Faceless Instincts

Crucial Leads

"I tried to get through the records after you told me about Dorian. There is no particular record of him." Father said as he kept his cup of tea at the table, "what caught my attention was that there was no record of Sussanne either?"

I had come up to meet him as he had asked and I wasn't sure about what I was going to do now that Nikolai possibly didn't want me around, my strength was weakened.

"Records?" I asked in a low voice.

"Usually these are burial records. Church maintains a record of the deceased that are buried in the cemetery owned by the church. The major purpose is to help with grave maps etc. The cemetery you are talking about is owned by this church and there are no records of either Dorian or Sussanne."

"But... How is that possible?" I asked in utter confusion, "I mean could there be a mistake?"

"Not possible, it's a small town and it's  hard to mess up something like this, especially when it's the record of a family as important as the Ashfords."

"What does it imply then?"

He looked at me, "there are things, Kiara that were never mentioned before. Of course, the power that Ashford held at that time was enough to make people go silent forever"

I inhaled deeply, "I am sensing that you are hinting towards something specific here."

"I sure am, however, I am not allowed to talk I'll or spill secrets that would mean that I am turning against the church, but I do know someone who can help you." He said as he produced a diary from his bag, "I am giving you the address and number of the mortician who dealt with Sussanne's body."

I watched him wrote down the address, "I have also heard about a man." I stopped in, "someone who was believed to have a certain relationship with Mrs Ashford. Would it be possible that you might know something about it?"

He took a deep breath, "I can't say exactly, but yes I can tell you to not believe it. Sussanne was a dedicated lady, she often visited my mother and whatever I know of her, I Don think he will do anything of such sorts" He stood up, "come walk with me" he said and I followed him in the garden.

"Is there a way to be sure about it?" I asked and he looked into the distance.

"Will you be able to do it?" He looked at me as little snowflakes started to fall, "an attempt to determine the integrity of the dead is one the toughest task. Are you sure you can do it?"

"I am not questioning her..."

He smiled, "...I know" as we walked through a patch of grass he turned towards me, "Kiara," he paused thinking, "I don't know what's driving you to do this, but I hope you don't lose yourself while finding others."

"I just want to find out what happened to Dorian," I said sighing heavily.

"I want things to come to light too, people have been haunted by this mystery for a very long time."

"It was that bad?" I asked and he nodded.

"I was in my late teens when it happened and I still remember it, it was horrifying. I would rather suggest that you brace yourself, if you thought that your fight is nearing an end then you are wrong. I think it has just begun."

I nodded and he smiled down at me, "you are doing a good thing, Kiara. Remember, the urge of giving up will be most intense right before you are supposed to find what you have been looking for."

I looked at the little flowers that had shrunken because of the cold, "I know what you mean, even if I feel like giving up because I can't take it anymore, there are other reasons why I have to keep going on."