He knew it was a stupid question. She had just stated that it was Crystal Hill. The sign a few feet behind him had the name printed in letters a foot high. But his brain was still trying to make sense of the woman’s appearance. He couldn’t seem to find words at the moment.
“Oh yes, sir. This is our quaint village.” She smiled again and he wasn’t sure he would be able to handle it if she continued to do that. “It’s not much, but we like it. We’ve been here for some time now.”
He nodded, not quite trusting himself to respond. He didn’t trust himself to say anything remotely intelligent. He wondered where his brain had gone. He could have sworn that he was an intelligent person when he had parked his car. Now he was no smarter than the dirt he was standing on.
“What brings you to our quaint little village, mister…?” She raised a brow and somehow that was better than the smile. Her face seemed to be okay with the gesture. It was almost complimentary. It was as though her face mastered that expression frequently. He had a feeling that it might.
He took a minute to compose his thoughts and ensure that, when he spoke, the words that came out of his mouth were intelligible. He was a police officer. He was a competent individual. He just needed to find that person again.
“Officer Swinton, ma’am. I’m here about the missing Allen boy.” He looked past her at the people wandering around the village. They still appeared to be completely ignorant to his presence. Whether it was intentional, or they still hadn’t noticed him, was uncertain. It was unnerving, but then again everything about the village was unnerving.
The woman nodded, her expression settling back into a blank mask. It was the first time he was able to see what she truly looked like.
She was in her late fifties, easily, with dark eyes and plenty of wrinkles. But there was something about her face that made him question many things. Who was she? What had she seen in her life? Why was she the only one to acknowledge him? What was it about this place?
Her face told him that she knew all of the answers. They sat behind those dark eyes. They were hidden in the depths of them. But he was not privy to that information. He wasn’t sure he would ever be privy to it.
“That is such a sad matter,” she said with a nod, not taking her eyes off him. Her eyes were assessing. He wasn’t certain if they were judging his competency to do his job as an investigator or whether they were just judging him as a person. “As Elder of the village, I consider it a personal tragedy that we have lost one of our own.”
“Really?” It was his turn to raise a brow. “A personal tragedy?”
Her eyes narrowed as she sensed the directness of his voice. “Why of course. It is always a tragedy when we lose one of our own. We are a very close community. Some of us have been here since our founding.”
“And yet it has been three days and you have done nothing about this lost boy. You have barely brought it to attention of the police. Only now is an investigator being assigned.” He chewed on his bottom lip as he contemplated it. “It is highly irregular, Madam…?”
“Elder Walford, thank you very much,” she said, her voice taking on a frustrated tone. She forced herself to find her calm again. It would not do to lose face around this man. It would not do to lose her temper. She had a reputation to maintain.
“Well, Elder Walford, what is your explanation for the delay in going through the proper channels to handle the disappearance of Luke Allen?” Aaron could tell that he was getting to the woman. He could see it in her face. It was nice to know that he still had the ability to do his job, despite his earlier lapse in functionality. It was nice to know that he was still a competent person.
She heaved a sigh and resisted the urge to do something as trivial as run her hand through her hair. She would not ruin her perfectly done style over this man. He was not worth it. “We prefer to handle things on our own here in Crystal Hill. We find that outsiders don’t understand us as well as we would like or hope.”
He mulled that over in his mind of a moment. He could understand that mentality, but there was clearly something about this case that had persuaded them to reach out for outside help. Clearly something presented as being beyond their capabilities.
“So why contact the police this time?” He watched her face contort into that shocking smile again, and he fought the urge to grimace.
“This one requires the assistance of an outsider.”
Chapter 4
An Invitation
* * *
Elder Walford led him on a tour through the town, and the locals barely spared him a glance as they went about their daily business. She filled him in on the history of the town. She told him how Robert Crystal had founded it in 1963 and how only those who wanted to live as they lived stayed with them.
It sounded very cult-like to him, but he made no comment on the matter. It was not his place to judge the town on how they lived. It was his place to find Luke Allen. That was his sole purpose in being there. And he would be damned if he was put off by how unnerving the place and the people were. He was going to solve this case. He needed to solve this case. His entire career depended on it.
“Is there a particularly good time to speak to the people here about this?” He glanced at Elder Walford. Since the people seemed so reluctant to interact with him, he figured it was best to ask her guidance on this matter. It was her town and he was going to take his lead from her, no matter how strange of a woman she was.
“I would wait until after the work day is over, if possible,” she advised. “We are very serious about our work here. It may not seem like much, but it takes a great deal to keep Crystal Hill running. We have very little interaction with the outside world.”
He had figured as much. He enjoyed a small sense of satisfaction knowing that he was right about that matter.
“You can speak to Luke’s mother now. That will probably be the most beneficial conversation for you, after all.” She continued to lead him down the street. “Grace Allen runs the local restaurant and inn. We don’t have many guests, but the restaurant is busy enough.” She offered that unnerving smile again. “You are going to stay in town, right?”
