Chapter Thirty-Three – Same tone.
Arya squeezed the paper and tossed it in the trash bin as she passed. Why was she that bad at Maths?
She tried hard, she really did. But it was always to no avail. It didn’t help matters that the math lecturer was her least favorite lecturer and now local government chairman.
She couldn’t wait till he left and there would be someone else to take over from him. Her phone rang and it was a number she hadn’t seen before.
“Hey, Arya!” It was her sister Anna.
Arya smiled. “Hey, how are you? Did you change your number? I don’t think I know this one.”
“Come meet me at Dublin companies! I want to show you something.” Anna said instead, then cut the line.
Arya made a little pout, glaring at her phone. Why did she ignore her like that? And what was at Dublin companies?
That place was an abandoned building.
She tucked her phone into her skirt pocket and strolled to the entrance of the university. Winx was still writing her math test so she’d be leaving without her.
“Maybe I should drop by my flower shop before going to meet Anna? Or is she there now?” she asked herself.
As she got closer to the entrance, she decided to call her sister again. A car drove into the university and stayed before her but she didn’t think much of it.
“Hey, Anna. Can I come over later? Are you at Dublin companies now?” she asked.
“Come meet me at Dublin companies! I want to show you something.” Anna repeated.
Arya’s forehead creased. “Um… okay. I’d be coming then.”
Anna hung up after that.
Arya cocked her head as she went into thinking. Why did Anna sound exactly like she did the first time she told her?
She brushed the feel off and looked up. Her breathing hitched when she met the gaze of her husband’s. Why was he at the university?
Her eyes went down to his shirt, unbuttoned by three buttons and his chest was visible. She dragged her eyes back to his face and forced a smile. “You’re back from the vigil?”
The car door opened and she got in.
He nodded. “I just came back now. Are you done with your tests? It was Math, right? How was it?”
Arya frowned, remembering her math tests. “Well, fair.”
Nathan smiled, seeing her reaction. If there was one thing Anna kept on teasing her sister about, with him, was that she was an aspiring engineer who always failed math.
“I’m really good at math. You can always meet me to help you out if you want.” He said.
She exhaled then nodded. “Sure, thank you.”
Her hands went to her pocket and she felt her phone. She remembered Anna’s call and sighed. “Please, Damien. Could you call Anna? She called me earlier and sounded weird.”
Damien swiftly took out his phone and dialed Anna’s line. It rung but she didn’t pick up. When it stopped ringing, he tried again but it didn’t ring.
“What happened with Anna? Why do you ask me to call?”
Arya shook her head. “Nothing much. She told me to meet her at Dublin companies for a surprise. She just sounded off so I wanted you to call.”
Damien’s fists clenched on the steering. Dublin companies had been closed down and had been home to lots of criminals for time past. “What kind of surprise would be there?”
“I know right. But I’d just dropped by and see what she wants to say.” Arya shrugged.
Damien didn’t seem to agree but he knew he couldn’t stop her from answering her sister’s call, especially if there was a surprise behind it.
Also, if there’s trouble, he’d need to be there to keep both she and Anna away from harm. “I’d go with you.” He said.
Arya glanced at him then back on the road. “Sure, thanks.”
Clutching her bag and hoping for the best, she alighted Damien’s car and marched to the building. He parked his car and jumped down as well.
She had already entered the building. “Anna? I’m here!”
Silence in the empty building greeted her. Arya breathed in and out before advancing into the building. Maybe her sister was waiting somewhere for her?
Damien held her arm when she wanted to enter a room. “That place, a murder was committed there two months ago.”
Arya’s hand hurriedly left the door knob and she stared at it in surprise. “A murder? Who was killed?”
“Two love birds were making out, when a guy who liked the girl came in and killed the two lovers.” Damien explained. “The guy confessed before killing himself too.”
A shiver ran down Arya’s spine. Such a room should be cleaned with holy water. The amount of spirits that’d be communing around.
“And that’s not the only case. This building is home to some criminals, as of last month at least. It was cleared out after the company owners planned to sell it out.” Damien added.
Arya took steps back, wanting to escape the place. Why did her sister bring her to such a place? “I don’t know what Anna wanted to show me though. Maybe she didn’t know?”
Damien took out his phone again and dialed Anna’s phone. “She still isn’t answering me. Try to call her.”
Arya used her shaky hands and dialed her sister’s line.
“Come meet me at Dublin companies! I want to show you something.” Anna said again.
Damien frowned. “We are at Dublin companies already. Come and meet us.”
The line went static before it cut again.
Damien sighed. “Maybe she’s still here.”
He noticed Arya’s frozen expression and tapped her. “What? You look like you just saw a ghost?”
He wondered if it was because of the story of the two love birds he said. Did it scare her?
“That line. That exact like has been what Anna had been saying to me.” She muttered, her eyes welling up. “Could it be a saved voice note?”
Damien didn’t catch her at first till she did. Anna had only been saying that line? That wasn’t informative enough.
“Call her again.” He ordered.
Arya nodded and called again. “Anna, we are at Dublin…”
“Come meet me at Dublin companies! I want to show you something.” Anna’s voice came again.
Damien’s eyes enlarged. That was the same voice tone and pitch the first message came.
It was surely a saved voice tone. And since Anna wasn’t responding then it was clear she wasn’t the one doing this.
“Arya, let’s leave this place. C’mon.” He pulled his wife with him. Tears streamed down Arya’s eyes as she left.