The Case Puzzle

Chapter 2

I was at the Starlight Cafe, munching on my chocolate muffin. Seated near the window, I stared outside blankly while waiting for Argus Gregore's arrival.

A cough from behind disrupted my daydream and I turned around to see a young man, maybe around my age, with dark brown curly hair and green eyes. He wore a casual shirt and ripped jeans. His eyes surveyed me questioningly.

"Argus Gregore?" I confirmed. He nodded. I stood up, shook his hand and motioned him to sit down next to me.

"You want to order something before we start?" I asked.

"It's okay, I already ordered when I entered. And I'm sorry I arrived a bit late. I had to ask my friend to pick me up as my car is not in a good state right now," he said with an apologetic smile.

"No problem. At least you didn't refuse to see me, unlike some people," I muttered with a scowl as I thought of yesterday.

Argus let out a bitter laugh and said, "Let me guess, Dr Martinez?"

I nodded and took out my phone and put on the recorder. "I'm guessing you've met him already."

"I met him on the second day of my brother's disappearance and he said he cannot waste his time enlightening everyone on the case. He told me to contact the police for any questions I have and not to bother him. He seems too busy for anything apart from his job," he said with a scoff.

"Did you meet with your brother prior to his disappearance?"

"Uhm, no," he coughed out and took a sip of water before he continued. "I visited him a few times in jail some years ago. But then, I went to Italy and decided to live there. Since then, I never met up with him again. Though I intended to see him again when he was out."

"According to you, do you really think your brother escaped? His sentence was to end in a month anyway."

"There could still be a possibility," he confessed.

After some more questions, I sighed. Argus Gregore was of no help in all seriousness. He knew nothing on the subject since he had been in Italy for a while. We just kept circling on the same point.

"What is your age?" I asked after a pause.

Argus was startled from the out-of-subject question but still replied, "Twenty two." Oh, he's young.

"You work?"

"I'm working some part-time jobs back in Italy," he said as he looked at me in a puzzled way, probably wondering where I was going with these questions.

"You went to university?"

"No, I don't have enough money. Why are you asking all these questions? I thought we were supposed to talk about my brother," he said, now being defensive as I probed deeper.

"Chill. It's all connected. From what I got out of the information I have, you were under the guardianship of your brother since the age of thirteen, after your parents' death. Your brother was twenty back then. Five years after, he was arrested on the charge of assault on his then girlfriend. Anyway, my question is, how close are you two?" I asked in a curious tone.

Argus pondered over the question a bit and after a few minutes of silence replied, "We are just as close as any other brothers. He was busy most of the time though, having to earn to support us both."

"Did you intend on reuniting with him after he finished his sentence?"

"Yes," Argus started in a hesitant tone, "but I would return to Italy where I'm residing currently. My brother would have more likely remained here."