Chapter 49

Mr. Thomas stood before David, his hands clasped firmly around his waist, his gaze piercing. "Right, you were there last night too," he accused, his tone laden with disappointment. "How could you be so heartless?" With a gentle but forceful tap, he struck David's chest, causing him to stagger backward. "You left me on the street like that?" Mr. Thomas shook his head in disappointment.

David, taken aback by Mr. Thomas's accusation, he moved closer to him and hurriedly responded, "Mister, I'm the one who called 911! I saved your life!"

Mr. Thomas regarded David with a mixture of incredulity and frustration. "You still left me there," he accused, his voice tinged with betrayal.

David rolled his eyes in exasperation. "This is why there's no point in helping others," he muttered. "Seriously, I shouldn't have called 911 for you."

Mr. Thomas, seemingly unfazed by David's retort, leveled a cutting remark. "I bet your grades are low."

David felt a pang of emotional hurt. "Gosh, that's just mean," he protested. "Why are you talking about my grades now? You shouldn't be bringing that up."

In a sudden burst of frustration, David grabbed Mr. Thomas's arm and attempted to usher him towards the entrance. "Whatever, just leave," he urged, pushing him gently. "Just go please."

But Mr. Thomas pushed back, asserting his presence. "This isn't your house boy!" he declared, pushing David away firmly.

Stumbling backward, David watched as Mr. Thomas made his way towards a nearby room. Panic seized him as he reached out to stop Mr. Thomas. "No! Not there!" he blurted out.

Mr. Thomas turned, his expression darkening with suspicion. "Not there?" he echoed, pointing to the room. "Why not? Is there something there?"

David hesitated, struggling to find the right words, "well---". Before he could finished his statement, Mr. Thomas advanced, pushing him further back. "Are you hiding something?" he demanded. "What are you hiding? Tell me, what? Cat got your tongue?"

Meanwhile, inside the room, Annabelle strained to hear the commotion outside. Pressing her ear against the door, she listened intently, trying to decipher what was happening.

Mr. Thomas's relentless questioning only fueled David's anxiety. "I—I—" he stammered, his mind racing for an explanation.

But Mr. Thomas wasn't interested in excuses. With a firm shove, he pushed David towards the room, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Feeling cornered, David finally relented. "It's just me here," he admitted, his voice tinged with resignation. "What are you doing? You shouldn't be do anyhow in someone's else house, that's bad."

As Annabelle listened at the door, the tension in the air was serious. She strained to catch every word, her curiosity wax stronger.

Mr. Thomas regarded David with a mixture of distrust and curiosity. "Someone's else house?" he repeated, his brow furrowing. "Why? I'm a detective so I have the right to check everywhere here."

David's resolve wavered under Mr. Thomas's scrutiny. "I—It's complicated," he confessed, his voice barely above a whisper.

But Mr. Thomas wasn't satisfied with vague answers. With a determined stride, he closed the distance between them, his gaze unwavering. "You must be hiding something just as I suspected," he accused, his voice low and menacing. "What is it?"

Mr. Thomas continued to press David backward, his frustration mounting with each shove. "No, I'm not hiding anything, I told you!" David protested, his voice tinged with irritation. "Just leave already. Go!"

David attempted to push Mr. Thomas away, Annabelle's urgent knocks on the door interrupted their confrontation. Mr. Thomas turned towards the sound, his brow furrowed in confusion.

Ignoring the disturbance, David feigned innocence, his smile strained. "What's the noise?" he asked, his gaze flickering to Mr. Thomas. "It must be coming from the next door, right?"

Enraged, Mr. Thomas shoved David with such force that he toppled to the ground. "You bastard!" Mr. Thomas spat. "What did you do? I knew it!"

Hurriedly, Mr. Thomas attempted to open the door, but David scrambled to his feet, blocking his path. "Mr!" David exclaimed, desperation creeping into his voice.

Frustration mounting, Mr. Thomas noticed that the door was locked with a key. Panic surged through him as he realized that definitely something is inside the room that David is preventing him to see.

"He told me not to open the door," David interjected, his voice trembling. "There's a murderer in there."

Without a word, Mr. Thomas began to use his leg to break down the door, his determination unyielding. David's shouts fell on deaf ears as he watched in disbelief.

As the door splintered open, Mr. Thomas was met with the sight of a woman standing inside. David, still reeling from the chaos, cautiously peered around the edge of the door, observing the unfolding scene.

Mr. Thomas gently placed his hands on the woman's shoulders, his voice softening. "Annabelle Keys?" he inquired. "It's you, right?"

Annabelle, taken aback by the sudden intrusion, pushed Mr. Thomas away slightly, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Who are you?" she demanded.

Mr. Thomas persisted, his tone earnest. "I was the detective on the case from fifteen years ago," he explained. "Do you remember me?"

Silence hung between them as Annabelle wrestled with her memories. Slowly, recognition dawned on her face.

"You said Imoogi Vampire was chasing you," Mr. Thomas continued, his voice tinged with urgency. "You said Imoogi Vampire did it."

Images flashed through Annabelle's mind, memories of fear and desperation. She recalled the day she sought refuge in the clinic, only to be confronted by the horrors of her past.

Trembling, she met Mr. Thomas's gaze. "Imoogi Vampire is coming," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "He's coming to kill us."

Mr. Thomas seized her arm that day, his grip firm. "Are you sure it was Imoogi Vampire?" he pressed, his gaze searching hers. "Are you certain?"

Annabelle's resolve wavered as she relived the trauma of that fateful day. Memories flooded her mind, threatening to overwhelm her.

But with a sudden clarity, she broke free from Mr. Thomas's grasp. "You have the wrong person," she declared, her voice steady despite the tremor in her mind due to the flashback she just had.