David decided not to escalate the situation just yet. He understood that if he pressed too hard right now, Pinky might clam up or start lying even more convincingly.
Therefore, he gave a slight nod, maintaining a calm, professional expression on his face.
"You've been a big help," he said without any extra emotion.
He gave Pinky a parting nod, short and businesslike, and turned toward the exit.
"Have a good day," David added politely, already making his way to the door.
"Always glad to help the authorities, Agent," he replied softly, but a barely perceptible note of falsehood slipped into his voice.
The family stepped out of the shop and into the fresh air.
As soon as the heavy door closed behind them with the quiet chime of a bell, David exhaled deeply, as if dropping a heavy burden from his shoulders. He stopped on the sidewalk, looked around, and said quietly, so that no outsider could overhear:
"We won't corner him just yet. It's too early. But that guy is definitely hiding something."
"Did you feel it too?" Ethan asked his sister quietly.
Gina nodded, her eyes never leaving the shop.
"Yes. Something is wrong in there..."
David adjusted his jacket, hiding his FBI badge, and looked at the children.
"Don't let your guard down. We'll be back here. But first, to the river. We need to check the spot where the fishermen disappeared."
They moved further down the street. Pinky's shop was left behind.
Riverdale continued to live its usual life. They headed back to the minivan parked a short distance from the shop.
The outside air was fresh, but after the stuffy atmosphere of the antique store, it felt especially clean and cold. David walked first, glancing over his shoulder at the storefront of Pinky's shop. His face remained focused, his brows slightly knitted.
"Right now, we need to head into town," he said.
"We'll talk to the relatives and friends of the missing men. Maybe they know more than they told the sheriff."
Gina climbed into the front passenger seat. She turned to her father immediately, as soon as everyone settled into the car.
"What about that mask?" she asked, her voice tense.
"Ethan is right, there's something wrong with it. If he really saw something, then this is truly bad."
"I definitely saw it," he confirmed.
"It turned its head after me. Just a little bit… but I saw it."
David started the engine. The old minivan purred quietly, vibrating beneath them. The father remained silent for a few seconds, staring straight ahead, before replying grimly:
"I noticed it too. And the smell in the shop was strange. Not just dust and old things… something else. But first, we gather information from the people. If this is tied to cursed objects, then the relatives might have heard or seen something. We can't just rush into everything blindly. We need to understand the whole picture."
He shifted into gear, and the car slowly pulled away. The sleepy streets of Riverdale drifted past the window.
Ethan leaned back in his seat, staring out the window. That wooden mask with the long nose and empty eye sockets was still stuck in his mind. It felt to him as though even now, from a distance, it continued to watch them.
Gina sat in the front, rubbing her bad leg, and added quietly:
"If that mask is actually… alive, then Pinky is definitely lying. Things like that don't just hang around for decoration."
David nodded, keeping his eyes on the road.
"Exactly why we are going to drive on and question more people. I don't know what we're up against yet."
David drove confidently, but his face remained strained. He threw a quick glance in the rearview mirror at the children and added in a low, serious voice:
"Keep your eyes open. If this is something connected to masks or amulets, then things are much more dangerous than we thought."
From the back seat, Ethan nodded silently, gripping his backpack tighter on his lap. Gina, in the front seat, didn't answer right away either; she just stared out the window.
David was silent for a moment, looking intently at the road. The motor hummed quietly, and the gray facades of houses drifted past the windows. Finally, he continued, his voice dropping even lower, almost meditative:
"I'm leaning more and more toward the idea that these are ghosts or spirits bound to objects. Cursed items. Masks, amulets…"
"If something old and evil has possessed them, then people die after the purchase, not near the shore. The creature follows the owner, waits, and then… kills."
Ethan felt a chill run down his spine.
Gina turned her head toward her father.
"So, if that's true… Pinky isn't just selling trinkets," she said.
"He's selling evil ghosts in pretty packaging."
David nodded, his eyes fixed on the road.
"Possibly. Which is why we will be careful. First, we speak with the relatives. We'll see what they have to say. And then… we'll go back to Pinky, fully prepared."
From the back seat, Ethan leaned forward, resting his hands on the backs of the front seats. His voice sounded strained, almost a whisper:
"You mean the mask can… kill its owner?"
David nodded, not taking his eyes off the road. The minivan turned smoothly at the next intersection, the gray facades of Riverdale's houses blurring past the windows.
"Or take control," he answered calmly, his tone heavy.
"And then it forces the person to commit suicide in the middle of the river. A peaceful face, no signs of a struggle, classic possession. The person just gets up, walks into the water, and drowns. As if they wanted to end it themselves. The practice of evil spirits. I just don't know what specific kind it is yet."