?THE UNKNOWN?
?Chapter Nineteen and Twenty <19 & 20>?
?Confusion?
“Thanks a lot. I really appreciate.” Doris said as she got out of the car.
Clayton waved her off with a smile across his face. “It’s nothing. Anyway, say hello to your friends for me.”
Doris knitted her brows at him in confusion. How does he know her friends? Why does the guy kind of look suspicious at the same time look innocent? She appreciate is effort of giving her a ride but why does she still feel so uncomfortable around him? Okay, maybe his words are what are scaring her.
“Do…you know my friends?” She asked, voicing out her thought.
Clayton smiled. “Maybe. Honestly, I actually know just two of them. Gina and Zoe, if I’m not mistaking.”
Doris suddenly gasp as she finally recognize him. No wonder his name kind of sound familiar when he had introduced himself to her when they first met. She should have known.
She was such a dummy. She mentally face slap herself over her stupidity of not recognizing his name.
Well, we don’t have to blame her. Not all names can be use to recognize someone. He isn’t the only one bearing Clayton.
“Oh. you are a cop. Like i mean, their co detective.” She says with a smile on her face.
Clayton got out of the car and walked towards where she stood. He folds his arms over his ch-est. “Hmm. Seems like they keep talking about me with you guys.”
Doris chuckles and shook her head. “Not all the time. And besides, we are best friends so we literally tell each other everything.” She tells him. It’s not like he cares to know about her friendship with her girls but de-ep down she could see the curiosity in his eyes but why on earth was she telling him all that?
Actually, after she got to know that he was a co detective with Gina and Zoe, she kinda relaxed. He wouldn’t hurt her. And she trust him for that. He wasn’t dangerous. Her instinct had played trick on her on making her see him as a bad person. He wasn’t bad. But, he was a guy with a lot of secret. With a dark past. Maybe.
“I wish I can have best friends like that.” He says.
“You can. But all that matters is trust.”
“And do you trust all of your friends?” Clayton now asked after a long silence.
Doris stared at him as if he was crazy. Like, who would ask such a dumb question like that? Wasn’t it obvious that they all trust each other?
“Yes? We all do. That’s what kept our friendship to this stage.”
Clayton nodded his head as he processes everything that she had just said. “Maybe that’s why they are so blind to the truth.” He mumbles to himself. “Maybe that’s why we can’t find the murderer.”
“Excuse me? Are you talking to me?” Doris asked. She only heard his mumbling but didn’t hear what he said clearly.
Clayton look up at her with a smile. “No. I was just talking to myself.”
“Listen Clayton, everyone has a dark past in his or her life. I guess you have just like Gina. But listen, the burden can only be lessen if you pour out your feelings to someone. And who ever the lucky person may be would definitely become very close to you. Trust me.” Doris said. she don’t know why she had said all that but something had prompt her to tell him all that.
Clayton just gave her a blank stare before smiling then said. “Thanks for the advice. I will key to that. Anyway, I have to leave now. It was nice meeting you.”
“And you too. I hope to see you again.” She says, sincerely.
“And I also hope to see you again, Dory.” He replied her back in sincerity.
“Dory?” She questions. “Already made a nickname for me, Clammy.” She teases.
Clayton burst out laughing. He has never laugh like that for so long. He was really glad to have met a girl as jovial and funny as Doris. He wonders why this mysterious killer is at her tail.
“Clammy?”
“Uh-huh. just to be fair, I had to think of a nickname for you as well. It kind of suit you.”
“I appreciate that, Dory. Can I get your number?”
Doris hesitate for a while before dredging up a warm smile. “I don’t see why not.”
After they had exchange their numbers. They bid themselves goodbye and left for their different destinations.
****
“You need to tell her, Clayton. She needs to know. That’s the only way she will stop suspecting you.” Mr Walter said to Clayton as he handed him a glas-sof wine.
“But I can’t. That’s one of my de-epest secret.”
“Is it that you can’t or you don’t trust my daughter?” Mr Walter said giving Clayton a pointed look.
“I…I…you know how Mia is precious to me. I can’t afford to put her at risk.”
Mr Walter placed his hand on Clayton’s shoulder and sque-ezed it lightly. “Gina won’t harm your daughter. She is a nice girl. And I am seeing all this because she’s my daughter but I’m saying it because that’s what she is.”
“You think telling her would be the right thing to do?” Clayton asked.
Mr Walter drop his hands to his side and gave him one of his warmest smile. “It is. And maybe it could help you both get out of your past.”
