Chapter 98 - Sweet lullaby

— I need you to guide the paramedics to the wounded! Those who can walk, take them to the white tent!

— Yes, sir!

What kind of madness was that?

Giovani didn't even know what to do first.

One hour he was patrolling around Dreamland in search of any clues about Leonardo's friend, and the next an earthquake followed by a landslide knocked down trees and caused them to fall on some of the rides. The situation was so chaotic that Giovani had to call for reinforcements.

Stroking his forehead and feeling his head throb, the detective took a deep breath.

— Sir, report!

— Do it.

The young policeman saluted, then began to read his notes.

— Bluemoon Plaza was also damaged. Tree roots came out of the ground and some small buildings collapsed. We've already mobilised the task force to rescue the injured. Luckily for us, there were no fatalities. Dreamland's manager is already with the security team scanning the circus and the food court for other injured people.

— Was there any damage there?

— Haa, it seems that this area has a lot of redwood trees. One of them fell on the circus tent, but luckily nobody was inside.

Sequoia was a giant tree, they don't just fall over. The tremor they felt just before the landslide may have had something to do with it. It would still be difficult to bring them down.

What the hell was going on in that place? 

— Call in a specialist to diagnose the situation. I'll have to talk to the boy about it.

— About that, sir. He's not in the mansion.

— What? — Giovani shouted, his vein almost bursting out of his head. Swallowing his scream of rage, the detective took a deep breath — Right... All right, let's take it easy.

— Mr. Monteccello.

Raising his head, Giovani was already mentally preparing himself to deal with Vicente. He should be used to strange things happening in that damn place, the problem was that they were hardly ever good.

Usually these bad things always made Vicente appear in his mind as the one responsible for them. Or maybe it was just a pet peeve of his.

— I've just received the report from my staff. The medical team has just arrived and we've divided them into teams to help the injured. Did you check the circus and the food court?

— Exactly. The food court is intact, you can use it to receive the injured. The restaurants can provide water and food too.

— That would be good. I've learnt that the boy isn't in the mansion.

Vicente's eyes peered menacingly, but Giovani didn't hesitate. He continued in that visual battle, waiting for an answer.

At least that clown dressed as a secretary was a loyal dog to his master. Giovani could take advantage of that to get information out of him.

— I think the young master thinks too highly of his friend and that's why he went looking for him on his own.

— What? I said I'd take care of it! Hey, you! — Giovani turned to the other young policeman — Call your team and come with me to the train!

— But sir...

The detective didn't even listen, just ran off towards the train area.

The chaos caused by the earthquake wasn't enough, and he still had to look after that boy getting into trouble? What would he do if the suspected kidnappers turned up and took advantage of the confusion to take more people?

Was he not thinking?

Gritting his teeth, Giovani ran even though his legs were burning with tension. He continued to advance through the closed forest, switching on his torch to see better. Although it was morning, the dense fog made it difficult for the police to search.

Not that this was going to stop Giovani from doing his job.

Hearing a noise coming from some nearby bushes, the detective looked at his partner, raising his hand in a silent signal. Nodding his head, Giovani drew his gun, pulled the trigger and cocked it, ready for anything.

If someone jumped, he would shoot them in the leg, immobilising them.

But if it was a victim, he could aim for the ground.

Swallowing dryly, foot by foot, Giovani approached the bushes, startled to see only a rabbit jumping out. What the fuck! Lowering his gun and heaving a sigh of relief, he tried to stay calm.

— A rabbit... Aff — Raising his eyes again, Giovani saw something strange, much like a shoe — What is that?

Pushing aside some foliage, the detective was surprised.

— I found them!

Lying on the ground were the manager of the plaza and Leonardo's friend who had been reported missing. They were both lying on the ground unconscious. Approaching to check on them, Giovani could feel less weight on his back as he realised they were alive and breathing.

— Call the medical team!

— Sir, we found two more in the train carriage! — Shouted another policeman in the distance.

Leaving the new arrivals with his assistant, the detective hurried off to the train carriage, where the police were continuing their inspection.

Sitting in the second carriage were Leonardo and Benjin, who looked injured.

— Hey, kids!

— Giovani!

Signalling to his team, the detective dispersed, gaining a little privacy.

Despite their injuries, neither of them was bleeding too much. They both seemed to see and hear him well. It was still necessary to check closely, but it was likely that the worst-case scenario had not occurred.

That's good.

— What part of staying at the mansion didn't you understand? Do you realise what a mess this is?

— I'm sorry! — Leonardo smiled, scratching the back of his head — But I had to save Gustavo.

— We've already found him and the plaza manager, the medical team will be here soon. — Murmured the irritated detective — Frankly, what if the suspect had done something to you?

— Everything's fine now.

The way he said it was as if everything really was fine. Giovani was surprised to see Leonardo so calm and relaxed, as if tonnes of worries had been lifted from his shoulders. Unfortunately, there was still a lot to sort out.

Remembering the fact that they were on the train where Leonardo had been clearly nervous the other times, the detective noticed that he seemed fine at the moment.

— We'd better get out of here. We don't know if there will be another landslide.

