The Truth

A few days later we found out that Peterson had the first traces. The information that Lucretia could come to a pet store again proved to be very helpful. There was one that was on the road Alex and Victor were betting on. But it was necessary to go down the main street into a small side alley when she left the store someone accosted her. So much was learned from the cashier who looked after her through the window. Fortunately, she had a memory of a face, so she easily recognized my daughter when she was shown her photo.

Additionally, the camera caught her as she gets into a black Mercedes. It was hard to deduce any details from her reaction. It was not like someone forcefully dragged her into this car, but she also did not get in freely. It was evident that at first she retreated and was unsure, only after a while did she agree to follow the man who approached her.

Unfortunately, they later tried to find the car on city monitoring, but they lost it. The last place her phone would indicate is that street with the shop. As if she had dissolved into thin air, leaving no trace. So we considered it a kidnapping. I know Jim and Peterson worked hard for us on this case, but days, weeks, and months went by with no progress.

We all took it hard, Alex practically lived with Victor, who had to be forced to go to work and watch his meals. He spent the weekends at our house to ease his boyfriend a bit. Lucretia was the closest thing to him in his family, and because they had developed their own style of communication, he felt as if he had lost a part of himself. He still blamed himself for encouraging his sister to leave that day, but he couldn't predict what would happen to her.

Hyacinth began to spend most of his time in the family home than in his apartment with Ginny. Especially when one day he argued with her, and then for some reason he decided to explain something to his old classmate. It ended up in a fight and a visit to the hospital where he had stitches on a slit eyebrow. This is one of the biggest stupid things he has done in his life and he wouldn't let us know what the conversation was like. However, I didn't like that he chose this way of solving problems and expelling his anger.

I was afraid that in the end, we would all go crazy, that's why we returned to work with Martha and persuaded our sons to do so. However, the worst part was that Lucretia had become a kind of taboo subject. We couldn't talk about her disappearance without nerves and crying. The initial strength and motivation to find her turned into frustration at the lack of results in our search. Not knowing whether she was alive or not was unbearable. Although none of our family members wanted to talk about it aloud, the ransom themes were evident in our conversations.

We wondered why anyone would want to kidnap her at all. Alex offered it might be because of her power, but then he and Tetsuya would become suspects because only they had such knowledge. On the latter, however, Peterson found nothing, so far he was clean. I thought that Bernadette might also be aware of this, so I decided to visit her. When I told her about what had happened, I felt like a child rebuked for lying. I hadn't expected to see her in a state of such rage. She wasn't angry about what had happened, because she knew I would do anything to find Lucretia, and that no one had informed her beforehand.

"Did you check Lucia's family?" she asked during our conversation.

"You think she might have had something to do with this?" I was surprised. "Leonard always said they didn't want anything to do with Lucretia."

"Because of how it was, but I have often seen their grave visited by a woman who looked very much like Lucia. She ran away when I tried to approach her and ask who she was. I wouldn't let my hand be cut off, but it could be her sister, she said in a serious tone."

"Could Lucretia meet with her?" I asked and was already taking out my phone to give Peterson a new lead for him to check.

"I have no idea."

The answer I received did not inspire me with optimism, but overall this information did. I didn't know if the Jones family really had a hand in it, I never met them, even at my friends' wedding, but everything that could be checked was a step forward, even if it was a dead end. I was on my way home, content to share the news with the rest, and that maybe the investigation would gain momentum soon.

Martha was setting up dinner, Victor was playing with Meow since it was the weekend and Hyacinth was shouting into the phone. I was sure that he was talking to his fiancée, that's what their conversations have been for some time. The positive mood left me as soon as I entered the house, which should be our refuge, and meanwhile, I felt that it was filled with negative emotions more and more. After three months, we were tired and emotionally devastated. I decided to announce this to them at mealtime and all of us would feel better right away.

"You don't understand that the wedding won't occur until Lucretia is found!" The older son shouted and after he got the answer he added yet. "It may also not take place at all!"
He hung up and set the phone loudly on the kitchen counter.

"Hyacinth!" Martha scolded him as she sat down at the table. "You'll let sleeping dogs lie!"

"He deserved it," Victor quickly signed, staring hard at his brother. "For what you did to her."

"What do you mean?" Martha asked anxiously. "Hyacinth, what did you do Ginny? You're going to get married, you have to get along."

Victor hit the table with his fist. And he signed that it was about Lucretia and not his future wife.

"Since Ginny showed up, she has become your favorite," he was showing furiously. "And somehow you saw material for a loved daughter in her, which you never showed to Lulu."

