Evelyn West

Chapter Six

Later, Mitchel was once again walking around town, looking for some clue. He thought about going to church to meet and talk to the priest, but gave up on the way. What could he possibly know in addition to what was already being said? What's more, he was being accused of something he didn't do. He was already in more than enough trouble to worry about.

"I have to talk to the farm foreman or Nico. But how do I get there?"

He stopped by the police station to find out if his friend Felipe had news. And lucky for him, he had some... some were good, but he had some really bad.

_ Hi Mitchel, I was thinking about you.

_ Hi! So, did you get anything?

_ Man, you were right, that pastor managed to convince the entire city to be against the priest!

_ Serious?

_ Yes and now I'm going to church to arrest him!

_ Why?

_ Requests from the new delegate. He thought it best to arrest the priest for his own salvation before he was lynched by the people!

"But this one now?"

_ And the new delegate wants to talk to you.

_ Wonder! I hope we join forces to find out what's going on here.

_ Worse than not. He wants you out of the camp and, if possible, out of town!

_ WHAT? _ Mitchel did not understand that attitude of the new delegate. He asked his friend why. Felipe was very embarrassed when answering, but as he had been a friend of the journalist since he was a child, he had to speak.

_ Well ... just like the pastor, he also thinks he just came after a good report, as you always do. We tried to explain that you came more because it was a request from the late Marshal Mathias, but he refused to understand. He is a very arrogant guy!

_ Yeah... I'm in this alone.

_ What is it man, I'm with you, your family too, I hope... and Nico too!

_ Did you talk to him?

_ Yes. He asked to meet you tomorrow at lunchtime at Dona Rosa's pension. And don't worry, it contains all the information you need. But he really has to be there, not to miss him at the Farm.

_ OK man, thanks!

*******

The next day, Mitchel was on his way to Dona Rosa's pension to meet his old friend Nico. He was very anxious to find out more details about the Andaluz Farm case. But it was not easy to leave the house to go to the pension. First, he and his sister needed to calm down their parents, who were still very upset at Pastor Silas' words. More than some on-call gossips say, they saw the headless mule trotting among the properties in the region.

Whether it's true, you don't know... but according to what you've heard, more horse tracks have been found, along with green slime and an unbearable stench of carrion lingering in the air. It may even be a coincidence, but rifle shots were also heard within a one-kilometer radius during the night.

And when he finally made it out of the house, he came face to face with a bald guy in a denim jacket and sunglasses. He must be the new sheriff, Detective Sánchez.

_ Good morning. You must be Mitchel Junqueira, the journalist who came to "investigate" the case of the "headless mule" that occurs here in New Andaluzia.

Mitchel just looked him up and down and felt a shiver down his spine. He reached out to shake her hand but didn't even move forward.

_ Good day sir...

_ Detective Sanchez. I came to take the place of the previous delegate.

_ Nice to meet you, detective. Yes, it's really me. And if you don't mind, I'm in a bit of a rush and...

_ I know very well who you are, the journalist who is known for playing s**t on the fans. What are you going to do around here, throw this f*****g story to the press?

"What a beauty, the guy already knows my story! I just made another enemy!"

_ Look, Detective Sánchez, something is happening around here and I think we could join forces to find out what happened.

_ Yes, there really is something wrong in this city. But you just want to help get a good story. Not because you care.

Mitchel had an overwhelming desire to tell the arrogant detective some good truths, but he held back. He's already made enmity with Pastor Silas and didn't need another.

_ Well, I came to visit my family and...

_ Do not need to lie. I know it came at the request of the deceased delegate. I saw your name and phone number on your paperwork. But now that he's no longer here with us, God rest his soul, you can leave. You are excused from the investigation.

That was the last straw. That half-bowl detective had barely arrived and was simply kicking him out of his hometown.

_ Look my friend, you can't just come out of nowhere and send me away! There's a serial killer in town and people here could be in danger, including my family. And this Pastor Silas is taking advantage of the situation to pull the wool over eyes!

_ And how are you so sure that you are a serial killer? Are you by any chance accusing the pastor without evidence?

_ I'm not sure, it's just intuition. And I'm not accusing anyone, but look, two people died in a very strange way and we both know that this headless mule is just a folklore legend. Please acknowledge that something is wrong here!

_ And that's why I was assigned to the case. And don't worry, I plan to find out what happened.

"Damn it!"

_ I recommend that you leave New Andaluzia until the end of the day, preferably forever, if you don't want to go to the bad.

As his friend Felipe had warned him, he was a man beyond arrogance. Seeing that he had no way of arguing, at least not yet, Mitchel decided to change his strategy. He returned home, but hid behind the gate just waiting for the detective to leave. Just to be sure, he scaled the wall of the neighbor's house to return to the street. Luckily for him, there was no one home, least of all a dog. For these situations, he always has plan B.

As soon as he finally made it to the street, he ran as fast as he could to Dona Rosa's pension. And in an attempt to lose whoever it was, he followed, in and out of several streets. He ended up passing through the city's large public square and came face to face with a crowd of people. He decided to stay there among the people. Suddenly, he heard someone talking. It was the pastor doing his oratory.

"What a beauty, I escaped the cauldron to end up in the frying pan!"

He had to get out of there as fast as possible before the pastor saw him and ordered the people to go after him.