Deaky's Daughter

The Truth

This is going to be an extra-long chapter and there is an important author note at the end.

Knocking on the door to Freddie Mercury's house in Munich, DCI Brookes waits patiently for someone to answer. Roger, Brian, John and Veronica are waiting at a nearby hotel and an unmarked police car is around the corner.

The door opens to her relief by Freddie, "Mr Mercury, I'm DCI Brookes," She holds up her badge, "I'm working on Lilliana Deacon's missing person case. Might I come in?"

"Of course, dear, please do," He steps aside to let her in, "When I saw the news saying she was missing my heart dropped, and I rang John right away. I told him I haven't seen her since I left to come here a few months ago."

"It's alright, Mr Mercury, it's not you I'm here to see. I'm looking for Paul Prenter, I was told I could find him here?"

"Yes though he's not here at the moment he had to nip out. You're welcome to wait, anything to help find Lily. But why Paul?"

Before she can answer, the radio on her belt goes off, "Prenter is seen returning to the house on foot. Should I get him?"

"Yes and bring him here," She replies then looks back at Freddie, "I'm sorry to tell you but we have reason to believe that Paul has been grooming and sexually assaulting Lilliana. For how long we don't know but if we're right we believe he also knows where she is."

"We've got him."

Head in his hands Freddie drops onto the sofa, "I had no idea, I swear," But if this is true then Freddie is the sole reason for keeping Paul in Lilliana's life.

"Let go of me!" Paul can be heard shouting as police drag him into the house.

"Is it true?" Freddie growls upon seeing Paul, "You've been assaulting Lily? Grooming her?"

Knowing he has no way out, Paul gloats instead, "Might have been. She's such a pretty thing, how could I..."

He is cut off by Freddie punching him square in the face, "Where is she?"

Spitting out the blood in his mouth, Paul glances at the cellar door, Freddie sees it and has to hold back from throwing up, "She's in this house?"

Nearly pulling the door off its hinges, Freddie goes down into the cellar followed by DCI Brookes and a police officer but he only finds racks of alcohol, "She's not..."

"Wait," DCI Brookes interrupts him, "Freddie, give me a hand," She gestures to a small cabinet against the wall with beer in it. Behind it is a hole, biggest enough for a person to get through.

DCI Brookes takes the flashlight from the officer, shining it through the hole she sees stairs behind it going down, "Stay here, I'll shout up if I need help."

Going down is a set of spiral steps, she comes to a door but it's locked, "Lily!" She pounds on the door. No answer.

"Freddie! Find out if Paul has the key."

Racing back up the stairs, "Where's the key?" He growls again.

No answer, just a smirk.

He grabs him by the collar and to his surprise, the police don't do a thing to stop him, "You've been keeping her under my house whilst I've been worried sick for her well-being. Do you know how ill I feel to know she was here the whole time? Tell me where the key is?"

"Where is the key?" The officer speaks this time ordering him, "We might be police but I won't stop him from punching you if you don't answer. We don't like men that fuck around with children and neither do guys in prison."