23 Chapter 21: Unsolved Case: Cathlia (part 5)

"Lily? Lily? Lily!" Lilith was startled from her seat, she looked up and it's Louie. "You've been staring out of nowhere, what's wrong, lily?" Lilith sighed and stood up from her seat and went to her window bench. "Just... thinking about Mrs. Foyer's death, Louie"

Louie sat himself on Lilith's chair and looked at Lilith. "Lily, I'm sorry but... we should focus finding the truth rather than sulk" Lilith ignored Louie's remark for a second and stared outside. It was a gloomy afternoon and a droplet of water dripped in the window and the thunder rumbling outside was heard. Lilith traced a droplet as it unites with the other droplets and slid down the window.

"I know, Louie but.. Mrs. Foyer helped me. I know that I don't know her enough...but she is a person who helped me when I had that difficult time"

"Why do you ask Mrs. Foyer instead of your mother?" Lilith stopped tracing the droplets on the window and looked at Louie.

"Sometimes, my mother don't believe me and think that I'm being dramatic but don't get me wrong, I know my mother loves me and I also realized that I shouldn't let myself be eaten with the emotions that I have, I also decided not to tell my mother and ask help from Mrs. Foyer because I know she wouldn't understand and explaining it will be useless and I don't want to be a burden. "

Louie glanced down, "oh, okay, l-lily. Sorry…but you can talk to me if you have your difficult time. " Lilith blinked her eyes to hold herself back from crying.

"A-Anyways, is that the 1997 newspaper article…" Lilith points of what is in Louie's hand and slowly walked towards him. "Yes, it's about the couple who worships demons and can turn themselves into what they like. They also learned how to summon evil shadows."

Lilith grabbed the newspaper beside her, "This is also the couple that eats human flesh named Aurelia Chanler and Emerson Forrester which is the same couple mentioned on that 1997 newspaper article." Louie reads the newspaper, "The couple is known for their good reputation. "

Lilith stares at the two newspapers in a second, "If I'm assuming this is Lucia, it's possible"

Louie looked at her, surprised. "Their both different, Lily. The face and the name so how com-"

"Remember, they can "turn themselves into what they like" and also it is possible that they change their name" Louie ignored Lilith's remark for a second, "it's says here in a 1998 article that the couple moved to another town but the town wasn't mentioned."

Lilith stood up and grabbed her laptop and sit on her bed. "I'm going to read newspaper articles that was on 1998" Louie laughed, "Lily, technology like smartphone and laptop wasn't invented on that year. We should read 1998 newspaper articles since it's more credible"

Lilith laughed back, "Oh, really, doofus? Some newspaper articles were posted on the media now."

"But we could say it's false. Misinformations from the internet" Louie said with a matter-of-fact tone. Lilith smirked, "Misinformations if you are in a sketchy site and not credible. Come on, Louie. I've read a lot of cases and watch unsolved mysteries here on the internet. Geez, what are you? A man living under a rock? Its 2017"

Louie sighed out of defeat, "Okay"

Lilith looked at her laptop and started to type and went through the internet. Moving from another to another site, her eyes is moving left and right, reading and searching for more articles that was on 1998.

"My mother told me a folktale once" Louie stopped reading and looked at Lilith. "What about it?"

"I think my mother's folktale isn't only a story but I think it has a bit of truth" Lilith faced her laptop to Louie and let him read the newspaper article in 1998.

THE MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF THE CHILDREN

February 1998--- Children starts to disappear. The rate of the kid's disappearance increased every month. There are over 50 kids that disappear every month. Almost 200 kids listed and the investigators and police were further investigating. In this month, the police tries to find the suspects of the following victims:

MISSING

Owen Davis

Tristan Louis

Perry Cedric Evans

Noah Jacobs

Oliver Logan

Georgia Finch

Lindsay Gunner

Kathleen Paisley

Faye Roberts

The locals were alarmed. The police and the investigators was further investigating and claimed its kidnapped.

