Fourth Chapter: The Gutierrez Family

"Please, Aaron. We don't need those feds and cops interfering us. We need to find Renz. And I will not wait here doing nothing."

I joined the sisters going back in the mansion while the others proceeded in finding the journal in the neighborhood. Franz warned that there might be lookouts from those who are handling the case so we need to give distractions.

And for the Gutierrez to not release havoc when they cannot find their daughters.

The old man breathes deeply, maybe asking of patience from someone omniscient as the sisters keep on insisting for him to cover us. "Again, I am just your mother's most trusted friend, your family's lawyer and emergency contact."

And, Flor just unleashed her ultimate weapon! Her puppy eyes!

Aaron sighs defeatedly. The sisters cheer. "I will cover your friends, but not the two of you." When Flor is just about to protest, he interjected. "No buts. The two of you are famous personalities, not to include how known your family are. You need to act as a distraction. His friends must also be vigilant as they will be asked about the case. Only the four boys can move freely, well maybe three, if Agent Aguilar is planning to ask Francis Wang about it." Then he claps. "Now, how about you go into the dining room and wait for my pasta. Charlene and William will be back soom."

The sisters defeatedly walked outside the room, leaving me with Aaron.

He raised one of his eyebrows. "What can I do for you, Miss Aguilar?"

"Charlotte is fine, please call me that." Hesitantly, I asked, "Are you close with Renz? He mentioned you sometimes but I never thought you are that close to the siblings."

He smiled sadly. "Unfortunately, I am closest with Lauren as I am her mentor in her career. I only got close,which was new and prettty recent, with Flor because of her career as well as a famous actress and celebrity. Renz only called me for legal advices in the company or for my knowledge in the business and family, especially to his parents, so I don't think we're that close."

"That's sad," I commented. "If you already knew them for a long time, then you must know of Renz's abduction."

He nodded, stirring the spaghetti sauce he is cooking. "Yes, I did. I was the family's lawyer, I was one of the lawyers demanding for justice of what happened to the victims." He then turn off the stove and started pulling out plates to prepare our food. "It is saddening to see how that man changed and corrupted Renz for good. He wasn't always that silent type of a person, you know." His smile turned bitter while putting the pasta and sauce in the plates. "A bright young boy, happy of making his parents proud, of making the people around him laugh. Then, I guess, I should hace expected it. After all, he didn't only watched the other kids' deaths, he also watched his first, and only at that time, best friend's death. The big irony of it all, that man was trusted by the family, as well as this neighborhood." He shook his head, getting the two plates while I get the other two, helping him bring it to the dining table. "Such a tragedy, indeed."

Despite being surprise by what he is telling me, I still continue subtly watching him.

Did he told me that on purpose? Did he know more? Why me, then?

We started eating, the sisters talking about random things, from the projects Flor has, with cases Lauren has, and more. The sisters are praising Aaron to get him more flustered when their parents entered.

"Good day, girls, Aaron." Then Aunt Lene smiled at me. "Good to see you again, Charlotte. I wish it was under better circumstances."

"Good to see you, too, Aunt Lene and Uncle Liam." He waved at me as he goes toward his eldest, talking in low voices.

"Are there already guards outside?" Aaron asked as she takes a sit besides me.

"No!" Flor exclaimed, annoyed. "Please tell me they are professional enough to not ask a picture with me!"

Aunt Lene shook her head. "Not yet, as the main agents assigned with this case will join us in dinner. I already told the maids so don't bother going back in the kitchen. You are family, not our chef." Then she looks at me smiling, ignoring Aaron who sulks in his sit. "They will be with your father, so stay with us until dinner. Are Kristen and Simon about to join us?"

"I think so. I will just text them."

I texted the two quickly, telling them to let the boys do the work while we entertain the parents. Chats continued, and I join and listen as we continue talking about each other, though it was obvious to me that they don't want to talk about why would Renz left and ignored the missing presence in the table.

