Chapter Seven

  Part Three

  Line, Ali, and Arasha each took their chosen missing persons reports, and after confirming which family was still in the city Line was left with seven families to talk to. While Ali was left with six, and Arasha was left with eight families.

  So on the first day, they all split up.

  By the end of the day, Line had only managed to talk with four different families. She would have to continue with this on the next day. But something interesting was that all the missing people said they were going to spend some time in the north of Yor. Line still didn’t know where these people were taken from, but she had a solid guess.

  On the second day, Line talked to the last three families.

  The last one was the family members of the most recent missing. They had a decent sized abode that stood atop an herb and spices shop named Fragrant Fermentation. The family had just closed for the day, but that didn’t stop Line from knocking on the door.

  A middle-aged woman opened to door “I’m sorry but were closed”

  Line smiled “I am also sorry to disturb you Mrs Pines, but this is about your daughter” Line showed off her monastery token.

  Mrs Pines’ eyes immediately widened “did you find her!?”

  “Can we talk about this inside?”

  Mrs Pines’ nodded “of course, of course”

  Line took note of all the different herbs and spices she could see on the shelves and hangers, and calculated the cost of the ones she sought after. But she still followed Mrs Pines behind the door past the counter and up the stairs to the second floor.

  Mrs Pines led her through the small hallway, and into a living room. Everything was cosy and felt warm, like you were wrapped in your favourite blanket and drinking your favourite drink. There was a fireplace, with small family portraits that sat upon the hearth.

  Line picked up the one that portrayed Nicola Pines, Mrs Pines’ daughter. The most recent missing person.

  Line could hear the sad smile in Mrs Pines voice as she spoke “I had just cut her hair in that painting. She will need a new cut soon, she doesn’t like her hair that long”

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  “I’m sure she’ll make it back in time”

  Tears fell down Mrs Pines’ pretty face “do you think so?”

  “I know so”

  Mrs Pines nodded and fell into her seat “she still lives with me, even though I keep telling her to hurry up and marry. She’s a stubborn girl, but I’ve always liked her company” she smiled “she always said that since Kenyan had been drafted and posted at Wings Gate that she had even more of a reason to stay with me”

  “your son?” Line glanced at a portrait of a young-looking man.

  Mrs Pines nodded “they were always close, those two” she faltered “I miss them”

  “How long has he been gone?”

  “three years. But he always writes” she let out a heart wrenching sigh “what am I supposed to tell him. How am I supposed to tell him?”

  Line was quiet for a moment, is this how her family feels? She pushed those thoughts aside and began her questioning “do you know her whereabouts on the day she disappeared from?”

  “... We ran out of eggs. So she left to go buy some”

  “where do you two get your eggs from?”

  “There’s a dairy farmer, who has a stall in the north of Yor. That’s where we normally get our dairy products from”

  North. Again “what time did she leave?”

  “It was in the afternoon, but I’m not too sure. Maybe around two”

  “And she was alone?”

  “yes”

  “where specifically is this dairy stall?”

  “it’s on the north side of Merchants Street”

  Merchants Street ran along the entire western side of Yor’s River, it even connected to The Back Flow in the south. So there is a possibility that Nicola was taken, smuggled out the city and sold. Nicola definitely looked pretty enough for someone to have taken an interest in her.

  “And do you know if Nicola had any enemies?”

  Mrs Pines smiled “Nicola was just as sweet as honey. Everyone likes her. She always helped out the older customers, and she was always smiling. I can’t imagine anyone would dislike my Nicola”

  “you said you kept pushing her to get married, did she have any romance in her life?”

  “No. She said she didn’t have time for that. I always told her that there was always time for a little romance”

  Line smiled “I concur”

  “The dairy farmer has a son that took a liking to my Nicola. He was always shy around her”

  “do you know his name?”

  “no, I’m sorry I don’t”

  “That’s alright.” But still, that might be something to look into “thank you for your time, Mrs Pines. But it’s getting late. Please don’t leave Yor, just in case there’s anything else I need to ask you”

  “oh, of course”

  “and one last thing” Line placed a small pouch on the coffee table “is it alright if I take some herbs from your shop? This is the money for them”

  A slightly bewildered Mrs Pines said “um... yes of course”

  “it would also be highly appreciated if this didn’t go into your records”

  Mrs Pines frowned but still gave a nod.

  Line smiled “thank you. Good night, Mrs Pines” Line then left the confused and grieving mother alone in her quite home.