Secrets [slash]

Part 2

 

The next morning, Sheldon called his contact at the Valkyrie Falls police department, Henry Everett. Everett was a detective and a long-term friend to Sheldon; over the years, the private investigator had helped out the police here and there and could always rely on Henry to tell him some of the police's internal matters in return.

"Henry, I need some information concerning the Holden kidnapping case," Sheldon said after some inquiring after the detective's family. "As I heard, you guys have no leads?"

"No, unfortunately," Henry grumbled. "It's a nasty case. But how on Wyndrah do you know about this? Aravin Holden wanted no press and absolute confidentiality."

Sheldon smiled. "Let's just say my clients also expect that confidentiality from me. I want to find this kid as much as you do, so let's just work together. If I need any police backup, I'll call. I'm sure as hell won't look for a fight when I'm outmatched."

"Alright," Henry gave in. "What do you know already?" After Sheldon told him, the detective continued, "No fingerprints anywhere, and no footprints since the grass was very dry. Disabling the alarm system was a professional job, so we're not looking for any amateurs. The tranquillizer dart the dog was shot with was a self-made one, not one used at zoos and the like, so that's a dead end, too."

"What about Aravin Holden? How did he took all this?" Sheldon asked.

"I was one of the officers who interviewed him about the circumstances. He was as cool and polite as you please, no emotions at all." Henry paused. "He behaved as if the missing kid wasn't his business at all."

"Really? I thought the little guy is his son? Shouldn't he be worried?" Sheldon furrowed his brows.

"I have no idea, Sheldon. The ones worried at the Sheldon estate were the staff; a housemaid, a butler, and a cook. And Mr. Holden's... lover, for lack of a better term."

"Hold on," the investigator interrupted. "What do you mean?"

He could almost see how Henry shrugged a bit helplessly. "Well, it he were a woman, I'd call him Holden's mistress. He's the little boy's father, that much is clear from the resemblance between him and the child. Poor thing was totally devastated, begging us to find the kid, while Holden was just standing there. You should have seen the look an his face, almost disgusted. He finally shoved his lover out of the room like one would do with a hysteric child and calmly answered the rest of our questions. I got the sneaking suspicion his primary concern was the breach of security in his estate."

Slowly, a picture of what was really going on was forming in Sheldon's mind, and he didn't like it at all. "Do you have the lover's name?"

"Yes, it's Cerise. We were given no last name, which is a bit strange considering that in this country lashran have been using surnames for hundreds of years. But he didn't have a Nandar accent either."

Cerise... a nice name, albeit a strange one, Sheldon decided. "Anything else you can tell me?"

"No, not really. So far there hasn't been a ransom demand although the Holdens could pay this country's debt on their own," Henry answered.

"Thanks. I'll call you when I have any news."

"Same here. Good luck!"

Sheldon put down his phone and started to type the new information in his computer. Aravin Holden's general indifference to his son's disappearance was unsettling and made two conclusions very easy: either Holden somehow knew that his son was in no danger, or the boy wasn't his son at all. Those theories would both make a lot of sense, but either of them would prove Aravin to be a total bastard. And the way he obviously treated his lover wasn't indicating anything different.