Rewrite the Apocalypse dream (by Dee Cari) novel Chapter 34

Chapter 34 Told everyone she died

Exiting the space, Joanna returned to the hotel room just as the door clicked open. Jolie walked in, carrying a heavy takeout bag.

“Put the food on the table, I’ll be right out,” Joanna said, rushing into the bathroom to wash the lingering sweat and tension away in a quick, hot shower. Feeling thoroughly refreshed, she threw on a clean outfit and sat down at the small dining table.

Jolie had gone all out: a massive, juicy cheeseburger, a mountain of golden fries, and a large strawberry milkshake. Joanna began eating ravenously, her body burning through calories to offset the massive energy consumption of the jade absorption.

As she ate, she observed Jolie. Her friend was already tapping furiously on her laptop, a handwritten notebook open beside her.

“Alright, I’ve got a solid lead on David Foster,” Jolie said, her tone instantly shifting into crisp business mode. “But before we call him… I need to ask you something.”

Joanna leaned back, sipping her milkshake, still riding the immense high of the dimension’s growth. “What’s on your mind?”

Jolie hesitated, tracing a nervous finger over the edge of her keyboard. “That guy, Allen. Rachel’s brother. Do you think… do you think they’re actually going to stay in Aurora? Or was Rachel just trying to find an excuse to keep tabs on us?”

Joanna’s smile turned knowing. She had caught the charged silence in the warehouse, the way Allen’s rigid, professional guard had melted the moment he was alone with Jolie in that office. “Rachel is a businesswoman, Jolie. She plays her cards close to her chest. But Allen? Allen wasn’t looking at me, and he definitely wasn’t looking at the money by the end of that count.”

Jolie’s cheeks flushed a faint pink, and she quickly looked back down at her screen, though a small smile tugged at her lips. “He was just being professional.”

“Right. Highly professional static electricity,” Joanna teased gently, before her expression sharpened, bringing them back to the brutal reality of their mission. “Did you find the obituary?”

“I did,” Jolie said, her playful mood vanishing as she slid the business card and her notebook toward Joanna. “Megan Foster supposedly died in a hiking accident up in the northern ranges three weeks ago according to the message David left at the jewelry store, but there has been no obituary written and according to David’s social pages nothing was shown saying Megan died. But here’s the catch-the P.O. Box on file at the jewelry store matches a high-end residential estate just outside the city center. And I managed to trace his active, unlisted landline. If we’re going to fish for information, we do it now.”

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11:26 Sat, Oct 3

Chapter 34 Told everyone she died

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Finished

Joanna stared at the handwritten numbers on the back of the card. The thrill of the jade entirely faded, replaced by the cold, calculating focus of a survivor who knew the future. She picked up her phone and punched in the numbers.

“Let’s see if the dead can speak,” Joanna said softly, pressing the call button.

The phone rings four times, the dull, hollow tones echoing in the quiet hotel room. On the fifth ring, the line clicks open, followed by a heavy, agitated breath.

“Who is this?” a man’s voice snaps, raspy and thick with irritation. “How did you get my private number?”

Joanna remains completely unbothered by his hostility, keeping her voice smoothly polite. “Mr. Foster? David Foster? My name is Joanna. I’m calling regarding a custom gold and emerald necklace you commissioned at the jewelry boutique downtown.”

A sharp, venomous scoff cuts through the receiver. “I canceled that piece weeks ago. Tell the store to melt it down or sell it to the highest bidder. I don’t care. Stop calling me.”

“Wait,” Joanna says quickly, before he can hang up. “The shop wouldn’t release your personal line, Mr. Foster. I acquired it because I am highly interested in purchasing the necklace directly from you. I know you paid for it in full, and I’m willing to offer a generous amount to take it off your hands.”

The line goes dead silent for a long, heavy moment. When David speaks again, his voice drops into a low, bitter hiss that vibrates with deep-seated fury.

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