A Murder In Disguise|ONC 2021 (Completed)✔

Chapter - 14

SILENCE BEFORE THE STORM

Grace was laid on the bed. Her wounds were dressed, but her face was pale and unlively. Her eyes were closed, and I kept staring at them as I was seated beside her holding her palm tightly between mine. 

Hannah sat near her feet, slightly rubbing her leg. It was sometime around the morning when she opened her eyes with great effort. 

Her eyelashes lifted a bit, and from that narrow slit, she tried to take a glimpse of her surroundings. 

"Hannah? Emily?" She whispered in a crooked voice as if her throat was sore. 

We jumped towards her as she called us. 

"Yes, yes. We are here Grace. I'm here. Emily is here. See?" Hannah rejoiced, tears rolling down her cheeks. 

"Yes. I'm here too. You are safe with your best friends beside you." I comforted her, placing my palm over her cheek. 

A sad smile crept on all of our faces. However, Grace fainted again after a while. We kept taking care of her until near noon, her health finally turned better, and she gained her senses back.

We seated her up on the bed and fed her some cereals even though she pulled a face while eating them. 

"Strange, isn't it?" Hannah said with a slight chuckle. "All three of us have gone through this state in the past week." She pointed towards the bed.

Hannah was right! We all have been on that patient's bed for some other reason. And we all burst into laughter. 

We had some little silly conversations until my phone began ringing. Again! 

What now?! I rolled my eyes and got up to check. 

Martha calling… 

I remember I told her I'll call when I'm free. Ugh! I completely forgot it! 

"Hey, Martha! What's up" I picked up and started casually. 

"Hey, dear. Where have you been? I was worried you didn't call back." She expressed her concern.

"I'm fine." I paused, looking back at the bed where Grace was seated. "I was just a little busy with stuff in college." I excused.

"It's okay. I'm sorry if I hampered your studies." Martha apologized with hints of embarrassment in her voice. 

"No, no! It's cool. Actually, can we meet at Melody's Diner?" I proposed taking another glimpse of my happily talking friends. 

I was at a fair distance from them, so we couldn't hear each other's voices. 

"Sure. Right now?" She confirmed. 

"Yeah. I'm free now. How long will it take for you to get there?" I inquired. 

"I'll be there in 15 minutes," Martha informed, and then exchanging goodbyes, we hung up. 

I walked back towards Grace and Hannah and my lips spread into an unintentional smile. I watched them dearly.

"Who was it?" Hannah raised a brow. 

"Martha," I said, sighing. "She was worried I didn't contact." 

"Oh!" Hannah seemed relieved to hear. "Are you going somewhere, eh?" She asked, noticing my preparations. 

"Yeah! I'll go meet Martha. I'm sorry, Grace darling. Would you mind me going?" I questioned, turning towards Grace. 

She nodded left-right and flashed a smile towards me.

"As long as you promise to bring me a double-double from timmies." Grace winked. 

"Deal." I laughed and placed a kiss over her forehead, waving both of them goodbye. 

I didn't head directly towards the diner as I needed to get changed first. Right now, I looked like I was kidnapped and not Grace. 

Anyways, I managed to change and get to Melody's Diner as soon as I can. When I reached there, I saw Martha seated on a table near the window in a corner. But she wasn't alone. Instead, someone was sitting in front of her, his back towards me. 

As I reached the table, I understood it was Evan. A winsome smile tucked over my lips as I saw him. He seemed fresh and casual, nothing like the night we met. 

I sat beside Martha throwing a questioning smile towards her. 

"Uninvited guest?" I teased and saw his face turn dull. 

"Sorry for it. This monkey stuck with me when I was leaving. This boy probably hasn't grown old enough to let her elder sister leave him alone." Martha joked, and Evan's face turned red. 

"Aapi!" That's what he called Martha sometimes. "I was bored, so I thought I might hang with you." He huffed as we both burst into laughter, watching his expressions. 

The time passed well with Evan and Martha. Just like our old days when we were younger and had fewer problems to deal with than we have now. However, I felt the guilt of hiding from them what happened last night. 

Nonetheless, after around two hours, I returned back to our dorm. As soon as I entered, I saw a refreshed Grace smiling at me. It was good to see her come out of the trauma fast. 

I handed her the shopper from timmies and placed some other eatables on the table I brought for us. We chatted and laughed and teased and joked, trying to subside the effects of last night, which kept springing from our subconscious. 

We didn't quite leave the dorm on that day. The next day, when we left for college, we crashed into an anxious Janice on our way. 

"Hey, girl! Is everything alright?" Hannah inquired, judging her expressions. 

"Maddy has been missing for the last two nights. I complained to the police, and they just called to inform me that they found a dead body." Janice wept in between her erratic breaths. "Just pray it's not Maddy." 

She ran towards the exit, and we leaped behind her. The news sent shivers down our spine, but never in our dreams did we think that body would be found in Kaslo Park.

Our hearts skipped a beat when we heard it. Janice entered the room where the body was kept, and her screams were enough for us to understand that the body we buried at Kaslo Park was none other than that of Maddy.