FATHER ALWAYS SMILING

Chapter 51 ~~~~~

Freddie looked at the man with concern, what was he implying?

"Now I don't mean to imply anything," he spoke what Freddie thought. "But I couldn't help but catch the name of a certain man in the hallway. Andrew Strudwick, the same Andrew Strudwick who disappeared when he was found to be a pedophile and fled to Canada. Three children that had gone missing many years ago were found in his home, locked in a room. Children that were now adults, young adults, just a bit older than the girl you violently struck."

Freddie immediately knew what Alastor was implying, he knew of the Strudwick case, and many did in both Canada and the US. Strudwick had gone missing from his home after he fled from the states to escape a crime, a horrible one. Police were still looking for him, even after five years when he went underground.

"You'd be interested to know that I kept a very close eye on that case, the CP Ring and other illicit activities that were uncovered in America, being run by Andrew Strudwick, along with a number of his associates that took part and fled here with him. A majority of which was caught and sent back. And you knew him? Were you originally from America as well?"

Mr. Terach fell silent, breathing hard, as if he were about to go into a panic attack by the man's pointed questions but Alastor just kept pressing.

"What about your wife? Was she from the States too? Better yet, how well did you know Andrew Strudwick? What was your relationship with him? What was your job?"

The man didn't answer.

Instead, he ran, fleeing the hospital grounds as fast as his feet could carry him.

Freddie was about to chase after him but the man had hailed a taxi that was near by and was gone within a matter of seconds.

"How cowardly..." Alastor mused in that sing-song voice of his, unsurprised by the man's response before turning to head back into the hospital. Leaving Freddie somewhat at a loss as he stood outside looking at his receding back as the smiling man disappeared into the hospital.

It left Freddie feeling that Alastor was an inscrutable person, he couldn't get a read on the man at all. It gnawed at him like a dog with a bone.

He had already called the police to the Terach residence to bring the man in for questioning, if he was indeed involved with Strudwick then they'd have to investigate.

When he entered the hospital room, there were at least two guards out front watching the door, and a nurse checking over Emma's face making sure the stitching hadn't torn from being slapped by her own father.

Freddie approached the woman and her young daughter who kept speaking reassuring words to her. "Ma'am, I know you've been through a lot, but I need to ask you some questions. I know it'll be hard, but please."

She looked at him with a wary gaze. "I can try..."

* * *

Freddie felt the urge to punch a wall.

Mr. Terach had bought his wife from Andrew Strudwick when she was only sixteen before moving across the US to Canada. Given the ages of the children, Emma being the oldest, it made his stomach turn in disgust.

When Mrs. Terach described what she went through, she had moments where she needed to stop, but what she did give was names of others who were like her, both here and in the states and whom they were married to, and not by choice. They were going to have to get the FBI involved. It was like the Strudwick case all over again.