Alastair couldn't stop thinking about the boy, but he had no choice so he couldn't stay with him. He was on his way to meet Alex, becoming more frightened as the situation unfolded. However, Alastair's face showed nothing; he was the kind of man who was considered emotionless and didn't feel the way other people did.
When he arrived at the east park, where he was supposed to meet Alex, he observed everything in the darkness and saw that the gate was locked. He tried to open it but it wouldn't budge. Alastair wondered if Alex was already there, so he decided to cross the boundary. Being a skillful person with a lot of stamina, he climbed the wall and jumped down with fierce force.he searched the park for Alex, he noticed that it was deserted. However, he found footprints - two sets of them, one larger than the other. Alastair deduced that Alex might have been with a big guy. Following the footsteps, he searched everywhere for them. Alastair was at a loss for what to do next when his eyes fell upon a tragic sight: a folded paper lying on the ground. He picked it up and unfolded it, revealing three words scrawled in messy handwriting: "Help me, Alastair." Alastair immediately assumed that the note was from his friend Alex, but where was Alex now? He couldn't find any trace of him and frustration mounted in his mind. What could have happened to Alex in his absence?
Alastair's mind raced as he tried to make sense of the situation. He considered the possibility that Alex had been kidnapped, but why would someone take him? Alex had nothing to do with anyone who would want to hurt him. Alastair couldn't perfectly deduce the whole scenario and he began to wonder whether he should go to his house now. However, he didn't want to lie to his mother about his whereabouts. He decided to spend the night in the park instead, unable to find peace of mind.
As he lay awake in the silent night, thoughts of Alex consumed him. "Where are you, Alex?" Alastair muttered to himself. Despite his exhaustion, he found himself unable to sleep as he worried about his friend's safety.
When he woke up early the next morning, Alastair saw that the park was bustling with people jogging and walking. He remembered his mission to find Alex and began walking toward the road. He decided to first go to the shopkeeper whom he had left the boy in his shop the day before. Alastair walked at a brisk pace and soon arrived at the shop. However, when he entered, he saw an old man with a smile on his face and immediately asked him about the boy he had left in the shop.
The old man chuckled at Alastair's question. "Oh son, I'm the only one who owns this shop. I have no son, no one to be here. I can't imagine whom you saw yesterday."
"But what about the boy?" Alastair asked, his frustration mounting.
"I don't know what boy you're talking about. Maybe you need a glass of water," the old man replied, handing him a glass.
Alastair thought to himself that either the man was lying or the man whom he saw yesterday was not the owner of the shop. As he stood there, a news bulletin on the TV caught his attention. The reporter was talking about a man who had been found dead in the middle of the street that morning. The victim had been beaten and then stabbed to death with a sharp knife, and the police claimed to have the killer's fingerprints. Alastair's heart sank as he looked at the victim's face on the screen, he was the man whom he beaten the shit out him yesterday, he couldn't believe how's he dead, he didn't know. He was filled with a sense of rage and despair, something he had never experienced before. He stormed out of the shop, leaving the curious onlookers behind.
As he walked away, Alastair thought about the note he had found and the news of the murdered man. Were the two incidents related? Where was Alex and was he safe?