Once upon a crime.
Fled on a chime
The instructions are quite simple. We, the people that are looking for Haley, we have to stop calling the police each time we believe we saw her. We have to find a way to confirm that it is she, without jeopardizing her life.
Huh? Quite Simple I said?
That is totally ridiculous. All I have to say is that I saw her, like I saw you or any of my customers, at nose range.
Enan started to take picture. But it was hard to convince with them since there was no time to frame them.
Have you ever tried to shot a moving target with a common digital picture taker?
We are no professional, so it looked the best we could make them looked.
Somehow, I was fed up. So, one morning, I asked Joe to take my place at the boot. And I went out, hunting. I told myself:"Oriel, my girl, you want the best for that little girl, so stop hoping the police will do more than they do. They have laws to follow and human right to respect. Even if you transgress a bit of both: that is for a good cause."
And I discreetly followed them up.
I ended up about half way between the City and Tranquil, in a very cozy farmland. Two barns and a house. Wells in front with a red top and a matching dog house with two seemingly vicious dogs. So I stayed behind the fence a while. Then I sneaked near one of the barn.
I heard chicken, so I decided it was too risky to get in that one. At the second one, I found only hays, lot of it, and an old car similar to the one the family was travelling into. I decided to linger there a bit. Even sleep in. I had all I needed there, after all.
It was not that cold. There was dirt enough to some disposal and I had my lunch with me and some water.
I was not expecting any visit.
But I got a surprised.
One of the planks of the barn twirled on its nail. A hurricane lantern got in, then the red snickers, the white socks and the jean overall of a little girl looking almost like Haley, but not exactly. She made the lamp travel in the area. I hid tight, but as soon as I thought she was gone, she came behind me.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
I startled and I turned, half effraid."How did you do that?"
"That is my barn, I know all the trick to caught out stranger braking in."
"You scared me." I replied.
"Oh?" She emitted. The lantern she had in hand dances in the air.
"I am not breaking in, I am searching for a missing girl." I whispered.
"You can talk normally, we are far enough from the house. Do you count passing the night here?"
I nodded."I simply got to find proofs it is really the little girl everyone is looking for. But you, what are you doing here?"
"I am haunting this place." She stated, combing the place with the lantern's light.
I laughed, of course.
"You don't believe in ghost?" she demanded.
"What I do believe in is little girl with a lot of imagination."
She sighed before switching into an other subject."How is the man that found me feeling?"
"Found you?"
"Yes, in the trash…he fainted. How is he?"
I narrowed my eyes, skeptical. But I followed after in her things. It seemed so real, now."You were there?"
"Yes, I were. "
"I must have been pretty worry to not see you then."
"For it, you were. So, how is he?"
"He could have been worst. That was an asthma crisis."
"Awe. I thought I saw him back in the subway after?"
"Yes, we tried to figure out by ourselves where Haley was all that time."
"She was here, of course." She replied."All this time."
"Did the man gave Haley's message to her daddy?"
"Oh, he gave it to the policeman that must have gave it to him. But we are not taken very seriously." I reavealed."Now that I know she is here, though, I got to get back in town." I stirred my things to do. I was only having that idea in mind.
"I would suggest you pass the night here, with me. The dogs might bark at you and Mother is armed." She warned me.
So I sat down and we spoke while I ate. She refused all food and water.
We chat a little and I requested what the parents instructed us to do.
She started singing a tune. But I am deaf tone. So I couldn't sing it back correctly enough. Then, my cellular phone rang. I thought I forgot it, but it was there, into my bag. I recuperated it. It was a false number. But now, I had a tool to signal Haley position. My cellular phone has GPS enhancement.
So, I called the inspector Smallaugh. I had his card.
I asked the little girl to sing the song, but she was gone, and the light with her.
I tried to sing it myself.
I must have been really bad, but he said he will checked it, to stay put till the morning and too call back if they were getting out the house. Any of them.
I slept, I am sure, because the morning was really soon to arrive.
I glanced toward where the little girl entered the past night. No sign of life. But when I was to get up and go, I felt like a lighting passing through me.
"They're coming? Right?" Made the little girl.
I nodded again."You'll have to stop scaring me like that." I argued.
"Last time, I promise. I can't go out the farm area. I just wanted to show you how to get back to the road without Mother seeing you."
And that is how I got out that barn and back to the main street where you did found me. Now, I hope that is enough explanation. You're going in?"
"Yes, we are. Salima will drive you back to the City. Thanks for your collaboration."Answers Ilario.
So I was put away for good. I'll check the newspaper to know if they succeed. I hope they did.
Word Count=1011