Aaron glanced around himself as though searching for an escape route. He had not planned on staying in the town. He had already made a reservation at a Holiday Inn in Bebington. The idea of spending the night in the town had never crossed his mind.
And now as he looked around himself at the town and the people in it, he felt more and more certain that he didn’t want to stay there. But Elder Walford was looking at him with such directed determination that he wasn’t sure he would be able to get out of this one. He wasn’t certain that he would be able to tell her no. He wasn’t sure that anyone was able to tell this woman no.
“I hadn’t originally planned on staying in town, no,” he replied, his voice carrying none of his usual confidence. It did carry a hint of fear and he wondered where that had come from. He hadn’t been afraid earlier. Unnerved, sure, but afraid?
Now the thought of staying within the village was actually mildly terrifying. He felt that uncontrollable need to leave again. Damn the case and all he needed it for. Damn the missing boy. He could just run away. He could quit his job. None of it mattered, as long as he got out of Crystal Hill.
“Oh, but you must stay in the village. It will be better for everyone if they can see you around, if they have easy access to you.” She attempted a sincere face but it fell flat. He wasn’t certain she possessed a sincere bone in her body. “What if someone remembers some detail and you are staying out of town? How will they access you?”
It was such an absurd argument. He resisted the urge to laugh. “Well they can just talk to me when I return to town in the morning, of course,” he countered.
“But what if the boy returns? Or if there is a ransom call? Or anything of that nature? It would really be best if you were in town, Officer Swinton. It would really be the best option for everyone.”
She sounded almost desp
erate, and he had to wonder at that. It confused him that it mattered so much where he stayed, but he had to agree with her second stream of logic. It would be best if he stayed in the village, just for accessibility, and to keep an eye on everyone.
He didn’t trust anyone in this village. They could all be responsible for the missing boy. Any one of them could be a suspect. He doubted that this was the work of some wandering stranger. A town this close-knit, it was likely someone within the town that was responsible for what had happened.
Staying within the town would give him the opportunity to observe everyone. It would let him question everyone. He would just have to put his own concerns aside. He would have to grow up a little bit on this case. There were larger things at stake than his fears.
He could handle this. He would handle this. He was a police officer, after all. He needed to start acting like one.
“Well, Elder Walford, I suppose you should show me the way to Grace Allen then. Apparently, I need to make a reservation at the local inn.” He watched her face contort into that smile again, and when her back was turned he allowed himself to shudder.
How the woman had ever been made leader of the village he would never understand. It had to be some lineage thing. There was no way she was elected. She had not a charismatic or personable thing about her. Outside of Crystal Hill she would be shunned by society and likely written off as a crazy person, on appearance alone.
But, luckily for her, she was in Crystal Hill. And it seemed that her particular brand of charm flourished here. And whatever control she had over the people seemed to be reigning strong.
The restaurant and inn was as quaint as every other building in Crystal Hill, with a main floor dedicated to the restaurant, four bedrooms on the second floor, and a small apartment off the back for the owner. It looked like any other restaurant and inn combination he’d encountered in every small town in his travels, the only exception being its lack of guests.
The restaurant was deserted when they entered it. The only person present was a middle-aged woman sitting at the counter, knitting a set of booties.
She looked up at they entered and offered a smile that didn’t quite reach her blue eyes. Her hands never stopped moving the knitting needles, even though she was no longer looking at what she was doing.
“Hello Elder Walford. It’s nice to see you, as always.” The woman’s mouth formed the words, but her voice had a distant quality to it. It was almost as though she was repeating memorized lines. And perhaps she was. Perhaps this was how everyone greeted the Elder.
“It is nice to see you as well, my child. I hope you are doing well today,” Elder Walford replied in the same scripted manner.
Aaron watched the interaction and felt the chill run up his spine. Where had he ended up? Who were these people?
Grace shrugged her thin shoulders and continued to knit. “Business is a little slow today, but lunch hasn’t hit yet.” She smiled again and held up the nearly finished booties. “So in the mean time I get to work on these for the Edwards baby.”
“Well that’s so sweet of you, Grace.” Elder Walford reached forward to touch the soft wool of the booties. “These will keep him warm when he comes along in October.”
Grace nodded and continued to knit. “That’s what I thought. I’m going to knit a sweater and a hat to go with them. I figure I’ve got the time at the moment.”
Elder Walford nodded solemnly. “That’s actually why we’re here, Grace. This man is from the police force. He wants to ask some questions about Luke.”
She gave her thin shoulders another shrug. “He’ll come back eventually. You know how boys are.” She smiled softly at the blue booties. “They like to wander about. Sometimes they get a little lost, but they always find their way home.”
