Chapter 4:

            Upon crossing the threshold of the Golden Dawn, Jamie, Griswold, and August were transported back in time by the restaurant’s decor. The floor was checkered with black and white tiles. Some walls were of dark brown wood while others were covered in wallpaper with dark green and black stripes. Short lights covered with silver shades hung down from the white ceiling tiles and cast their light upwards in small circles. The atmosphere was enlivened by the bar area to the left of the entrance, resplendent with an Art Deco mirror, colored bottles of liquor, and a red and green neon sign of the restaurant’s name, all combining to create a warm, cozy cheerfulness.

            “Crazy to think this place has been around since the 1930s,” said Griswold.

            “And still going strong,” added Jamie.

            The three were quickly shown to a table by a man wearing a white shirt, black dress pants, and a black necktie. After they ordered their food, August turned to Griswold and asked, “So, what was that lynchpin you were talking about?”

            “Yes,” said Griswold. “For starters, I feel that I’ve figured out how she was kidnapped.”

            “Really?” replied August.

            “Really,” said Griswold with a smile. “Based on Elizabeth’s testimony and the evidence we have found, it seems that your mother was chased down by someone, motive unknown. I think someone else must have been following the perpetrator because they apparently had to hide with your mother in an overflowing storm drain to avoid detection until they could be picked up by henchmen.”

            August stared at Griswold in a manner that suggested befuddlement and shock. “What!?” he said. “How is that even possible!? Wouldn’t they drown!?”

            “Not with the help of two miniature oxygen tanks, one of which we’ve found,” said Griswold. “The policeman came out of the alley with the tank after he got access to a storm drain with an unsecured grate on top, which was revealed once a dumpster had been moved. This leads me to believe that he was retrieving the tank from the storm drain. Why else would there be an oxygen tank in there?”

            “Wait,” Jamie interjected, “we only found one tank. Where did you come up with two?”

            “The presence of the one at the scene implies the presence of a second given that both the kidnapper and Charlotte would need them to avoid drowning,” replied Griswold.

            After a pause, Jamie said, “But why would the kidnapper want to get the tank back in the first place? I mean, no one knew it was in the drain and sending someone to get it back ended up showing us that it was there.”

            Griswold hesitated. “You know,” she said, “now that you say mention it, I actually don’t know….”

            “So, how’ll this help find my mom?” interrupted August.

            “Well, fortunately for you,” said Griswold, “our stakeout did provide us with two paths to pursue your mother’s kidnapper, both of which will require us to visit an associate of mine in the Youngstown police department.”

            Jamie looked askance at Griswold. “Shouldn’t we avoid the police station? I mean, we did just fight a bunch of their cops.”

            “Oh, I meant he’d meet up with us at a location of our choosing,” said Griswold.

            At this moment, the food arrived. After thanking the waiter, the three practically devoured their meals, causing the discussion to fall by the wayside. When they had finished eating and had paid the bill, August left to use the bathroom. It was at this moment that Jamie turned to Griswold and asked, “So, how worried are you about this case?”

            “What do you mean?” asked Griswold.

            “I mean, doesn’t something about all this seem…off to you?” asked Jamie.

            A quizzical expression came across Griswold’s face. “Keep talking,” she replied.

            “Well, first, the crime seems very, very well-planned-out and complicated,” said Jamie. “Besides that, though, the fact that the cops seem to be involved also bothers me. It gives me a feeling that we’re dealing with something much bigger than we thought.”

            “You make an excellent point,” Griswold said after a brief period of silence. “These facts do appear to further insinuate that something more complex is afoot. We will most definitely have to proceed with caution.”

            At this point, August had returned from the bathroom. The three stepped out into the light of the mid-afternoon and headed back to the car, leaving the warm ambiance of the Golden Dawn behind. As Jamie began to drive away, Griswold took out her cell phone and punched in a number. After a few rings, someone picked up.

            “Hey Dan!” said Griswold. “Listen, I need to ask a favor of you….”

