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Chapter 45: 45—Demon hunt [5] Noah scanned the house, taking in every detail he could find. But he was already feeling unsure he could find out more about Tammy’s abduction. Her mother, Gladis, introduced herself with three mugs of hot coffee. Then they all sat there for a long time almost silently. Gladis was staring blankly into her coffee, while Madeleine shot glances at Noah, who was staring at his coffee. When she felt too much time was passing she tried speaking, but Noah was a step ahead of her. "Why do you have so many locks on the door?" Noah asked casually. Madeleine blinked, confused by the strange question, but Gladis found it humorous. "Didn’t they tell you how he got in?" she asked with a bitter smile. Noah shook his head and sat forward, his green eyes growing serious. "I didn’t read the case report before I was handed this. I like to build up a view based on the witness’ firsthand account of the matter." "The matter?" Gladis said, chuckling softly. "The matter is simple: I thought I locked my door, but maybe it didn’t click. He got in easily, went up to my daughter’s room—" Her voice choked up for a moment. "Then he took her; all because I didn’t lock my door. When I woke they were gone. The police said he left no marks that—" Noah raised a hand. "I don’t want to know what the police said yet. I want to hear your suspicions and your feelings." Gladis was frozen, staring at him in confusion. Then her eyes grew distant. She pointed outside her house window. "Before she was taken, for the last few months actually, I’ve been seeing a man outside my window. I swear, I saw him, but when I told the police they checked my neighbour’s cameras, there was nothing." Noah glanced at Madeleine when Gladis said the word camera. She nodded and got up, walking out of the house. He then tapped the table to get Gladis’ attention. "Continue. I’m here, anything you felt was too strange to tell the former investigators, you tell me. I need anything I can get to solve this." Gladis nodded rapidly, choking back the sobs. "I... I saw the man in my window repeatedly, but no one else did. The neighbours thought I was hallucinating, grieving my husband’s death. But I had already processed it. I was focused on making Tammy’s life—" Her voice broke, tears fell down her weathered face. The way her hair was greying concerned him; it was unnatural for a woman in her late forties to be aging this rapidly. "I did think it was my husband. I tried to speak to the man, but I couldn’t see his face," she continued, fighting through the pain. "The pain was crippling. I lost my job after I was accused of stealing from my coworkers. But I swear I never took those things, I..." She crumpled to the table. Noah placed a hand on her shoulder. There was an off part of him that felt nothing. His face was impassive, his eyes empty. He still remembered the concern he felt for Tammy’s ghost, why didn’t he have the same sick feeling right now. He sighed. "When Tammy disappeared did you see this man?" "No," Gladis sniffed, cleaning her eyes. Her voice wavered. "I... I never saw him again..." He watched her for a long time, but said nothing. After a while he rose to his feet. "I’ll get back to you tomorrow. I promise." Gladis tried to hold him back but after some more reassuring words, he managed to leave the house. The sweltering heat of the afternoon made him squint. Madeleine also seemed to be done, walking across the street, waving at him. They both got into the car and Noah put on the AC before starting the car. He spoke as he turned down the street. "Did you get the footage?" "Yeah... it was disturbing to say the least," Madeleine said with a grimace. "I erased the footage of us visiting last night too. You wanna see some of what Gladis was doing the last few days." Madeleine played a chilling video while he drove. Footage taken outside Gladis’ house in the last three days. In the morning she was perfectly normal, and for most of the night it was the same. But at 12 pm on the dot, Gladis would get off her couch and walk to the window. Then she would just stand there staring all night till the next morning. Occasionally she would say something. In the black and white video, her face was eerily pale and alien, her eyes were fixed on nothing, but her lips murmured something intelligible. "Did she see us last night?" Noah asked; this was around the time they had come to the house. "She didn’t do it that night," Madeleine said with a shiver. "According to the neighbours it’s sporadic. Sometimes it happens for a week straight then she’s alright the next month. Before I erased their memories of me, they all said the same thing: this started when her husband died." Noah gripped the wheel tightly. "She lied." He explained what Gladis said about not seeing the shadow man since Tammy disappeared "Do you think it’s her husband’s ghost haunting them?" "It could be. But I doubt it," Madeleine shrugged. "According to the neighbours, he loved his family, like openly, the kind you can’t fake. He struggled with cancer for years, so I don’t think Gladis killed him." Noah cursed silently. "Let’s hit the police station first then the hospital. Maybe we can get something to clarify our thoughts, but I think this is definitely a supernatural thing. Should you report this to someone?" "Yeah, I’ll put in a call and fill a form on the UCR later," Madeleine said with a sigh. "But I’d like to know what threat we can expect. If it’s too high they’ll send a certified Keeper." That would complicate things. Madeleine couldn’t be caught working with a Phantasm. Even if they lied that Noah was a mundane person, the Keeper would want to use something to erase his memory of this. He didn’t know the procedural rules of the union, but they seemed very strict about secrecy. "Maybe I should do this alone," Noah threw out there carefully. "If you get in trouble it might affect your trainee status. I can handle the rest alone. Thanks for all the—" Madeleine’s growing look of indignation made him pause. She narrowed her eyes. "Why are you chasing me off?" "I’m not chasing you away, just worried about your—" "Trainee status," Madeleine repeated, her voice subdued. "They wouldn’t take that away from me even if I ask. Having someone from my family is an asset to the union." She said that part in a mocking voice that made Noah think she was tired of hearing those words. Instead of pushing into family business, he asked. "What if they catch you working with me?" "Everyone’s busy with the murder in Wickerttan anyway," Madeleine protested. "Let’s just do this." Noah’s eyes twitched slightly with mention of the place Hadrian died. It was in Wickerttan, the mainland of the New Albion state, not far enough from here. "All the Keepers for one murder?" Noah asked casually. "It was a Keeper that was murdered so it’s a big deal." Madeleine said, reclining into the passenger seat. "Didn’t know the guy but I heard he was an okay guy." That’s an okay person in the union? Well at least I can be sure that half of them are crazy at this point. He turned, studying Madeleine’s face in the sun’s harsh light. Her eyes glowed like liquid gold, her black hair was scattered around the backseat. Her lips were drawn into a frown that he suspected was for him. I shouldn’t offend the non-crazy members of the union, I guess. "Sorry about that, Madeleine," he said, forcing a smile. "I’m lucky to have you with me." Madeleine turned to him, face unfazed for a moment before a grin tugged at her lips. "If you really feel so, call me Mads. That’s what my friends call me." "We’re friends?" Noah asked half sarcastically. Madeleine punched his shoulder lightly. He focused on the road again, trying to remember the way to the police station.