"What do you want to know?" He asked, breaking the silence between us. I waited for him to speak first. I gave him an eye contact he couldn't break which resulted in him, asking me.
"Everything you know about Ven," I answered. "Where is this going?" I looked back at Taylor, who was staring at nowhere in the car. While Sofia's still busy talking to that other officer. He leaned in closer, placing his arms on the table, not breaking our eye contact. "Don't believe me, huh?"
"Ven never mentioned a friend to me here in Australia," I crossed my arms.
"That may be because he doesn't want you to know about me,"
"And why would he hide a friend like you, if you're really his friend?"
"Do you need my help or not?"
I don't know if he's lying. I can't tell if he really is connected to Ven. But I guess I won't lose anything if I will try. "Tell me. How are you related to him?"
"Don't you recognize me at all? Okay, maybe he really didn't tell you about it."
"Get to the point!" I should be polite to him, bearing in mind that he's a policeman but I feel like I'm wasting my time with him. "Okay, calm down, young lady," he chuckled. We look like we're the same age yet, he's calling me young. I don't have time to argue with a stranger right now. The last time I did, led me here.
"I'm Dr. Brown's son," he introduced.
"How am I supposed to recognize you by telling me you're a son of some sort of a doctor,"
"Dr. Kristoff Brown, doctor of psychology," he repeated.
"Doctor of what?" I heard him right, but I wanted to confirm it.
"My father is Ven's psychiatrist, resigning in Germany." My jaw dropped. "You see, Germany's a big country. But Dad is one of the so-called greatest psychiatrists in there. He's the one who diagnosed Ven's Capgras syndrome. Twice a week, he would visit Dad's psychological clinic for his therapy. And it happened to occur that in some cases, I would be there. While waiting in line, I would talk to him occasionally then we became friends. He told me about his problems, his worries, and you,"
"When did he start going on therapies?"
"Like... two or three years ago? I'm not sure, maybe four."
"What did you last talk to him?"
"Last year. I was designated here after that so I never saw him again."
"What else did he tell you?"
"It's you who he'd always come up with. And then he'll be talking about how he's planning to tell his family about his condition and to you as well." He sighed. "My dad suggested he take on a quick quarantine. Like a year alone or two. Since his disorder wasn't at its critical level yet, it was the best way to cure it. Dad also said that it shouldn't be triggered by anyone, and he'll be fine. But he made a backup plan. In case it starts to get worse, he'll take Dad's suggestion. So he asked me to help him find an affordable lot to build a small house here." Yes, I triggered it already.
Darn it. I just realized that if I didn't try to change myself for what I thought was better, then all of these shouldn't have happened. It's all my fault.
"Hold up, you know where his house is, right now?" He nodded.
"I helped him build it for quite some time,"
"Can you please help us?" I went from being a snob to a teary-eyed baby real quick.
"I can give you a few clues, but I can't tell you where exactly he is." I was awakened by an absurd energy inside me. It's like I was electrified the moment he smiled. I ruptured out in hope again.
"Wow, thank you in advance," he just smiled at me.
"Ven loves you a lot, you know that? He's too good of a guy to sacrifice his world to save yours." I smiled back at him.
"16," he said all of a sudden.
"What?"
"That's all I can tell you, I'm sorry." He stood up, but I grabbed his arms and looked him straight in the eyes. "16 what?" He shook his head and began walking away, leaving me there, as I watched him disappear.
I sighed and walked back to the car, keeping the folder in my hands. I saw Sofia sitting at the back already, with a big bright smile. Probably because of that guy he was talking to.
"Where have you been?" She asked.
"Just talked to... someone," She nodded. "Look, there's this officer who was claiming to-"
I cut my own words. I still am not sure if Taylor already knows Ven's state. I hesitated at first, but then I continued, hoping she did. "He was claiming to be connected with Ven,"
"What?" They both leaned in closer to me.
"He was telling me that he's the son of Ven's psychiatrist and that he became close with him, even helped him build his small house here." I ensued. "The number 16 was all that he told me, saying that it's all he can state. Yet, I don't understand what that's got to do with Ven."
"Just take note of it, I'm sure we can make use of that in the future," Taylor replied. I was surprised when she didn't react astonished when I mentioned the word psychiatrist. Maybe Ven told her already? Or maybe she found it out, herself.
"Oh, by the way, that other officer there, he's cute and he asked for my Instagram! Agh!" Sofia screamed, kicking the air, with her eyes closed while celebrating. I rolled my eyes at her behavior. Taylor, on the other hand, was just laughing.
"Oh, by the way, have you read the page?" She said.
"I almost forgot," I giggled while Sofia handed it to me since she was the one closest to our bags.
Blue, blue, blue. Blue... Uniform!
The page said.
It's the one I was supposed to read yesterday. But since we spent it in jail, I couldn't. "This shows that the officer was telling the truth," I said. I turned to the next page.
1113
YOU ARE READING
German Boy
Teen Fiction"I wish it was always summer. So I can always be with this German boy." Jaraiah Jace Carpenter used to be a happy girl playing in the streets with her best friend, and lived life to the fullest. But Ven Bottcher was far away from her. He doesn't tal...
