3 Abim

Abim Robinson emerged from the clear waters of the swimming pool panting lightly. Swimming was therapeutic for him. When his heart was broken, he swam. When his plans weren't going well, having a nice dip was the solution.

Standing across from him, sitting on a poolside chair was a chubby young man smoking a cigar and laughing hysterically. His name was David Lui, an half-African, half-Asian guy. He had dark beards that contrasted with his light complexion. He looked like a guy who knew himself well enough to be confident.

"David, making jokes like that now, isn't funny." Abim said, climbing out of the pool completely and picking up a towel that was spread across an empty chair. "Times are difficult for me and you should know better than making jokes like that. It's not funny man. You gotta be kidding me."

David who had stopped laughing, observed his friend for a bit and puffed smoke into the air. "This is not about your missing brother, Abim. And I know I shouldn't be talking about this right now but it's no joke either. In my entire life, specifically since I've been sexually active, I've never met such a lady. She totally blew me off!"

"Interesting." Abim's comment showed he was uninterested.

David pressed on, "So she invited me into her house, seduced me, and kicked me out with a gun to my head."

"A lady?" Abim scoffed. "And I'm supposed to believe this isn't a joke? Too much weed David. Cut off on the crap already."

"Yes! A lady! Her name is Jessy Paris. At least that was what she told me her name was."

Abim's face suddenly turned dark.

David noticed this and asked; "What? You know her?"

Abim shook his head. "Not exactly, but I know the name. I'm yet to meet her actually."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing really. I just heard my brother mention hiring someone with that exact name to look into my brother's disappearance."

"Oh man..." David took one last long puff and threw the cigar away.

**

Paris thought of Max as a braying pig. When she was little, their neighbors used to have a pig that brayed all day long. And now she felt the urge to let him know what she thought of him, but did what was best and kept it to herself.

She was back at the mansion; this time with two brothers staring inquisitively at her. Clearly Max was the older one. She could fix his age roughly between 27 and 29; while Abim, maybe two years younger. Both men looked incredibly handsome and reserved, but at the moment, she cared nothing about that. Business was business. Legally, she lacked the right to carry out private investigations. But after working a few underground cases, her name had rapidly become popular amongst the residents of Middleville. People came to her with cases the police could not solve and sometimes even unsolved cases that had been closed for years. Of course it wasn't all the cases that were brought to her she cracked, but the ones she could, she did well. There were those who wondered why she didn't just enlist to join the police force since she was really good at finding out stuff.

But this case was a little different. It wasn't that it was a difficult case because she had handled far worse, but because she had actually never handled the case of a missing underage person. It wasn't suppose to be a big deal but she felt it was and it felt weird that she felt that way.

Jessy Paris fixed her gaze on the younger guy. He was fidgeting nervously, probably from the cold weather, because rain had drizzled lightly earlier that afternoon or the AC that was now giving her goosebumps. "So your brother is 16?" She asked him.

"Yes." Max answered instead.

"His name?"

"James. I told you the last time."

"He went missing on Tuesday?"

"That's correct."

She cocked her head to one side and thought for a few minutes. "Okay, I know I've asked these questions before but please just cooperate with me. I'd like us to go over them again. Was he at home? Alone?"

Max cleared his throat; "Well, here is everything there is you need to know." He paused briefly to think, then began talking again, "Like I've already explained, James is quite an unusual teenager. At 16, he still behaves really childishly. He has an aloe Vera fetish, whatever that means, but he is childish sometimes. Perhaps that is because of the kind of baby treatment we have been giving him. He is the last kid around here and what do you expect? We have the money. We spoil him. Maybe it is because we treat him as a kid, that is why he sees himself as one too. I think he is quite nerdy and I have a feeling he might be gay; although my brother Abim does not agree." Max looked at Abim who nodded in agreement.

He continued, "He doesn't have friends. I haven't seen him with any. He cares nothing for swag and I mean fancy clothes and jewelries. He doesn't also exactly fancy the company of girls and..." He looked at Paris, an embarrassed blush on his cheeks, "...he loves playing with toys. Including girl toys. But! James is a very obedient boy. Three days ago, he complained of nausea from a mild stomach virus. We told him to stay home so he didn't have to go to school that day. One important point to note down is that when Abim and I are not at home, James never opens the door for anybody else, especially strangers. Shockingly my younger brother here, Abim returned that day to see the front door ajar, the sitting room a mess, James gone. We searched everywhere, visited his classmates, called relatives but still did not find him. So we involved the local police."

Paris noticed his voice had begun to waver with deep hurt. "Who in your household is the closest to him?" She knew that was not the right question to ask at that moment but she didn't know what else to say.

Max and Abim exchanged glances but didn't reply.

She pouted. "Your brother was kidnapped." She said.

Max wasn't surprised. The police had said that. Besides it was obvious. "We suspected as much."

"Yes. And there has been no ransom yet? He is probably, most probably dead."

"What?!!"