The Mayor's Abduction

by Noah Alexander

  Mrs. Crompton nodded.

  “Kerry was a little girl when she came here. I had just become the caretaker, replaced Mrs. Todd, God bless her soul, a few days before she came in. I think she must have been 4 or 5 then, I am not sure. Now, I don’t think she has any relatives, not many girls here have. In fact, I am sure about it, in all her 14 years here no one has come to meet her. But, I must mention, she does have some well-wisher out there. Somewhere, a kind person knows her and cares for her. I say this because every year on her birthday this girl receives a letter and some money. Not a lot, but reasonable for a young girl. She has received these letters for more than a decade now. I think she started receiving it probably two or three years after she came here. That is how we got to know when her birthday was, earlier we used to celebrate it on Christmas, just like the other girls here.”

  “And when is her birthday,” asked Maya

  “It was yesterday, 28th July.”

  The thought of Kerry disappearing on her birthday catapulted Mrs. Crompton back to wailing.

  “Poor girl,” she continued after a few sobs, “She turned 18 yesterday and would have shifted out to that room of hers soon. She had finalized it just last week. Told me that it was a small two-room flat near the restaurant she worked in.”

  “She worked where, sorry?”

  “A restaurant in Ulysses, it is called The Green Cloud I think. Funny name. She had started working there last year as a waitress.”

  “Did Kerry mention it to you or did you think that she was facing any problem or trouble lately?”

  Mrs. Crompton scratched her head

  “Kerry isn’t a very talkative girl, keeps to herself mostly and she seemed quite happy to me. I suppose if she had to say anything of that sort she would say that to Tracy. The two are roommates and close friends. She should be in her room now, should I call her down?”

  “No,” said Maya glancing at her notepad to survey her scribbles, “if it is possible, I would like to go to the room myself, that way I can also look at Kerry's belongings to see if they tell us anything.”

  “I don’t see any problem in that apart from the fact that I am sure that the room is messy right now. Girls these days have no concern for cleanliness.”

  Maya smiled. “That wouldn’t be any trouble at all.”

  Maya was not lying. Well-ordered surroundings made her feel queasy and nauseous. She suspected that was because they made the turmoil in her head more noticeable.

  “Let me lead you there then,” said Mrs. Crompton getting up from the bench, “the room is upstairs.”

  “Mrs. Crompton, one more question,” asked Maya, “how many girls are there in this orphanage?”

  “46,” Mrs. Crompton said

  “That is quite low given the size of the building,” said Maya slightly surprised.

  “It is, dear. But this is no ordinary orphanage, we like to think of this as a home rather than an orphanage, and girls should not live like pigs in their own houses. We are helped by funding from the Church of Our Lady of Sophia and these girls are lucky to be here. As you might already see, this orphanage is quite an improvement over some of the other facilities around.”

  Maya nodded. No one knew that better than her.

  “And how do these girls get admitted here? I suppose there must be a lot of competition.”

  “Yes there is,” said Mrs. Crompton, “Unfortunately, there is no shortage of orphan girls in this city. There are a couple of ways girls can get admitted here. Some come with a letter of recommendation, others, have been transferred from other orphanages on account of strong performances academically or good behavior, while a few others are sponsored. The sponsors, generally a kind family, donate a one-time amount for the girls which help us fund their stay here.”

  “And what about Kerry, was she recommended or sponsored? I remember you mentioned that she came in as a child, so she couldn’t have been transferred from other orphanages.”

  “Kerry was sponsored.”

  “And may I know who sponsored her? I think that might allow me to trace if there are people who know her and could have a hand in her disappearance.”

  “I don’t think you would find her relatives with that approach,” said Mrs. Crompton, “You see, Kerry wasn’t sponsored by any single person or family, if I remember correctly, she was sponsored by an organization, a company called McKenzie Shipping which is based out of Calcutta. This company sponsors a lot of orphan girls, mostly in Calcutta or Bombay but a few in Cardim as well. One of their managers came in with Kerry to do the documentation and he mentioned that the girl’s family had abandoned her.”

  “And does the company keep regular correspondence regarding Kerry?”

  “No. That is not how it works. Once they have sponsored the girl, it is no longer their responsibility. We are her guardians now and she is now the responsibility of the orphanage. Because so many girls are sponsored by companies like these, it makes no sense for them to keep track of each and everyone.”

  Maya nodded, scribbling in her notebook. The two had reached room No. 32. A short chubby girl dressed in a white blouse and black skirt opened the door. In her hand was a quarter Cowrie picture novel with a young couple embracing on the cover. This upset Mrs. Crompton greatly. The elderly lady, red in the face, snatched the book from Tracy’s hand.

  “We will have a separate conversation about this,” she said glaring at the girl, “but for now Miss Maya needs to ask you a few questions regarding Kerry.”

  “What about Kerry,” the girl cried out as soon as she heard the name of her roommate.

  “We don’t know yet,” Maya said studying Kerry. The girl was around 15 years in age and had a round jovial face. The mention of Kerry, though, had riddled it with some lines of worry.

  “I am afraid that she might be in some sort of danger. But I need to examine some more facts before coming to any firm conclusion.”

