Eastern District School

Chapter 27 - Why So Calm?

Rich grabbed her arm to stop her from leaving their table.

"You can't go chasing someone, this time of night, just because you think it's someone you know!" 

He was talking through clenched teeth, as quietly as he could be. 

Rose however wasn't!

"Rich, let go, I need to know why he's here. If we go now, we could find him, he can't have got far!"

Rich's grip tightened on her arm. 

"Rose, just sit tight! We can't go anywhere!"

She stared at him. Why wasn't he helping her? He said he was with her every step of the way, and now? He was unnervingly calm, if there was such a thing.

She forced herself to ease against his grip and slid back down into the chair.

"Rich what aren't you telling me?" she said trying her best to keep her voice calm. 

"He's been following us a while." came his reply.

"What? You knew? Wait, how long has he been following us?" her insides were a mess. Her stomach felt like it had been tied into a hundred knots, and her ribs felt like they were crushing inward, causing her to focus on her breathing for fear of not being able to at all. 

"I caught a glimpse of him, not long after we left the hotel. But Rose, I think you're panicking for the wrong reasons. He's not going to hurt you. At least, I don't think he will..."

Not exactly reassuring!

"He thought I was a threat, I guess, he still thinks I am, hence why he's come 300 odd miles to check up on me."

Rose shook her head in disbelief. "How can you be so calm?"

Rich patted her hand, with his, which moments before had restrained her from running after him. What could she have done though, in all honesty?

"Rose. He's watching out for you. It's my fault for going all that way to check up on a 'female architect'. What else should I expect if he warned me so firmly?"

She was silent, a lot more at ease than she had been moments before. "So he's not here for me?"

"No, he's checking up on me, I can only assume. But he hasn't approached me, and I haven't made it known that I've seen him. I think we should stick with that." Rich said. He was reaching into his pocket for his wallet to pay for the meal. 

"Well, I think I may have blown that one then!" Rose said, with an awkward look on her face. "I looked straight at him whilst drinking my shake, when I saw him I froze, then just within a blink...he was gone!" There was no denying the fact he saw her looking straight back at him.

"I wouldn't worry too much. It's you he's looking out for."

"So does that mean, he's going to go for you? Rich it seems he has it in for you. I think we should just go!"

"I'm not worried, he only has to keep check of me to see I'm no threat to you. I have nothing to hide, Rose. He'll see that eventually, and go back home."

Rose went silent, as she watched Rich take out a few notes to leave on their bill. 

"He's the one that's been sneaking around the sight!" she said in a bare whisper. 

Rich did not seem convinced, she noticed his frown as he sighed deeply. "I don't think so, Rose."

"But...but the answers on that sheet today...the guy I saw running from the storage...the note left on my computer!" It was all starting to make sense. Well partly. Why was he here, why was he warning her?