— Huh? Landslide?

Arching an eyebrow, Giovani snorted.

— Were you asleep? Didn't you feel the earthquake and the landslide? Dreamland is in chaos, people are injured and...

Leonardo's face paled, causing the detective to shut up immediately. Was he so focused on trying to rescue his friend that he hadn't even noticed a catastrophe of that magnitude?

What nonsense! It's not as if you couldn't hear all the noise from that area.

Now was not the time.

— You two will be treated by the doctors, and stay out of trouble. If you don't, I'll put you in chess — ordered the detective, seeing the two of them nodding in agreement, much to his delight — Did you happen to see the suspect?

Leonardo gave a thin smile and nodded.

— I'm sorry for taking care of this myself.

Excuse me?

He wasn't saying that he confronted the suspect alone, was he? Impossible... It couldn't have been.

How could he have taken care of a suspect responsible for so many kidnappings?

And Leonardo was accompanied by that trapeze artist, the biggest suspect Giovani had. Peering into his eyes, it was hard to stay on that tightrope. He liked Leonardo, he was a good kid, but it was clear as day that he was hiding something.

Giving up on continuing, the detective turned round again and crouched down in front of the two boys.

— Kid. I think you'd better tell me the truth now. What happened?

Plunged into silence, Leonardo then opened his mouth, took a deep breath and began to tell a crazy story. Not even all the shouting from the police and paramedics could stop Giovani's mind racing.

What was bothering him?

Was it the way Leonardo told it as if it were no big deal, despite the wealth of detail that made it all seem real?

Was it his disbelief?

Demons?

Parallel worlds?

Magic?

Souls?

Giovani didn't believe in it at all.

At least not until that moment. In a mere second, which seemed like an hour, Giovani saw something glow inside the carriage. A partially covered mirror, which in addition to reflecting the three at the door of the second carriage, had a fourth presence looking directly at the detective.

A boy who signalled for silence.

At that moment, something in Giovani's mind simply decided to switch off.

In the end, he just remained silent, staring at Leonardo. Then Giovani stood up and turned his back to the couple.

— Go back to the mansion, and this time obey me.

Covering his mouth, Giovani felt his stomach turn.

He saw it, didn't he?

Or was that mirror some kind of circus tool that created illusions?

It could only be...

Maybe he should ask for a holiday when he got back to the police station.

{...}

— Is it really okay to tell the detective the truth?

— It's his choice whether to believe it or not, Ben. Besides, he can help me calm things down out here.

— What do you mean?

— There's no way Giovani can arrest Diablo, is there?

Benjin nodded.

— Young master! — Vicente emerged panting — Young master, are you all right? Are you hurt?

— I'm fine, don't worry, it's just Benjin who needs a doctor.

The administrator sighed and went to one of the medical teams to borrow some gauze, cotton wool and saline. Returning to his master, the administrator himself tended to Benjin's wounds.

— I must say it was very irresponsible of him to enter the Mirror World like that. And accompanied by Aslan! Ray almost destroyed the mansion when he stopped sensing the boy's presence.

— Was the earthquake the detective said about Ray's doing?

— Haa, of course not. It was Diablo's roots.

Ah.

Inside the Mirror World, there was a moment when it seemed as if Diablo had done something. Just the lift of his hand and the Mirror World shook. He had said something about the clients being trapped, but meeting his brother again made him forget that.

Damn.

— Shit, I'd forgotten that. And what's the current situation?

— The roots are gone, now the police are looking after the wounded.

Everything was fine.

That was probably your brother's doing.

Leaning against Benjin's chest, Leonardo sighed heavily.

— I want to sleep. I'm tired.

— Leo — whispered the puppet — It'll be alright. We can take care of things around here, so you can sleep if you want.

Benjin's appearance had returned to normal. Now that Leonardo knew about him, he had the slight feeling that he was talking to an imaginary friend from his childhood.

It was a bit embarrassing.

And even more embarrassing to remember everything they'd done between four walls.

Frankly.

Had he turned into some kind of pervert?

— You're hurt, you need to take care of yourself first.

Benjin wrapped his arms around Leonardo's waist, resting his head on the brunette's.

— Haa, I want to be with you. Shall we sleep together?

— If the young master asked you to take care of your injuries, that's what you should do, Benjin — Vicente scolded — Actually, I'd rather the two of you followed the detective's recommendation.

— It's chaos out here... I need to sort it out. Haa, I'm just going to rest for a while, while Ben is treated.

Leonardo closed his eyes, unable to appreciate the cheerful smile of his favourite puppet.

Sitting between Benjin's legs, the young master rested, basking in his warmth. Then, softly, a low voice began to hum. As he listened to the sweet melody, Leonardo fell asleep.

"If this, if this were my street

I'd have it tiled, I'd have it tiled

With pebbles, with shiny pebbles

For my, for my love to pass through

In this street, in this street there's a forest

It's called solitude

Inside it, inside it lives an angel

Who stole, who stole my heart

If I stole, if I stole your heart

You stole, you stole mine too

If I stole, if I stole your heart

It's because, it's because I love you"