  The room was rather spacious for two girls. On either side of the door were 2 wooden beds. Tracy’s, which was on the right, was laden with a pile of dirty laundry and a couple of empty bowls of porridge that had recently been consumed.

  Mrs. Crompton, still seething at the reading preferences of her ward, was scandalized at the state of Tracy’s bed and rapped her firmly on the head with the picture book.

  “Is this the way you maintain your room, girl,” she snapped, “When Miss Maya finishes with her job, I need you to clean your room. I will check back again in the evening and if there is a single piece of dirty laundry on your bed you will sleep out on the streets with Dinu the beggar.”

  Tracy nodded, terrified, and quickly collected the two bowls on her bed.

  “I’ll leave you with Tracy, Miss Maya,” said Mrs. Crompton before taking her leave.

  Kerry took a deep sigh as Mrs. Crompton left her room, threw the bowls once more where she had picked them from and settled down on the bed.

  “I don’t think you would miss the book that Mrs. Crompton confiscated,” said Maya

  “I am sorry,” said Tracy, confused.

  “That obviously wasn’t one of your favorite books. I saw the date on the cover of the issue, it was a year old and while the initial pages were thumbed and weary, the second half of the book seemed pristine. You had tried reading the book multiple times but gave up before you made it even a quarter. And given the cache you hide in the cover of your mattress, I suppose you have plenty of other books to keep you entertained. The uneven lumps and bumps under the sheet are quite visible. If I were you, I would hide the books in the loose floorboard under your bed. But I think you store something else there, something even more dangerous than books. What could they be, letters from a boy?”

  The girl was a mixture of confusion and amazement.

  “Are you a detective?” she asked, her eyes lightening up.

  “Yes I am,” Maya said.

  “Oh, that is wonderful!” The girl exclaimed.” She slowly opened the hooks of her mattress cover and took out anoth
er cheap picture book.

  “This is Miss Selicious,” she said pointing to the cover which sported a beautiful tall woman in a skimpy silk dress with her legs exposed and a revolver in her hand, “I love her,” said Tracy her eyes twinkling with passion, “I want to become a detective as well. Since you are one, I think you can help me.”

  Maya smiled. She was slightly envious of Miss Selicious and her long slender frame. She also seemed to be a real detective and not pretending to be one like Maya.

  “I will help you,” said Maya trying to smile, “but you’ll need to help me first.”

  “Yes! For sure,” said the girl, “What help do you need?”

  “I need answers to a few questions.”

  Maya settled on one of the two chairs in the room and opened her notebook.

  “How long have you two been together in this room?”

  “5 years,” said Tracy, “ever since I was transferred from the North Bank Orphanage.”

  “That is a long time. I suppose you both are good friends then?”

  “Of course,” said Tracy, “I know all about Kerry and she about me.”

  “Then, do you have any clue where Kerry might be?”

  Tracy shook her head. “I thought that she was in her room, the one which she had rented recently. But I don’t think that is the case or you wouldn’t be here.”

  “Do you know where her room is?”

  “I know that it is in Ulysses but not exactly where. She had asked to take me to the room last week but I had an exam, so I couldn’t go with her.”

  “And when did you see her last?”

  “She went out in the evening yesterday,” said the girl, “she passed by me in the prayer hall but said nothing when I called. I think she was in a hurry.”

  “And you have any idea where she was going?”

  “No,” said Tracy, “I don’t have much clue. She is not outgoing. She goes to work in the morning then returns to her room and prefers to keep inside. I don’t think she has many friends either. But I think I must tell you, Detective Maya, that for a couple of days she did look like she was in some sort of strain. She did not even go to work since Friday, said that she was not feeling well. I am sure that might have something to do with her disappearance. Why, in most Selicious books, that is the case. Either it is the victim who is stressed or the perpetrator.”

  “That is very interesting indeed,” said Maya, “Did you ask the reason for this?”

  “I did try, but she wouldn’t say anything. That didn’t stop me from exploring, though. You know, look around and snoop and I think I have two possible reasons for her strange behavior. The first one is the letter. I don’t know if you have any idea but Kerry receives a letter every year on her birthday, it’s quite remarkable. No one knows who sends it, there is no signature on the letter but it is accompanied by some money. However, Kerry did not receive it this year. Which was strange to me, and I thought that might be the thing troubling her. But that was until I saw the scary man - the second of the two possible reasons.”

  “What scary man?”

  “A bald man with a burned face. I bet you have never seen a man as frightening as him. He is straight from one of the books that I read, there was this horrible villain who had fallen into a volcano as a child only to be rescued by a vulture. He had exactly the same face as this man I saw out in the street, hanging about the orphanage. This stranger, whom I saw first a couple of days ago, keeps an eye on our room. I have often found him looking towards our window, as if he wants to know who is inside.”

  Maya scribbled furiously in her notepad.

  “Did you tell about this man to anyone?”

  “No. I had planned to discuss it with Kerry and possibly Mrs. Crompton but I haven’t seen him since Saturday. So I thought he might have gone away. But with Kerry’s disappearance, I figured there must be some relation.”

  Maya nodded. “You are quite intelligent Tracy. On the right track to becoming a detective.”

