Safe 23

Chapter 8: Office

Joe POV

We are in the car...Todd hasn't talked or answered any of my questions. We arrived at the office and Todd slowly raised me to my feet helping me as I gradually began to walk. I carefully placed one foot in front of the other like a toddler. It's about time I tried to walk. The pain was better but still so painful, but I needed to get stronger. Todd wouldn't even look at me as i wobbled slowly up the stairs,pausing for breaths. I don't know whether he is angry with me about Valentina...but he wouldn't be, he is not like that...his brother and his job comes before girls. He hasn't been right since we went back to my house. I don't know, he is a strange person sometimes.

He took me up the office and we looked around for further clues. The office was scattered with yellow tape and blood stains.

"Todd what's going on, i don't understand?" I said trying to understand why he was so distant

He examined the beach painting hanging beside Lewis' desk.

"What are you talking about."

"Todd you haven't said a single word to me since we left the hotel"

"Look Joe...I have a couple things on my mind and I just want to put it to rest and focus on my work, I take it very seriously."

"Okay I here you out, remember I'm your brother and if you ever want to talk I'm..."

Todd cut me off

"This part of the wall is hollow." He said tapping the wall with his knuckle.

"Pass me the sledge hammer Jo."

I pass him the hammer that was cornered in the room.

"Most walls are hallow Todd, it's probably nothing."

" Well Lewis won't be coming back to work here so I'm knocking this wall down, better safe than sorry."

He takes a firm grip of the hammer.

"They have searched here for days and they never came across this." Todd said confused

"There trained professionals they should have seen this."

He swung his arms back slamming the hammer into the wall again and again.

Todd POV

As I looked piles of sheets fell out with chalky drawings of images of places I have never seen and drawings of mazes.

Joe's face went dead as he leaned forward and grabbed one of the drawings. He looked at it confused. Then his eyes went wide. It looked like he had seen it before.

"What Joe,what is it?"

He stared hard and coughed as he fanned away the dust with his hands

"Tia...she had these...they where on her bedroom side table, I asked her what it was and she said just drawings her niece Anna gave her then she hid them. But these where black chalk drawings. Why would a 4 year old draw with chalk."

"What did you do?"

"I kept asking her over and over and she told me some things are best not knowing...i trusted her and I just left it." He said placing the pictures on the table

"Did you ask Anna about it?"

"No I trusted Tia...I believed it was better for me not to know."

"Joe...this isn't right...maybe it's got some connection." I said folding the papers and putting them in my pocket.

"I don't..."

Just then I heard a loud shot and the sound of glass shattering I felt a pain dash though my shoulder.I looked at my shoulder and I fell to the ground as blood pored.