The next day, before sunup.
Knock knock...knock knock...
Specter fumbled for the door after his sleep was disturbed by continuous knock at the gates. He managed to arrive at the gate before whoever the knocker was, break the gate with that forceful knock.
Who could have thought he would be greeted by faces of the community elders and excited youths armed with sturdy sticks, quirt and ropes, as though all the men in the community were out to kill. They all stared him with ill intent like he was the one they wanted to kill.
Specter frowned deeply, displeasure sticking out a mile. He demanded
"I don't think it is a Good morning community leader. What's with this pack of frenzy youths at my doorstep?"
"Are they frenzy?" the community elder glanced at the crowd behind him for a short span before turning back to Specter and added
"Well they aren't blameworthy after all anyone who hears that Maiden Houdini is residing in the same neighbourhood as them would find himself automatically frenzied with fury"
"Oh, is that so? Has Maiden Houdini been found in this community? If I should guess correctly, you are here to invite me to join the search too, aren't you?"
Specter had a voice that was manly, loud and clear, a little rough as his brutish appearance, and dominating above the weak.
His eyes held no emotions but then on another thought, that's what defined him and the tattoos around his ears, neck and downwards. His facial attractiveness did not fail to encourage the vigor of men in him as they were sharply defined from his nose, jaws and so on, sharp as razor.
"That won't be necessary since we have already found her Mr Specter. However a little cooperation would do while we search your house"
Specter found the community chief's words more annoying than Maiden Houdini's that he felt a sudden urge to leave a fist-print on the man's body.
"I thought I had a good relationship with this community"
"Mr Specter, are you refusing to cooperate?" the chief narrowed his eyes as the air turned hostile all of a sudden.
"Abso-bloody-lutely!! Now get the hell away from my doorstep and look for her elsewhere" -Specter. His fury bursted such that the chief trembled with the outburst.
Maybe due to spending time with Maiden Houdini, Specter had also adopted her intimidating tone. But one thing's for certain, the community chief did not press on the matter of searching his house and instead said
"Since we cannot enter, circle the vicinity of the house, back and front while we await the arrival of the authorities. I am sure he won't dare to resist when he sees a search warrant"
"Aye...!!" the excited youths screamed and shouted. Others cursing Maiden Houdini or murmuring about letting them barge into Specter's house since they outnumbered Specter and so on.
"Idiots" Specter shut the door of his gate at the dispersing crowd and went back into the house.
Honestly, even if they were to come in and search the house, even turning it upside down, they would not find a trace of Maiden Houdini for a simple reason that she left.
"The show has just begin. Maiden Houdini is truly out to be the nightmare of the world" Specter sniggered at the ignorance of these people. If only they had a little knowledge of what Maiden Houdini was up to.
And yes, simply because Rasha had left and Specter stayed behind did not mean they have parted ways, or Specter turned down her invitation to join her, instead they were up to something surprising for the world, something the people of this community or Naria town at large won't forget and much ink would certainly be spilled about it.
Rasha will definitely leave footprints on the sands of time.