*****

            On Griswold’s request, Jamie drove southwest to Mill Creek Park. They passed through dense forests than ran alongside small lakes and streams. The deeper they went into the park, the more it felt like a world unto itself. The foliage overhead became thicker, the sunlight now tinted green, and the streams ran through shallow gullies revealing black, layered rock covered with thick moss. On occasion, small waterfalls appeared to the left or right. Eventually, deep in the woods, they reached a natural pool at the bottom of a depression in the ground. A waterfall trickled into it and rocks peaked out of the water near its shores.

            “We’re here,” said Griswold.

            Jamie parked on the side of the road. She and Griswold got out while August stayed in the car. There, they stood and took in the scene. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting the area in a false twilight and causing the forest to feel immense and ancient.

           Griswold took a deep breath of the forest air. “Quite a sight, isn’t it?” she asked.

           “It is,” Jamie said with a smile. “It looks like something straight out of the Lyonesse Trilogy.”

           Griswold smiled and nodded, but it was obvious to Jamie that she didn’t get the reference.

           Half an hour after they arrived, a police car drove up and parked behind them. A tall man in his late twenties got out. He was skinny, had blonde hair shorn to a buzzcut, and a smooth, clean-shaven face.

           The man raised his hand to give a feeble gesture of greeting. “Hey Gris,” he said wearily. “Sorry I’m late. Busy day at the precinct.”

           “Quite alright, my dear,” Griswold replied. “Jamie, this is my acquaintance, Dan Peterson.”

           “Good to meet you,” Jamie said as she stuck out her hand.

           “Same,” said Dan, shaking her hand in reply. “So, Gris, what’s up?”

            After briefly explaining the facts of the case, Griswold said, “I need you to do two things for me. First, I need you to take an object that I have and examine it for DNA, fingerprints, etc. It might not have anything on it, but it’s worth a try.”

           “Sure,” he said, “but it might take a few days. Work’s been pretty busy lately and forensics can take time.”

           “That’s reasonable,” Griswold said. “Let me get it for you.”

           She went over to the car and got the plastic bag holding the miniature oxygen tank out of the back seat. As she handed it to Dan, he looked intrigued but said nothing.

           After he put the package in his car, he came back over to Griswold and Jamie and asked, “So, what’s the other thing you need?”

           Griswold then took the photos of the police officers from the crime scene out of her pocket and handed them to Dan. “You recognize these guys?”

           Dan shuffled through the photos for a few seconds. He scrunched up his face in confusion before responding, “Yeah…I’ve seen these guys around work. They’re Denny Jones, Danny Jones, and Donny Jones.”

           “Are these guys brothers or something?” interrupted Jamie

           “No,” said Dan, still looking at the photos. “Just an unfortunate coincidence. By the way, Gris, can you explain to me why these guys appear to be passed out?”

           “Considering what you know about me,” said Griswold, “I believe you can formulate some vague idea of what happened.”

           “Fair enough,” Dan replied.

           “Now,” said Griswold, “since these guys are relevant to solving our case, can you keep an eye on them for us? Let us know if you see them doing anything suspicious at work and if they intend on going anywhere so we can trail them.”

           “I gotcha,” Dan said as he handed the photos back to Griswold. “Yeah, I can do that. I’ll make sure you keep up with the Joneses.”

           Jamie managed to stifle a snicker.

           “Wonderful!” exclaimed Griswold. “Thank you very much for your time, Officer Peterson.”

           “No prob,” replied Dan.

            As Jamie and Griswold headed back to their car and Dan to his, Griswold called out, “One more thing! Make absolutely sure that no one is aware of that tank or what you’re doing with it. Especially the Joneses. That could derail the entire investigation.”

           Dan made a dismissive gesture with his hand. “Don’t worry about it!” he called back. “I got this under control.” He then got in his car and drove away.

           Jamie and Griswold got back in their own car. Griswold then turned to Jamie and August and said, “And now, we wait. On that note, we should call it a day and rest up a bit.”

          With that, Jamie started the car and drove back to August’s house.