The Right One

Twenty nine

"Can you describe this man?" Raymond asked.

"Tall, dark, a bit of muscle," the boy answered shortly.

That was a vague description, but it did match the description Sophie had given them of the man that had stolen her phone. Raymond exchanged another look with Alex who looked like he was thinking the same.

Raymond nodded and the boy did the same. "So, are you done interrogating me then? Or are you going to lock me up somewhere next?"

The boy bounced from foot to foot, looking ready to leave as they both kept staring at him with matching looks of doubt and contemplation.

"What do you think?" Alex asked, addressing Raymond.

Raymond wasn't sure what to think. It made sense, but again it didn't. But maybe they needed to have faith? "I don't know. Isn't it about time the police got here?"

"Police?" The boy echoed. "What exactly is going on here?"

Neither replied him, but caught in their different thoughts although similar. If the boy was confirming that Hope indeed was in there, what was the next step? They'd informed the police, but could they just wait around, trusting they would show up even though they hadn't provided any definite proof? Even if they did, would they get there in time?

"We should find a way to go in," Raymond concluded, a new sense of urgency in his voice. If Hope was in anyway in danger, getting her out came first.

"We can't overlook the possiblity that text wasn't from Hope."

Raymond had mused over the possiblity over and over on the way over, and had concluded it didn't matter. If he had a shot at saving Hope, he was taking it. Besides, if the kidnapper had sent it, then he might as well meet him. "I know."

"I asked a question, you know?" The boy announced, drawing their attention back to himself.

"What's your name?" Raymond asked of the blue, taking the boy by surprise.

"Why?" He asked suspiciously.

"I just want to know," Raymond replied genuinely.

"Are you cops? Is that guy some sort of criminal? You won't demand I come to testify, will you?"

"For all we know, the lady you saw could have been kidnapped. We have to rescue her," Raymond summarized, deciding to trust the boy. But then again, he tended to trust anyone.

"Kidnapped?" The boy asked, for the first time looking genuinely apprehensive. " I saw her walk in there of her own free will."

"No, she didn't. She came here because she thought her sister was being held hostage," Raymond informed. He'd thought about it and had decided that was what had happened. There was just no other reasonable explanation. "It's a long story and might not make much sense to you, but if she's in there, she's being held hostage."

The book seemed lost for words, probably realizing this was not a joke as he'd thought. "Here I was thinking your girlfriend was cheating on you or something."

"What?"

"The man's really good looking," the boy replied defiantly.

"Do you know anyway we could get in there without drawing attention?" Alex asked.

"I thought you were waiting for the police?"

"Yes, and they're supposed to be on their way, but this is Nigeria and that could mean a whole lot of things."

The boy chewed on his lips, seeming to weigh it. When he spoke, he left them both floored. "I could help you distract him."

"What--"