AllFreeNovel
Share Us
As Fiona and Jake stepped into the Portland aquarium, they were immediately surrounded by the bustle of excited children and the salty smell that was inescapable in the air. The tanks of sea creatures glowed in the light, and their eyes were agog with curiosity as they pressed their faces against the glass. In contrast to the joy that filled this place, Fiona could feel an undeniable tension emanating from Jake, creating an incongruous atmosphere given the reason for their visit.
"Alright," Jake murmured, scanning the crowd for any sign of Hal Troy. "Let's split up and cover more ground. We need to find him before he slips away."
Fiona nodded, her gaze flicking between the colorful displays and the families that milled around them. She moved through the crowd, her senses on high alert as she searched for the man who might hold the key to solving this thing. They had seen his photo, so they knew they were looking for a skinny, pale man with light blonde hair. On top of that, he had noticeably round ears, a distinct trait that Fiona hoped would make him easy to spot in among the crowd.
She spotted an employee up ahead and jogged over to her.
"Excuse me, have you seen this man?" she asked, flashing a photo of Hal to a staff member standing by one of the larger tanks. The young woman shook her head, her eyes flicking over the image briefly before returning to her work.
"Sorry, I haven't seen him," she said, her tone polite but dismissive. Fiona thanked her and continued the search.
She found herself drawn to the touch tank, where children squealed in delight as they reached out to stroke the slick skin of a passing stingray. In the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a familiar face, and her heart skipped a beat – there, leaning against the railing, was Hal Troy.
She took out her phone and instantly called Jake. "Jake," she hissed into her phone, her voice low and urgent. "I found him. Touch tank, near the stingrays."
"Copy that," came Jake's terse reply, and within moments, he was at her side, his eyes locked onto their target. But there was something unexpected about the scene before them, something that gave them pause – Hal was not alone.
"Is that his son?" Fiona asked quietly, her eyes narrowed as she watched the little boy beside Hal laugh at the antics of a playful sea otter. Hal seemed almost tender as he ruffled the child's hair, an expression of genuine affection on his face.
"Let's find out," Jake said, and together they approached the pair. As they drew nearer, Hal looked up and caught sight of them, his face paling slightly under their scrutiny.
"Can I help you?" he asked, his voice wavering just a touch. Jake flashed his badge.
"Mr. Troy, I'm Agent Jake Tucker with the FBI. This is my partner, Fiona Red. We need to speak with you."
Fiona could see the fear flicker in Hal's eyes as he glanced down at the child beside him. "This is my son," he said, his voice filled with quiet desperation. "Please, whatever this is about, can we talk somewhere else?"
"Of course," Jake replied, his tone softening only slightly. "Why don't you take your son to look at the fish while we have a chat?"
As Hal led the boy away, Fiona watched his back. Hal seemed nice enough, like a father who was merely here to spend time with his child. But there could be something much darker hidden beneath the surface, and Fiona's jaw tensed as she imagined this going wrong. It was a public place, and the last thing she wanted was to traumatize Hal's son.
Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that.
Hal's son scampered off to press his nose against the glass of a nearby tank, entranced by the vibrant colors and sinuous movements of the fish. Fiona couldn't help but glance over at the boy, struck by his innocent curiosity in this moment. She turned her attention back to Hal, who sat across from them at a small table near the floor-to-ceiling tank of jellyfish that pulsed hypnotically behind him.
"Alright, Mr. Troy," Jake began, his voice steady and controlled. "I understand you're the office administrator at Insect Away Home."
"Well, yes," Hal said. "Is something the matter? Did something happen at work?"
"Actually, Mr. Troy," Fiona cut in, "we're looking into a series of murders, and we believe your workplace is the connection."
Hal's brow furrowed as he listened, clearly baffled by their line of questioning. "Murders? Why are you looking into me? I've been with my kid these past few days while my wife's out of town." He hesitated for a moment, his gaze flicking nervously between them. "You can ask our babysitter if you don't believe me. I only leave him when I go to work."
Fiona studied his face, trying to gauge the sincerity of his words. His eyes held a hint of desperation, but she also sensed something else - an underlying determination, as though he was fighting to hold on to something precious.
"Your criminal record," Jake said, not unkindly. "It raised some red flags for us."
Hal let out a short, bitter laugh. "That was years ago--a stupid bar fight in my twenties. I'm a changed man now. I care about my family and doing good work. I'm no killer, and I have no idea who's even dead."
As he spoke, Fiona glanced over at Hal's son again, watching as he stared wide-eyed at the swirling mass of jellyfish. She could see that same determination mirrored in the child's face, and she found herself wanting to believe Hal's story, hoping that they hadn't stumbled across another monster.
"Mr. Troy," she said softly, "we understand that people can change. But we have a responsibility to follow up on any possible leads in this case. We're trying to stop a killer before they strike again."
Hal nodded solemnly, his eyes meeting hers with a quiet intensity that made her shiver. "I get that. I really do. But it's not me you should be looking for. I’ve been out of town for the past couple days with my son. You can check my bank records—you’ll see we went to an amusement park and stayed at a hotel.”
Fiona exchanged a look with Jake. She could tell by his expression that they were on the same page about this; Hal Troy likely wasn't the killer.
"Alright," Jake said finally after a long silence filled only with the hum of the aquarium filters and the distant chatter of families exploring the exhibits. "We'll need those bank statements. We'll check your alibi, but if everything lines up, then that's all we'll need from you."
