Winchester's Secrets

Fourteen☄️

"Bella, wait!", Linda stalled me as she showed me the text, "The date here is 24th December, that's tomorrow."

"That's true. So we still have a day to find out new information before we confront whatever is going to be there." I realized, just as Inspector Davies arrived wearing a neat black business suit.

"Detectives, what's going on? The Mayor is missing, and Mr. Hendricks has just been appointed to be in charge. We cannot pin the mayor's wife of a very glaring crime unless we find him, so we have to."

No wonder Inspector Davies was sporting a suit, Mr. Hendricks was just inaugurated and he was present as Head of security affairs, Winchester. I briefly wondered if the Hendricks head would know about all these stuff about the Mayor, after all they were quite the close pair even if their wives silently bickered.

I tuned back into the moment to see Inspector Davies looking at me, waiting for a reply. "We're doing all that we can, Inspector. We'll have the case resolved very soon." I responded, hoping he would be pacified.

Apparently he was as he nodded and walked to his office, most likely to remove the overly fitted suit, which made him look like he was waddling and maybe the worn-out shoes too. I stifled a laugh.

"Do you think Hendricks knows what's happening with the Mayor?", David asked, circling round the evidence board we had for connecting dots in a case. "I mean, from what I've heard, they are pretty close. Who's to say he didn't help the mayor escape?"

I replayed David's words in my head, it made a lot of sense. Mr. Hendricks was one person we hadn't asked anything, and he was also one person who could know it all.

I reached to grab my winter coat from where it hung, half-battered. It had seen better years and better snow, but it was still going strong...for now. Christmas bonus was booked for many necessities, and this was one.

"Let's head out before we get wrapped up in Christmas colours." Linda hollered from outside, and I saw why she did immediately I stepped out. The precinct was covered in red, green and gold thanks to the Winchester town women decorating. Some had small ladders, others had bells, bows and lights in festivity colours.

I chuckled and greeted some women I knew, this yearly tradition never got old. Well at least the snow had been cleared a bit, though it was almost useless. The snow would gather again in tiny flakes until the covered the whole front. Right now, it was measuring five inches and still dropping.

Moving ahead, I entered the car with David as a willing driver going towards the Hendricks'.

*****

I wasn't too surprised when the road leading to the Hendricks' house was as clear as summer time. I wasn't too surprised when about fifteen guards rounded the house's perimeters. And I wasn't too surprised when we told to do a brief body scan before we could enter the Hendricks' House, even when we explained our business. Infact, especially when we explained our business.

A brief body scan consisted of temperature check, sanitation, weapon check, and then lie detection which all lasted at least twenty minutes.

So much for a brief scanning.

I was allowed into his office once the check was done, and Mr. Hendricks seemed to be waiting already as he stood to welcome me, playing the welcoming mayor.

"To what do I owe this visit, Detective Rebecca?", Mr. Hendricks asked in a polite yet commanding tone. "And please do sit down. I offer my apologies for your restricted colleagues, only one person may visit at a time.", He added.

I winced at the full name, and sat down, calming my anger at the treatment meted out to us. "I'm here to ask a few questions regarding the missing Mayor Brooke, and I believe you may have some answers." I said.

"Okay then, fire away.", He replied, waving his hands to his guards signalling dismissal.

"Mayor Hendricks, what's your relationship with the missing Mayor like?", I asked, putting emphasis on the first Mayor.

He smiled crookedly, "Mr. Hendricks is fine, I'm not fully Mayor."

Yet, I said to myself. It was obvious he liked the Mayor role so well, after all who wouldn't?

He continued, "We're good friends, business partners, colleagues. As you know we have been together since high school, long before our political dreams and aspirations started. William has a charming personality and a big heart, as do I. Like personalities attract, wouldn't you say?", The man laughed as he sipped his tea, eyeing our cups like he wanted us to do the same.

I thought that sentence was the other way around, but I wasn't going to dwell on that. I needed something more concrete.

"The Mayor is currently missing, where do you think he has gone off to?", I inquired, watching his face for any sign.

The same poker face he had been using anytime he wasn't laughing gave nothing away, "He's gone off to rest a bit with his wife and youngest daughter, and also search for leads on his missing child."

I tapped my pen against the notebook I held, "Is that so?"

"Yes." A lie. His mask had slipped a bit, just a tiny bit before he covered it up. Uncertainty, he was not sure where the Mayor was.

I had one more question.

"Mr. Hendricks, do you know about the Mayor's involvement in the death of his first wife and the kidnap of his daughter?"

Shock registered across his features, and he apparently decided not to mask it. After two seconds of silence, he resumed his normal face, straightened his tie before saying, "No, I know nothing about that. And I firmly believe William can do nothing like that." I think he said that more for his benefit than mine.

"It seems like you didn't know him well enough then.", I replied, standing up to leave while he huffed

I could feel his eyes on my back as I walked towards the mahogany double doors which stood tall and confident like Mr. Hendricks. Just that now, he wasn't standing tall and confident. He just looked like a man who... was truly scared of what he had seen.

"Wait, Rebecca. I think you should have this.", Mr. Hendricks whispered, as he held a green leather book in his hand.

I quirked a brow, "What's this?"

"I stole it from William years ago, I had thought of it as a simple diary.", When I looked at him in confusion, he branched out, "It was a game of sorts, each one finding ways to get secrets of the other and use to taunt. We developed it in high school, and haven't let go of it."

He paused, and put his hands over his head. "But it wasn't that, a lot of things are detailed here and I think you should see it. I just hope you find him...still alive."

"We'll try." I said, holding the book close to me as I sauntered off to meet my colleagues.

*****

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