Chương 3: Simon's sudden readiness
Josh took his hat, cane, and a bag full of coins before leaving the apartment. To any observer, it would seem as if he was merely going out and would soon return. But Josh knew he was leaving for good. First, he had to find the darn key.
Arriving at the alley, everything seemed normal in a way that Josh could not detect anything out of the ordinary. How do I find the key? Oh, the gifts, but which one is suitable for this scenario? That old man forgot to tell me how to use the gifts. Shit, Josh thought, shaking his head slightly. He moved to where the old man had slumped when he found him. Staring at the spot for a while, Josh murmured, "Vision of the past." He waited patiently for a response, but minutes went by, and nothing happened. Feeling the urge to curse the old man, Josh pressed his head against the wall, eyes closed in frustration. Sighing, he chuckled at his own thoughts. "Would you tell me your secrets? Huh, I guess not." Josh spoke to the wall with a smile on his face, feeling frustrated.
"Oh sure I can. A few nights ago, an old man was attacked right here. After the attacker fled, he took out a small key from his pocket and hid it inside me by removing one of my bricks." A soft, echoing voice responded, shocking Josh where he stood. His eyes widened like saucers at the voice. Taking a few hurried steps away from the wall, Josh stared at it in disbelief. But the wall stared back with a look of confusion.
Josh was taken aback. He didn't think that the wall would really come to life with eyes and a mouth. Before he could process it all, the wall continued, "Oh, I almost forgot. There were two men who came here just now and stared at the spot where the old man was before leaving in the direction you came from. Oh, and..." The wall trailed off, talking about other stuff. Josh had just received another shock: he suddenly remembered the two men he met on the stairs when he was leaving his apartment. He still remembered what they looked like and what they wore. At that time, he thought they were people sent by Mr. Dotmon to look for Judith, but now it seemed their target was him.
Bending down to look for the brick that had been previously removed, Josh didn't notice that the wall had returned to being inanimate. Josh knocked on the bricks until he found the one he was looking for. Quickly taking out the brick, his hand moved to search for the key. But all Josh found was a sealed envelope with a stamp on it. The envelope's design was different from the ones sent by the royal family, and it also did not bear the royal crest. Deciding not to open it, Josh placed the brick back and left the alley in a hurry.
A few minutes after Josh had left, two men wearing identical clothing returned to the alley. One had a mustache and a set of malicious green eyes, while the other had an eyepatch and a beautiful blue eye with a very handsome face. Stopping right where Josh had been, one of the men sniffed the air twice and looked at his partner.
"It's the man we came across from that building. His scent still lingers here, and it's the same scent we found in that apartment where Nigel's scent disappeared," the man with a mustache spoke. His partner nodded. "I see. I believe Nigel is dead, and he must have entrusted that man with everything. Let us return to the apartment and gather information about him. I have a feeling it won't be the last we cross paths with him." The man with an eyepatch spoke and, just as he was about to leave, noticed a loose brick in the wall and smiled, knowing that the man they were after must have taken whatever was hidden behind the brick. After they left, the alley was empty once more.
Josh quickly made his way to the market, eyes focused and alert. He was careful not to attract the attention of law officials stationed on almost every corner. Arriving at the fish market, Josh went to Simon, who was busy as usual. This time, Josh had no intention of waiting, so he tapped his shoulder twice. Simon looked down, happy that a potential customer had arrived, but after noticing it was Josh, his smile turned into a frown. Seeing Josh's expression, the frown only deepened. Quickly closing his stall and signaling for Josh to follow, they made their way out of the market and went to the river.
"What trouble did you get yourself into?" Simon asked, arms crossed, staring directly at Josh. Josh shook his head, a sad smile on his lips. "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you, my friend." Josh answered truthfully, but Simon wasn't having it. He insisted that Josh tell him the truth. Josh explained the whole story while leaving some parts out. After he was done, he glanced at Simon, waiting for his reaction. Simon's expression didn't change throughout. His dark blue eyes now seemed like icy pools, but they also seemed to draw him in. Josh found himself staring at Simon's eyes for way too long until Simon broke the silence.
"So, let us leave now. I'm pretty sure whoever is after you is already gathering information about you, and soon enough Moonridge will be a dangerous place for you. We can evacuate to a new city and try to create a fake persona for you and me so that we may throw them off our tail until we have a better understanding of what we are faced with." Simon spoke with a strange calmness. Josh was surprised at how his friend easily believed him and even seemed willing to offer support. Josh knew that Simon was much more than he seemed. Simon was more than capable of entering the royal task force, but he didn't. Being around, Josh realized Simon was a good person running from his own demons, and Josh did not want to meddle. So, having him by his side, Josh's heart was now at ease.
Nodding to what Simon said, they stared at one another for a while before hugging. "Thank you, my friend," Josh whispered into Simon's ear. Simon smiled. "No, thank you," Simon answered.
Simon threw his carriage into the river, but before he left, he stared at his reflection for a short while. Dark blue eyes, coupled with a handsome face, stared back at him. His short, damp blonde hair was stuck to his forehead. Simon had a royal charm about him, making his profession and looks seem to contrast. A fisherman and a disgraced official stood at the river, watching the water flow, their eyes filled with different sets of emotions.
Later in the evening, Judith made her way happily up the stairs, humming a tune. She suddenly stopped when she bumped into a handsome gentleman with an eyepatch, dressed in an aristocratic manner. His one good eye stared at her apologetically.
"I'm so sorry I hit you. My head is not here. Are you hurt?" The man's voice was calm and soothing, his tone apologetic. Judith shook her head, unable to find words to reply.
The man smiled charmingly, making Judith tremble slightly. Her thoughts were in disarray; her eyes were on the man and the man alone. "That's good. My lady, do you live on these premises? I'm looking for my cousin. Maybe you might be of great help," the man asked, his tone now sad. Her heart ached at his tone. Why do you sound sad, mister? Don't be, don't be! she thought. "Yes, I do. Oh, is that so? Who is your cousin? I might know him… or her?" she asked slowly, unsure about her words.
The man nodded and gave a detailed explanation of Josh and his features. Judith smiled and nodded, realizing who it was he was searching for. But before she answered, a question popped into her mind. If he is that guy's cousin, why doesn't he know his name or address? That simple question seemed to bring her thoughts back. She took a step back and shook her head. "The man you described, I do know him but not personally. In fact, I have never even spoken to him, and I don't know which apartment is his here. We always meet on the staircase, plus that man is not talkative. So I wouldn't have the guts to try to engage in a conversation with him." Judith lied about some parts, and the man nodded but then stopped nodding and glanced at Judith as if she had said something wrong.
The man's smile suddenly became eerie, and a chill struck her. Her back was now sweaty, but the man had not yet moved. Instead, his hand moved to his eyepatch before pausing.
"Thank you. I thought you would be completely honest with me, which is why I didn't resort to drastic measures. But now you leave me no choice." The man opened his eyepatch, and Judith froze on the spot.
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