****
A girl was seen staring at a picture. She was smiling as she stares at the photo of seven girls…no, twelve girls.
“Bianca gone….Jane gone…. Phoebe gone….And now….You.” She smiles. “This is going as planned. What more am I hoping for. I love this.”
“You really hated your cla-ssmates.” Another girl said as she sat down beside her friend.
“Why wouldn’t I? They are my worst enemies. Watching them die is like a dream come true. And no, I don’t all of my cla-ssmates, I only hated this nine girls.” She says, with a devilish smile on her face.
“And you think Alisha would be the next victim?” The other girl asked.
“Trust me, Bobbie.”
****
“Oh my God! DORIS!” The girls screamed in surprise as Doris walked throu-ghthe front door with a smile spread across her face.
She look at them, confused. “uh…why do you guys look like you’ve just seen a ghost?” Doris says as she dropped her bag on the center table and stood in front of all of them, giving them a pointed look.
“Are you okay? You aren’t injured or anything?” The girls asked in unison as they got up to their feet. They were worried, okay? So you wouldn’t blame of how they are acting now.
“
“Yeeees… I’m alright.” She let out a light chuckle. “But guys, what’s up with all this? I’m okay. My car just had a little fault on my way here so someone offered me a ride home and I accepted.” She explains.
“Wait. A stranger offered you a ride and you accepted? Just like that?” Olive asked.
“Yeah? I literally had no choice. My car just decided to leave me stranded on the highway. I couldn’t get a cab. I couldn’t give any of you a call. Or better still call a mechanic. And j couldn’t also get the car to work. So you see…I had no choice. And besides I’m fine now. He brou-ght me here save and sound. And also, he knows Gina and Zoe.” She turned to Zoe. “I’m talking about Clayton. And hey, you guys didn’t tell us that he was such a cutie and a nice person and he was also fun to be with.”
“Wait. Am I the only one smelling this?” Maddie questions as she sniffed.
“Smell what?” Alisha asks.
“It seems like someone is crushing on someone.” Maddie says as she stare at Doris with the corner of her eyes.
Doris laughs. “You’re crazy. Clammy is just a friend nothing else. He’s a nice guy. I see no reason why Gina should suspect him of murder.”
“You don’t know this guy, Doris. And what? Clammy? You even got him a nickname?” Zoe says.
Doris smiled as she shrugged her shoulders before saying. “Just being fair to him.” She looks around. “And where is Gina?”
****
Gina looked up from the laptop sitting on the desk in front of her and looked up to the person who had just walked throu-ghthe doors after knocking.
She scowled her face as soon as she saw who it was. Her friends had called her and told her that Doris was save and sound and that she was apparently with them now. Doris even spoke to her and laughed over their behavior. She was happy that her friends cared about her. Like seriously, who wouldn’t be?
“Hey.” Clayton said calmly as he slammed the door behind him and stood in front of Gina who had gone back to staring at her laptop and typing at the keyboard I’m fury. “I’m soory for making you worry about your friend.”
She didn’t say anything but kept on typing. Amd honestly, she doesn’t even know exactly what it was that she was typing. But it was better to look busy than to look at the one guy that she distaste.
“Gina?” Clayton calls out softly. The typing became more louder as she vent her anger on it. Clayton knew that she had a lot of harsh words going on in her head against him. He wouldn’t blame her. He had caused her to worry over one of her friend after losing one of them. “Keeping mute won’t help the matter.” He says.
“You know what, you are right.” She finally says, getting up to her feet. “Why on earth did you abduct Doris? Where you going to kill her like you did to the other girls? Why do you hate my friends and I so much that your greatest wish is to see us die? What have we ever done to you?” She asked, glaring at him.
Yeah, Clayton had wished that she said a word to him when he had entered the office. But right now, he wished she had never said a word to him at all.
“i didn’t abduct Dory. At least she’s back home? I only offered her a ride.” He tried defending himself.
Gina scoffed as she folds her arms across her ch-est. “Do you go about giving stranded ladies a ride to their homes? I don’t get. You just saw a lady standing in the highway then decided to help her, Is that it?” Clayton didn’t reply. “You are nothing but a complete liar. You actually think I will fall for that cheap lie?”
“What’s wrong with you, Gina? Why are you just filled with hatred towards me? What have I ever done to you, huh?”
“Say the truth. That’s all i ask of you.” She says.
“Fine. I’ve already decided that before coming here. Come with me.”
