The Time Keeper

Chapter 20 - Casing

Lucas approached the door, closed his eyes and let out a sigh of breath. Clicking his fingers together the surrounding atmosphere suddenly went cold like a chill of a winter breeze.

It was the same kind of chill I had felt not only when I was interrogated by Lucas but the same chill from when Darius flew through that brick building. Was this a magical ability of some kind, and what could it be doing? The way Lucas looked so natural showed his vast experience as if he was showing off. I might have a further way to go than I first thought.

Lucas opened his eyes and looked up at the door, "Fritz was just here, but he's not anymore. If we were here just moments ago we might've been able to catch him."

"He was here? Then wouldn't he be still in the area?"

"Our task was to investigate him. Catching him was a bonus." Lucas pulled out a cigarette from his jacket pocket and lit it. "Seeing as we've got a free house to search, investigating this is now the priority."

I just nodded in agreeance and followed Lucas inside as the door was miraculously unlocked. No point in disagreeing with my superior. The air was musty and filled with the scent of decay. The walls were peeling, and the floorboards creaked under our feet. It was clear that either no one had lived here for a long time or somebody really didn't like cleaning.

We started searching the rooms, looking for any clues or evidence that we could use as a lead to Fritz and how he kept getting away. Lucas took a casual approach, smoking his cigarette as he rummaged through drawers and cabinets, while I was more methodical, examining every detail of the room.

Jean told me that Lucas was one of the best, but it didn't even look like he was trying. Was he always like this?

As I searched through some of supposably Fritz's things, I came across a cylindrical object—larger than my old phone, but no bigger than a shoe box.

It had a slew of strange-looking symbols across it and knobby ends. As I reached out to pick it up Lucas came back to where I was searching.

"Don't touch that!"

I hesitated and pulled away. It looked like a container of some sort, but not the kind to give off an intimidating aura.

Lucas walked over and picked it up as if it was harmless. Are you kidding me? I actually got kind of scared for a moment.

He held it up to his face, looking over the strange inscriptions. "Why would he leave this? It can't have been an accident right?" Lucas paused in thought and looked over at me, a concerned yet curious look spread over my face.

Before I could question Lucas, he had already opened his mouth as if he knew I was going to question him. "This is a scroll casing," Lucas said pointing to the object in his other hand with his cigarette. "That enough to satisfy your curiosity?"

"Fritz doesn't seem like the type to be careless seeing how he's evaded the enforcers thus far, right? But he left a scroll here, it wouldn't be a mistake." Lucas said to himself deep in thought, then looked over at me again. "Oh and don't tell Darius about this either ok?"

"Why wouldn't we tell Dairus? Isn't it better if we tell him?"

Lucas raised his voice, "Are you joking? If we just leave it here, it might save us from getting into whatever mess Fritz is involved in, and by the looks of it, it could be very well dangerous and out of our league!"

Out of our league? Lucas, I thought you were good at your job?

Although I wasn't aware of the danger that could be, I could definitely tell Lucas wasn't joking or pulling one over me. His face had that look of innate fear even without the expression of terror, a face I was most familiar with.