Thirty Three

Chapter Thirty Three

“This is a nice area.” Charlie commented as they got down from Mark’s car.

It was nothing different to Jennifer. The neighborhood was as she had left it. Quiet during the day like dead people’s crib. That silence had always annoyed her, in addition, the silence in Mark’s house. It almost made her tear her brain out most days. Taking a look at Mark who was trying to open his door, Jennifer could not help but wonder what exactly it was he gained from being excessively quiet.

‘Everyone needs silence’. She could almost hear Charlie’s motivational voice in her head. Taking one more look at the scene opposite the house, her eyes focusing more on Candy’s house, she gave a short smile and followed the other two into the house.

The house too was as she left it. Recalling the first time she had stepped into his house, she had been impressed by his ability to make his house a work of art. The way the colours blended so well even though they were different, invited her, making her think she was entering this happy abode. Had she had an idea that he would be setting silly rules for her the next day, she could have just asked his doctor friend to take her in.

But what’s done is done.

But one thing bothered her. She did not know why her dislike for Mark was not pure. It had it element of a surprising admiration for him and it made her brain ache at the thought that she could possibly, in the slightest way like him. And she still could not tell why.

“This Mark guy has got good tastes. For someone who sounds angry at the world, this is not expected.” Charlie had leaned back to whisper into her ear. She gave him an agreeing shrug, her eyes landing on the laptop as they entered the living room. It was where she had left it the day she had snuck out.

“Jennifer, finally!” Her turned to the familiar voice that had just called her. It was the doctor friend with his bouncy curled hair she found amusing while she was at the hospital.

“Doctor.” She received his hug request her attention diverting to the little brown furred creature just behind his legs.

“Oh my, a puppy.” She had always wanted one but her dad never liked dogs for some reason. She picked the puppy who looks at her with these cute eyes that just made Jennifer smile.

“It is Mark’s apology puppy.” Jennifer’s eyes travelled to Mark, her smile a bit faded.

“N… not…” Mark wanted to refuse the doctor’s statement.

“You got her the puppy Mark.” The doctor said, as if he was convincing him to think so.

“Y…yeah. I am sorry I tried to get rid of you. It was inconsiderate of me.”

Jennifer looked at him semi-suspiciously. He did not sound like him at all and a part of her felt he was put up to it. He was not even sure he was the one that got her the puppy. But it made the other part of her relieved that he was apologetic.

“I am sorry I left too.”

“I don’t blame you, Mark has this habit of chasing people away. So don’t feel sorry.” The doctor said.

“Thank you doctor.”

“Call me Mike.” His eyes went to Charlie who was still busy scrutinizing the room.

“Who is your fine friend here?”

She grabbed Charlie’s arm. “Oh, this is Charlie. He has been so much of a great help ever since I left this house.”

“Nice to meet you man. And thanks for taking such good care of her.” The two men shook hands. Jennifer noticed how more secluded Mark was at that moment. It was no surprise, he never liked people.

“You finally met the famous Mark.” Jennifer whispered into Charlie’s ears.

“He does seem a bit grumpy. I’ll make sure to let him know when we are done with business.” He said, both of them sharing a smile. Jennifer loved how free and happy she was around Charlie, if only she could return his look of admiration with the same intensity.

“Yo man! You are officially out of toilet papers. Babes!” Ben rushed to her to give her a hug, minding the puppy.

“Hey Ben. I am happy to see you.”

“I am happier to see you. I want us to teach that scumbag Francis some deep ass lessons and I can’t wait to tell you all I have planned. Even though they are not exactly fun like my excitement is painting it to be.” His voice had gone from excited to uncertainty.

“What do you have planned?” She asked, mentally take a deep breath to draw enough strength to process how they were going to nab Francis her hus… her ex-husband.

“Not many things, yet effective things. Let’s all have our seats.” They all sat down, waiting to hear what Ben had to say.

“Uh… first, did Mark show you that surveillance capture Jennifer?”

“Yes. I couldn’t identify the lady. She is just not familiar at all.”

“I guess that is a mystery for now. Speaking of mystery, did he mention that Francis remarried some blonde lady whose name we don’t know?”