****
“Where exactly are you taking me to?” Gina asked as she stopped and leaned her hands on her knees to catch her breath. After they got out of the car, they had been walking.
She was tired. She was thirsty. She was hungry. But she also needs to see the secret that he was keeping g from the world. Though, she doesn’t trust him but following him to god knows where, isn’t a bad idea, right?
Hmm, we will see to that.
“I’m not going to kill you.” That was his reply.
“How do I know that?”
“well, you practically called almost all the people that you know before coming along with me, remember?”
“I’m being cautious, okay?”
****
They finally stood in front of a beautiful building. The place was looking so big and well furnished. They both made their way into the house. Gina was still scared. She doesn’t trust him. But she has no choice, she had to come along with him.
As soon as they entered, a young girl at the age of five She smiled at them and held out her heart toward Clayton.
“Daddy.” She says Smiling.
Gina gave them a confuse stare as she process what the little girl had Just called him. ‘Daddy.’ It plays in her head over and over as she watches him walk over to the little girl.
“Hey sweetie. How is my little pumpkin doing?” He asked with a smile on his face. Gina have never see him smile like that since he started working with her.
“I’m good. Dad? Did you bring a lady home?” The little child asked.
Clayton chuckles. “Not really, babe. She is just a co-worker. Come on, let me introduce you to her.” He held her hand and pulled her up then led her towards Gina who hadn’t make a move since they got there. “Gina, I will like you to meet my daughter, Mia. Mia, this is Gina.” He says.
That was when Gina noticed. Mia was blind. She couldn’t see.
Mia waved at her with a smile. “Nice meeting you, Gina. Too bad I can’t see your pretty face. But with how wonderful your perfume smells, I’m quite sure you are beautiful.”
“Awww. I’m flattered. You are also beautiful. Nice to meet you.” She bends down in front of the little child. “How old are you, princess?”
“Princess?” Mia shook her head. “I am no princess. Princesses aren’t blind.”
Gina felt so bad for the girl. “Says who? You are a beautiful princess. Not every princess are as beautiful as you. And that’s why I’m going to call you Princess. So get use to it.”
Mia chuckles. “Thank you. Anyway, I’m five years old but I would be six in a few months.”
“Really? Then I should start getting ready for a birthday party.”
“No birthday party. We don’t celebrate birthdays.” Mia says.
Gina turned to Clayton and gave him a questioning look but he said nothing and turned his face away. Gina looked back down at the little angel.
“Well, there would be change this time around. I hope.”
“I wish I could see your face right now.”
Gina didn’t say anything. Like seriously, what was she suppose to say to that. She just smiled.
****
A/N: *I will be taking you back to the conversation had by Clayton few days ago on his phone before Phoebe died.*
“Hey.” Clayton says as he answers the call.
“Are you back from work?” A feminine voice asked.
“Yeah.” He replies.
“Clay, when will you come visiting? Mia misses you like crazy.”
“I know. But I have no choice.”
“She even threatened to get out of the house I’m search of you if you don’t come over. I know all these means a lot to you but you also have to take care of your child. Besides she is the main reason why you are doing all this in the first place.”
“Hmm. But make sure she doesn’t get out of your sight. Okay?”
“She’s my niece and the last thing I want to see is to see her get hurt like her mother did.”
Clayton swallowed the lump on his throat as his sister said that. He misses his wife. Too bad she died in a car accident like a chicken. He knew that accident wasn’t just an accident but was on purpose. Someone had intend to kill his family but ended up killing his wife and making his only daughter blind. He should have fly her out to work thing out with her eyes. Because the doctor said she would be able to see if it’s being treated. But he couldn’t take her out. Her life was in danger. So he had no choice but to take her away from open environment while he figure out the psychopath that killed his wife and made his daughter blind.
“Good.” He says before hanging up the call. Those were his secret. Mia was his secret.
****
Alisha was busy with the dishes when she heard a knock on the door. She made her way for it but as soon as she opened it, she found no one there. She was confused. She was quite sure that she heard a knock just now so why can’t she find anyone?
She was going to enter inside when she caught glimpse of a note on the floor. She bent over and picks up the note before stepping into her house and shutting the door close.
She opens the note and reads;
*Protecting the wrong person when the right person is left unprotected. You all thought Doris was the next vvictim, right? Well, you guys are in a lot of shock. Hey, bunny. Be careful and always watch your back because I’m watching you….?.
Alisha stared at the note wide eyes before collapsing to the floor. She was the next victim not Doris. She was the next.
“Oh no.” TBC.