  Tracy grinned.

  “And you said that Kerry didn’t have many friends? Is there anyone that I should check with?”

  “Yes, Kerry didn’t have many friends. But I think you must go and talk to Rodney. Rodney McMurdo. He works in the same restaurant as Kerry. It is called Green Cloud, in Ulysses. The two are very close. Actually, don’t tell Mrs. Crompton, but they love each other. I am sure he would have something to say and please tell him that Kerry has gone missing. If he doesn’t see her for a few days he’ll grow worried and that wouldn’t be nice. The last time Kerry went to some camp without telling him, he broke into the orphanage to find out about her and managed to choose the room of Mrs. Crompton for entering the building. You see, she doesn’t really like him so he could not enter through the main door. It caused quite a scandal, but she let him go after hitting him with a vase.”

  Maya noted the name of the man and the restaurant. Having no other questions to ask of Tracy, she moved to examine the belongings of Kerry.

  Her side of the room was noticeably tidier than Tracy’s. The bedsheet was neatly tucked at the sides, a few books, all leather-bound Christian texts or old English classics, were arranged in a short tower on the bedside table. The only thing that looked out of place was a crumpled nightdress on the bed.

  “Is this Kerry’s dress?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  “And did Kerry usually keep her bed and belongings really tidy?”

  “Yes! She is the reason I get scolded so much by Mrs. Crompton. Every time she comes to our room she says just the same thing – look at Kerry and how she keeps the room, why don’t you learn something from her? Kerry couldn’t bear to see disorder in her room, she would keep her books on the table, her shoes under her bed and her clothes folded and inside the cupboard.”

  Maya picked up the nightdress and examined it. If Kerry had left this on the bed, she was in a hurry, otherwise she would have carefully folded it and kept it in her cupboard. This meant that she had no plans to go out. Something happened in the evening which made her venture out. A message? Or was it the bald man in the window?

  Maya moved over to the cupboard which was locked.

  “Does she usually keep the cupboard locked?” Maya asked.

  “Yes, she is really possessive about her things, hates it when I touch them, and I cannot help it at times. So she keeps it locked and the key is always with her.”

  Maya opened her leather bag and took out the hoop of skeletal keys. Tracy observed Maya intently as she tried a few keys inside the lock before clicking it open.

  “Wonderful,” Tracy exclaimed, “can you open any lock with those.”

  “Almost any,” Maya said. Now that she already had all the information that she wanted from Tracy, she was beginning to find the girl slightly irritating. She wanted to focus on the mystery at hand without being constantly bothered by a curious girl.

  “Where did you get it from,” asked Tracy again getting up from the bed and drifting behind Maya.

  “A friend in the circus.”

  “A circus?”

  “Yes, I used to work in the circus 6 years ago. I am sorry Tracy but would you be able to give me just a couple of minutes’ silence. When I finish my work, I promise you can ask me whatever you want.”

  The girl’s face dropped slightly.

  “All right,” she said glumly and went back to her bed.

  Kerry’s cupboard was filled with clothes, carefully folded and kept in neat stacks, some books as well as a couple of newspapers. Maya picked up a newspaper and saw an advertisement for the Bombay Detective Agency marked with a pencil. There were a few other private detectives that she had marked in the paper. The newspapers were dated 26th July, the day that Kerry had sent in the letter. It seemed like she was in great duress and had tried to seek help from wherever she could find.

  Maya flipped through her books looking for the letters that she had received over the years on her birthday but could not find them anywhere.

 
“Do you know where Kerry kept those letters that she received on her birthday?” she asked Tracy.

  “Yes,” Tracy said, her voice was slightly dull, still offended from Maya’s earlier rebuke, “She keeps them in the green bible. It must be the fattest book in the cupboard.”

  Maya picked up the green bible and flipped through its pages but there were no letters inside.

  “Are you sure, she kept them in this?” Maya asked

  “Yes, I have seen her take out letters from that book often.”

  Maya checked all other books as well as the folds of her dresses, but the letters were not in the cupboard. She then checked under the mattress and swept the floor for any loose floorboards but could not find the letters anywhere.

  Could Kerry have the letter with herself when she left the orphanage?

  “Do you think any dresses or shoes are missing from this cupboard,” Maya asked, “I want to know if Kerry packed some dresses with herself.”

  Tracy studied the wardrobe carefully.

  “I don’t think so. Just the blue dress is missing and she wore that yesterday when she left. And her black sandals are not here, so she must be wearing them as well. She also did not carry any bag with her, so there is no way that she could have taken any clothes with her.”

  Not packing clothes meant that Kerry expected to be back in the orphanage by night.

  Maya glanced at her notepad and studied her scribbles for a few moments.

  The events were more or less clear. Kerry saw a bald man with a half-burnt face lurking outside the orphanage a few days ago and was reminded of the warning of the anonymous letters. She was terrified and sought help, writing to all the people that she thought could help. Then yesterday evening, on her birthday, something happened which made her leave the room abruptly with all the letters and she hasn’t been seen since.

  Where did she go? Why did she take the letters with her? And where was she right now?

  There were a lot of questions but not enough facts to answer them.