The Flower You Didn't See | Mystery

Chapter 26

Mary came around to peer onto the phone as Alex zoomed in the picture. Suddenly, Mary said, "That's Ted. He is in Ruby's class." Mary turned to John, "You know him?"

John's face suddenly lit up with enlightenment as he finally remembered.

"Yes. That's the boy that dropped Ruby at the hospital."

Alex informed of his absence to the recreation centre and the three immediately set off to the University. Finding Ted was of prime importance at the moment. They went straight to Prof. Nancy.

"Ted?" Asked Nancy.

"Yes, it's quite urgent," said John. Prof. Nancy checked the college system and said, "He is on campus today, but is in a class right now. Please talk to him after that. Do not disturb the class."

John, Mary and Alex, patiently waited outside the said classroom. John paced back and forth in front of the door, checking his watch from time to time.

"And you are positive that it's Ted who brought Ruby?" Asked Mary.

"Yes. I clearly remember his face now," replied John.

"I don't understand. How is it possible? It seems to be too much of a coincidence for him to find Ruby," said Mary.

"Is it though?" Asked Alex, "May Flower is a huge University. There are thousands of students studying here. Is it such a big issue that just one of them happened to save Ruby?"

"Normally it wouldn't be. But in Ruby's case, nothing seems to be a coincidence," said John. "Also, what was he doing at the restaurant then?"

"Having dinner? Lots of students from our university go there. Like I said, it's a huge university," said Alex.

"Why are you defending him?" Asked Mary.

"I'm not! I just don't want to pin it on someone without proof," said Alex.

"Then let's just talk to him and find proof, shall we?" Interjected John, tired of listening to the two kids bicker.

The door of the lecture hall swung open and students started dispersing. They kept their eyes open and soon found Ted walk out and hurrying away.

"Ted!" Mary called out his name. Ted turned around at the sound and spotted Mary. But the minute his eyes fell on John and Alex, he started running.

Alex and John exchanged glances, then sprint behind him. John found it difficult to get ahead, through the crowd, trying his best to keep an eye on the back of Ted's head in order to not lose sight of him. Someone who had walked past John, accidentally collided with his shoulder. John was momentarily distracted and realized that he had lost Ted.

With panic in his eyes, he walked ahead until the crowd thinned. He found Alex half bent by a wall, his hand resting on the wall for support, panting as he tried to catch his breath. John hurried to him. "Do you see him? Did he escape?" Asked John.

Alex shook his head and said while taking a fast breath, "She caught him."

John followed Alex's pointed finger and saw Mary standing over Ted as he splayed on the ground, about a meter ahead.

Ted was cornered with Alex and John sitting on his either side. Mary sat across from him, glaring.

"You do know why we caught you, quite literally," John glanced sideways at Mary and continued, "don't you?" Ted remained silent, his eyes not meeting anyone others.

"I remember, it was you who brought her to the hospital. What did you do to my daughter?" Asked John.

Ted didn't speak.

"You didn't even tell me that night that you were classmates, let alone the fact that you knew Ruby! It was you who drugged her, aren't you!?" John slammed his fist on the table. Ted looked at John, his mouth agape.

"You ran when you saw us, which means you are guilty of something. Why did you drug her Ted?" asked Mary.

"What are you talking about? Ruby was drugged? I didn't drug her. I was just following her-" he clasped his hands across his mouth, his eyes bulging.

"Did you just say you were following her?" It was now that Alex truly believed that Ted might be in the wrong in some way.

"Oh my god," said Mary, "You are the stalker!"

"Talk fast. Now, before I do something I'll regret," said John, praying to keep his patience. Alex was ready to punch him.

"Did you know the kind of trauma Ruby was in the past few weeks? She was freaked out! She wouldn't sleep, she wouldn't eat. I feared for her life!"

"You think I don't know that? You didn't know her! None of you did!" said Ted, "Only I knew her. I saw what she was going through. I saw her pain...

The minute he laid his eyes on her, he knew she was special. Her eyes, her smile, her laugh, her beautiful brown hair. He found that every little thing about her was extremely attractive. The cherry on top for him was when she saw him from the rest. Why else would she say hi to him, in front of her friends, at the first real party of their first year?

But that was the horrible night that she had met Lee. That good for nothing ass*** had seduced her with his looks and lack of paying attention to anything. If onlyTed had asked her out first, Ruby would have been safe.

Ted had planned a party for later, hoping that Ruby would come. And she did come, but with Lee. They didn't stay for long either. Ted had kicked everyone out a few minutes after Ruby had left.

He was glad when Ruby had broken away from those girls who never cared for her nor did they have any brains. He felt that Sara and Laksh were more of Ruby's standards. He had even followed the group to Prof. Thomson's vacation home. But he couldn't bear watching what he saw through the glass window.

Ruby was as pretty as a doll. No, she was even more beautiful. Comparing her to a doll was an insult to her soul. She was like an angel who notices, smiles, cares and sees potential in the invisible. It was natural for Ted to feel protective of her. He wished that Lee would get away from Ruby as fast as possible.