Jennifer looked confusedly at Mark, then Charlie who grabbed her hand in comfort before her eyes went back to Mark. “A… a blonde…Remarried?”

“Uh…”

Jennifer let out a nervous chuckle. She certainly did not see that coming. She had thought the worst Francis could do was bang some woman. But remarried? How long has she been gone? And a blonde? Amanda? Jennifer closed her eyes, covered her face with her palms as she took it all in. Her life was a mess. A total mess.

“Jennifer?” She heard Charlie call, his voice full of care and concern.

She decided to clear her mind for the time being and focus on the task ahead.

“I am fine. So… the blonde is probably my best friend, Amanda. Amanda Stone.” They all had their eyes that had concern written all over them on her. Even the puppy was looking at her with sad eyes as it got more comfortable in her laps.

“Amanda Stone.” Ben noted.

“So guys, the task ahead is to get Francis behind bars for not only drowning Jennifer but also mis-managing the company funds. Even though I would have loved it to do this revenge thing the illegal way, it would be too harsh and short. Hence, we are taking this matter to court, at Bahama.”

Jennifer exhaled loudly. She was finally going home. Soon.

“That means we need to get a lawyer and more evidence concerning the funds.” Mike pointed out.

Ben raised a finger up, a look of assurance on his face. “During my short investigation, I ran into a lawyer friend of mine. I involved him with the story we have here, don’t worry Jennifer I did not mention your name, and he agreed to help.”

“Really? That’s relieving.” Jennifer smiled.

“But what about payment?”

“Jennifer we can pay him after we win the case. But if you want to pay him part of his fees now, I was able to get someone to hack into your bank account, to get some cash for any flight we would be taking and other things. Don’t worry, Francis won’t notice. He never touched your money and I learnt he doesn’t plan to.”

“Well at least he is decent in that aspect.” Mike said. Jennifer began to feel her heart grow heavy by the minute. They were doing this. She was doing this. Putting Francis behind bars for attempting to murder her.

“You sound so sure about winning the case.” Charlie said.

“All evidences available are very strong. Strong enough to prove him guilty. We just need the other documents to make it stronger.”

“How are we going to get that though?” Mike asked.

“I was thinking we sent a spy.”

“And where would we get a spy? They are not exactly flying around to be picked you know?”

“Mike, calm down. we will figure this out.”

“I know a guy.” Mark said something since they all sat down.

“He is an ex-spy. But I can still talk him into helping us out.”

“That would be great. When do we go to meet him?” Mike asked Ben.

"Tomorrow should be fine. I think I am hungry." Ben said, yawning and making noise with it as he got up.

"The dog looks hungry too, so do you Charlie and Mike. Let's go raid the kitchen." Charlie grabbed the puppy off Jennifer’s lap.

"You should not actually eat much, you know." Jennifer could hear Charlie tell Ben who huffed loudly.

She faced Mark who had his head buried in something she couldn't exactly see as he had it tucked in between his legs.

“So…” He looked at her revealing a phone in his hands.

A phone. That was new. The Mark she lived with worked with walkie-talkie’s. He had changed in some

way, she thought as she studied him.

“You wanted to say something?” He was more polite with his words.

“Uh…yeah. I see you got a phone. I did not take you for a phone guy or a technological inclined individual.”

She threw him a short smile.

“Have you always been this straight forward with your words?” He sounded too polite.

She raised a brow in answer to his question, maintaining eye contact with him.

He had changed a bit. But definitely not totally. Somehow she could sense it, a part of him wanted to call her silly so bad, but he was trying to be nice or pretending to be.

“After you left, Mike made me get a new phone. He said something about my era of being an old man being over.”

“You are an old man. You weirdly love silence even more than your old neighbours.”

“Listen… the puppy, Mike got it for you. Not me.”

‘Why is he telling me this?’ Jennifer thought as she nodded understandably.

“But I am really sorry for trying to get rid of you.”

“Bullshit!” Mark frowned at her word.

“Yes this is bull shit. What is with the pretence? If you want to insult me, do it, okay? Stop making this seem so cheesy. It is…” And despite the distance between them, Mark moved, unclear expression in his eyes and captured her lips shutting up her rant.