12:15 pm PPP.
Chapter 156
Chapter 156
KISAREL.
It rang four times, and I was already lowering the phone, certain it would go to voicemail the way my calls had gone to voicemail since our fight, when he picked up.
I had prepared myself for the usual flat tone asking me to leave a message he would not return.
For a second, I forgot how to speak.
There was silence on the line. His silence.
“Elgin?”
Another second passed.
“Arel.”
The sound of my name in his voice nearly broke me.
He sounded tired.
“Hi.”
It was a stupid thing to say.
His breath moved quietly against the receiver. “Hi.”
Neither of us knew what came after that.
I looked around the room as if the faded curtains or the envelope Oceans had left could tell me how to speak to the person who used to understand me before I finished a sentence.
“You picked up,” I tried again, stupidly.
“I am as surprised as you are.” There was a kind of pause that had never once existed between us before this. “It is late, You do not call this late unless something is wrong.”
And there it was – the awkwardness sitting in the line like it was a third person on the call. We were both aware of everything that would be left unsaid. Neither of us reached for it. It was too big and too tender, and I didn’t have the strength tonight to apologize the way it deserved.
“I know we’re not-” I stopped and started again. “I know things aren’t good between us. And I have no right to call you at midnight after everything. But this isn’t about us. It’s about Gerald, and you’re the only person who should hear it, and I couldn’t sit on it.”
There was another brief pause.
I could hear something shifting on his end that sounded like fabric, maybe. Then I heard a man’s voice say something that I couldn’t make out.
Elgin covered the phone briefly, answered him, then came back.
“What about my grandfather?”
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12:15 pm PPP
Chapter 156
Fign I pressed my hand far to my stomach whbour me
before he died. The last people to see him”
“And I assume that person is Nessa? He asked, and I felt the underlying tension around the name s
The frustration in his voice was so strong that I pulled the phone away from my ear
“Elgin, please.” I pressed my fingers to my temple.
“No, I’m not making trouble. I’m only stating the fact that every time something happens lately, that woman is manding beside it with an answer to it.”
“Let’s forget about the messenger and focus more on the message,” I said quickly.
He was quiet, and I took it as a cue to continue.
“Oceans.” I dropped the bombshell. “Oceans and his head of security. Reeves. They were there, Elgte. At Gerald’s, the night
before-
“What?” She let out a breathless chuckle. “That’s ridiculous.”
“No, it’s not. I saw the photos. I saw them going in, EL
There was a long pause from his end.
“Elgin?” I called. “Talk to me.”
He was still quiet. And whenever he stayed that quiet, he was one second away from making a bad decision.
“Send me the pictures, Arel.” He said finally.
“I will. But you need to listen first.”
“I’m listening.”
I knew he wasn’t.
“Nessa said the footage still needs to be verified. She’s trying to get another angle and confirm the timestamp.”
“Nessa said,” he scoffed bitterly.
“Elgin.”
“What else did Nessa say?”
J
I pressed my lips together. There was no good way to make the next part sound less terrible. “She told me not to call you tonight.”
“How much more evil is this woman? Care to tell me?” His voice rose. “She told you not to tell me who was in my grandfather’s home the night before he died? Make it make sense!”
“She thought you might act before we knew what it meant.” I tried to reason with him.
“And you agreed with her?” He asked.
“But I called you either way.” I said softly because I was getting weaker.
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Chapter La
And I should be grateful for that?”
“God, Elgin…” Frubbed my forehead, trying to steady the pressure building behind my eyes. “Just don’t do anything rash just yet. You can’t confront him about it just yet. Please.” I said,
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