บท 27: I Meet Suspicious People, and a Single Mother Wants My Father
Chapter 27 - I Meet Suspicious People, and a Single Mother Wants My Father
The attached building was a modest, single-story library filled with religious texts. Barney opened the door and welcomed Carn inside.
Meanwhile, Carn barely glanced at the books or the humble setup. His eyes darted around, scanning for CCTV cameras and potential witnesses.
No CCTV cameras…
However, there was one obstacle. Inside the library, another priest in black was already there, guiding a group of children, and seating them in a cozy corner. He picked a picture book and began reading it for everybody.
Carn noticed their presence and wryly smiled as he couldn't kill Barney in front of the children. He had to postpone the schedule for another time.
Following Barney inside, they walked over to a bookshelf, where Barney pulled out a thin book and handed it to Carn.
Barney smiled, "Here, take this. You can take it home."
"Oh, thank you. You're very generous."
"It's nothing. We love to share with anyone who is interested in God. So, are you up for a little history lesson?"
"…Yes, very."
"Alright. Let's take a seat here. Let me tell you a story…"
Barney sat at a table while Carn picked another wooden stool chair to sit on. The former began narrating the well-known history of Rome and a prophet.
…
30 minutes later, Barney paused to take a sip of water. He inspected Carn, whose expression never changed throughout the storytelling. More than anything, light seemed to gather within his eyes.
Barney brightly smiled, convinced that Carn might genuinely be interested in the faith and church's teachings. However, due to the church's regulations, he had to stop the class there.
"Let's continue the story next week."
"Eh, already?" Carn feigned disappointment, though he had secretly hoped the children would leave so he could carry out his plans and hide the body.
Barney noticed his eagerness and offered, "If you're that interested, we can talk more later. Are you attending the school next to the church?"
"Yes, I'm a new transfer student, and I'll start going to class tomorrow."
Barney sized up Carn, mentally noting Carn's delicate frame, height, and smooth skin. He seemed to be as fragile as a teenage girl at his age.
Carn also noticed the leer. He inwardly smirked, allowing the suspect to inspect his body and waiting for an opportunity.
Barney coughed and changed the subject, "Great! I'm also a teacher there, and I'm in charge of the history classes. I also live two blocks away from the school. How about we exchange our Lime ID so we can chat online later."
"Sure!"
Carn pulled out his old smartphone and exchanged Lime IDs with Barney.
"…Alright. I'll see you at school. Oh, before we go, have you ever prayed before?"
"No," Carn lied. He prayed a lot when he was a gargoyle as it helped stabilize holy power within him, "I'm curious. How do we usually pray?"
"We fold our hands like this," Barney demonstrated, "Then, we treat it as if we're talking directly to the Lord. We say whatever's on your mind as long as it's respectful. Think of it as sending messages to your parents when you're asking for an allowance. It's the same."
Carn chuckled, and Barney continued, "I'll show you how I pray. You can try this at home before you go to sleep, okay? Now, let's close our eyes."
Carn closed his eyes. However, he activated the mind map, remaining cautious of Barney.
As soon as Carn closed his eyes, Barney quietly stood up and exchanged a glance with the other priest in the room. The priest nodded and gently ushered the children out of the library.
Meanwhile, Barney began praying aloud while approaching a bookshelf, discreetly retrieving a small pin from a box as he moved toward Carn.
"Dear Lord, thank you for always guiding curious lambs to our doors. We are grateful for the FOOD you sent our way."
"…"
Had the others been listening, they might not find this unusual. However, for those who knew what the crimson haze around him and the faces were, he couldn't help but find this prayer creepy and disgusting.
Carn also noticed that Barney walked toward him and reached out to touch his shoulder.
Barney continued, "May this young lamb be healthy as we shall do our best to NOURISH him with your holy teachings so that one day he shall become a faithful offering. Amen."
"…Amen." Carn opened his eyes.
*PA*
Barney lightly patted Carn's shoulder. He secretly slipped a small pin into the latter's book.
Carn sensed it, but he pretended not to. He looked at Barney's face.
"How was it?" Barney asked with a bright smile.
"It was great!" Again, Carn acted stupid, "Your phrasing and wording are so good. I don't think I can write an essay and make it sound so well like your prayer!"
"Hahaha! Keep praying, child. Do you know that when you practice a lot, you get smarter and brighter! The Lord always secretly blesses you whenever you work hard!"
Carn smirked as he recalled the other day's exam. He couldn't help but agree.
Both continued chatting for a minute. Barney then excused himself, opening the library door in a gesture of inviting Carn out.
