it operates and that's how I know you or I won't be able to find him directly. I'm also the only one who managed to escape and that's how I know he's innocent."
Vash blinks, his confusion evident. "Operation?" he questions, "What operation?"
Maddie stands and he stands just as quickly. "We can't talk here." She informs, "I'll give you a location to meet somewhere tomorrow."
"Wait—," he tries but she cuts in and whispers.
"They have eyes everywhere and they are watching you," Maddie takes a step back, "You have no idea the lengths I've gone through to hide myself and protect myself and my family. I can't be seen with you for long periods of time."
Her head nods discreetly towards the bench where a tiny piece of paper sits where she did. "I'll contact you in few days. Meet me there." Then she smiles shyly, "Thanks for letting me stretch here,"
And she walks away.
Vash doesn't watch her leaving, taking into the account the agreement they've made. He has to protector her as a civic duty and as honor to his word. Besides, the information she's provided already is enough to give him a new direction.
He sits down and puts his book on top of the note she left. Then he grabs his bag, opens it and picks up both book and note, slipping them into his bag. If anyone is watching him, all they will see is a man putting his things away.
Vash takes out his sandwich again, eating it slowly while processing this new information. Surprisingly, it makes sense. Gilbert doesn't seem like the kind of man who can pull this off alone.
But she said was? He muses. He was in an organization. Vash considers his options and frowns at the implication.
He's contacted every gang leader in the city that he knows before even suspecting Gilbert and all came out clean. That's not to say they are not involved. He knows for a fact that these people have ways of covering their tracks. But if they are involved then that implies that he's missed a critical piece of evidence in his initial investigation. Was this gang violence? Initiate murder? Price of leaving the gang murder?
"This pattern doesn't make sense," he huffs in annoyance, speaking to himself. "Join the organization, leave the organization only to join it again. Why would anyone do that? Was he bribed?"
Murder is bit excessive for blackmail but obviously it worked. So why not send some ridiculous evidence to get him acquitted already? Gilbert's been missing for months so surely he's given them what they want. It's a steep price that begs the question of which organization would go through such length for one man. Just who are 'they'?
Vash reaches for his phone, considering calling Alfred but stops. Calling now is too obvious and he can't afford to be obvious if he's being watched. He checks the time instead then puts the phone down. The blond finishes his sandwich and waits a full hour after Madeline leaves to leave himself.
He goes home and double checks to make sure he isn't being followed before making the call to the office.
"Boss man, how's that day off?" The younger blond says too cheerful and enthusiastic.
Vash puts him on speaker, sitting it on his dresser next to his discarded sunglasses "Stop calling me that and listen. I need to you look into something for me I need names of anyone who's gone missing in the city within the past five years."
"Like missing persons reports?"
Tugging his shirt over head, he tosses it on the bed, "That and records of someone just disappearing, filed or not. Have a report for me in four hours."
Alfred pauses, and then says, "Are you seriously coming in on your day off?"
"Four hours, Jones," Vash deflects the question and hangs up to stop any further discussion.
He takes a long shower after that, staying under the showerhead until the sting of hot water chills to cold and he has to get out or risk pneumonia. Vash washes his hair and takes his time with getting dressed. He wastes time; calling Lilli to make sure she is okay. He calls Elizaveta's parents to speak with them briefly. Three hours later he orders pizza and at nearly 7 pm, he leaves his house for the police station.
When Vash walks in, heads turn but no one says anything to his face. They do stare and he knows what they are thinking but he didn't get to this spot from being a lazy detective. Time off is time wasted and in a case like this, he can afford none.
Alfred stands from his chair at his desk in the sea of desk that flood the first floor of the prescient. He grins and holds out a folder just as Vash approaches. "Can't believe you actually came in on your day off!"
Vash takes the envelope and immediately starts exploring its content. "Ja well," he says distractedly flipping pages, trying to identify any faces he's seen recently in some shady businesses. "Work doesn't take breaks…"
Alfred sits on the desk and nods. He picks up a pen and twirls it around in his hands. "Yeah, I guess. Being a cop is a 24-hour job. So why'd you need the names of these people anyway?"
He flips through, noting that most are people too young to join any organization. Half of the people have already been found and the others were still being investigated. No one stands out to him. Vash grunts and closes the envelope.
"Boss?"
"I'm looking for someone," Vash finally answers in frustration, furrowing his brows and looking off.
Alfred holds up his hands in mock defense. "Alright, alright, somebody clearly didn't enjoy their paid vacation day. No need to get snappy with me—,"
"Beilschmidt isn't there," Vash interrupts, the revelation coming to him. He looks at Alfred with a raised brow. "Three years of nothing. Why didn't anyone file a missing persons report on him?"
