Haunted by the knowledge of Grace's illness, I can barely concentrate during any of my today's classes. I don't know what I must do. The doctor said he would lose his job if Grace ever caught a whiff of the fact that I know about her illness, so approaching her directly isn't an option plus she really is a hard one to fool.
"How was class?" Chloe asks as soon as she enters the room.
"It was class "I fake laugh
"Not the reaction I was expecting... everything okay?"
"Yeah why?"
"I expected you to be elated after acing that speech yesterday"
"Yeah, well I guess I just don't feel like it right now "
"What? did that witch Grace give you shit for it?" she spits, taking a seat on my bed. I am stunned by her organic choice of words
"What did you just say?" I utter, sitting up in surprise
"Did Grace hate your speech? Is this the reason you're in your feelings?"
"No, on the contrary, she loved it"
"Good, then what's all the fuss about?"
"Nothing I just have a terrible headache that's all," I say, laying down.
"Okay, Caleb said to congratulate you on your success -You're all over the internet girl" she laughs, making air quotes at her mention of success and I can't help but feel she's making a mockery of me?
"Yeah, I can tell" I spit. Her attitude makes sense; she's been hanging out with Grace's biggest critic.
"What do you mean? What can you tell?"
"That you've been around Caleb"
"Aria"
"No Chloe, don't Aria me. Grace has done a lot for us and you know it"
"Have you ever wondered why?" she asks
"Why what?"
"Why she chose us?"
"No, because there isn't anything to wonder about!" I shout.
"Do you remember the other day when I was upset, and you kept on asking me why?" Here it comes.
"Yeah"
"I met a janitor"
"So?"
"She feared me at first and I wondered why, so I pestered and followed her around until she told me the reason"
"Go on"
"She told me she worked as Grace's assistant for five years before Lisa came along and left just one month before they brought in Caleb"
"Okay, why did she leave?"
"Why was she fired is the question, she told me that Grace asked her to relinquish her duties, and she willingly did so because she and Grace were at loggerheads after she found out about Grace's Plans"
"What were her plans?"
"She didn't tell me, she said if she did, she'd end up like one of them"
"Like who?" I pester.
"I don't know detective! All she said was Grace is powerful and silenced her after she left the mansion, that's why she lays low working as a janitor despite being a well-trained public health specialist"
"Can you authenticate her story?" I retort in doubt. My first instinct. Sticking to the innocent until proven guilty clause I learned in my criminal justice class.
"Are you ven listening to yourself Aria!" she paces-"Caleb was right" she continues.
"Don't say that to me" I sniff.
Being entirely influenced by the new insight I have on Grace, I have come to know that under all the stiffness, she is somewhat vulnerable. There is a real, caring woman under all those ordinances.
"I'm sorry but it's true Aria, Grace has grown on you and it's not hard to notice, " she says
"Can we meet her tomorrow?"
"Who? The janitor?"
"Yes, can you take me to her?"
"Sure I'll do anything to get you out of this trance you're in"
"Thanks, Goodnight"
"Goodnight Aria," she says, nodding her head in apparent disappointment before turning the lights off.
The next day, Chloe and I prepare for class in laughter after clearing the air on the heated dispute we had last night.
We share funny stories about our late parents, both of us being careful enough to avoid touching the topic of their deaths as we remain noticeably unprepared to unravel the evident emotions that the saddening memories harbor.
After my criminal forensics class ends, I make my way to the school cafeteria where Chloe and I agreed to meet up and shortly after, she emerges with an uninvited guest. Caleb.
"Hey sis " she greets, carelessly throwing her arms around my torso in a tight hug
"Hey, how was your class," I ask, purposely ignoring Caleb's presence
"It was wonderful, I impressed a very handsome tutor with my vast knowledge on all of Shakespeare's plays" she brags. Playfully dusting her shoulders in self-acclaim.
"Wow that's impressive" I laugh "You need to give me a recital, I haven't gotten around finishing Hamlet, maybe you can help" I respond, continuing to ignore the unwanted visitor
"Well then I guess we have plans tonight!" She wiggles like a little kid in a candy store and I laugh.
"I'm sorry I hadn't mentioned this to you earlier, I told Caleb about the janitor and he wanted to come, you're okay with that right"
"Sure" I agree, feeling too spent to disagree. All three of us receive agonizing glares as we walk through the populated areas of campus to get to the janitor's office. It's the first time we've ever wandered around campus together as children of Claire Grace, and as if that weren't enough, the buzz about my last public appearance has yet to die down. Today definitely isn't a good day for our three stooge debut.
When we get to the floor where Chloe swears she met the unidentified lady the other day as she searched her way to her next lecture theatre, it's deserted. Holding nothing but cracks in its aged walls and wooden floors.
After a few minutes of waiting elapse, to our dismay, our wait yields no results as the mysterious janitor is nowhere in sight so we give up on our quest. Just as we exit the desolate hall, a chocolate skinned, dark-haired woman carrying an empty bucket and mop appears.
"It's her!" Chloe beams
"Are you sure?" Caleb pesters, and she nods in clear agreement
"I'm positive "
"Ma'am! ma'am! please we need to speak with you" Caleb begs when the frightened woman charges off in the opposite direction to evade us.
"Leave me alone, please!" she begs when notices us hurriedly chase after her.
"Please, ma'am we have only a few questions to ask then we will leave you alone" Chloe begs
"No! please not in her presence" she begs, pointing at me.
"Why me? What did I do!", I yell when Caleb finally manages to impasse her.
"I saw you on tv, you're working for her! You're working for that assassin!" she exclaims before storming off, and I lull in shock. The display of fear in her gaze could not be an act. She definitely has some much-needed intel on all the mystery surrounding Grace that I crave to learn. Now more than ever.
YOU ARE READING
HER CARE
Mystery / ThrillerA plot-twisting Cryogenic thriller about a middle-aged woman of British descent with a demented past who adopts twelve children and orchestrates their fate in horrifying ways. Claire Grace manages to do all this under the facade of being one of Phoe...
