~~~~~~~~~~
Jared's suspicions about the whereabouts of Victor were right on. He was still at the castle and specifically the library. Jared walked in alone intending to catch Victor unawares.
`Aren't you supposed to be somewhere by now?' Victor asked without even turning.
`Gorham asked me to come ask you a few things.'
`The way we parted ways... I didn't think he had anything more to ask.'
`It's about Sidney.'
Victor turned to him as he put the book back. `What about Sidney? I told him everything I knew.'
`He wanted to know if you had any idea who would want to kidnap Sidney.'
Victor chuckled and went back to look for a book. „Several names come to mind.'
`Like who?'
`Well, my mother for one. The Duke Winkina. Sisters of the hood and her ex-boyfriend,
James Petersen. Why?'
Jared ignored the question and asked his own. `Why would they want her?'
`Our mother wants her in order to finish the ritual she was performing so that she dies and her youth be transferred to her. The duke of Winkina has actually ever managed to kidnap her. He would try again if situation allowed it but he's incapacitated now,' Victor gave Jared an odd look but went back to search for the book. `The sisters of the hood need her for her knowledge in stones and charmed artifacts. She did go with them once because she was curious but they were impressed by her knowledge and want her back. Her ex is simply obsessed with her.'
`Who would want to kidnap her now?'
`Now?' Victor asked but he was reaching for a book and didn't see Jared nod. `Now I would say that it is her ex, James.' Jared wanted to say something but he thought better of it. `She told me that he saw her in town a couple of days ago. I was supposed to take care of him but haven't gotten round to it.' He stopped what he was doing and faced Jared fully. `Why all these questions?'
`Sidney has been kidnapped.' Jared noticed that the latter didn't react. `And Gorham has you as the first suspect.'
`But as you can see, I haven't left the castle!'
`You may have done this in another way.'
`Why don't you just arrest me now?'
Jared smiled at the attempt to provoke him. `I just want to know where she is.'
`You are assuming that I know that which I don't.'
`Did you assign someone to have her kidnapped so that you would have what the late queen used to call plausible deny-ability?'
`You are still assuming that I had something to do with her kidnapping.'
`Did you or did you not have something to do with this?'
`No.'
`But you know who did it.'
`Of course now that you have told me that she has been kidnapped there is only one person I can think of who comes to my mind as the first suspect.'
`James Petersen? Where can we find him?'
`I have no idea.'
`If you knew she was going to be kidnapped then shouldn't you have done something to prevent it?'
`Curiosity.' He walked towards Jared. `Haven't you ever wondered what the extents of
Gorham’s powers are?'
`You're not going to reel me in this plot of yours.' He made a step back but Victor could see that he was thinking about it.
`Love and hatred are the best motivators in the world. He'll want to rescue Sidney and have his revenge on the person who did this.'
`I have already seen how he can have his revenge...'
`You mean the way Eric was squashed by the walls in his cell?' He smiled mischievously.
`That was child's play compared to what I know is hiding within him.'
`What are you talking about?'
`His full powers,' Victor's eyes never wavered from his counterpart before him. The decision was made and there was no turning back.