No Happily Ever After (The Fairytale Diaries #1) (14 page)

Part IX

Lost

Chapter 28

H
anley and Giselle Durand had always been aware of the rumors that circulated about them.

There had been a period in their childhood when police had recovered them both wandering lost in the Faraway Forest, and had returned them to their home numerous times.  Each of the three incidents had been during the winter when they were five years old.  In each case, they had been in the forest for several hours and some passerby would spot them and then they would be returned.  The police assured their father they were going through an unruly time, to just be patient and keep a close eye on them.  And it would pass.

But, the rumors went that, in fact their father and step mother couldn't afford two rambunctious twins, and that together the parents had plotted to set them lose in the forest and let the frigid winter weather take care of the problem.

The truth of the matter was somewhere in the middle.

Hanley and Giselle were far from unruly as children.  Though it was true their little family was dramatically poor, they were raised until aged three by an adoring father and a lovely, mannerly mother.  But, when their mother passed away, their father had felt desperate about his children being left motherless. He'd remarried quickly without appropriately getting to know his new wife first.

Despite the wonderful manners and calm demeanors of Hanley and Giselle Durand, their step mother could not stand them.  She resented seeing the image of their deceased mother in their shining raven hair, their piercing brown eyes, and their flawless pale skin.  She resented that most of the family's meager recourses went to the betterment and care of the children.  Frankly, she resented that all her new husband could provide her was a small, shabby cottage in the woods. 

So, the new Mrs. Durand hated Hanley and Giselle.

The full truth was that Mr. Durand had no clue that his new wife was sending his children into the snowy forest alone, after he left for work at the local factory in the morning.  Additionally, a side of her he did not see came out in his absence.  She was vicious to her step children.  Screaming, shoving, smacking, and hating them.  After the third attempt to let them wander lost until they froze to death failed, Mrs. Durand gave up on that plan.  Little Hanley and his sister Giselle had been too terrified of the unpredictable woman to let their father know that they'd actually been forced into the woods.  But, because he continued not to notice the problems going on beneath his own roof, the children became cold and hardened. 

Finally, at age ten, Mr. Durand returned home from work early one day to find his wife beating Hanley's behind with a belt while shrieking obscenities.  Astounded and heartbroken, Mr. Durand tossed her out on the spot.  He apologized profusely to his children, but the damage was done.  Too much time had gone by that he failed to notice their suffering.  So their hearts had grown cold to him.  And to the world.

***

By the time Hanley and Giselle reached their teenaged years, they probably
could
be considered unruly.  Among their peers at Faraway Senior High, they were considered "not to be messed with."  It wasn't that they were bullies, or outwardly nasty to any particular person.  They were just hard.  Brooding and angsty.  Maybe it was because they were so quiet, most often seen together with their matching faces set in stony frowns.  Maybe it was because they were known hunters; spending hours together in the forest hunting wild game.  Maybe it was because of all the silly stories that had sprung up about them, as if they were some sort of urban legends.

Or maybe it was just their bitterly cold, dark, haunted eyes.

Whatever the case, they didn't have much in the way of friends.  Which was why it was so surprising when Hanley responded to a knock on the front door to find Zoe Locke and Jennifer Tide shivering on their doorstep.

"Well hi," Hanley said.

"Hi," Zoe said nervously.  "I…  Um…  Could we come in?  We need to talk to you."

Hanley studied them for a minute and then stood aside, inviting them in with a cordial sweep of his hand.  This gesture surprised Zoe and Jennifer, as they'd never expected him to be so inviting.

They found themselves standing in a tiny, but cozy living room.  A fire crackled in the fireplace, and the TV played quietly.  Hanley gestured to the couch.  "Sit if you like," he said shortly.

"Well, um…" Zoe said, again overwhelmed by jitters.  "Is your sister home by chance?  We'd like to talk to you both, if you don’t mind."

"Giselle!" Hanley called out.  Seconds later, his lovely sister emerged from a doorway off the living room.  "We have visitors," he remarked.  Giselle arched an eyebrow and gave Zoe and Jennifer a polite smile.

After another awkward moment, Giselle and Hanley finally took seats on the couch, since their guests clearly were not going to.  "So?" Hanley said curiously.  "What brings you out?"

Zoe nervously wrung her hands and began to pace.  "Well, it's just that…  You're probably not going to believe us.  You're probably going to think we're nuts."

Giselle chuckled, giving the pair an incredulous look.  "Try us."

"Well…  I… Uh…"

Jennifer took a deep breath and cut Zoe off.  "We know where our missing classmates are!"

Giselle gasped, and Hanley's jaw dropped.

"Not because we're the murders!" Zoe exclaimed, nudging Jennifer.

Hanley jumped up.  "Whoa whoa whoa.  Slow down.  Start from the beginning."

Zoe began her twisted tale, and related it the same as she had to Jennifer.  To her immense relief, the Durand twins watched her intently, and judging by the looks on their faces, they seemed to at least be entertaining the idea that she wasn't lying.  When she finished, Hanley dropped back onto the couch.

"OK.  But, why are you telling us this?  Why not go straight to the police?"

"You think I haven't told the police!?" Zoe cried.  "They don't believe me!  This is the
BAR
family we're talking about here."

Giselle nodded.  "Good point.  But, I still don't understand why you're telling us this."