“So, you think he’s just a little lost, Mrs. Allen?” Aaron raised a brow and regarded the woman closely. She didn’t look at all concerned that her son was missing. She didn’t look concerned about much at all. “You don’t think he’s been kidnapped?”
Grace didn’t meet his eyes. Instead she looked at Elder Walford when she responded. “What an idea? Someone kidnapping my Luke.”
“You did get the police involved, Mrs. Allen,” he indicated. He wasn’t certain why she seemed to think it was such a farfetched idea or why she wasn’t concerned. He had to wonder if there was something in the water around here. He would have to remember not to drink the water.
“Well, that was on Elder Walford’s insistence. She is very concerned about Luke. He’s only 10 after all. It’s a long time to be alone for only being 10.” Grace frowned as if some of that concern was actually worming its way into her consciousness finally.
“And you’re not concerned?” He was finding it very hard to believe that the mother harboured no concern over her missing child. But, then again, there were very few normal things about Crystal Hill.
“I was alone when I was 10. I did just fine. Luke will be just fine,” she said, with a certainty that didn’t match her expression or her tone of voice.
Elder Walford turned to Aaron and offered a sympathetic smile, which was somehow worse than her attempt at a welcoming smile. Her face seemed extremely opposed to all attempts at sympathy.
“Grace has had a very trying few days. You must forgive her oddities. I believe she is still in shock over the disappearance of her son,” she explained.
He could believe that. Losing a son could be very tragic. But there was something about the woman that made him think it had less to do with shock and more to do with simple brainwashing. He definitely needed to stay away from the water.
“Grace, I have some lovely news.” Elder Walford watched Grace look up from her knitting again with a confused expression. “Officer Swinton has agreed to stay at the inn while he is investigating the disappearance of your son. Isn’t that wonderful?”
Grace’s face lit up with genuine excitement. It actually reached her eyes for the first time since they had arrived in her reception area. “Oh, that is just lovely.” She set her knitting aside and rose from her chair. “It has been so long since we have 0had a guest at the inn.”
Aaron wondered how long exactly, but he said nothing.
“Let me show you to your room so that you can leave your things rather than having to cart them around with you.”
It was amazing to witness the woman’s transformation. She had metamorphosed from a frail, lifeless being sitting in a chair knitting, to this excited and full of life individual all too eager to please and host. He wondered if this was what she was typically like, or if this was just the way she treated guests. Guests from the outside, that is. There was an important distinction to be made there.
“If you’ll follow me, please.”
Chapter 5
A Storm
* * *
His room at the inn was exactly in accordance with his expectations. It had a comfortable-enough single bed, a small desk, and a dresser for him to place his clothes in if he so chose. There was a small bathroom in his room with a stall shower, toilet, and sink.
The room he’d reserved at the Holiday Inn had been much nicer, but he would have to accept this downgrade. He was staying here now and that was the end of it.
He wasted some time in the room reviewing the little information he had on the case before lunchtime. He knew that Elder Walford had told him to wait until the end of the workday to talk to people, but he didn’t have the patience for that. He would prefer not to be in the village any longer than he had to be.
He returned to the main floor to find the restaurant just filling up with people. Grace was still seated at the counter, now working on a hat, with the completed booties on the counter in front of her. Working the floor of the restaurant was a teenage girl with carrot orange hair and a face full of freckles.
Aaron had a moment to wonder about this. He wondered about the whole economic system of the village. It was self-sustaining, but did it deal in money? Was it service based? Had the
y reverted to a trade based system in order to survive?
He pushed those thoughts out of his mind as he headed for the counter. It didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. He wanted to take this chance to talk to Grace without Elder Walford present. He wanted to see what had really happened to Luke.
“May I have a moment of your time, Mrs. Allen?” He leaned against the counter companionably and offered a warm smile. She glanced up from her knitting and looked a little surprised to see him there.
“Is there something wrong with your room, Officer Swinton?” Her brows creased in concern. He could sense that, had he offered any criticism with his room, she would jump to correct it.
“No, the room is perfect. Thank you for your hospitality.” He folded his hands together and seemed to consider how best to approach her with his line of questioning. He figured it was probably best if he was simply direct. There was no need to beat around the bush. He needed her to give him answers.
“Mrs. Allen, when did you first realize that Luke was missing?”
Her brows creased at the question as though she was struggling to bring the memory back to the front of her mind. She chewed on her thumbnail as she thought about it. He hadn’t thought that it was a difficult question, but she seemed to be struggling with it a great deal.
“It was three days ago,” she muttered as she continued to chew on her thumbnail as though the action helped her focus on the memory. “He didn’t come to help me with the dinner shift like he always does. He’s always here to do the dishes. He’s always here…” Her voice cracked a little bit as she struggled to recall the memory.
“And what happened after he didn’t come home for the dinner rush?” Aaron questioned softly. She was clearly in a fragile state. He didn’t want to push her too hard too quickly. He didn’t want her to shut down on him.
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