Chapter 128: 128 Serious facts

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128: Serious facts 128: Serious facts The morning sun cast long shadows across Bruce’s elegant mansion as Mishka arrived, her thoughts still churning from their meeting with Rose the previous evening.

She found Bruce in his studio, sketching designs that would never see the light of day – his way of thinking through complex problems.

“Any revelations about Rose’s son?” Mishka asked, settling into a plush armchair near his drafting table.

The Moonstone’s presence in her bag felt heavier than usual, a constant reminder of their growing suspicions about her grandmother.

Bruce set down his pencil, running a hand through his disheveled blonde hair.

“I’ve been making calls all morning.

Naval records show Captain James Morrison’s last known location was near the Japanese coast, but there’s something odd about the reports.

They’re…

incomplete.

Like someone deliberately removed information.”

“That fits with what Rose told us,” Mishka mused.

“She said the military investigation just stopped suddenly, without explanation.

But how would Grandma be involved in something like that?

She was just a local fortune teller back then.”

“Was she?” Bruce’s eyes took on that wolfish gleam that emerged when he was onto something.

“I spoke with the Curtleys again.

Apparently, your grandmother traveled extensively in East Asia during that same period.

They thought she was studying with spiritual masters, but…”

“But what if she was tracking Rose’s son?” Mishka leaned forward, her voice dropping to a whisper despite them being alone.

“The timing can’t be coincidental.

And now these sudden questions about missing wolves, right when we’re looking into the disappearance?”

Bruce stood and began pacing, a habit that emerged when his wolf nature grew restless.

“There’s more.

I had Graham check some old records.

The night Captain Morrison disappeared, there was a rare lunar phenomenon – a blue moon that appeared blood-red due to atmospheric conditions.”

“The kind of moon that amplifies magical artifacts,” Mishka breathed.

Her hand instinctively went to her bag where the Moonstone lay hidden.

“Like our Moonstone.”

“Exactly.” Bruce stopped at the window, staring out at the forest beyond.

“Your grandmother’s recent obsession with witch lore and wolves…

what if it’s not new at all?

What if she’s been involved in something much darker, for much longer than we realized?”

Mishka felt a chill despite the warm morning.

“We need to be careful how we proceed.

If Grandma really is behind Captain Morrison’s disappearance, and if she’s now trying to get the Moonstone…”

“Then we’re dealing with someone far more dangerous than a simple fortune teller,” Bruce finished.

He turned back to Mishka, his expression grave.

“We need to speak with Rose again.

But first, we should visit that naval base near the coast.

There might be records they didn’t digitize, details about the last people who saw Captain Morrison.”

“I can’t just walk into a naval base,” Mishka pointed out.

“I’m too recognizable.

One photo of me investigating a decades-old disappearance would set the tabloids on fire.”

A slight smile crossed Bruce’s face.

“No, but I can.

The base commander’s wife is one of my best clients.

And you’d be surprised how many doors open when you’re a wealthy fashion designer offering to host a charity gala for veteran families.”

“Clever wolf,” Mishka said, managing a small smile despite her worry.

“But we need to move quickly.

Grandma’s been watching me more closely lately.

This morning she asked where I was last night, said she had a ‘vision’ of me in danger.”

“A warning?” Bruce asked, his protective instincts clearly rising.

“Or a threat,” Mishka replied softly.

“Either way, we need answers.

For Rose’s sake, and maybe for our own safety now too.”

Bruce nodded, already reaching for his phone.

“I’ll set up the meeting at the base.

But Mishka…” He paused, catching her gaze.

“We need to consider that finding these answers might mean losing your grandmother.”

Mishka stood, squaring her shoulders.

“If she really did make Rose’s son disappear, then I lost my grandmother a long time ago.

I just didn’t know it.”

The silence that followed was broken by a sharp knock at the studio door.

Graham entered, his usually composed face betraying concern.

“Bruce, there’s something you both need to see.”

He handed Bruce a yellowed envelope, its edges crumbling with age.

Inside was a photograph that made Mishka’s breath catch in her throat.

It showed a younger version of her grandmother standing on what appeared to be a naval vessel, her arm linked with a handsome officer in full uniform.

The date stamp read exactly one week before Captain Morrison’s disappearance.

“Where did you find this?” Bruce demanded, his voice tight with tension.

“It was hidden in an old filing cabinet in the mansion’s library.

There’s more.” Graham pulled out a second photograph.

This one showed Myrtle again, but she was holding something that made Mishka gasp – a stone that looked remarkably similar to their Moonstone, though this one seemed to glow with a reddish tinge.

“That’s impossible,” Mishka whispered.

“The Moonstone’s been in Bruce’s family for generations…”

“Unless there’s more than one,” Bruce said slowly.

“Or unless what we have isn’t the original at all.”

The implications of that statement hung heavy in the air.

If Myrtle had possessed a similar stone all those years ago, near the time of Captain Morrison’s disappearance…

what exactly had she done with it?

And more importantly, what was she planning to do now?

“The charity gala might be our best cover,” Bruce said finally, his eyes never leaving the photographs.

“We can use it to gather information without raising suspicion.

The naval base commander would be more willing to share details in a social setting, especially if we make it clear we’re researching stories of naval heritage for the event.”

“And Grandma?” Mishka asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“We keep playing her game,” Bruce replied, his expression hardening.

“Let her think we’re focused on the missing wolves.

Meanwhile, Graham can help us dig deeper into her past.

There must be more records, more people who remember what happened back then.”

“I know someone who might help,” Graham offered.

“There’s an old lighthouse keeper who’s been stationed near the base since before Captain Morrison disappeared.

He’s a wolf too, one of the few who never joined any clan.

He sees everything but stays out of everyone’s business.

If anyone knows what really happened that night…”

“Set up a meeting,” Bruce instructed.

“But be discrete.

If Myrtle has spies watching us, we can’t risk them finding out about our investigation.”

Mishka moved closer to Bruce, seeking comfort in his presence.

“What if we’re wrong about all this?

What if there’s an innocent explanation?”

Bruce wrapped an arm around her shoulders, his warmth helping to chase away her chill.

“Then we’ll have peace of mind.

But these coincidences are piling up too quickly, Mishka.

Your grandmother’s sudden interest in wolves, her mysterious past in East Asia, her connection to the naval base, and now this second Moonstone…

We need to know the truth, whatever it might be.”

“And we need to protect the Moonstone we have,” Mishka added.

“If Grandma is after it, there must be a reason.

Something about that night with Captain Morrison, something about what these stones can do together…”

“One step at a time,” Bruce assured her.

“First the charity gala, then the lighthouse keeper.

We’ll find answers, Mishka.

I promise.”

As if in response to his words, a wolf’s howl echoed from the distant forest.

Whether it was a warning or a sign of support, neither of them could tell.

But one thing was certain – the mystery surrounding Myrtle, Captain Morrison, and the Moonstones was deeper than any of them had imagined, and solving it might change their lives forever.