Chapter 13 Breaking News!
Ariel
My phone started ringing the minute we got onto the highway. By that time, I had pretty much imagined every worst-case scenario there possibly was relating to the fact that that hospital was not what it claimed to be.
What could it be then? An illegal establishment or, oh my God, an organ harvesting/trafficking system. That made me want to turn the car around for the hundredth time since we left but every time I keep having a feeling that that would not end well for anyone.
I had seen her; I had seen her records and according to the doctor and the systems I had seen in her room, she seemed fine. Just a little more time and I would get her out of there. A little more time.
"Who is it?" Chloe asked as I picked up the phone from my lap.
"Fuck." I muttered when I saw who was calling.
"What? Who?" Shit, she heard me.
"No one, just Jonas. I'll call him back when I get home." I shut off my phone screen.
"Jonas is no one?" I glanced at her to see her peering at me intensely right before she had to focus her gaze back on the road. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.
"I-I didn't mean he's no one. I just... I'll call him back later."
"Why? I'm pretty sure whatever he has to say is important."
Yes, I'm sure of that too; after all, he's been calling me consistently for days now, not to mention the number of missed calls he had left when I went missing.
He must have a lot to say but I wasn't ready for the talk, so...
"I'll call him back later."
"Ariel..."
I flinched when my phone started ringing again.
For the rest of the ride, I switched off my phone to avoid the awkward silence of ignoring Jonas' call and Chloe's stares when I did that. I knew she wanted to say something but surprisingly, she didn't and when we got back to her school, well, a few blocks away from her school, she got down from the car, handed me the car keys and walked away without so much as a goodbye.
"Ah..." I sighed as I watched her walk away. She was pissed but there wasn't really anything I could do about that. I couldn't let her get more involved than she already was.
Mom. I thought as I remembered the search results from earlier. I took out the burner phone I had taken with me as I left the house.
Should I call them? I should, right? They did say I should wait for their call but that was before I knew they transferred my mum to an illegal establishment. Only God knows what they actually do there.
I navigated my way to the contacts section on the phone but paused when I saw that there was nothing there. Fuck. How do I contact them? And when exactly are they going to contact me?! I'm tired of waiting anxiously.
I left Chloe's school area after looking through the rest of the phone and finding nothing. It was literally just a bunch of apps with nothing on them, including a snake game app.
I took the turn onto the main road and glanced at my phone on the passenger seat where it sat. I wonder if anything has come out on Richard. Also Jonas, I should call him now.
I picked up the phone and switched it back on. Then I dialed Jonas' number and connected it to the car. Let's just get it over with.
What was the cover-up again? I was sick; I had to take a vacation and, uh... I have no idea where Richard might be. That last part was not a lie.
Okay, let's...
"Hello!" I flinched the minute I heard his voice. "Ariel?"
I cleared my throat. "Hi, Jonas. How are you?"
"Oh my God." I could hear both the concern and relief in his voice. "Are you okay?"
"Yes." I was headed home. Maybe he could come meet me there.
"Are you sure? Where are you?"
"Driving."
"Driving where?"
"Home. I took Chloe to school."
"Oh, is she okay? I've been trying to contact her for two days now but I haven't been able to. She told me she had been unable to reach you too."
"Y-yes. We just made contact and... Yeah."
Silence stretched on the phone. "Well, I guess I'll see you soon then."
"Oh..." that's it.
"Let me not keep you distracted since you're driving."
"Oh okay."
He cut the call and I stared at nothing for two seconds. I had to focus my eyes back on the road.
What was that? That was all he was going to tell me. I thought he was going to ask more questions. Ask why I left the tour abruptly. Ask if I was actually down with... Ask if I was the one that killed Richard because he had destroyed my life and he somehow knew it.
The way he had asked none of that made me uneasy. Uneasy enough that I stepped hard on the gas pedal and didn't stop till I got to my apartment building.
Thankfully, the paparazzi had reduced. Even I think they were gone. But I had to take precautions, so I took the secret entrance known only to residents into the underground parking lot of the building.
The building had a normal parking lot too where most people parked. I parked when I got to my assigned space and sat for a while to process my thoughts before leaving the car.
I should go in to the agency tomorrow, meet with Jonas and also check on Richard's death or whatever the fuck was going on.
'Richard Kingsley', I typed into my search bar and I felt my jaw drop immediately.
BREAKING NEWS: Star Entertainment CEO Richard Kingsley Under Scrutiny After Videos Suggest Possible Involvement in Award-wining Pop Star, Kira Matthews' Death.