As always, the ever-elegant Mrs. Charlene Gutierrez talks like an elite, a respected woman that you would never thought had won a lot of cases, even the hardest of them all, even the controversial ones. Unlike Lauren, she accepted being a prosecuter. If Lauren got famous due to her unrelenting wins in cases she handled as a defended, she got controversial the first months of her time as a persecutor, as she is the kind that doesn't declare a decision without knowing and searching the case herself. She even went against the higher-ups to fight what she believes is true, and she rarely is wrong with her declaration of the truth. She was offered as the Chief Justice positive but declined, same thing happening to Lauren which she accepted.

Both of them were recognized by the International Trial Court, with Aunt Lene joining them for few years. If Lauren will also accept if ever offered by a position is still a question, which I think she is interested of. After all, she defeated the records left by her mother when she was still a defender.

While Mr. William Lexus Gutierrez might be intimidating the first time you meet him, he is actually a cool guy. With Aunt Lene's calmness comes with Uncle Liam's charms that can connect with you easily, no matter the age you are. He managed to save the company he inherited from her mother and even made it known internationally despite the alleged illegal doings of the company during her mother's time of handling the company. He even curated a museum of his artworks, which consist of architecture works, paintings, and sculptures he created since he was a kid.

I don't know where did Lauren inherited her optimism and upbeat personality and Flor her joyful yet passionate nature, though I suspect it is more from Uncle Liam as he can jokes with us time after time, maybe business made him serious but not enough to bury his witty side. Renz then inherited his mother's calmness.

I can also see the elegance with Aunt Lene and Lauren, and that charms from Uncle Liam to the three of siblings, though I think Flor got most of it.

I wonder what is the story of Aunt Lene and Uncle Liam, especially on how they met each other and ended up together.

A maid entered the room that made the chatters stop, informing us that the agents were already here with Simon and Kristen.

Two agents, Dad and a young man, entered the room with my best friends.

"It is good to see you again, Thomas, despite the circumstances, as to you, Kristen and Simon." Uncle Liam greeted, looking at the other agent. "And who is this young man? You might be good if you were sent in this case despite being a young agent yourself."

"He is Agent Elton Khan, a promising agent sent by the CIA. He was also a friend of the late Agent Sophia Meyer and has some information and resources that will help us with the case." Elton nodded respectfully to us as Dad introduced him.

"That's good to hear, Thomas." Then Uncle Liam stands up, offering his hand to shake to Elton, which he accepted immediately. He then introduced us. "Well, I don't know if Thomas already said it to you, but that couple," pointing to Simon and Kristen, "are my son's best friends together with Agent Aguilar's daughter, Charlotte, who is over there." I waved at him when he looks at me. He simply smiles. "Then there is Atty. Aaron Reyes, a family friend and our lawyer, and my wife, Atty. Charlene Gutierrez. These are my daughters, Atty. Lauren Gutierrez and Flor Gutierrez, who is publicly known as Vyrie Blanco so we need you to keep that a secret as we don't want more publicity with this case."

He greeted us back then take their own sits, with Dad sitting besides me, and started dinner.

We chat while eating, Dad and Elton, or should I call him Agent Khan, asking the necessary questions and everyone of us answered truthfully.

The dinner was okay, even until the dessert. But a tension was formed suddenly when Elton asked, "How is Clarence after he was rescued?"

I noticed Dad, Uncle Liam, Aunt Lene and Lauren stiffening, while Simon shifted uncomfortably. Aaron sips his coffee, who seems to see the question coming, while I and Kristen look confused, as we are never aware of this particular past of Renz.

Elton noticed it as well as he apologizes, but, "I understand if you cannot answer this question but I think I need to know. Details of what happened to Clarence, even the alleged ones, are already in the case files. I saw his medical records when he was found, but information of his recovery was not provided. I think your words are more reliable, though, than asking of medical records, that might be confidential if I ever ask of full details."

"Is this really necessary?" Uncle Liam asked, hesitant.

