Chapter Four
They eagerly waited for an opportunity to meet Richard after lunch but couldn't since the police were there to investigate more about the case. They were sent upstairs to their room since uncle David's friend came over for a talk.
"I'm dying to hear what the police have to say about the theft," said Daryll longingly looking outside his window at granny Blair's house.
"Di, quick hand me my binoculars, " said Daryll excitedly. Diana rushed over to his closet and took out his binoculars and handed them over to Daryll. He took them quickly and started looking through them, adjusting the view well.
"Jasper, come here. Is that the man you bumped into? Check that man hiding in the bushes opposite granny Blair's house watching over," he said as Jasper jumped up and excitedly went over to him. He took the binoculars from Daryll's hands and looked through them.
"No, this guy looks younger. He looks a little similar. Maybe he's a younger brother or something. Wait, he's trying to hide, no he's running away at top speed. I wonder why?" Said Jasper. He watched a little more and then handed the binoculars to Daryll.
"He ran away at top speed frightened off by someone. Was he scared of the police or Richard?" Said Jasper, thinking out loud. Daryll kept watching through his binoculars.
"No one came out so maybe he saw someone inside and he was scared that he would be recognised," said Daryll.
"After the police leave we could go to that bush where he was hiding to see if he left any clues," suggested Nicholas.
The children agreed and waited for the police to leave. After an hour the police left and the children went to take permission from Nora Hawkes to go out. Daryll wanted to take them to the local library just outside the premises of their residential complex.
First they went towards the bushes where that mysterious man was hiding. They searched but couldn't find any clues nearby. "There's nothing here apart from this trash," said Diana.
"Trash? What trash?" Asked Daryll. He couldn't see any trash around anywhere.
Diana opened her palm and showed a crumpled up piece of paper. "Where did you find that?" He asked holding out his palm. Diana handed him the paper.
"Over there near that bush. I picked it up to throw it into a dustbin," said Diana, pointing towards a bush which was infact quite far away from the place where they were searching.
Daryll unfolded the paper and spread it out on a wall nearby. There was something scribbled upon it with a pencil.
248VBK1323
"What could this be?" Daryll wondered out aloud, looking at the strange code while the others peered into the piece of paper in his hands.
"There's something written at the back too," said Nicholas. Daryll turned the paper and saw an address written over it.
321 West 7th, Richmond, Virginia 23224
"That's granny Blair's house, isn't it Daryll?" Asked Diana widening her eyes.
"Yes, this is granny Blair's address, " confirmed Daryll. "But what a out the code?" He asked puzzled by it.
"The burglary took place on the 24th of this month so maybe 24.8 is the date of burglary," said Nicholas. The children gaped at him. He was right.
"Bravo, that makes sense," said Jasper. "Now the rest of the code but wait," he stopped to look at granny Blair's house. "Jenna's going out. Let's go and meet Richard and granny Blair. "
They all agreed and went up to granny's house and rang the doorbell. A man around twenty-five years of age with dirty blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes opened the door. He stared at the children with a curious look on his face. What was strange about him was that while his right eye focussed upon them, his left eye did not move at all.
"Yes? How may I help you?" He asked with a frown.
"We live in the house, over there. We've come to see granny Blair please, " said Skylar.
"Okay, come in children, " he said, moving away and allowing them to go inside.
"Who's there, Richard?" Asked granny.
"Granny, it's us," chorused the children. Granny Blair smiled as they entered the living room.
"I was waiting for you to visit me, children, " she said. "So what have you found out?" She asked with avid interest. The children looked at a smiling Richard standing beside them.
"Oh let me introduce you," said granny Blair. "This is my grandson Richard. He'll stay and help with the investigation. "
"Hi, I'm Daryll, " introduced Daryll.
"Hi, I'm Jasper, " said Jasper, shaking Richard's hand.
"Hi, I'm Skylar," said Skylar, shyly.
"Hi, I'm Nicholas, " said Nicholas, with a small wave at Richard.
"And I'm Diana," said Diana with a smile on her face.
"Hello children, so good to see you," Richard said.
"Come and sit, children," invited granny. "Now tell us what you've found. Don't mind Richard. He's here to help."
The children looked at one another. Should they discuss freely in front of Richard? After all they had just met him? However seeing granny's confidence in her grandson, they decided to share with them what they had found.
"You can trust Richard," said granny seeing their hesitation.
"Yes, I've completely changed after my accident," said Richard.
"Accident?" Chorused the children.
"Yes, I had an accident when I was with my motorcycle gang five years ago. I lost my eyesight from my left eye. I left the gang and now I run a small cafe near my house in Kentucky. Trust me children, I have come here to stay with granny forever. I don't want to go back. I'm looking for a job nearby," said Richard.
The children listened intently ay his story. They decided that they could trust Richard after all.
"We found another old jacket stud from the park where I bumped into the burglar," said Jasper, taking out the stud from his pocket.
Richard took it from him. "This looks like it's from my motorcycle gang's jacket," he said curiously.
