BLOODY LOVE'S
Chapter 27's

Jose shook his head in astonishment at such questions. “He's just ... well, I don't see it quite clearly. I mean, that's a long way, Dok—“

“Don't be like a stranger so, I'm your uncle,” cut Rolan fast. “If you don't want to call ‘Paman’, you can call me ‘Kakak’. It feels better.”

“Call him ‘Paman’, Jose," Marco reigns.

“OK, further, you don't see it quite clearly. But you did see it.” Rolan patted his thigh lightly, turning the discussion back on the main topic.

Jose nodded in agreement. “At first I saw him at Higgins' cottage, and he .. sniffed, it felt so weird. Then I told Uncle Marco. And the second time I saw him, he was on the west wing of the house. Do the same, sniff.”

Rolan rubbed his neatly shaved chin, his face looking like he was thinking hard. “The two figures you saw are indeed the same figure? You sure it wasn't two people?”

Jose ponders. After Rolan said it in such a way, now he began to think that maybe there are indeed many such creatures scattered in this house. He tried to recall what he saw. A black figure that moved his head like it was sniffing. There are no more shadows. Everything is too vague. Too far. So Jose gave a slow coil which meant not knowing. “I can't confirm it.”

“Why assume that it is indeed two people?” search Marco.

“Lho, didn't you ask for a scientific explanation?” reply Rolan cheerful. “If you want logical thinking, it is impossible for anyone to change places that quickly! Eliminate only the impossible, we will get the easiest guess: there are at least two people roaming this land. And maybe your two maids saw it by accident, and then either what the guy did, maybe scaring or what, so that scared the ladies. No sign of physical violence, they do not make direct contact with your intruders.”

“But if it is a human,” Edgar said, “should the workers be able to find them.”

“Well, maybe they can fly?” sahut Rolan lightly. “Or disappear? But that would make our intruders magical creatures. Marco didn't want that, so a streak of imagination just now. We assume they have above average physical strength, they can run very fast.”

“It feels impossible, as fast as it is. Time without sound?” Jose.

“There really is no sound?” reply Rolan again. “Maybe you didn't hear. Maybe his voice was covered in another voice. There are many other possibilities I can mention.”

“How about other options?” Marco demanded.

“Good, this is the last one. What if those people—the ghost, the intruder, or whatever you call—find the secret passage in this house? You know, like the ones in mystery novels. The room inside the wall, or the secret passageway behind the bookcase. Those kind of things. How old is this house? It's old, right?”

“Omong empty! This house is constantly being restored and renovated, there is no such road!” argue Edgar.

“How old is this house?” Rolan would not listen.

“I saw the figure appear on the west wing,” Jose announced the obvious. Face surprised. “Maybe there is ..”

“Maybe.” Rolan snapped a finger.

After getting an idea of a possible secret passage, Marco decides to look for the blueprints of the house. He believes he still keeps it in his study. At Renata and Edgar's request, Rolan finally agreed to stay with them—at least until things got safer. Meanwhile, Jose is forced to live in the east wing of the house. At first, Jose refused. The argument is, both the western and eastern wings are the same. The intruder was in both places. Marco and Renata are pushy, but nothing can beat Jose's stubbornness. So two workers were stationed at Jose's doorstep for the next two nights.

Jose himself felt that it was excessive, but he no longer refused. The shadow of the figure sniffing and knowing the ins and outs of this house made him a little horrified.

***

Nolan felt uncomfortable being escorted home by some big men. He felt like a clown and was being made fun of. He was a tough kid from a hard area, not supposed to be escorted home like a whiny baby who didn't know the world.

Unfortunately, the Argent family is much more stubborn about Bjork's condition. They insist that at five in the morning it is still too dangerous— without knowing that at this hour, Nolan has come out alone to sell mushrooms in the market.

People started to take to the streets, the patrol police were already pacing around while rubbing their frozen palms. Cold steam came out from the mouths of the people on the street. Nolan sniffed, smelling the smell of freshly baked pies. There are other smells such as wet wood, damp streets, dewy smells, and all the morning scents. He enjoys that. Very enjoy. If only it were not surrounded by three working men who are large and hard-faced.

As if that wasn't bad enough, beside him was a young master of a wealthy family who would occasionally jump over a wall fence or logs. Plus there was a strange man who claimed to be a doctor. Nolan did not believe. The doctors he knew were all wearing white suits. The white coat is the identity uniform of the doctors.

The brown-haired, pea-eyed man who was always smiling next to him did not look like a doctor at all. More like... the rich.

“You look at me again,” said the man, showing off his row of clean white teeth as he smiled. “Is there anything you want to ask?”

“Contacted. I can take care of myself,” Nolan replied without looking over. “You and the people in that house always impose a will. Rich people suck!”

“My name is Rolan, and I'm not rich.” The man smiled wider. He waved and nodded at the people who greeted them.

“Omong empty! There is no doctor who is not rich! All doctors are rich! You guys are draining a lot of money from your patients.”

“Of course not so. The drugs that have to be given, the equipment that needs to be replaced, the serum, the research books, all of them are expensive. We can't even eat to pay for all this. Not to mention the tiredness.” Rolan bowed to Nolan, giving a whisper full of conspiracy. “I'm a Argent family doctor. Because they consider me family, I don't get paid. Understand?”