"WAKE UP!"
Moomin shot straight up like a snapped bed spring and stared out at nothing in particular, eyes big as pancakes.
"Little My!"
The little mymble laughed mischievously where she sat upon his belly.
"Rise and shine, sleepyhead!"
"You know, you could make me deaf this way!" Moomin rubbed his poor ear. Little My had screamed right into it without mercy. She giggled at his self-pity and jumped down onto the floor. Moomin stretched and rose. At once he remembered something important and rushed to the window. He looked out at the green landscape with a searching gaze of lingering hope. Little My sighed.
"Don't bother yourself. He's not here."
She was right. There was no tent by the river and no mumrik sitting on the bridge and no distant sound of an harmonica. It didn't surprise Moomin any longer, and that too was sad.
"But he should be here! Where is he? It's been four weeks!"
"So? He's been late before, hasn't he?"
Little My turned around and darted for the door.
"First one to the kitchen?" she teased, but got no response. Moomin hadn't left the window. Bored by this she took off alone, not caring if he followed or not. Moomin heard her small feet flying down the stairs and with heavy fest he turned around and made his way down as well.
In the kitchen he was met by the usual smell of strong coffee and something being fried. He was a little surprise upon discovering that his mother weren't making pancakes for a change.
"Good morning dear", she greeted him and placed another waffle on a big plate. "There. That was the last one. Could you put this on the table?"
"Sure, mamma."
Moomin took the plate with both of his paws and placed in the middle of the table. Little My was already in her seat, knife and fork ready in each paw. As soon as the plate touched the white cloth, she quickly reached out and snatched a waffle. Moomin slumped down in his chair and automatically helped himself with a waffle too. He reached out for the jam when the other door opened and Moominpappa emerged, looking very much as if he just woke up.
"Good morning my dears."
"Good morning, pappa", said Moomin while picking at his food. Little My was too busy eating to say anything.
Moominpappa sat down in his usual old chair and then Mamma made them company by first serving her son coffee. Moomin didn't see her face, but she was studying him with a worrying glance.
"What's the matter, love? You look a little down in the dumps today."
"Ha!" cried Little My. "What do you think?"
Moomin threw her a grimace.
"Snufkin isn't here yet", he said. "It's been spring for a whole month now and he's still not here. What if something has happened? Something awful, that keeps him from coming?"
Those kind of thoughts hit him every time Snufkin was late, be it a few days or weeks or months. Of course, most years he was right on time by the bridge and of course Moomin knew that Snufkin was very well capable of taking care of himself. But even so, he traveled alone… if something did happen, there might not be anyone around to help.
Those were the thoughts that wandered through Moomin's head right now, and Mamma was very quick in wanting to reassure him.
"I'm sure he's alright. You know Snufkin can manage just fine. He'll turn up. He's probably just a little late. Now, eat your breakfast."
She seated herself beside him and helped herself with some breakfast as well.
"Also", she added in a more hopeful voice. "The day has only just began. Who knows? He might turn up before sunset."
"That's right, my son", Moominpappa cut in and put down his newspaper. "He'll be here soon."
"Anything interesting in that today?" Moominmamma cast a glance at the papers. Pappa shook his head.
"No, just misery. And even more misery…" He took a sip of coffee. "I long for Snufkin to tell us about his winter travels. That'll be much more interesting."
"There you go!" Little My cried, looking at Moomin. "You're not the only one longing for Snufkin!"
Moomin saw through that instantly: she was actually missing Snufkin too, but would never admit it. He drank his coffee and poured some jam on top of his waffle. He was about to start cutting the waffle when he, through the window, caught sight of a blue, sturdy figure walking at a quick pace towards the house. Moomin immediately recognized him.
"Mamma! Pappa! Look!" he shouted. "The inspector is coming!"
"Oh, it seems you're right!" Moominmamma gazed out the window. "I'll make some more coffee then."
She took the kettle and went back to the stove. Moominpappa rose and joined Moomin and Little My by the window.
"I wonder what this is all about", said Moomin, getting more and more curious by each second.
"Yes, me too. This is very odd", Moominpappa agreed and put a closed paw to his chin like he often did when in a thoughtful mood. Little My smiled.
"Maybe there's been some gory crime somewhere and he wants my help in finding the culprit?" she suggested.
But none got the chance to give an answer to that because the inspector was now knocking on the door. Moominpappa went to open it, closely followed by Moomin and Little My.
"Hello inspector. Please, step inside."
"Thank you, Moominpappa." The inspector politely removed his helmet, (a rare thing for him to do). A smile passed between Moomin and Little My as they remembered that time when the witch had once put a spell on said helmet. But their smile lasted only seconds as the air was filled with seriousness again. The inspector fidgeted a little with his helmet.