"Stop it, Victor!" I cut in. “We all love Lucretia just as much, and we'll find her, so take it easy."

"Only you and I love her!" His movements were even more violent. "Mom and Hyacinth don't know anything about her. They have no idea how much Lucretia cared about them, or how she placed them before herself." He clenched his fists, I didn't know what he meant, so I had to concentrate to read his nervous movements correctly. "She had a crush on Hyacinth for years but knew no one would accept it, especially our mother. Out of respect for you, she hid it and kept it from thinking of complicating your life. She knew there was no chance he would return her feelings. Worse, the bastard had known it for a long time." He pointed to his brother, tears starting to run down his cheeks. "Instead of doing something, he took pleasure in it, and recently he found that he might also feel something for Lucretia, and he completely confused her mind. She suffered because of him."

"Son, what's that supposed to mean?" I asked shocked at this admission.

I couldn't gather my thoughts and didn't know what to make of it. On the one hand, when Victor spoke about it out loud, I remembered everything that could speak of it being true. On the other hand, I couldn't believe that I had overlooked the things that were happening to my children. Have I really worked so much that I missed it? Could I talk to them, fix any unpleasant situations, and not listen to this conversation now?

"It's true," Hyacinth said, lowering his head. "It's all true."

"I'm disappointed in you," Martha turned to our older descendant. "You should get Lucretia out of it right away you found out. I don't know what people would say if they found out about my children being together, and you were still dating Ginny in the meantime. You should apologize to her and beg her forgiveness."

"He should cancel the wedding if he hesitates and consider who he wants to be with," I said, shocking my wife.

"David, are you having the thought that Lucretia and Hyacinth might be together?" she asked.

"If they really do love each other, why not," I replied. "I prefer to worry about our children being happy than other people's opinion."

"You've got double standards, Mom," said Victor with a ferocious smile. "Hyacinth might not be with Lucretia, but you weren't impressed that I went to university with her and we live together now. After all, you were convinced we were sleeping together and I was pretending to be gay, just to keep it from coming out."

I looked surprised at my wife, and I couldn't believe she was approaching it that way. She clenched her fists furiously and glared at Victor, drawing out the question of how he knew this. She must have been ashamed of thinking so, but now I wasn't sure myself. After all, she loved all three, indeed Hyacintha maybe a little more, but they were still her children, our children.

"Lucretia can read mind," he signed suddenly, exceptionally calmly. "You couldn't even tell his eye color because you've never seen him."

I didn't think she would go so far as to. He looked into my eyes, I felt him wanting to say he was sick of the lies. He got up from the table and headed for the door. I watched him go, then looked at the rest of the family. Now is the time to face the consequences of the decision I made almost fifteen years ago. Martha and Hyacinth looked at each other in shock, then waited for my explanation of the situation.

"I know Victor is particularly worried about Lucretia, but that was too much," said his wife, trying to deal with her emotions. "You will have to talk to him seriously."

"Lucretia does have that ability," I said, leaning forward and picking my elbows on the table. I looked at the food cooling on our plates and silently sighed that it was going to be wasted. Hyacinth was silent, focused on his own thoughts.

"And you knew about it?" Martha asked.

"Yes," I confirmed.

"Since when?"

"From the beginning," I replied.

"Were you ever going to tell me about this?"

"I was hoping never."

"And yet you brought her to our house?" she asked, directing her fury at me. "You exposed us and our children to something like that?! If I had known, I would never have agreed to take her!"

"You and Hyacinth have never been in danger," I replied. "Only me and Victor were exposed to her powers by chance. She did everything in her power not to use it, although it hurt her at times."

"You can only speak for yourself. I can't believe you've lied to me for so many years," she replied. "I loved her like my own child, but I really don't know anything about her, so from now on, I don't have a daughter anymore."

She got up and walked away from the table, after a while the older son did as well. The only thing left with me was the faithful cat, who understood the situation all too well and tried to console me by patting my hand with his paw. Everything collapsed and I cried about it for a long time, hiding in a car parked in the garage. I felt overwhelmed, furious, and immensely sad. I couldn't understand Victor why did it. I did not know what my loved ones felt and how to help them. I have failed like a husband and father on all possible fronts. Before committing some stupidity, I was stopped by a call from an unknown number.

"Dad?" I heard a trembling, crying voice in the receiver. "I'm sorry to give you all this trouble." Forgive me…”

The silence at the end of the connection crushed me like a mountain