"Maybe question that brother of his," Alfred offers, "but he didn't really go missing. I mean, he just didn't have a way for the government to track him."
Vash chews his lip and adds to Alfred's train of though, "But Ludwig didn't file, which means either he knew where is brother was or Gilbert stayed in contact with him."
Office Jones laughs and tosses the pen in the air, catching it with both hands. "So arrest the Jerry for withholding information. Seems like that whole family is damn corrupt,"
Vash cuts Alfred a look for his slur of the brothers, eyeing him even as the man grins childishly back.
Wait.
Family.
"Gilbert...doesn't have a family…" he says slowly and snaps his fingers, "He doesn't have a family besides Ludwig…Move," he says curtly, grabbing Alfred's desk chair to sit, handing the man the envelope.
"Okay. Yeah. So they don't have a family, so what?" the American asks, moving out of the way so his boss can use the computer.
Vash snorts as he clicks through databases. "Ludwig is Gilbert's only living relative here in this country. That means that, if Ludwig were out of the picture, then there would be no one to file the report if he went missing. I was looking at it the wrong way…"
"Looking at what? You're talking in circles."
"Faces," he stresses until he gets to immigration records. He selects the years from present to five years back, which means that anyone who immigrated into the country around and before the time of Gilbert's disappearance would show up.
Alfred presses a hand to the back of the chair and leans over Vash's shoulders. "Immigrants, huh? They've always been a pain in the ass,"
Vash ignores him for focus sake. Madeline, Gilbert and Antonio all of accents, all foreign, all are immigrants. Maybe.
"Beilschmidt," Alfred speaks up, pointing to the screen next to the name.
Vash stops scrolling and clicks on it. Indeed it is Gilbert's immigration records from years ago, when he was six years old. Legally he's a citizen now, he and Ludwig. "His parents died when he was very young…"
"That sucks,"
"No other none relatives in the country." He clicks off the file and scrolls down until he spots a familiar first name. "Carrideo, Antonio…" he reads, opening the file then pauses. "He came on his own from Spain. No family just him. Shit…"
"What?" Alfred perks up and leans in closer as Vash points.
"Says here that Carrideo came on a condition student visa,"
Alfred turns away from the screen and lifts a brow "…so…?"
Really, he wonders how the boy even managed to pass police training if he misses something so obvious! "The condition was for him to attend actually classes that he hasn't done in three years! How the hell did immigration miss this?
The other man pulls back, folding his arms and looking thoughtfully in the distance. "Maybe it's not the same man?"
Vash responses with an incredulous eye roll, "It's the same Antonio alright. The picture Liz had and the stone-faced mug in this picture are clearly the same people. If he came alone than him and Beilschmidt share that link." Before Alfred can ask what, he spoon-feeds him the information.
"Gilbert went missing for whatever reason, untraceable with exception to Ludwig. He's a good candidate to do something like that because no one besides his brother would bother looking for him. Except his friend, who happens to be this Antonio guy who's prime candidate here. He has no family, no relatives and the only friend who may report him missing is the one that went missing with him."
Several moments pass before Alfred adds his thoughts, "They share a something in common other than friendship, a common profile."
The Swiss nods, "Young adult, immigrant, student maybe, no family, I'm being to get an M.O. for the type of people we're looking for."
"This all makes sense but what are they prime suspects for? Being murderers?"
"I'm not sure yet but if Carriedo is still moving about in this country without immigration on his ass then it has to be something big. I mean, this guy was able to hide under the radar and even get an apartment—wait."
He turns his attention back to the screen, clicking on Antonio's fill before reading down, "the only way he can still be here and not red flagged is if he isn't a student anymore…" he reads down quickly, scanning over check ins and document records. The student visa status still stands but a small note attached to the bottom of the record gives him pause.
Vash clicks it and green eyes widen. "Son of a bitch…"
"What? What is it?"
"That son of a bitch is married."
Alfred leans closes and stares at the screen, "To who?" He pauses then pulls back, "Is that…?"
Vash pushes his chair back and stands quickly, heading towards the door. Alfred takes a few steps to follow but Vash is walking too quickly. "Hey," he yells instead, "Where are you going?"
"To talk to a god damn mafia boss," he yells over his shoulder, pushing open the door to leave.
Because Antonio Carriedo isn't a Carriedo anymore, he's a Vargas. He didn't just marry a Vargas; he married the Vargas.
Lovino Vargas.
A/N: Mystries, mystries and more mysteries being revealed in this thrilling Hetalia crime drama! Have you figured it out yet? What in the what is going on in this town! If you think you want to play detective and tells us your clues and theories, Vash would love to hear them!
-CeCe ^^