Carn nodded and scanned the perimeter with his mind map.
In the hallway, choir members passed by and noticed them. They nodded at Barney and hurried to their singing practice class. Several parents also walked over to check if their children remained in the vicinity.
As many people saw Carn and Barney together, both inwardly snorted, giving up on taking action today. They bid farewell and left.
…
Carn made his way to the parking lot and found Han chatting with a middle-aged woman and her daughter.
The mother was a brunette in a suit and skirt. She stood next to their car, a luxurious pink Cadillac, while her daughter stood by the passenger door.
As Carn walked over, he noticed the gleams in the lady's eyes. Her pupils dilated and glistened, following Han's eyes, face, and mouth. She also bit her lower lips while she gave Han a flirtatious gaze.
Carn's expression twisted in a cringe.
That was the look of a cougar, and she seemed to be interested in his father!
'This takes me back. Dad was always a single-mother magnet. Mom's gonna kill him if she finds out about this.'
Carn inwardly laughed. His eyes shifted to the lady's daughter.
Unlike Carn, her daughter exuded maturity. Her face looked like a carbon copy of her mother when she was young. She stood idly next to the passenger's door, waiting for her mother to finish courting a stranger.
Bored of the conversation and her mother's behavior, she turned away and found Carn approaching. She raised an eyebrow, finding Carn's small build and striking features attractive. Then, their eyes met.
The daughter tilted her head and waved, "Hi, sexy."
Carn walked over to his father and waved back, "…Hi."
She mischievously grinned and asked, "How old are you?"
Carn was also naughty. He smiled and teased her, tilting his head as he answered "I'm a minor."
"Heh, me too," she giggled.
"Nah, lady. You can't fool my eyes. You look 29."
"Now, that's rude! I'm only 19!"
Carn smirked and raised his hands in apology, "19 is not a minor, miss. Also, I'm sorry, but I have a girlfriend."
"…"
The girl's jaw dropped, not having expected that response. She used to say something similar to annoying men. But today, a teenager used it on her.
Han finally noticed Carn and cut his conversation short, turning to the woman, "I'm sorry, but we have another appointment. Maybe we can catch up another time."
The lady winked, "Call me tonight."
"…"
Han didn't bother answering. He unlocked his car, opened the door, and slipped inside. Carn followed suit, happy to escape the situation.
Once the doors were closed, they exchanged glances.
Carn asked, "Single mother?"
Han nodded, "Single mother."
They both fell silent, understanding each other without needing to say more. They shifted their attention to the road, and the van left the parking lot.
After the family disappeared from the rearview mirror, Carn glanced at Han's suit, wondering if it was the reason for this little inconvenience.
It was a custom hand-made K*ton, which usually had a price range between $7,000 to $20,000 depending on the fabric quality. However, Han's suit was a high-end version, which cost no less than $15,000.
That lady might have caught the scent of money. Han was also at fault for wearing something exotic instead of a cheap suit.
"Who are you cosplaying as? J*mes Bond? J*hn Wick? That suit attracts flies, probably even more than this van. Next time, wear something cheap." Carn complained.
"Sorry, but socializing requires basic attire and a certain status. The wealthy circles won't give you a second look without good suits, watches, and cars."
As wristwatches were being mentioned, Carn looked at Han's wrist.
He indeed had a Rol*x, but he couldn't appraise how much Han had spent on it.
Han smirked and flashed his watch, "Federal budget."
"More like federal crime. That's embezzlement."
"And why do you think Eric calls me 007? Maybe it has some secret gadgets?"
Carn rolled his eyes, "007 doesn't go around bragging about it. Stop bragging already."
"Kekekeke!"
Carn sighed, giving up on fixing his father's bad habits. As he inclined his seat, he sensed a bump on his neck and recalled the foreign object that Barney had slipped into a book with a famous prophet as cover image.
Opening the book and Barney had given him, Carn found a square object behind a bookmark paper. He pulled it out and inspected it.
Carn showed it to Han, "Dad, do you think you can check if this is a tracking device or a recording device?"
"…What?"
Han stomped on the brake and gave Carn a horrified look. His pale face stared at the black object. A second later, he deeply frowned.
"Where did you get this?"
Carn snorted and solemnly stared into his father's eyes, "Can you do me a favor? Can you check the federal or police records about unsolved missing person cases?"
"Wait, Carn. Why? What does it have to do with this? This is a f-cking tracking device! Where did you get this?!"
"A f-cking priest slips this into this book. I think he's up to something. Can you check?"
"…"
Han's expression changed. He slowly nodded and pulled out his phone, calling his colleague, Eric.
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