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You may already know me, but let me introduce myself if you don’t. My name is Adrien Agreste. Famous model and the face for the Gabriel brand, fencer, piano player, and the only son of my father. Speaking of my father, he disappeared under mysterious circumstances. There was a really bad thunderstorm outside, one I’ve never seen before. I was just about to serve my pet his favorite meal, when there was a loud clap of thunder and a bright flash of lightning. Once the lightning dissipated, the electricity was dead. Even with the large windows in my room, I still couldn’t see anything.
“Plagg? Plagg! Where are you?”
The small cat said to me with a mouthful of Camembert, “Calm down, I didn’t go anywhere…”
I laughed, “Just checking…”
Within a few minutes, the lights were back on. The camembert was also all gone, and my kwami was laying on the now empty plate. I thought I heard the frantic clicking of high heels fast approaching my room, when Nathalie burst in.
“Adrien! Have you seen your father?” She asked, looking around. She seemed scared.
“Not since a few hours ago. Why?”
“He’s gone. He was in the office with me before the lights went out, but when they came back on, he was gone. It was like he vanished into thin air…”
“Don’t worry Nathalie, we’ll find him.” I stood up from the couch in my room. Today, Adrien Agreste is putting on his detective hat. We left my room, beginning to search the second level. “So, what were you doing at the time of his disappearance?”
“Well, I was doing work on my computer, and your father was standing right across from me. When the lights went off, I looked around in a panic. I heard the door open, a crash, some profanities, and frantic footsteps.”
“You didn’t see anyone else?”
“Nope. When the lights came back on, he was gone.” She said, as she stuck her head into one of Gabriel’s studies. He wasn’t there either.
A dead end… so I thought. I saw my bodyguard standing in the foyer- a large, burly man who would have fought off anyone if they took my father. I decided to leave Nathalie to search the second floor as I headed downstairs. I approached the large man, his stern expression never changing. “Excuse me, but do you know where my father went? He kind of disappeared.”
Not a word from him, but he shook his head. It was weird. He was my bodyguard for as long as I could remember, but I never heard him speak to me. He did his job really well, though. I liked him. He didn’t see anything. I asked him, “Where were you, then?”
He pointed to the dining room. He must have been walking around at the time I gathered. That, or he was hiding. He may look tough, but I know he’s a big softie. I asked him, “Did you hear anything?”
He shook his head in response. Alright… well, maybe there was someone else. I thanked him for his time, and headed towards the kitchen. I wasn’t really allowed in here, but Father wasn’t here, so I could do whatever I wanted. I saw the head chef, and got her attention.
“Excuse me ma’am, but have you seen my father?”
She looked up from the stovetop and over at me, “Sorry, but I haven’t.” She told me.
“Were you in here the entire time?” I ask her next.
“I was. I was here, preparing soup for dinner.” She stirred the pot on the stove. She was making some sort of soup, and it smelled delicious. The stovetop is gas, so her story lined up.
“It smells delicious, ma’am… but did you hear anything off when the lights went out?”
“Now that you mention it… I did. I heard someone running by. I also heard two loud thuds, but when I looked outside, I couldn’t see anything.” She replied.
Interesting. There was nothing really in the back of the house, at least not to my knowledge. Someone must have been trying to escape. “Thank you, ma’am. Can’t wait to eat.”
She chuckles and tells me, “Soon, Adrien… be patient.”
I left the kitchen and returned to the foyer. Nathalie had come downstairs, but empty handed. “You didn’t find him?” She asks me.
“No, I have no idea. I asked the chef and my bodyguard, and they hadn’t seen him. The chef did say she heard someone running by, and then some loud thuds… so I think someone may have tried to escape out the back, maybe with Father.”
She seemed to have been enlightened about what may have happened when the front door slammed open. It was Father, but he was completely drenched. Without a moment’s hesitation, Nathalie went to go fetch him a towel.
“Father, where were you?! Nathalie and I were worried.” I asked, slightly annoyed that he just up and left like that.
“I was outside. I was trying to get it for the past few minutes and you didn’t even stop to help.”
“Oh… sorry…” I laughed nervously. “But what were you doing outside to begin with?”
Nathalie had returned with a large towel and wrapped it around Father. She also wrapped her arms around him in a hug, which he affectionately returned. Something’s up between them… With a small smile, Father told me, “When the lights went out, I wanted to go into the basement, to make sure that it just wasn’t a blown circuit. The emergency lights never went into effect, so I just wanted to see what was wrong.”
Sounds valid, but something didn’t add up, so I posed, “Well, why didn’t you take the stairs, inside?”
“Because… because it would have been easier for me to use the emergency basement entrance outside. Besides, it was dark and I couldn’t find my way to the stairs.” I thought that was weird, but it doesn’t matter. The lights were back, and he was here. Nathalie released her grip on him but held his hand gently.
She asked him if she wanted a cup of tea with some honey. He positively responded, gazing into her eyes with a soft and gentle look. Their hands lingered on one another as she excused herself to the kitchen to make him a cup of tea. He watched her leave.
As that case was solved almost as quickly as it occurred, a new case already landed at my feet. Has my father fallen in love with Nathalie? I have a feeling that investigation will last longer, but I already have a strong lead.