It appeared haunted, no matter how Alex tried to look at it.
An eerie silence hung in the air, accompanied by an uncanny presence that did not want to go away.
Alex could tell almost immediately that something was wrong.
What it was though, eluded him, leaving him rather vexed.
Taking a moment to ensure he wasn’t missing anything nor was he walking into an ill conceived trap, he made his way into the dilapidated ruins of a building.
The first thing that stood out was the excessive rot, which made the house appear older than it was supposed to be.
If he wasn’t aware of the facts, he would be inclined to believe that truly, no one has lived here in decades just as the locals had claimed.
But he knew better and understood that something was wrong.
He searched the house thoroughly, even utilizing another Alex to ensure he covered all the likely bases.
By the time he was done, over an hour had passed with both Alex’s convening in the cramped living room.
"Almost like he was erased from existence." Alex said with his double nodding in agreement.
"It appears that way but who would do that to someone like Leokhares and why?"
Silence followed as the two pondered before the first spoke up once again.
"What if it was a way to silence him?"
The other Alex furrowed his brows, taking a moment to chew on Alex’s words before replying. "At first, the culprit let him be because no one believed him."
"But the moment he came to us, they attacked. Why?"
"Maybe they were scared that we would be able to bring them down."
Alex nodded. "It makes sense but how could they be so sure?... I mean, how could they be so sure that we would be able to figure something out?"
"Leo’s statement." The other Alex pointed out.
Alex shook his head. "If they wanted to prevent him from giving a statement, they should have taken him out before he gave it or even more likely, they should have taken away the statement while Arwen and I were away."
"But they didn’t do any of those things."
"Perhaps, but we can’t rule out other possibilities."
"So what now?" One Alex asked with the other responding.
"Do you even have to ask?"
There was a snap and with the return of one Alex, an inky blackness emerged, swiftly covering the house.
Arwen arrived at Dolope’s house and after some contemplation, decided to ask around about Hermione.
By the time she was done, Arwen began to wonder if she was crazy.
Or maybe she was making things up?
But the fact that she could vividly recall Hermione helped to undermine any doubts she had.
Just like in the reports on Leokhares’ daughter, Hermione had vanished and no one remembered that she even existed at some point in time.
Unfortunately, she didn’t have the required skill set to sneak in without raising eyebrows and so, she waited at the doorstep of the two story building until a pair of familiar footsteps drew her attention.
She turned to regard Madam Dolope who had returned.
"You are back." Arwen said with a smile with Dolope responding in kind.
"Indeed. Unfortunately, Philo won’t be able to get registered for boarding school today. Her grandmother wishes to carry out quite a few rituals to ensure her safety."
"Yes, so is everything okay?" Dolope asked.
"Ah, well, yes, of course."
"I see. In that case would you mind explaining what is the deal with this whole Hermione business?... You and Sir Smith asked me about it already and I told you I do not have any relations with someone named Hermione."
"Apologies, it’s actually about another case we are working on." Arwen tried to explain though it was clear Dolope was not buying it.
"I’d advise you to stop with this. It could end up starting a rumor and I do not wish to be a topic for gossip. Do you understand?"
"Absolutely." Arwen remarked. "And I’m sorry."
"You better be." Dolope said before turning to take her leave.
"Yes?" Dolope turned back to regard Arwen.
Hesitant at first, Arwen asked. "Do you really not recall anyone with the name Hermione?"
"Not at all." Dolope replied, visibly annoyed.
"Apologies, Madam Dolope, my assistant appears to have struck a nerve." A familiar voice suddenly said, catching the duo off guard.
They glanced towards the origin only to find Alex standing on the street.
"Ah, Sir Smith, you are here as well." Dolope said.
Alex smiled. "Indeed. Where were you off to?"
"Work, those dresses won’t make themselves."
"Agreed. I hope you don’t mind, it’s just that the case is a difficult one and my assistant here is quite frustrated."
"Another missing person?" Dolope asked with Alex nodding.
"I see, well in that case, it’s fine, however, I’d appreciate it if there are no more questions about Hermione."
"I understand. You don’t have to worry."
"Alright then, have a lovely day."
"Thank you, Madam Dolope."
With that, Dolope turned and took her leave while Arwen stared at Alex, unsure of why he’d stopped her from sharing more details with Dolope.
"If you had continued to press, she could have lashed at you." Alex said, turning to meet her gaze.
"Also, there’s a chance that even if she does remember, she might end up dying."
"I have a theory. Whatever took Leokhares, did so only because he reported to us."
Arwen paused, her expression taking a drastic turn as she inquired. "Why?"
"I don’t know." Alex remarked.
"So what now?... We are heading nowhere with this."
"Unfortunately so." Alex agreed. "Which is why we are changing tactics."
"I’m all ears." Arwen remarked.
"Unfortunately, we might have to wait till nighttime."
Quickly catching on, Arwen intoned. "You plan on catching the perpetrator in the act?"
"If we are lucky, we can end everything tonight." Alex said with Arwen flashing a smile filled with anticipation.