"Chief Jiminy is holding a town meeting in one hour," Jennifer said passionately.  "We'd like you to come with us and hear what he has to say.  Reach out to him one last time with us.  And, if he doesn't believe us this time…  We'd like you to help us take down the Bar's ourselves."

Hanley and Giselle gave them both long, piercing gazes as they thought it over.

"Please," Zoe pleaded.  "I know our classmates are in that house.  Jennifer and I can't do this alone.  We have to save them!"

Once again, Hanley stood.  He strode to the coat rack where he threw Giselle her jacket, then began shrugging into his own.  "Come on," he said to his sister.  "We're going with them.

Part X

Coat of Many Colors

Chapter 29

T
he buzz in the town hall was almost deafening, as nearly everyone in Faraway had packed into the building for the emergency meeting called by Chief Jiminy.  Townsfolk young and old anxiously waited with standing room only for their commanding officer to appear behind the small podium in front of the crowd.  Angry energy radiated throughout the room as people speculated he would have nothing of value to report or advice, and a revolt of sorts could ensue. 

Seven teens total had disappeared and the death count had risen to seven as well, as Aliah Joiner, mistress to one Mr. Pure, had succumbed to her injuries.  Though Mr. Pure had been exonerated, Ms. Joiner's death was still being considered a part of the killing spree without any inkling as to
why.

Hysteria had mounted to an all-time high around Faraway.  The schools were practically empty as parent after parent removed their children.  Businesses had all but shut down, as workers elected to take time off and stay home to carefully monitor their children.  The people wanted answers.  And they had gotten none.

A hush settled over the crowd as Chief Jiminy finally approached the podium, accompanied by a strange man.

The man was extraordinarily tall, and so thin he looked skeletal.  He had odd, dark eyes that seemed to look straight through to the soul of a person.  He wore close cropped hair and had a handlebar mustache.  Perhaps his strangest characteristic was the multicolored patchwork blazer he wore, along with an old fashioned bowler hat.  Whispers moved through the crowd as people wondered aloud who the outlandish looking man might be.

"Attention, attention," Chief Jiminy muttered into the microphone.  He jumped back at the squeal of feedback, unaccustomed to the use of modern technology.  "Citizens of Faraway, as we're all aware, we find ourselves in crisis."

A rumble of angry responses roared through the crowd.  Chief Jiminy waved his hands, motioning for them all to hush.

"FBI has provided little to no assistance, and every lead I've been provided has turned up no results," Jiminy said sadly.  "I assure you, folks, no stone has been left unturned."

"Obviously that's not true!" shouted a man in the back. 

"Yeah!  Or our kids would be back home!" shouted a woman from somewhere in the crowd.

Chief Jiminy's face reddened.  He felt uncomfortable under the angry scrutiny of his people.  He sensed that this hostile group could turn on him in the drop of a hat.  So, he hurried on.

"Now, now, I don't intend to stop!  Not for anything!  That's why; I'd like to introduce to you, Detective Piper, from New York City!"  He gestured to the colorful stranger.  Stepping out of the way, Jiminy offered Detective Piper the floor.

A pin could've been heard dropping as the detective strolled behind the podium.  He leveled a piercing gaze upon the crowd that sent a collective chill throughout the place.

"Good evening," he said in a crystal clear oddly melodious voice.  "I, am Detective Piper." His words seemed to cast some sort of spell over the crowd.  The look and the sound of him was unsettling, and he did not necessarily invite trust.  But, they had no choice.

"I am here," the man continued.  "To find your children.  Officer Jiminy here can attest to my flawless record of solving cases.  I can promise you, within the week, your children will be returned to their beds."

Mesmerized by the man, Faraway citizens gaped at him with tears sparkling in their eyes.  They didn't have a reason on earth to believe him, yet that thought did not even occur to them.  They simply accepted his word as truth.

"But," said Detective Piper.  "There is only one issue.  My services are not free, and Chief Jiminy has already informed me that my fee is not in the city's budget."

Another rush of whispers moved through the crowed.  "Well?  How much do you need?" a man called out.

Detective Piper's thin face split into a frightening grin.  "My fee for this case is one million dollars."

The crowd exploded.  They had all accepted him as their only shot, no questions asked.  Only to have their hopes wantonly dashed.  People chattered amongst themselves, everybody throwing out amounts they could contribute to the pool.  For a moment, chaos ensued until one man stepped forward quietly, and the crowd parted to allow him access to the podium.  When the crowd settled, the man spoke.

"I will pay your fee in its entirety, upon the return of the children," the man said quietly, meeting Detective Piper's scary eyes.

Chief Jiminy leapt forward to embrace the Good Samaritan, blubbering.  "Oh thank you!  Thank you, Mr. Bar!"

***

As the crowd began to disperse, following the town meeting, Zoe Locke, Jennifer Tide, and the Durand twins lingered in the hall.  When they saw Detective Piper exit the room through a side door, they rushed to follow him.

"Detective Piper?" Jennifer called.  "Oh, Detective Piper, wait!"

They stood in a dark hallway.  He was strolling toward a rear exit where he undoubtedly had a car parked outside awaiting him.  But he paused and turned to face the teenagers.  They rushed to meet him.

"We…  We think we can help you," Zoe confessed.

The man smiled darkly.