The Puzzle’s Complete!

“ What are you guys talking about? On which investigation did you send her?” Lucas inquired inquisitively.

…

“ I sent her to investigate the cause behind our sudden customer increase”. Mrs. Evangelina answered Lucas’s question.

…

“ That’s right! I went on a special investigation under her command and found something interesting”.

…

“ The customers are angry as they’re not getting what they’re ordering. The chefs of the nearby restaurants are taking revenge against their customers respectively”. I said in an assertive tone.

“ Taking revenge! What exactly do you mean by that?” Sarah didn’t understand the significance behind Jennifer’s words.

“ According to what I’ve learned, the customers are not finishing their plates. That is the reason behind the chef’s anger”. I finished narrating the fruit of their investigations.

…

“ I’ve forgotten something crucial!”

…

“ The chefs are serving the customers only one type of food. I noticed that while I was in the restaurant. There was only one food on the menu and when I asked one of the waiters, he told me what I told you earlier”. The narration finally came to a close.

“ This explains why our customers have increased today. Thank you! You’ve done a splendid job”. She said thankfully.

“ You’re very welcome!”

…

“ I’m going to prepare dinner. Come with me, Sarah! You’re going to lend me a hand”. Sarah followed her mother to the kitchen.

Mrs. Evangelina and Sarah headed straight to the kitchen, leaving Jennifer and Lucas alone in the room.

“ Now that we’re finally alone, tell me what you've discovered from our secret investigation!” Lucas harbored a serious tone and his expression slightly changed.

…

“ What I’ve discovered in my secret investigation will shock you to the bone”. Jennifer’s tone and expression slightly changed.

“ Is it grave?” He inquired inquisitively.

“ Yes, very! Following that punk, I discovered something that left me perplexed. I was so stunned that I couldn’t budge a muscle”.

Jennifer narrated the results of her investigations to Lucas exactly the way it occurred in its entirety. She didn’t leave any details behind.

“ He got that young boy as a hostage and you’re saying, it could be Sarah’s younger brother”. Lucas was angered at my narration. He couldn’t believe what I told him.

“ Yes! I heard him clearly. He didn’t mention Sarah’s name but I clearly heard him say, big sister. My ears couldn’t have deceived me”. Jennifer confirmed.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen--------------

“ Sarah, I know you’re worried but everything’s gonna be okay. Now that this situation has occurred, we will be able to recuperate the majority of our customers”. Mrs. Evangelina said to her daughter with a bright smile.

Instead of being happy with what her mother told her, her expression darkened. Her mind was elsewhere.

She said nonetheless: “ We might be able to recuperate our customers but how will we earn enough to pay him back? You know it, don’t you? That scoundrel won’t let us pay him what we owe him because having control over me is what pleasures him most”.

“ Don’t worry, Sarah! We’ll certainly find a solution”. She tried to reassure her daughter in any way she could.

“ I’m worried about him. Will he be able to endure?” Sarah said in a saddened tone.

…

“ If only we knew where he is and where he’s detained, we would have been able to figure out a strategy. Unfortunately, we have no clue as to where he could be and how he’s doing”. Sarah crawled to the floor.

Several kilometers away in an abandoned house--------------

“ Big sister! Mother! When will you come for me?” The young boy wept in tears.

One of the men came to the basement where the young boy was detained. The man brought food for him to eat.

“ You have to eat”. The man said thoughtfully.

The boy said in a weakened state the following words: “ I’m not hungry. I don’t want to eat this type of food. I want my mom’s homemade food”.

“ Boy, you gotta eat something. You don’t know for how much longer you’re going to stay here. You can’t hunger yourself or you’re going to get sick”. The man tried to convince the boy to eat the food in front of him but to no avail.

( Mom! Big Sister! I miss you so much).

Back to Jennifer and Lucas-----------------

“ What are we going to do now? We can’t possibly leave that boy in that bastard’s custody”. Lucas was very angered and couldn’t stay in place.

“ We’ll certainly do something but before we do, we have to know the entire truth”. Sarah said in an affirmative tone.

“ That’s good and all but you’re forgetting that neither Mrs. Evangelina nor Sarah will tell us anything. Have you forgotten that already?” Lucas’s point was very plausible.

“ I haven’t forgotten anything, believe me! I know well enough that they wouldn’t have uncovered anything to us but things are different now in case you’ve forgotten”.

…

“ In the past, they wouldn’t have said anything but things have slightly changed in the present. We’re holding an important piece of information that’s important to them”. Jennifer was straightforward in her explanation.

“ The boy’s location, am I right?” Lucas interpreted her thoughts correctly.

“ Bingo!”

…

“ Based on my intuition, neither Mrs. Evangelina nor Sarah might be aware of the boy’s location. What do you think would happen if we were to give them the information they so seek? Do you get my point?”

“ I get your point, Jennifer! Listening to you confirms what I think of you”. Said Lucas with a slight grin.

“ I don’t understand”.

“ You’re an exceptional girl but not a normal one. You’re quite enigmatic”. He answered with a slight grin.

“ Is this a compliment? If it is, thank you!” She grinned in return.

As they were chatting happily, Mrs. Evangelina and Sarah came back from the kitchen.

“ Dinner’s ready! Come to the living room!” Sarah informed both of us.

…

“ Let’s go!” Lucas and Jennifer followed Sarah to the living room.

Having come to the living room, Lucas and Jennifer ate quietly with Mrs. Evangelina and Sarah. After dinner, Lucas and Jennifer mutually decided it was time to set their strategy in motion.

“ Mrs. Evangelina, we know everything”. Lucas said enigmatically.

“ You know everything! What do you know?” Asked Sarah’s mother with skepticism.

“ For example, we know that you have another child. That child happens to be a cute little boy. What do you say to that?” Jennifer took from where Lucas had left off.

( How do they know that? We haven’t told them anything, so how were they able to find that out?)

“ If you want to know that boy’s location, you’ll have to do something for us first”.

Having heard what Jennifer said, Mrs. Evangelina and Sarah became emotional.

“ You know where my son is! Tell us where he’s being held captive!” Sarah’s mother begged Lucas and Jennifer.

“ We promise to tell you everything you want to know once you give us the information we seek”. Said Sarah emotionally.

“ We’re glad to know that you’re willing to cooperate, but I’m sorry. If you want anything from us, you’ll have to play by our rules”.

…

“ What are your rules? We’ll accept them all”. Sarah said confidently.

“ Tell us the truth beforehand! Once you do, we’re going to tell you everything we know regarding your son. Do you accept our terms?”

“ Yes!” Sarah agreed to the condition without a second of hesitation.