Betrayal of Innocence (A New Adventure Begins - Star Elite 1)

“No. I am positive she went there. She left a bit earlier than normal but woke me and said she would see me later,” Graham replied.

They all turned to watch Weeks dismount from his horse at the end of the narrow path.

“I have search parties out for her again. I am afraid the villagers are worried sick now and are all armed and ready to strike if the miscreant is c

aught. I don’t stand his chances much if they catch him, but what can I do?” Weeks sighed.

“We need to mount a house to house search of the village,” Justin growled. “The bastard has to be in this village somewhere and knows her routine well enough to be aware that she goes to the orphanage today.”

“That’s just it, isn’t it?” Graham sighed. “It cannot be a random stranger doing this. It is someone we know. Someone who has betrayed us in the worst way possible.”

“I will start the house to house search. The villagers will understand the necessity of it. I will have my men on it at once. What else do you need?” Weeks asked of Justin.

Justin sighed, and spoke from the heart: “I need Vanessa back.”

He struggled to know what to say, think, or even do right now. His world was shaking so much he struggled to regain rational thought. When he heard the matron at the orphanage tell him that Vanessa had gone, at first he had been angry. That anger had stayed with him until he had seen Graham. Then the worry had grown. Now, it was so strong he was going quietly out of his mind with fear for her.

“I will do whatever it takes to be able to tell her all of the things I was stupidly reluctant to say before this,” he hissed to her father. “I want her back, Graham.”

“You should have done a better job of keeping her safe then, shouldn’t you?” Graham reported dispassionately. “You were here but you kept pushing her away.”

Justin winced but knew the accusation was fair. He had failed miserably in all aspects of this case. It had nothing to do with his ability to investigate, but everything to do with his attraction to the woman who had captured his heart from the first day he had stepped foot in the village. He had been distracted by her beauty, and the temptation she put before him, and had missed clues that could have led to the kidnapper’s capture before now. If he had been paying attention to his job, the reason he was in the village in the first place, Vanessa would be safe, and busy playing with the children at the orphanage right now. Because of his failures, she was God knows where.

I hope to God she is still alive.

He closed his eyes and, for the first time in a long time, began to pray.

“I will start on the outbuildings, the village hall, the church, and places like that. You, Weeks, can start with the house to house search with your men. The villagers will be inclined to help you given they know you. We meet back here in an hour,” Justin bit out.

Justin returned to the orphanage.

“Good morning again,” the matronly lady who answered the door declared with a sunny smile when she opened the door and recognised him. Her smile died when she saw the solemnity on Justin’s face. “What is it?”

“I need to ask you some questions, if I may?” he said dourly, and followed her into the orphanage when she stood back and waved him in.

“Let’s go into my office,” she offered quietly, leading the way into a large, wooden panelled room in the middle of which stood a solitary desk. The space could only be described as neat, well-polished, if a little tired.

“My name is Justin Silverton,” he began.

“Magda Withering,” the lady replied, waving him to a seat opposite her desk.

Justin dutifully sat.

“Tell me what you know about the villagers,” Justin asked quietly. When the woman merely stared at him, he told her about Vanessa’s disappearance.

“I have thought it over but cannot see any of the villagers doing something like this. I run this place and speak with authority when I say that Vanessa has been a great help to the orphanage, and her sister too for that matter. They both help here without fail, and are highly thought of by us, and the rest of the village. I just can’t see anybody wanting to hurt any of the missing.”

Justin nodded.

“I should have realised something was wrong when Vanessa didn’t arrive as usual this morning. It is uncharacteristic of her to simply disappear like this, but then the same applies to Jemima, and Geraldine,” Magda whispered, clearly upset.

“Why do you think people connected to the orphanage keep disappearing?” Justin demanded suddenly.

The woman paled. “I beg your pardon?” she whispered, horror in her eyes.

“I am sorry, but it strikes me as unusual that Jemima used to work here, and she was accosted on the way home. Then Vanessa, who was on her way here, disappears after leaving home. It is odd, don’t you think?” he murmured.

While he spoke, he kept his gaze firmly fixed on the woman before him. She stared at him in growing horror as the realisation dawned on her that the culprit might be someone connected with the orphanage.