The older woman hesitated for a moment. “Well, I don’t know what to say. You know, people aren’t too keen on outsiders around here. Some animal thief would have likely been noticed.”
The words lingered in Lena’s mind as she continued her search. Her heart clenched at the thought that someone might have taken Clive deliberately, but why? She couldn’t understand. As days passed, she noticed more clues—small things that seemed to point to something strange. Footprints by the barn, muddy marks near the gate.
One evening, after a long day of searching, she overheard a conversation as she walked through the village square. A group of men was sitting outside the tavern, their voices low, but she caught enough of the conversation to understand the truth.