The Alchemists

"Ah ... I forgot to investigate the two criminals on the boat!" Nicolae suddenly gasped. He put down his glass and took the tablet and opened various databases. "They talked about not getting paid yet. I think they kidnapped the kid on someone's order, and they were waiting for payment. If I can find the group or the mastermind, I can find out what their motives are and where they kidnapped Summer."

Marion smiled at him and nodded. "Good luck. I'll finish my wine and return to JM. Let me know if you find anything and need my help again."

"Of course. Thank you, Marion."

Marion gulped down the wine and excused herself. Before passing through the door, she suddenly turned and tapped her hand on the wall. "If you need help chasing people from the underworld in France, it just so happens that Mischa is still in Paris. Even if he is feeling down at the moment, I think he will be happy to help."

"Oh ... that's right." Nicolae nodded. "I'll contact him later. Thank you for helping me take care of Summer. Good night."

Marion nodded and walked out of the penthouse. Nicolae continued his research. Ten minutes later, he discovered the identities of the two criminals he met last night before they ended up dead.

Both were just small-time criminals who had been jailed several times for burglary and theft in various cities in France. Finally, they allegedly joined a small gang who used to gather in Saint-Denis, a district on the outskirts of Paris that was notorious for its crime.

Hmm ... maybe he would find the answer if he visited the group's base in Saint-Denis and interrogated whoever he managed to find there.

Ah ... then, he would have to bother Marion again to look after Summer while he was gone.

He was just about to send an SMS to Marion asking for her help watching Summer tomorrow when he went to Saint-Denis when suddenly there was a knock on the door.

He saw the clock showing it was already 10 pm.

Hmm ... who on earth was visiting at this time of night?

Nicolae opened the door and found Mischa standing in the doorway. He still remembered Mischa from several meetings in the past. They rarely met, but the two were connected via Alaric and knew each other well.

"Hi, Mischa. How are you? What brings you here?" Nicolae asked as he invited the man inside.

"Thank you, Uncle," Mischa nodded and went inside following Nicolae. "That auntie called me and told me about the mysterious child you found."

Nicolae just shook his head at that. He knew Marion was being funny when she asked Mischa to call her auntie, but he felt uncomfortable being called uncle by the man in front of him, especially in terms of appearance, he actually looked younger than Mischa.

Mischa only took the immortality potion when he was 37 years old. Although he looked younger than his actual age, 42, he still seemed to be in his early 30s, while Nicolae looked not a day older than 25.

He only looked more m.a.t.u.r.e when he deliberately wore a suit and tie when he went to university to teach. In Paris, Nicolae, as usual, returned to wearing casual clothes with his ripped jeans and short-sleeved shirts.

"Thank you. I already drank too much tonight. If I drink again, I won't be able to think clearly." He sat and crossed his legs gracefully. His eyes looked at Nicolae with a serious look. "You found a child in the hands of two petty criminals? You want me to contact their gang leader? I can do it."

Nicolae nodded. "Thank you. I've found their base in Saint-Denis and plan to visit there myself tomorrow."

"Hmm ... is that so? Do you know what their name is?" Mischa asked again.

Nicolae mentioned the name of a group he had obtained from his research. Mischa pulled out his cellphone and called a number. His face was calm, and his expression was flat as he spoke in French to the person on the other end of the phone.

Nicolae just listened and felt relieved because he didn't have to bother going to the criminal group to get information. Mischa could do it easily because he still had a strong connection to the underworld.

In analogy, if Nicolae had to find information through the back road, quietly, then Mischa would just knock on the door and talk directly to the homeowner. 

After the man hung up and kept his cellphone. He told Nicolae what he knew.

"Bad news. The group was attacked by a group of mysterious people who ransacked their place this afternoon. They are looking for you and the child," said Mischa. "Those people don't know who you are, so they can't give satisfying answers to their attackers."

"Did they say why Summer was in the hands of the two criminals?" Nicolae asked curiously. "Was she kidnapped for ransom?"

Mischa shook his head. "No. They received a request to kidnap the child over the phone by someone who did not want to reveal his identity. They were given a substantial down payment, and the rest will be given after three days."

"How can they kidnap Summer? Were they told the address? Then, if you can ask for the kid's address from the kidnappers, I can look for her mother there," Nicolae pleaded.

"No. They were only given a photo of the child and her play schedule. This kid was kidnapped while playing with her dog in the park with a nanny."

Nicolae was very surprised to hear Mischa's words. Photo? Where did the mastermind get Summer's picture? Also, her play schedule ... Did the person who ordered the kidnapping know Summer and her family well?

Do Summer's parents know their daughter had been kidnapped by someone they knew? Why was she kidnapped in the first place?

All this was a big question mark for Nicolae. He frowned and tried to think of various possibilities.

"Then Summer was kidnapped around her home. If you can give me the address of the park where she was kidnapped, I will take Summer there and try to make her remember the direction to her house. I hope that we can find her mom that way." Nicolae finally decided to tread Summer's tracks before she was kidnapped to find the little girl's house.

"Of course," Mischa called again and got the answer Nicolae needed. "She was kidnapped in Bercy Park."

"Thank you very much. I will try to go there tomorrow to investigate," Nicolae said. He became very relieved. At least now, his search already showed little progress.

"I will also find out who the four mysterious men who killed the two kidnappers are. Who sent them and where they are now. My contact said, the four people also asked many places to find this child. Apparently, she was very important to them, "said Mischa again. "This child is very lucky to have met you."

"I will only give Summer away to her mother, not anyone else. And anyone who claims to be her parent must be able to provide evidence. I will not risk giving this child over to a bad person," Nicolae said. "I've made a report to the police. Tonight, I will also post announcements on the internet too. Who knows, somebody might know Summer or her parents and can connect us, and tomorrow I will bring Summer to Bercy Park."

"Good luck," Mischa nodded. He then excused himself. "Then, I'll go now."

"Uhm .. thank you, for your help. I know you are having a lot of problems at the moment.." Nicolae said as he led Mischa to the door.

The handsome man in black just shrugged. "I need something like this to get my mind off of it for a while. So, it's okay. See you later."

He then disappeared behind the door.