Temporary Beach

Chapter Nine

I've been pretty distracted from work today. I felt bad about it, especially considering how easily they hired me, but at least Emily and Jace were still working - even Sadie was working. Well, she was technically training, but she was still able to help out. I figured with three other people working, it'd be easier for me to get away with sitting in the backroom on my phone.

I'm really making it sound like I'm just sitting back here playing games like a four year old, but it's actually important this time. It would've been a far more groundbreaking task, if I wasn't constantly running into dead ends. I've been trying to find some sort of evidence as to what this Calum guy supposedly did.

All I needed was one article with his name or face on it, or even just his general description, but I can't find anything at all. It's almost like everything that's ever had his name on it, was completely deleted from the face of the earth. I feel like everyone is pretty traceable with at least a couple Google searches.

You can probably find their name in an article from when they won something at school, or they're mentioned in a family members obituary, or you can find one of their social medias, at the very least. But this Calum guy basically doesn't even exist at all. He might as well be a ghost. But, even then, I'd be able to find his obituary.

"Mads," Jace called out to me. I looked up from my phone to see that his brows were furrowed together in confusion. "Is something wrong? You usually stay off your phone pretty much all day at work," his worried expression was evident. I shook my head as a no before responding, "everything's fine, I'm just trying to find this guy."

"Why do you need to find a guy if you and Harry are basically dating at this point?" I laughed as I realized what it must've sounded like to Jace. "It's not for me, Jace. I'm actually trying to find out whatever this guy did. He was flirting with Emily yesterday, and they were on the phone until pretty late last night. Harry mentioned how he was some kind of bad guy."

"I might be able to help you out. I have lived here since conception, y'know. You learn a couple things. What's his name?"

"Calum Hood," I answered. Jace's face seemed to pale at the mere mention of this boys name. Like Jace said, he's lived here his entire life - he must know what Calum allegedly did, and from the looks of it, it's not exactly good. "Calum Hood?" He repeated as he slightly stuttered. I nodded my head for confirmation. "We don't really talk about him around here," Jace said in a lower tone.

"Why not? What did he do?"

"Mads, just drop it. Tell Emily she needs to stay away from this guy. Just tell her to block him."

"Okay, first of all, I can't 'just drop it,' because I know Emily won't block him with no explanation. She'll just keep talking to him until someone tells her what he did. Secondly, even if she does randomly block him, he knows she works here, so it's pretty pointless." For a second time, Jace's face paled at my last sentence.

He almost looked like he'd grown queasy and dizzy. "How does he know she works here?" He asked as his eyes progressively grew wider. "He came in here yesterday to grab some food? This is a diner, Jace."

"I know it's a diner, Maddi," he mocked in the same tone of voice I used. "Calum Hood hasn't been on this side of town in about five or six years. I always thought I would've noticed if he decided to pop back in for a quick little visit."

"Just tell me what he did so I can give Emily a reason to block him and avoid him the next time he shows up," I said, beginning to get frustrated. "Maddi, we really don't talk about it. Just tell Emily and hope that she listens to you," he said as he began walking out of the room.