"But it's kidnapped." Louie said, reading the contents.

"Yes, it may be kidnapped but it may also the best opportunity of the couple to hunt the kids."

"But why would they hunt the kids?"

Lilith sighed and laughed, "Louie, mind the hidden details. In 1998, the couple was caught eating a human flesh. It's possible that the human flesh that they ate is a kid"

Louie opened-mouthed, couldn't speak of what Lilith's analysis, "O-oh. yeah. You are genius, lily! Damn, you should choose a career to be an investigator"

Lilith smiled and crossed her arms, "I'm a fan of unsolved mysteries and cases so." she proudly says. "What do you expect?" Louie smiled and fixed his glasses and read back the newspaper article in the 1998.

"Are there any other articles?" Lilith faced her laptop on her and types again, "I'll find more"

Lilith again finds some few articles about the disappearance of kids on 1998 but couldn't find more. Lilith went through the newspaper articles and found a 2000 newspaper article and reads it.

DISAPPEARANCE OF THE CHILDREN--IT WAS STOPPED

2000--Back in the 1998 newspaper article, children disappears every month. Today, police and investigators found the suspects behind the mass kidnapping. Below were the suspects:

Jeremy Brook

Ivan Andersen

Paul Haugen

Randy Olsen

Billy Iverson

After they caught, the ratings of the disappearance of the kids were decreased. They claimed that they kidnapped children and some of them were being raped after being killed. The suspects were caught and is now, behind bars.

"It was disappearance of the children stopped after 3 years, Louie. The suspects were caught." Lilith said, eyes on the newspaper article. Louie crossed his arms and fixed his glasses.

"So, it could be false, lily"

Lilith slowly turned her eyes to Louie, "No, I still think that the couple is also behind this."

"But we could say it's not the kids they ate" Lilith was caught off guard of Louie's respond. "Okay, fine, lets say... they aren't the one who is behind it but... I would prove to you, Louie since I have a gut that they are the one who is behind the disappearance of the kids."

"But what if not?" Louie asked.

"Then, I have to treat you lunch"

"Chicken sandwich?" Lilith nodded, "but if I can prove this you, you have to be confident and prepare the consequences that ahead us. " Louie smile widely and nods, "done" and they shake their hands for a deal.

A sudden knock was heard and the door swing open, its Lilith's mom. "Dinner's ready, come down now." Louie and Lilith nodded and leave their newspaper on the bed and went downstairs.

"So, this is you boyfriend, Lily?" Lilith spits water out of her nose and Louie was choked by his food. Lilith was surprised of her mother's question.

"Well, I don't have any pro-", Lilith cut her father's sentence.

"Mom, Dad...no, he is not my boyfriend. He is just a friend that I met at school."

"Speaking of a friend, I didn't get to see you hanging out with Ivy anymore", Lilith slowly finished chewing her food, startled by the question of her mother.

"Ivy is busy, mom and that's why we couldn't get to hang out"

Her mother slowly nodded, "Oh, okay, honey". Louie took a glanced at Lilith who's just glancing down and eats her food silently. He know that Lilith was lying and is finding ways to be Ivy's friend again. As they finished eating dinner, Louie helped them to clean up.

"Thank you so much, Mrs. and Mr. Barkley for your hospitality but I'm afraid that I have to go now. It's getting late" Louie said as the couple was on the door.

"You're welcome, Louie. You can come here anytime", Mrs. Barkley said with a smile and went their way to the living room with Mr. Barkley. Lilith was left by the door and looked at Louie, "Bye, Louie. You will lose the game, I know that"

Louie let out a laugh and just smile, "Okay, detective"

Lilith let a small laugh, "Stop being funny. I gotta go now, doofus. I have to connect the theories so that you will lose. Meet you at school"

Louie smiled "Bye, detective" and Lilith closed the door as Louie walked his way.