Toppled Over!

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Jamie

We reached the gas station, I didn't have to fill the gas but I had more important work. I rush in, I didn't see the man at first but as I neared the shop behind, I realized he was there, he had actually mastered the art of being incredibly still and going unnoticed.

"Sir, is there any place for me to hide the car?!? I need to speak to you and right now it's really urgent, my friend's life is in incredible danger and I need answers from you!" I said, almost screaming!

"Listen, young man, stop screaming, I may be old but I'm certainly not deaf. I can surely help you, just park your vehicle behind this shop, that lane is connected to the back of my shop, I'll open those gates." He said, pointing to the small diversion ahead.

I took the lane and was behind the gas station, I figured that it was a difficult place for anyone chasing us to find, never would they imagine me to stop at a gas station. Calareanne and I got down. Carl was still in the car. We both looked at each other not knowing how to take Carl inside. That's when the man behind comes out with a stretcher.

"How do you have that?" I asked.

"It's a shop, and I know that some medical emergencies would be of help."

"Thank you, sir!" I said as I made Carl lay on the stretcher. In the back of my mind, I knew that I needed to hurry to a hospital but this stop would not only bring us extremely close to the killers but also help us deceive the people who were behind us, who were behind killing Carl.

This manknew things I didn't, I just hoped Romie would be here too, for she knew thekillers and was going to tell Carl that today, if only he weren't laying downhelplessly now.

I planned to stop for exactly 20 mins, finish as much talking as we can and get moving. I have to take Carl to a hospital and soon. I check the time and it was 11:27 a.m. I'm usually not an organized person but today, destiny decides. I set the timer for 20 minutes and keep the phone aside.

"Jamie, you were right, my dad isn't who he seems to be." Calareanne said, wiping the blood off her face with the antiseptic tissue, the shop owner gave.

"What happened after I left the place?"

"Dad threw a vase on the floor, after which his friend hit my face with the wooden decoration that was there. My dad told me that it were all his decisions, and I was no one to tell him what to do. I just.... I just didn't think he'll consider me like that."

"Don't worry, and why didn't they chase you when you were getting on the car? I was shocked"

"Oh, they told me to wash my face and not go out at all while they went to look for Carl, they were in the garden when I got into the car, but I'm pretty sure they'd have noticed very soon."

"Yeah, let's hope this stop misleads them." I said as I turned to the old man. "Sir, what do you know about the tragedy that took place that day. That killed Carl's parents and Romie. Oh, Romie, she told she'd be here, Romie! Are you there?"

"I'm here Jamie." She said as she appeared beside the old man. She was one pretty girl, her eyes same as Carl's, those eyes have something. It portrayed the look of serenity, assurance and just pure love. Her freckles, she was one beautiful girl, how unfortunate for her to lose her life so young.

"I'm gonna go right in and tell you what I know. My dad was a businessman, a powerful businessman, he had one best friend, and that was Calareanne's father. They were more like half-brothers than friends. My dad and he both together owned an equal share of the resort, which Calareanne's father now owns. Her father didn't feel the same about my father." She paused.

"He was just behind the money, the wealth, the fame and not feelings. That day, we were all on the top floor looking out of the window. Our parents were talking about how to improve the resort... or something like that. Calarie wasn't there that day, I don't know why but Calbro and I decided to go down and play. We were in the garden when we heard our parents scream for help. Calbro and I were just clueless about what to do. We stood puzzled before Calbro held my hand tight and pulled me towards the road."

"Calbro knows what happened next. A woman caught his hair and pulled him back, while he was being pulled, he saw a grass cutter, with which he tried slashing the woman's neck and he partially did, but that's when things changed, within a split second, the grass cutter was now being thrown at me, straight at me. It had hit me in the head, I knew I was gonna die. Calbro still tried saving me, took me to the resort but that's when the same man shot us, shot both of us. He was Calareanne's father. He was the man who killed my parents. Who killed me was none other than your mom Calareanne!" Romie said as she looked at Calareanne with tears in her eyes.

"You're lying! I'm not defending my dad here, but my mom. She didn't kill you! Carl killed her. I lost my mom because of Carl. He had a gun, he shot my mom!" Calareanne said, almost yelling at Romie.

"Oh really, who told you this?" Romie said, making a weird face.

"My... dad.. he told me that Carl killed my mom because he thought he lost his family because of my mom!"

"You choose to believe your dad of all people. I hate to break it to you, but you are being stupid! I lost my entire family to your parents! Do you think I'm gonna make up stuff just like that? Can I ask you a question? Do you know how to use a gun? A proper gun?"

"No, I don't," Calareanne said.

"You are as old as Calbro now! You're 20 and you don't know how to use a gun? Do you really think a 10-year old boy can kill using a gun? Where'd he even get that gun? He surely doesn't know magic." Romie said angrily, her face was red. I honestly liked the way she gave it back to Calareanne.

"To add to this the injury that Calbro did, the injury on her neck was not deep enough to kill her, it wasn't even in the center. Do you think normal 10-year olds can have enough strength to lift a grass cutter and slice someone with it? You're making me think that you're stupid! And hate to burst your bubble but while Calbro and I were running to the resort, we heard a gunshot. That gunshot by your father, at your mother. I don't want to sit and convince you. I have better things to talk about."

"Jamie, there's something I want to tell both you and Calbro. This man, Calareanne's father isn't the normal kind. He doesn't love Calareanne or anyone. He just wants all the property. My father had given both Calbro and Calareanne an equal share of the property. Both my parents treated Calareanne as their own daughter." She paused for a while and continued.

"Calareanneturned 20 a few weeks ago and from that day onward, if something happens toCalareanne, the property goes to her father..... but there's something I don'tunderstand, why kill Calbro, they're not going to benefit at all... but I don'tknow what.... or.. let's just leave this for now but I can guarantee thatCalareanne's father has tried to kill Carl, I don't know how yet but it's afact."