He nodded. "Yes. I believe there was an emotional manipulation involved. A number of texts from an untraceable number was found in his phone, even some emails from an untraceable source as well. Kidnapping is a probable case, but as to how is the question. No sign of struggle found in his room, as to show he willingly left that night. We cannot hacked the message, no surprise in there, but that man texted him that night. He could be asking Clarence to just meet up with him somewhere, not aware that he will not come back home after or blackmailed him so that he will come willingly to him. The evidences, though, are confusing for them to support these, as his gadgets, like his phone, and his wallet was left in the room and nothing was missing, only him. He could just ordered Clarence to bring himself and not to bring anything with him, who knows. Which leads into my conclusion that there is manipulation involved, a lingering effect he left with him caused by years of captivity. Answering this question might clear the situation to me, as to what leads Clarence to leave and meet up with him."

The tension got heavier, maybe realizing that El...Agent Khan is right, he needed to know the extent of that man's, whatever his name that no one is mentioning it yet, effect to Renz.

"Renz is well...a wreck, especially his mind, when he was rescued," Aaron answered, in their stead. Maybe him answering is the right choice, as the others have their own attachments with Renz, even Dad that treats him like a son. "Years he spent with his family was almost erased, he didn't remember the life before his captivity. What he only remembers is he has always been with that man, so when I went to the FBI office, I expect him to lash out, but the opposite happens." His eyes narrowed at the cup he's holding. "It had been days since he was rescued, and I was told he wasn't responding to anyone, though he was answering questions from the authorities, as long as it wasn't personal, as long as the answer is a fact. But meeting him personally made me freeze. How can one of the brightest kids I had known, with so much love and passion in everything he does, can be that silent with those cold eyes? And, dare I say, in a catatonic state."

"He was responding well with orders," Dad continued, though I notice he is clearly uncomfortable with it. "He never did something for himself except to take care of his own body. No interests or likes, simply accepting what was given to him." Contemplating, he asked, "Did you watch all the retrieved recordings and videos we acquired in that case?"

Agent Khan, I will call him Elton if we became close, shakes his head. "Just read the transcripts. Agent Meyer had told me some of the specifics, which she witnessed, and I never had the courage to actually listen or watch it actually happening."

"Well, like Atty. Reyes said, he was catatonic. It took years for him to recover, as what I had known and told, his captivity was never opened to him except to his counsellor as he cannot remember it at all. It was like his mind tried saving him by forgetting or keeping it in the deepest parts of his mind." He takes a glance at the couple. "Simon was the catalyst why he started speaking again, right?"

Aunt Lene nodded. "Yes. He was diagnosed selectively mute, but Simon managed to destroy whatever wall my son created to himself. Meeting Simon seems like snapping back to reality with Renz, that's when he started healing."

"But we cannot forget that he was also diagnosed of Stockholm Syndrome," Agent Khan interjected. "If he never speak of his years of captivity, then maybe questioning you further is nonsense. Can you give some information or observations, at least?"

"We believed there were trigger words, as some retrieved recordings proved that there was a mind manipulation, brainwashing and conditioning were the deduced he specifically used. If there were actually trigger words, we never found out." Dad said.

"It was strange but he never had a panic attack," Uncle Liam then said. "He was just catatonic or simply mute and following what he was told to do. I don't remember my son crying too, except once, when my eldest shouted at him in frustrations and despite of wearing a blank face, tears start falling in his eyes. It was also around the time that Simon had already befriended him"

"I will give you my own files tomorrow so go into my office first thing in the morning," Agent Khan nodded as Dad told him that. He then thanks us, then kisses me in my forehead as he said to take care and stay in either Simon's or Kristen's for the night.

"Thank you again for your time, we will update you with any changes in the case." Then he looks at me tenderly. "See you tomorrow, Princess."

"Take care!"

Then I noticed the relief of the Gutierrez family, even Simon. My eyes narrowed.

There are still secrets. Why do they need to keep secrets?

And why no one mentioned the name of the person who abducted Franz?