"Mr. William Pyncheon?" said Xerxes upon meeting the man. His hair, once likely neat and dark, was now streaked with gray and disheveled, as though he had repeatedly run his hands through it in agitation. A faint, unkempt beard sat on his jawline, adding to his unclean, slightly feral look. His clothes—ill-fitting and shabby, consisting of a threadbare waistcoat and a wrinkled white shirt with the collar undone—gave the impression of someone who had long since stopped caring about appearances.
"What is the matter, that I may inquire, good sir?"
Despite his appearance, the man spoke with politeness, his first impression carving him into a gentleman.
"We are here to investigate the disappearance of your wife. Can we ask you some questions and look around the house?" Xerxes had no idea if they needed a search warrant to inspect the house, but he was certain the man wouldn't know either. He asked for his permission first before entering the house, with the others following behind.
The man led them to the parlor, which looked like it hadn't been cleaned for some time. The lone blue sofa sat beside the window, covered in cat scratches, muddy stains, and worn from years of use. The sparse furniture in the house looked old, belonging to discarded pieces people would throw onto the streets after getting new ones.
Xerxes and Lucas stayed with Mr. Pyncheon, while the others searched the house for any clues. The man's eyes restlessly followed the strangers scrambling around the small rooms. Lucas snapped his fingers to gain the attention of the man sitting in front of them.
"We'll be asking you questions related to the disappearance of your wife, Elizabeth. I would like your cooperation now," Lucas said as he immediately skipped over to the questions he had written while in the carriage and began asking them.
"What was the time when your wife left the house?" asked Lucas.
"It was... I scarce recall, for I was in slumber. When I did revive, I found that she had departed from the dwelling."
Xerxes wrote down the response but was falling a bit behind because he wasn't familiar with writing using an ink-dipped pen, unlike Lucas.
"And what time did you awake exactly?"
"It must have been near the hour of seven in the evening."
Xerxes tilted his head at that answer, his face visibly confused. Lucas moved to the next question without pause.
"What did you do exactly when you found out your wife wasn't home or wasn't returning despite the late hour?"
"I gave it but little thought until the hour grew far too late to be absent. Thus, I did hasten forth in search of her. I scoured the vicinity and the modest market at the rear, which she frequents on occasion. Failing to uncover any tidings of her, I reported the matter to the city constables upon the morrow."
"For how long were her previous trips outside the house?"
"I daresay she hath been absent for nigh an hour at most. The longest absence was a whole day when she visited her ailing mother, yet she ever returned ere the fall of night."
"Is that due to you restricting her from staying out the night?" Lucas asked cautiously, eyeing the man's expression.
"Indeed. A lady ought to reside in her husband's abode, awaiting his return. How may I toil without a soul to tend to the cleaning and the culinary arts for my sustenance?" The man spoke, unable to hide his dissatisfaction. His mouth frowned lightly.
I would like to conclude this case as her running away and living the rest of her life alone somewhere far away, Xerxes thought to himself as he wrote the man's answer hatefully.
Lucas seemed unaffected; he nonchalantly kept his posture, skipping to the next question.
"For how long have you been married? Was it a love marriage? Do you have a suspect in the disappearance of Elizabeth?"
"Verily, it hath been an age, and I scarce recall the moment when we united in holy matrimony. We were but youthful souls, deeply enamored, who chose to bind ourselves in sacred vows. Despite our humble means and the trials of existence, we did dwell in joy. Never did it cross my mind that she might abscond, nor did I entertain notions of another suitor's involvement."
Mr. Pyncheon, reminiscing about the old times, had a joyful expression on his face, seemingly missing those moments.
Xerxes was, once again, confused. Did the man genuinely love his wife?
Lucas locked eyes with Xerxes, pointing out that the paper in his hand had run out of questions. He was looking to Xerxes for their next move.
Xerxes took over, handing the pen and ink to Lucas.
"I would like to know more about your wife, Elizabeth. I haven't heard a word about her personality or how she usually behaved."
The man's pencil-colored eyes became cold as they met Xerxes's for some reason.
"She hath ever conducted herself in accordance with mine own preferences. She was never one to retaliate or to speak in opposition to me, hence our coexistence was devoid of disputes. Truly, she is a most amiable lady," Mr. Pyncheon emphasized the last phrase word for word, staring down at Xerxes.
Xerxes wanted to know more, but under the man's stare, he wanted to finish up and leave already. Just as he wished, Nova, Kai, and Alexa entered the parlor with steady steps.
"We are done with the search," Nova reported.
"Kai has something to say," Alexa said, pushing Kai forward, who was almost hiding behind Nova.
Kai didn't speak at first. He just glared at Xerxes and Lucas, seemingly afraid to speak in the presence of the stranger sitting in the room. They waited patiently for him to speak. After a moment, feeling it was safe, he hesitantly asked the man sitting in the chair:
"Where's the cat... there should be a cat in this house..." His low voice was loud in the silence.
Mr. Pyncheon, who had been calm during the entire investigation, suddenly became agitated. He abruptly stood up from the chair and made his way toward Kai in a fit.
Kai, noticing the tension in the air, fled back to hide behind Nova.
Nova held Kai's shoulder with his left hand, comforting him with small movements. When the man was close to reaching out to Nova, Xerxes cut the distance, forcing himself in between.
"Mr. Pyncheon, answer the question and stay away from them," Xerxes said, his eyes terrifying. The look in them, one never seen before, shook anyone who peered into those irises.