12. Suspect Number Two

So Abigail? What is their deal? Oh God Please, keep Max safe.

Crystal made silent prayers to God. "What Alwack?" Caleb looked at her perplexed, pensive face. 

"Uh, nothing. This man…" Crystal replied, "He is my friend."

Caleb looked at her with wide eyes. "You are friends with Lockhart?"

"Yes, more than friends, since childhood." Crystal continued to look at the next post. Abigail was with a little puppy, looking at the starlit sky. Caleb was disappointed at her response.

Crystal continued to walk looking at the floor, contemplating the turn of events. They walked from the basement to the ground floor where Elmore was secretly eating scoops of ice cream. Crystal captured the moment and chuckled softly. She started walking towards her room when Caleb joined her. 

She noticed Elmore and walked towards her, Crystal followed. 

Elmore caught them from the side eyes and started to skip-walk in the same direction. 

Crystal and Caleb walked in long strides and stood behind her. Caleb called her twice but she continued to walk undeterred.

"Princess Elmore," Crystal said and stood rooted to her place.

"Hi, snow white! What blinks you to my fo-fo.. lately?" 

"Have you been eating ice cream, secretly?" Caleb asked sternly. 

"Ohh Uncle Caleb, pfft" Elmore remarked. Both Crystal and Caleb were shocked.

"Ohh princess Elmore, that is so not chivalrous" Crystal tried to bring light to the situation.

"She shevous?"

"Yes see" Crystal showed her the mirror along the corridor. Her dishevelled hair and lips had ice cream on them.

"Ohh Slow white, what will I ever do without you?" she said, rubbing her forehead.

"Seriously? I'm the one doing the feeding here" Caleb huffed.

Elmore's tiny forehead shrunk into a frown, "Uncle Caleb that's not very nice" She pouted an angry face.

"How about we discuss what bad manners are over ice cream?" Crystal asked. 

Elmore lit up like a Christmas tree and nodded in agreement holding Crystal's hand. Caleb meanwhile mouthed words to her "You are the one spoiling her" 

Crystal poked her tongue out at him."Watch me." They walked to the kitchen aisle and found a large spoon of ice cream followed by a fallen tumbler and a leaking ice cream tub.

"Hawww, this is sad. Someone broke into our fridge, we should find the culprit." Crystal looked at Elmore, who looked worried.

"Elfy," she kneeled down,"Sweetie, did you do this?" 

She nodded with her head low. Caleb looked at Crystal amazed with her tactics.

"What does a good princess do if she has done something wrong?"

"But a good princess is never wrong," Elmore replied, teary-eyed.

"Who said? Good princesses aren't always right, Elfy, they accept their mistakes and be sorry about them." Crystal rubbed her back.

"That means I am a good princess," Elmore asked and Crystal nodded.

"How about we clean this and go out for an actual ice cream?" Crystal asked and Elmore nodded as she smiled. Elmore closed the lid of leftover ice cream and gave it to Crystal then walked towards the cabinet to pick out tissue papers and clean towels to wipe the cream on the floor.

"Well you have your way with kids, I'll give you that" Caleb scowled.

Elmore wiped the counter clean and washed her hands.

"Let's go," Elmore said as she held Crystal's hand.

They started walking outside the door when Caleb looked at the watch and rushed after them accepting defeat.

"Allow me to drive you two ladies to the Ice Cream parlour. "

"It's not like you weren't driving us before," Crystal smirked.

Elmore looked up at them one by one and said. "Yes now follow me."

Both Crystal and Caleb burst into laughter.

#

Soon after leaving the isolated Cave, Max called a number and it got picked at the second ring.

"Hi!" A chirpy woman said on the other end.

"How about we go and grab some celebratory supper?" Max chimed in.

"Oh? I thought you were coming home." The woman replied.

"I can't be seen coming out of your alley at 6 in the morning else they'll talk bad about you." Max grinned.

"Aww, you are so considerate. Let's go at some silent parlour that's open round the clock." the woman replied cheekily. 

"Okay, I will come pick you up," Max replied and they disconnected the call. 

#

Crystal was silently sitting in the passenger seat. Elmore was sitting on her Uncle's lap, while Caleb was driving. 

"Uncle, what is i-so-sigh-ay-naa-te." Elmore asked to speak. 

"Where did you hear that?"

"Aunt Vivian" Elmore replied, playing with the cube on her lap. Caleb gritted his teeth. "I have told you Elmore to stay away from Vivian, why do you hang around with her?" Caleb asked, agitated.

"She came to meet and bought me chocolates. She even brought medicine for grand pops and Gigi." Elmore replied. 

God! That annoying wretch. 

Crystal looked her way and tried to lighten his sour mood. "Elfy? Would you play a card game, I invented?"

"Car games, oh I love car games"

"Let's see… Tell me the first thing that comes to your mind. Okay?" Crystal suggested. 

"Okay" Elmore replied, shifting comfortably in her seat

"So… How many Uncles do you have?" Crystal asked. "Quick come one answer."

Elmore balled her hands in a small fist and started counting, "Uncle Normy… William, Albert.," with each name extending one finger. 

"Quick Elfy!" Crystal said.

"Five, yes five. Uncle Normy, William, Albert, Roger and Xander."

"Excuse me?" Caleb stopped the car. 

Elmore closed her eyes and jumped on Crystal's lap, sticking out a tongue at Caleb. 

Crystal laughed and Caleb smiled at her. 

He recalled having treated her badly in the cell the other day. "Alwack, I have something to say to you," Caleb said as she stopped laughing. 

"I am listening," Crystal replied, looking at the woman stopping out of the car and walking to the Ice cream parlour same as them.

"I actually wanted to apologise for the other day." Caleb started, "With Edward gone and WillIam in Jail, I was devastated. I am so-"

Crystal out of habit, cut Caleb short and shouted, "Hey look-" She pointed at the woman she had been noticing all along, "That's Abigail." 

#

Abigail and Max walked up towards the second floor where private eating cabins were. "This place is so nice and holistic." Abigail said happily. Clicking the pictures of the cafe. 

"Are you telling me that this can be our goto place?" Max smiled as he pulled her waist closer to himself. Abigail rolled her smile but smiled happily. 

"Oh Max you are so sweet." Abigail laughed. "Let's get inside."

Max stopped in the pathway, looking around to make sure no one was there and grabbed Abigail by hand, dragging her closer. "Oh Love, it has been so so so long since, I have been waiting for this day."

"Are you telling me you did what I think you did?" Abigail asked. 

"Yes, With Chloe out of the picture," Max slipped, hugged Abigail closer and kissed her. He grabbed the back of her neck. 

They continued unaware of Caleb and Crystal following them. In the distance, Crystal was trying to get a look of who the man was. 

"What are you doing?" Caleb asked in a hushed voice.

"I am trying to figure out who the man is. If it is someone we know then our motive would be clear."

They flipped as Max took the charge and lunged towards her neck, pulling down the strings. As he pushed Abigail to the walls, Crystal took a closer look. 

"Max…" she gasped, loud enough that Max stopped and turned to look around