The sky was getting darker, another rainy storm was coming. Patricia glanced at the huge square clock hanging high up on the wall of the restaurant. It was 6:00pm. How had time passed by so fast?
Hee lawyer Katherine smiled warmly at her “I didn’t expect we would spend so much time. I thought it would take just an hour or two…”
Patricia laughed. “That’s totally fine. There was a lot to talk about. It’s getting dark, I believe it’s time for me to release you.”
“I’ll see you another time, Mrs Patricia” Katherine stacked the scattered documents on the table together and put it inside her briefcase. Standing up from her chair, she muttered “Have a great day and take care.”
Patricia sat and watched until Katherine walked out of the restaurant door. She picked her pen and notepad on the table and put them in her small handbag, signaling that she was getting ready to leave….
Through the side of eye, she observed the young man still sitting at the opposite end of the restaurant. She noticed how he sat up the moment he noticed she was getting ready to leave.
Just before that, she had seen him answering a phone call and she didn’t know why but it felt like he kept on casting glances at her as he mumbled into the phone. Why did it feel like he was receiving orders about her?
She was right all along. Morris sent him to watch her….
Patricia stood up and took her time. She first exchanged pleasantries with a few familiar faces at the counter for a few minutes. When a loud thunder rumbled in the sky, she excused herself and walked out of the restaurant.
When she walked out of the restaurant, she picked her pace and hurried.
Holding her purse tightly to her side, she hastened her steps towards the car park close to the restaurant. She could see the young man watching her a mile away from where she stood.
This was creepy and she had to get out of this mess, whatever it was.
Patricia booked a cab and got in. She quickly ordered the driver in the direction to take and sat back as the driver sped off into the main road.
Drops of rain splattered all around, falling softly but by looking at the darkening clouds and hearing the roaring thunder, Patricia could tell that a greater storm was coming anytime soon.
She looked behind the car and noticed a black car had been following her for the last fifteen minutes. Even though she couldn’t see through the front shield of the car, she could tell it was the same person who was watching her before.
“Please, hurry up” she whispered to the driver of her cab.
A violent shiver raced through her body and she felt a bit faint. She had a very bad feeling right now, just like she did in the morning. She hoped George was also safe.
She pulled out her phone and quickly dialed George’s number. At the sound of his voice, she said “George, are you on your way back from meeting the investor? There’s a heavy rainstorm coming. Stay safe and watch around your surroundings clearly”
“Yes, I am. The rain just started over here. Sure, I’ll be safe”
Patricia held her phone tightly and whispered “George, if for any reason at all, I don’t get home today or even tomorrow. Make sure you meet with nanny Juliet. I have instructed her to hand over all the recordings you can use in a court case. Also, I hav-”
“Mom, is something wrong? You sound weird. Are you alright?” George asked through the phone, his voice laced with concern.
“George, listen to me. This is important. In a few days, my lawyer will reach out to you. You know her, Mrs Katherine, I have handed the copy of the first evidence to her along with the funds to push through with this case. You know where to go from there.”
“Sure, I do. Thanks for everything, mom. I can hear the sound of cars. Where are you right now?”
“Along Allen’s road. I’m on my way back from seeing my lawyer a-”
“I’m close, that’s my next intersection. Wait…don’t tell me you still went ahead with it. I thought we had talked about this. Does Morris know what you’re up to?”
“Yes, he does. About that, h-” Patricia gasped when she noticed the black car was closing in on her own cab.
She wouldn’t want to put the life of this driver in danger. The sky had gotten very dark and the rain began to pour heavily by this time.
Patricia quickly grabbed her purse and paid the driver. She ordered him to stop and immediately the cab paused, Patricia got out and ran like a ‘thief’ on the run.
She was sure of one thing….
She had never run this fast in her entire life. Her life was on the line. She took a look behind and noticed the man had parked his car and was running towards her. She wasn’t sure if she was seeing clearly but it looked like he was holding a gun….
Patricia picked her pace, running faster.
At the other side of the road, the second lane, a dark blue car swerved in.
In one lane, she was running for her life. In the other lane, the car was driving ahead.
Patricia glanced at the plate number of the car and a surge of relief coursed through her veins.
George was the one in the car.
Patricia turned to run over the lane demarcation to join George in his car….
But the moment she made an attempt to do that, the sound of a bullet echoed across the still night and Patricia’s body froze.
She fell to the ground, her blood soaking into the ground.
~~~~~*~~~~~
George drove around the intersection and swerved into the main road that led to the villa. All he had to do now was to drive ahead a little and take a final turn and he would be home.
His mind replayed his conversation with his mother a few minutes ago…
His mother was not the type to hang up on a phone call when the conversation was still ongoing. Besides, she sounded very different.
A slight shiver raced through his body and he sighed, trying to push the bad feelings away. Something was wrong. He could feel it…….
Or was he overthinking and overanalyzing everything?
Especially the way she suddenly started talking about if she couldn’t make it back home today or tomorrow. What did she mean by that? Was she in danger or was she staying over at a hotel or friend’s place?
How was he supposed to know the right answer?
And why did she go to her lawyer despite knowing that Morris knew about her plan? Was she trying to put herself in a difficult position?
Even a dead man knew that Morris would do anything for that company. Since he knew she wanted it back in her name, he would not let it slide. What exactly was Morris up to?
As he drove ahead, he caught sight of a middle-aged woman with a wooly scarf wrapped around her neck running by the other side of the road.
That was weird….
Why would a middle-aged woman be running like that under this heavy rain and the wet ground? And not just that, she was running like she was being chased by someone.
George drove the car ahead a little to look at her closely. There was something familiar about her….
Her scarf, her dress, her hair….
George gasped when he caught sight of the woman’s face.
His mother!!
What was going on? Why was she running like that by this time of the night?
The rain had stopped now, only slight drizzles and cold air was left.
George slowed down his car and leaned towards the other side to unwind the window.
Just in time, he froze and bent his head at the sound of a bullet…
As he was lifting his head to look through the window, he saw his mother fall to the ground.
“Mom…” George yelled. He felt dizzy for a moment before he rushed out of his car. He raced over to the other side of the road and lifted his mother up to a ‘sitting position’.
He glanced backwards down the road and noticed a man with a black shirt hurrying away. Was he the one who pulled the trigger?
He whimpered, looking as her blood trickled around, spreading out. He felt more blood pour on his hand.
This wasn’t good.
“Mom, mom…” George whispered, shaking her gently. “Please say something, talk to me”
Patricia opened her eyes gently and smiled. “T-take me t-to a different h-hospital far a-away”
As the final words left her lips, she closed her eyes and her head fell backwards.
“No, no. Mom, please don’t do this to me. Please, hold on, okay? Hold on”
George lifted her body off the ground. He felt how the back of her dress was completely soaked with blood.
This was a critical state and she was losing too much blood. If he wanted to go to a reputable but far away hospital, it would take some time.
Turning the ignition, he sped into the main road.
His mother couldn’t just die like this…..