"Why is police here?" Grimma muttered quietly, not realizing that her sister, who was hanging by her room's half-open door, could hear her.
"Sis!" She called out, making Grimma turn to her, "Is something wrong? Why are police here?"
She was nervous at that site. Grimma merely patted her head telling her that everything will be fine, something she herself wasn't completely sure about.
Their family hadn't done anything illegal. That much was certain. However, having the police show up at your doorsteps, even if to question for something, was not a very good thing in the neighborhood they lived in. It basically meant that the family may have had connections with someone who was involved with something illegal, or maybe they have connections with a victim. And that, in itself, was enough to drop their reputation among the masses. However, even knowing all that, her dad welcomed the police in the house and they went to sit and talk in the living room.
*****
I hadn't realized it back then why those cops showed up at my doorsteps. By the time I figured it all out, it was too late. No, it may have been already too late by the time they showed up. But still, it was my failure to not realize the truth sooner. If I had, then maybe … maybe … not everyone would have been taken away from me. Maybe, I would have been able to save at least one of those five people who were so dear to me. Maybe …
*****
"So, what is the matter, officers?" the man asked them as he looked at the two policemen sitting on the sofa diagonally to him.
"Hmm …" One of them smirked as he acted like he was thinking something, "You know, sir, this might be something you don't want anyone else hearing."
As he said that, the man started to grow nervous but then,
"Ah, I dropped my batch!" One of the police officers said as he deliberately threw his batch to the ground. He tried to pick it up and that is when he flashed a light at the uniform he was wearing inside his police clothes, the uniform that wasn't a farce like the police-one was.
Looking at that uniform, and looking at the symbol of Remedy Corporations on it, the owner of the house sighed, got up and went to his wife. He told her that something important was happening and that she needed to keep the children as well as herself away from the conversation. She nodded, as this wasn't the first time this had happened, although this was the first-time ever since they adopted the four kids. And so, she went out of the living room and started to make excuses to make all the children get away from there.
*****
To think that just telling my wife would be enough foe me to think that the deed will be done, to think that I wouldn't even check once if ALL the kids went away or not, to think that I was such a fool who didn't realize that wouldn't be enough. What was wrong with me? Just looking back at all this makes me sick to my stomach!
A sinner! A push-over! A fool! An incompetent family man! Just how many more of these negative adjectives would fit me, huh!?
Of course, there'd be many more … many more … many, many, more!
*****
After telling her adoptive mother that she had no interest in listening to their conversation because she is going to study anyway, Grimma had made sure that her mother was too busy in taking care of the rest of the 3 kids. And so, Grimma had the perfect opportunity to eavesdrop on her father's conversation. And, she did.
"Let me be straightforward here, man." One of the police officer spoke, in a voice that was less like a police officer and more like a street thug. "There's someone in this neighborhood who has been slowly starting to learn magic."
"What!?" her father's voice grew stern as he heard that.
"Yes, it's true. At first, we thought they may have just accidentally used magic because they had the potential to do so but no, that guy has been slowly and steadily growing his powers." He said with a smirk, "Their powers aren't growing in the pace it would if they were learning from a proper educator though."
"Huh!?" her father asked, "Then how is it growing?"
"Quite randomly." The police officer answered, "It's like that guy has been learning one ability after another, whatever he can get his hands on, without actually trying to follow any sequences."
Hearing that, her father put a hand to his chin and looked anxious.
"You know the protocol, man." The police officer said, "If someone like that is here, there's a chance that guy may go rogue and misuse his abilities later on. Therefore, we gotta 'arrest' the guy."
"Yes! Yes, I know." her father said, "It's just hard to believe that someone so close to me has a chance of going rogue."
"I get you, man." The officer continued, "Just came here to warn you, so you know to keep your family safe and all."
Her father nodded. And with that, it seemed like their meeting had come to an end. Having eavesdropped on all this, Grimma knew exactly who they were talking about but she wasn't foolish enough to just go and tell them outright. She also wasn't foolish enough to keep it a secret from her father any longer. And so, she had decided to tell him everything when the two of them leave. But, for the time-being, she hid in her room as she heard the footsteps of the two men as they left. Her father apparently wasn't seeing them off. So, she opened her door just a tiny bit to look as they left. And then, she heard their whispers,
"Why didn't you tell him that the suspect is in this house?" The officer who hadn't spoken up until that point asked the other.
He replied, "If he knows that, he'll stop that guy. But, that'd be too boring, wouldn't it?"
"Tsk! Are you trying to let the rogue get away with what he is doing?"
"No, no, my friend. I don't have any intentions of letting him get away from us. I am just trying to make sure the rogue can rampage just about enough that this guy's reputation goes down the drain. And then, we'll stop him!"
He whispered with a grin, as he closed the door.
*****