FrAcTuReD (Part One) (Completed continued in Part Two)

Chapter. 24

"Faulty battery, have to wait until tomorrow to get it fixed." He said as he began to dial a number and waited for a moment before speaking. "Claud? It's me, yeah my phone isn't working still, I know I'm getting it fixed, but I'm not calling you about that. It's about what happened last night."

Claud frowned. "Last night?"

"Hold on," Mordecai then held the phone to Charla. "Best for you to ask I think."

Charla took the phone back. "Hello? Claud, sorry about this but there's something I need to ask you."

Claud walked over to his desk and wrote a note in his notebook about his younger brother and Charla calling him. "It's no problem Charla, what do you want to ask?"

She took a breath before speaking. "At school there was talk about something that had happened last night, but um... my Uncle, is he there? I'd rather... ask him."

Why is she apologizing for something so simple? Claude thought. "I would but he's out of the office at the moment, why not try his cellphone?"

"I have, several times but no answer. That's why Mordecai called you."

"I see..." was all he said in response. Claude wrote in his notebook once more.

Charla Liebert, concerned, worried – sounds afraid – possible links to incident in city?

"Claud?" Charla spoke. "Are you still there?"

"Yes I am, give me a moment I'll see if anyone knows when he'll..." Claud paused when he saw Isaac and several other officers returning, many holding grim expressions, the few who started recently in this sleepy town looked as pale as ghosts. "Oh he just came back, hold on a moment." He then pulled away from his cell and spoke allowed. "Isaac, you have a phone call!"

Isaac gave a wary sigh. "If it's journalist tell them no comment until we have more to go on in regards to the case."

"No it's not that, it's your niece, she said she needs to talk to you."

He frowned as he took the cellphone from Claud's hands. "Charla? Why are you calling Claud's cell, how did you even get his number?"

"No one was picking up at the station and your cell won't even respond." She said in an almost agitated tone of voice causing him to glare at his phone, he needed to get the damn thing replaced. "I need to talk to you, it's important."

He looked to Claud who merely pointed to an area where Isaac could speak more privately with his niece. With a nod of thanks Isaac headed over there, while Claud merely watched with slight narrow eyes.

"I won't be able to talk for long, but what's so important that you couldn't wait until I came home tonight?"

"I doubt that you will," Charla said causing him to go still. "With all things considered so tell me, how many are dead?"

Isaac's frown deepened. "Dead? Charla what are you..."

"The ones who died in the caves near the mountain," she said, her voice dead of all emotion. "How many died? Where any still alive?"

"How do you already know about that?" he demanded. "Did Claud tell you?"

Charla was silent for a long moment before finally answering. "No... I doubt Claud would speak of such a thing a crucial time. I heard it from school, it's why I wanted to talk, apparently, some journalist had decided to make an article in a magazine. It's been circling around school. That's how I knew about it."