Perplexed by the oddity of what Leokhares had written, Alex took a moment to ponder before writing down a question. "Your daughter, what does she look like?"
Leokhares hand hovered over the piece of paper, his expression twisted as he struggled for some reason.
Finally, he penned a response. "I can’t remember."
"Do you have a photo of her?"
"Sir, I live in the lower districts. How can I afford such a luxury?"
"I see. Fine then. " Alex wrote. "How old is your daughter?"
Alex frowned, unsure of what to make of the situation.
Leokhares was so sure that he had a daughter, yet he didn’t know what she looked like and didn’t even know how old she was.
He glanced at Arwen who was similarly puzzled by the circumstances surrounding the case Leokhares had brought to them.
She was even inclined to believe he was mentally unstable though he showed no prior signs of such a state.
Pursing his lips, Alex took a moment to gather his thoughts, before asking yet another question. "What about your wife?... Surely she should be able to prove your claims?"
"She left me a few years ago to be with one of those snobbish bastards in the upper districts. I tried to convince her about our daughter’s disappearance but she also claimed that we never had a child!... But I know, Sir Smith, I know I have a child and she is missing!" Leokhares penned down, his demeanor betraying a great deal of urgency.
"Forgive me, Leo, but I find it hard to figure out how to help you. So far you have given me nothing that I can use to resolve your problems." Alex wrote. "So I ask you this, why should I believe that you have a daughter and that she is missing?"
Leokhares paused, reading each word with a pained expression on his face.
His lips quivered as he struggled to hold back the tears welling up in his eyes.
Then, after several seconds of inaction, he began to write even more aggressively than in previous attempts. "I live in a one-bedroom apartment in District 28. I work as a coal miner and I am paid peanuts. By the Ancestors, I have never attended a school, and the only reason I know Impala is because my wife taught me. I have only five pairs of clothes, four of which are rags. I cannot afford to pay for gas lamps, and even if I could, gas lamps in the lower districts would not survive very long; I..."
Alex reached out and grabbed Leo’s hand, putting a stop to his rants.
"Get to the point." He simply said.
Leo nodded before proceeding to take off his cloak, revealing what was underneath.
There was a little girl’s dress along with a pair of dirty ballet shoes and a textbook titled, History of Truth, Thirty-first Edition.
Then, opening the first page of the textbook, he showed Alex what was written on it.
’From a father that wishes for nothing but the best for his daughter, Niobe.’
Then, placing the textbook aside, he revealed a necklace which was basically just a rope with a coal pendant.
After showing Alex these things, the man wrote. "Sir Smith, I cannot remember my daughter’s face or even how she looks, but tell me, do I look like a man who would purchase all these items for myself?"
Alex hesitated before responding. "You could have stolen them."
"I didn’t!" Leokhares argued. "I would never. Please, Sir Smith, you have to believe me. Please, if you don’t, I have nowhere else to go."
Leaning back into his chair, Alex rubbed his mouth while staring intently at Leokhares.
There was no sign that the man was mad nor were there signs of corruption or supernatural interference.
All he could see was genuine concern and as a man who also couldn’t recall his daughter’s features, Alex saw Leokhares as a fellow brother.
If nothing, at least to put Leo’s mind at rest, he owed it to the man and in some way, to himself as well.
In any case, it would be over quickly, or at least he hoped it would.
Taking a deep breath, Alex glanced at Arwen. "Document everything."
Though still skeptical about the case, Arwen nodded before rushing up to her room to get the materials she needed to document everything they’d learned so far.
Alex leaned forward and wrote. "I believe you, Leokhares."
Leo’s eyes lit up as he saw this, swiftly responding. "Thank you, Sir Smith, thank you!"
"My assistant and I will begin looking for your daughter tomorrow. Stay away from trouble for the time being. We’ll reach out to you in case we find anything."
"Alright then." Leokhares wrote.
"Also, leave the items you bought with you behind. They might help us with the search."
Leokhares hesitated, his eyes shifting to the items before glancing back at Alex.
After a bit of mental back and forth, he wrote. "Can I keep the necklace?"
"Absolutely," Alex replied.
Soon, Arwen returned and helped Leokhares write a statement after which the man took his leave, back into the waiting night with Arwen closing the door once he was gone.
Meanwhile, Alex remained seated, reading through the statement with a thoughtful look.
"So?... What do you think?" Arwen asked as she came to sit next to him.
"I’m thinking we have perhaps our craziest case yet," Alex remarked.
"Do you think we can resolve it?"
"We can try," Alex said before adding. "Won’t be a bad way to complete my Trial."
"So what’s the plan?"
"Well, we start at first light. Head over to the 28th district and see what we can find." Alex replied. "You should get some rest. Tomorrow might turn out to be a busy day."
"Alright," Arwen said as she got to her feet. "Good night."
Then, she made her way up the stairs before suddenly pausing and glancing at Alex.
Noticing her gaze, Alex looked back. "What?"
"You should get some rest as well. I can tell, you haven’t been sleeping well lately."
Letting out a sigh, Alex replied. "Sure thing."
Managing a smile, Arwen continued up the stairs while Alex remained seated, his gaze returning to the parchment he was holding while his mind wandered elsewhere.