For what is mine, I'll come myself

Part 5

Inside was dark. The light from the window did a little to illuminate the dining room. The furniture was antique, set of green golden armed sofas with a round wooden table. The west side of the room had a dark wooden shelve having some books, old decoration pieces and toys, some dolls, cars and trains. The walls were void of any sort of painting or pictures. Only flower printed paper that seemed to be wearing off revealing the scrubby walls beneath. The window gave the view of the garden shaded with trees and Jason could clearly see the swings in the middle, small and safe swings for little kids. The room had a cool atmosphere with a scent of wet soil.

Outside the door of the room he could see a stair case leading up. Two little pale faces stared at him from in between the wood railings.
Children, a girl of almost five years of age clutching a stuffed doll and a boy standing  behind her; eight or nine he guessed, with his hands protectively resting on the girls shoulder. Given their resemblance he could tell they were siblings. 

Grandchildren?
The way they stared was enough to send chills up his spine. Expressionless they were, their eyes said something he couldn't quite understand.
Some way across the house he could hear the clattering of cups and plates in the kitchen.

Jason had helped the old woman carry the things inside and while he had largely excused himself to be gone she had forced him to stay for a cup of tea leaving him no choice in the end. He was embarrassed for the tea though.
More or less he just wanted to leave. It was strange here with a strange sense of unwanted feelings and the kids were making it even stranger.

The woman appeared in the doorway carrying a tray of small china cups, cakes and biscuits. The cutlery clattered noisily in the tray held by her trembling hands. Jason got up to help her place in on the table, feeling more embarrassed for all the dear hospitality while the woman closed the door dismissing the children. That was nice enough. 
She came to take a chair in front of him offering him the tea and sliding the eatables towards him urging him to eat.

"Thank you.....it wasn't needed though."

The woman smile, old enough, she seemed to have all teeth intact. If he was judging accurately she wore the sort of expressions people did when they came carrying hopes to him. Jason was always touched by that. By how people put their trust in him and he worked until he had paid that all off.
She put a piece of cake in his plate.

"You must be here with some news about Miss Lina?"

He almost choked on his tea.
"Miss..who?"

"Miss Lina..... Youre a detective right?"

So the woman had expectations. Hopes, which he was afraid, would wash away the next minute.
"Im sorry but...this is the first time I hear that name."

And he was right. Her smiled disappeared and her eyes lowered to her hands in her lap which clenched and unclenched restlessly.
Jason put the cup down.
He was sorry.
But something clicked in sooner.

"Is..something wrong? Can you tell me what happened?"

She was quiet for some seconds, bringing up the courage to speak though her shattered hopes.
"Miss Lina... she's the guardian of this orphanage. She left home two days ago for work.... and didnt come back.
So this was an orphanage. She was the guardian and ....this was also her home?"

"I want you to find a young girl who disappeared two days ago"

This was it. Progress!
He was glad he could give her a little hope.
"I think someone.... probably a friend I guess....she came to relay about Miss....Lina yesterday, at the station. The name wasn't given so I couldn't tell."