Dare to Lie [Novel] Chapter 27 – The Shadow Behind the Rain

The strange incident in Herona occurred immediately after a torrential downpour that made the July heat even more unbearable.

Even before the dark clouds had fully dispersed, the temperature rose again, and warm air began to shimmer up from the muddy streets.

During a leisurely tea time after a meal, while I was spending time with Count and Countess Brow for the first time in a while, the Count clicked his tongue as he read the newspaper.

The Countess, who had been discussing Arthur and me with him, turned her attention to it.

The two of them blamed the parents for the children's disappearance and promptly forgot about the topic.

However, I felt strangely uneasy, so as soon as they returned to their room, I picked up the newspaper the Count had been reading.

After flipping through a few pages, I saw the small headline of the article from earlier.

‘String of Missing Children Reports’

The content stated that reports of missing children had been flooding into the police station since the rain stopped.

All of them were commoners, and most were girls.

‘…The police presume the children were swept away by the suddenly swollen river and are currently conducting search operations at the river mouth and along the banks.’

That was the end of the article.

‘If the police say so, then that must be it.’

I wanted to stop caring right there.

Yet, I couldn't shake an ominous premonition, like something sticky and black was crawling up my spine.

‘No, it can't be. This is Herona. There’s no way such a thing could happen so openly here.’

I shook my head and folded the newspaper.

Even if a horrific suspicion was coiling in my mind, what could I possibly do about it?

In a way, I felt I could understand Count and Countess Brow for dismissing the article so lightly. If I could just treat it as someone else's business and move on dryly, my heart wouldn't feel this uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, I wasn't capable of that, and it seemed I wouldn't be able to escape this gloomy mood for at least the rest of the day.

Superintendent Linbuck sighed as he tossed a nearly finished cigarette onto the muddy ground.

The investigators surrounding him, including Ash and Jacob, waited for him to continue.

They had searched the area around the Timber River due to the seven reported missing child cases, but not one child—who they thought might have drowned in the river—had been discovered.

In truth, missing person cases were common.

However, it was the first time so many had occurred simultaneously in such a short period.

Because of that, they couldn't ignore it even though it involved commoners. If they just let it slide, the Citizens' Council would surely rise up in protest.

So, he had actually hoped the children had drowned….

Ash, who had been listening to Superintendent Linbuck, spoke up.

At his words assuming the worst, Superintendent Linbuck sighed, and Jacob furrowed his brow.

Jacob, who was currently handling a bribery case involving a Citizens' Council official, scowled deeply.

His investigation had already hit a dead end, making him anxious, so he couldn't help but feel annoyed at having his time taken by a case that offered no benefit even if solved.

Still, he couldn't reveal his true feelings. To do so would be to directly contradict the police motto of ‘prioritizing citizen safety.’

A triumphant smile played on his smooth lips.

However, Ash, whom he expected to be flustered, nodded readily.

At his request, Superintendent Linbuck eventually nodded.

In fact, he welcomed Ash taking full responsibility for this troublesome case. Not only would it take the burden off Jacob, the Chief Superintendent's nephew, but he might also be praised by Chief Superintendent Astrid for assigning his rival, Ash, a task unrelated to promotion.

At that, Jacob shook his head with a reluctant expression.

With this, Ash succeeded in bringing back Louis, who was well-acquainted with the fire case.

But the current case was too serious to be happy about it.

‘Seven children under the age of fifteen disappeared at once. This is absolutely no simple accident.’

His throat felt parched as he thought of the children who might be dying somewhere at this very moment.

After finishing the field investigation and returning to the police station, Ash took Louis, who had become his assistant, and meticulously reviewed the profiles of the missing children.

The children were between twelve and fourteen years old; six were girls, and one was a boy. All were commoners, and their family circumstances were not good.

Louis seemed to think the last piece of information was a clue.

Ash removed the corkboard where he had been pinning information for the previous case to make room for the new one. As he was about to put up a new board, Louis suddenly asked a question.

He was tilting his head, examining the corkboard Ash had just taken down.

Louis nodded at those words, then clapped his hands as if something had suddenly occurred to him.

That meant Rosaline had held the funeral and had been waiting all this time without even receiving her parents' belongings.

This was clearly a mistake on the part of the police.

Ash patted Louis on the shoulder and immediately headed to the warehouse where items collected from scenes were stored.

Inside a box labeled ‘Brow Townhouse Fire Case,’ charred items that still smelled of acrid smoke were organized.

From there, he selected items collected from the Baron and Baroness's room and their remains and placed them in an envelope.

He thought, his hands not slowing as he picked through the items.

‘I wonder what kind of expression Rosaline Tesis will make when she receives these?’

Would she be flustered? Would she show tears? Or, perhaps, would she ask what they were?

He was on his way to admit the police's mistake and apologize.

Yet, for some reason, a sense of anticipation colored his steps, which should have been heavy.