"Well", said Moominpappa. "How can we help you?"
"Ehm..." The inspector cleared his throat and forced himself to stop fidgeting. "There is something I wish to talk to you about, you and Moominmamma."
"Wait!" cried Little My. "What about me and Moomin?"
Right then, Moominmamma emerged from the kitchen.
"Hello, inspector", she greeted kindly. "Would you like some coffee?"
"Oh, yes please. That might be a good idea."
The inspector followed Moominmamma into the kitchen and Moominpappa hurried after them. After him came Moomin and Little My, both very afraid to be left out. Moominpappa turned and stopped them by the threshold.
"You wait outside. This is for me and Moominmamma only."
"But pappa, please!" begged Moomin.
"Yeah, when finally something happens!" Little My added.
"The inspector asked specifically to speak with me and Moominmamma exclusively", Moominpappa said sternly. "And I think you ought to respect that."
Little My glared at him and then she shot a piercing glance at the inspector.
"Hey! Does this what-you're-going-to-say really concern only Moominmamma and Moominpappa? And not us?"
She had a point, Moomin thought. There were rarely anyone who came to talk to just one or two of them, and over the years he had come to understand that if something that concerned his parents, it usually concerned him as well. If not, of course, may it be that the inspector wanted some sort of advice regarding a problem of his own. But even if that was the case, Moomin would wish to be able to help.
The inspector met Little My's eyes and frowned as in deep thought, like he was properly considering her question.
"Well", he said finally, "I guess that if I'm correct in what I'm thinking, it does not. Only concern them, I mean."
Moomin and Little My looked at each other with a silent, mutual and triumphant "Yes!" passing between them.
"So we may come in?" Moomin asked.
"Yes, I guess you may", the inspector sighed in defeat.
Moomin and Little My quickly scurried to their seats and leaned forward towards the inspector, eager shining in their eyes.
"You shouldn't look so happy. What I'm about to say isn't anything funny, I'm afraid."
"It's not? What is it then?" asked Little My.
"Oh, dear", Moominmamma sat down in her chair with the kettle still in her paw. "What's happened?"
Moomin waited restlessly. His feet kicked air under the table, faster and faster.
The inspector took a sip of his black coffee and looked into the cup.
"Thank you, Moominmamma, this was exactly what I needed."
Then he put the cup down and straightened a bit.
"Uhm, let's see, where should I start… Well, I think you should know before I begin, that I'm not entirely sure about this. I might be wrong, so I don't think it would be wise to wire oneself up too much."
"Got it!" cried Little My. "Now get to the point before I get bored again!"
"Right", the inspector cleared his throat again. "Yesterday I got a call from an old colleague of mine. He's an inspector in a city called River Town not too far away from Moominvalley. I had been asking him for some old records from their archives. Their institution is a big one, nothing like my own little station. Very well, after I got my answers on that matter I went to ask him about what was going on in his area of late. Just out of curiosity, you know. Since there are many police officers there, they also have a lot more crimes than we do here. So, he told me there had been a case with someone setting fire on a garden party at the major's!"
"My goodness!" explained Moominpappa.
"How awful", Moominmamma chimed in.
They both looked rather shocked by this. In such a peaceful place as Moominvalley, people simply weren't used to those kind of things.
"Did they catch the one who did it?" Moomin's curiosity got the better of him. Within himself he was beginning to wonder how this could have anything to do with them. But the tale was intriguing nonetheless.
"Yes…" the inspector extended the word for unknown reasons. "And that's where I get doubtful, you see. And if I'm honest, a bit worried."
"Why is that?" said Moominpappa.
"Well, according to my former colleague, the culprit is now behind lock and key at the local prison. This town happen to include one of the biggest prisons there is around. It's very modern and secure, from what I've heard."
"But that's good, isn't it?" Moominmamma asked. She looked very confused with her raised eyebrows and big eyes.
They all looked questionably at the inspector, who hesitated a little before continuing.
"I suppose I'd better get to the point that worries me", he said. "You see, I got a rather detailed description of 'the culprit' during that chat. The fact that an inspector would spill out such information to me without a second thought, I found slightly unnerving. Since I'm not involved in the case in any way, I'm not entirely sure he's permitted to do that."
"Please tell us show he described this culprit", Moominpappa urged. "And why it worries you."
The inspector then did something that sent a cold chill down Moomin's spine. He turned his head and looked out the window, right at that very spot which Moomin himself had been gazing at for the last month.
"It was a mumrik", he said. "Young and dressed in ragged green clothes. Messy brown hair. Apparently he also wore a green hat and kept a harmonica in his pocket."