Astraea

"The convent is located in a small village which is famous because of its rivers. According to Brina, it shouldn't be hard to find. It is an old building standing alone between two rivers." Briony said while looking at the GPS of her phone.

Brylee who was driving the car looked at her wristwatch. "We should arrive in thirty minutes." Then she looked at Briony. "Do you think it's alright that we left Brina at school? Because I don't think we'll be able to get back before sunset."

For Briony to go along with Brylee in the convent, they have to make an excuse to their parents that Brina and Briony will be spending the rest of the day at the school's library to work out on their thesis which their parents believed.

"Uhm...are you aware that there is a place in the school that we call a library? I am pretty sure Brina would rather spend the rest of her days alone than having it at home." Briony said sarcastically.

Brylee rolled her eyes. "You could have said, she doesn't mind."

After driving for half an hour, Brylee and Briony passed by an old red brick arch bridge that could only fit one car.

"We are here," Brylee said as she stopped in front of a well-maintained old convent that is also made of red bricks.

Briony is looking at the convent through the window. "It's so old." She said. "And creepy." Then she looked at Brylee. "I wouldn't be surprised if we found Torin Wald here. I mean look at this place. It is so rural and isolated. A perfect hideout for a notorious criminal like Wald!"

"Have you forgotten that this place is a convent occupied by nuns? Why would they harbor a fugitive?" Brylee replied then reached out at the back seat to get her purse.

Briony shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows, his sister could have helped him and pretend that he is a good man. I don't know, after all, it doesn't seem like this place has an internet or TV signal. And I doubt if there is a phone signal as well."

After saying that, she fished out her phone from her purse that was sitting on her lap. When she saw that she didn't have a signal, she waved it to Brylee. "See?"

"Whatever. Let's go." Brylee ignores Briony's speculations and gets out of the car. She was followed by Briony.

After a while, they were standing at the doorstep of the convent. They looked at each other before Briony raised her hand to knock on the old wooden door.

In a couple of minutes, the door opened making a creaking sound. The sound made Briony 100% convinced that the place is creepy.

A woman in her late thirties or probably early forty is standing in front of them. She looked at them as if examining them from head to toe. Then after a while, she smiled at them.

"Good afternoon, is there anything I can help you with?" The woman greeted them.

Brylee and Briony smiled back and introduced themselves. "Hi, I am Brylee and this is my sister Briony. We are looking for Meredith Wald."

The woman stared at them blankly then after a moment, she opened the door widely. "Please, come in."

Brylee and Briony look at each other then they nod their heads before they follow the woman inside the creepy convent.

But to Briony's surprise, the inside of the convent doesn't seem creepy as it seems on the outside. In fact, it is warm and cozy.

They follow the woman until they reached a small room that seemed like a living room or something. There are a red brocade sofa and two accent chairs. There is an antique-looking cabinet in one corner and a grandfather clock facing the sofa. The room is well lit because of the windows that are overlooking one of the rivers that surround the convent.

"Please have a seat." The woman motioned them to sit on the sofa. "Would you like something to drink?" She asked as soon as Brylee and Briony were seated.

"Just water, please. Thank you." Briony was the one to reply then the woman left them.

The woman returned with two glasses of water on a tray. She puts them on the coffee table before she takes a seat on one of the accent chairs facing them.

Brylee and Briony pick up the glasses of water and pretend to drink. Their Uncle Lorcan taught them not to drink or eat anything that a stranger offered them. But they should not show that they are being cautious. So, the best way is to pretend.

Brylee was the first one to put down the water followed by Briony.

Brylee opened her mouth to ask about Meredith Wald but the woman beat her into it.

"My name is Meredith Wald." The woman said.

Brylee cocked her head. She didn't expect the woman to be Meredith Wald. She didn't even look like Torin Wald. But she didn't express her doubt.

"It's nice to meet you, Ms. Meredith Wald. I hope we are not disturbing you or something." Brylee smiled sweetly at Meredith while Briony remained silent and let Brylee do the talking.

Meredith smiled back at her. "Is there anything I can help you with?" She then asked.

"Yes, actually, we have some questions for you, if you don't mind," Brylee said as if they will accept a no for an answer.

"Hmm...I'll try my best to provide you an answer," Meredith replied.

Brylee nodded her head.

"By any chance, do you happen to know a person named Torin Wald?" She asked directly but her voice is not intimidating.

"Yes, he is my brother. May I know who you are?" Meredith replied without any apprehension.

Brylee and Briony looked at each other. Then Briony was the one to reply. "We work for the law enforcement."

After hearing that, Meredith furrowed her brows. "Law enforcement? Did my brother commit a crime?" She asked. She seemed oblivious of the deeds that her brother has been doing.

Brylee and Briony looked at each other again. "Miss Meredith, when was the last time that you saw your brother?" Brylee asked.

Meredith paused to think for a while. "Uhm...the last time was at his wedding. More than 10 years ago."

Brylee and Briony's shoulders dropped. It looks like traveling there was just a waste of their time. Meredith wasn't aware of her brother's crime and is now a fugitive. She hasn't even seen him for more than 10 years.

"You haven't heard from him since then?" Briony asked for Meredith to shake her head.

"Do you know any place where we could find him?" Brylee asked, still hoping that they could get anything from this visit.

"Uhm..."

Briony noticed Meredith's hesitation. "Don't worry Ms. Meredith, we will not hurt him." Not least not us. She thought internally and was silently grateful that it was them who came to meet Meredith and not Bell.

"He is not proven guilty yet. He just needed to appear in the court hearings but he fled away. That is why we are hu-" Brylee paused to think of the right word to use because hunting sounds a bit atrocious. "looking for him." She said instead.

They watched as Meredith fidget on the helm of her blouse. Then Meredith looked outside of the window.

"There is a house..." Meredith started making Brylee and Briony look at her in anticipation.

"An old house near the harbor, where we used to live when we were young. Torin loves the place because he could see the ships in our window. He dreams to board a ship one day but my mother won't allow him to. Thou I know that Torin would always sneak in and board one. When he was 12 years old, my father lost his job. So we have to leave and find a new place. Torin was against it. He doesn't want to leave but eventually, our parents were able to persuade him. We left but Torin made a promise to return."

Meredith was in nostalgia while looking outside the window. Then she looked back at Brylee and Briony. "We became nomads after that. Living from one place to another. But I believe that that place in the harbor was what he considered home."

Brylee asked some more questions before they decided to leave the convent. They stood outside of the convent with Meredith.

"If you have heard from him, please let us know," Brylee said then passed Meredith a piece of paper where she wrote her contact details.

Meredith nodded her head and said. "I will,"

Brylee and Briony started to walk back to their car when Meredith stopped them.

"Wait!"

Brylee and Briony looked back at Meredith.

"May I know what crime my brother committed?" Meredith asked.

Brylee and Briony looked at each other. Then Brylee simply said, "He robbed a bank." That's all she needed to know. Then they left.

They didn't tell her that her brother is a gangster who robbed 38 banks, 2 arms dealers, and 3 car dealers. She doesn't need to know everything.

There is a dark expression on Brylee's face. "I don't know."

For some reason, they both seemed distrustful of Meredith.

"Don't you find it odd that we didn't see at least one nun in the convent? Brina said that there were at least 25 nuns in the convent and 3 helpers including Meredith." Briony said with a furrowed brow.

"I thought you wouldn't notice that," Brylee smirked.

Briony narrowed her eyes at her. "I claim to be the most observant among us five."