At The Underground.
Stephen and Jude had glued their eyes to the television for news about the wolves. To their amazement, the authorities did not say anything about them again.
“Why is the police not saying anything about the wolves?” The disheveled Stephen asked Jude.
Meanwhile, Jude will always give him an encouraging reply, “Your phone had been switched off. You only turned it on when you sent a message to your woman yesterday and switched it off again. They might have sorted themselves out and are trying to reach you.”
“You may be right. You have just reminded me. I will send another message to my woman right away.”
Jude’s words assured him that the wolves must have sorted themselves and gave him fresh impetus and encouragement. On that note, he sent a message.
(Nichole love, how are you doing? I will be back in town very soon, and we will begin to process our marriage. Love from Stephen.)
At Stephen’s Residence.
After the police knocked and announced that it was the police, Zoey, became expectant. She had been lying on the bathroom floor out of exhaustion and sustained herself with water from the tap. At that point, she crawled out of the bathroom and then, to the bedroom. Likewise, she believed that the bedroom door was locked for that, she did not bother to crawl towards the door but to the window. Then, Arthur got a beep on Nichole’s phone.
He checked it and saw the disgusting message from Stephen.
‘Stephen, if you are a man, show yourself,’ he mumbled.
“What are we doing here, Arthur? Let us check with the hospital to find out why my wife’s phone is switched off. I’m not comfortable waiting for Stephen,” Oscar ominously voiced out in anguish, and Arthur gave an abrupt response, “You will soon find out.”
“We will have to leave since there is no one at home,” one of the police officers announced.
“The janitor might have stepped out. Let us hang around a bit,” Arthur advised them.
The anxious Oscar, who was losing his mind, blurted out, “You can meet me at the hospital if you wish. I don’t understand why you asked me to come with you to the home of someone who had no business with my wife.”
Then, he took a step towards his car while Phil halted him, “Wait, uncle-in-law. Let me look out for the janitor in the backyard.”
Oscar stopped suddenly while Phil walked to the backyard. Then, there was a sudden manifestation, and he observed Nichole’s car with awe. When he was able to find his bearing, he called out with a genuine consternation.
“Father. Kindly, come.”
Arthur, who was trying to stop the policemen from leaving, walked towards Phil’s voice.
“What?” he yelled in terror.
The two policemen, who were already in the police van, got out at once and walked hastily towards the direction of his voice, leaving the frustrated Oscar behind. They got to the backyard and met the bewildered Arthur and Phil staring at a car.
“Is this your wife’s car?” One of the officers asked him.
“Yes,” Arthur replied without looking at the policemen.
“That is good. From the look of things, they stepped on the bonnet and the roof of the car to scale the vertiginous fence.”
“You’re right, Officer. What about the woman? She must be inside the house.”
“I don’t agree with you. As you can see, there is no sign of life in this house. We will take photographs as evidences. If you have the spare key of the car, we will move the car to the station,” The police announced dismissively and began to take the photographs.
Afterward, they walked towards the front yard. Then, Zoey, who had succeeded in crawling to the window but could not stand, was only speaking with an inaudible voice, “Help.”
When she was certain that she would not be heard, she kicked the empty bottles of gin that were arranged by the window. They made a shattering sound the moment they were shattered on the tiled floor.
Arthur and Phil, who were reluctant to follow the police officers, heard the shattering sound of bottles from the window. They stopped abruptly and looked at each other.
“Did you hear anything?”
“Yes, Father. The janitor may be hiding from the police.”
“It may be an instruction from Stephen.”
The ways of the youngsters are different from the ways of the oldsters. They act before they think of the consequences. Now, Phil walked briskly to the back door and kicked the door down. Arthur, who was coming behind him, was surprised but at the spur of the moment, such recklessness was needed. They got into the house and searched around for the janitor, who must be hiding, as they thought, but he was not around.
Arthur saw his wife’s car key on the floor; he picked it up and put it in his pocket.
Now, Zoey, who suspected that the police had kicked the door down, screamed again in a faint voice, “Help.”
They could not hear her, but Phil was opening all the doors that were in sight. He did not know which of the doors could lead to the bedroom, so, he opened all the doors. Subsequently, Arthur joined in opening the doors too. Meanwhile, the police officers had gotten back to their vehicle and were waiting for the two.
At that point, Arthur opened one of the doors, peeped, and closed it back. Now, Zoey could not hold on again. The last help she muttered was the end of her lifeline. Phil walked up to the door where Arthur was standing and was about to open the door, but he tried to stop him.
“Don’t, bother. I have checked.”
“Did you check the wardrobe, Father?”
Before he could answer, Phil, who was sweating, had pushed the door open and walked in. He did not need to walk up to the wardrobe before he saw a lifeless woman who was putting on white clothes on the floor, and he screamed, “Father.”
“Yes, Phil,” Arthur answered.
He walked in at once and saw a lifeless Zoey on the floor beside the shattered bottles. Phil tried to lift her, but Arthur stopped him.
“Don’t touch her. Let the police do that.”
Meanwhile, Oscar, who had run out of patience like the policemen, had turned on his ignition. He was ready to move when Arthur called their attention through the window of the parlor.
“Officers, kindly, come quickly.”