The Last Laugh novel Chapter 63

***

Ace's POV:

I sat in my office the next day. An eye on work and an eye on Christina's office. I could see everything she was doing. She looked down. Broken. I couldn't help but smile. The money I'd given her was already wasted.

Around afternoon, she picked her phone and called someone.

"Hello?? Rob?? I need you to be here in an hour. Yes– yes– Rob, everything is falling apart. Yes– okay. See you in an hour," she hung up and began to sob on her table.

My eyes widened. Christina could cry?

This was the best thing I could watch.

While I watched her, not long after, that same man I'd recognised from my flashback, stormed into her office. She looked up at him.

"Christina, I'm tired!" he said angrily hitting the table. She frowned at him.

"Elijah, what's wrong with you? You can't just enter my office like that!"

"Where is my pay?!"

"Elijah, don't try me. I've given you more than enough money!"

The man which I now knew was called Elijah, frowned at her.

"Let me be honest with you Christina, money was the only thing keeping me silent. My conscience has been judging me! If you don't give me my pay by tomorrow, I'll go straight to the police and confess everything!"

Christina's eyes widened and so did mine. I listened carefully.

"You wouldn't dare!" she screamed.

"Yes, I will! I'll tell them how you paid me to kill Paul Wesley! And I'll show them where I buried his body!"

I felt a sharp pain in my chest. I felt my eyes water. I had to find my father's body.

"Elijah, don't do that. I'll get your money. I will."

Elijah eventually left her office. Not long after, Rob came in. Christina told him everything.

"I told you! I warned you! Elijah is an idiot! I should've never asked for his help that night!" Rob said.

Things began to be clear. Rob had asked Elijah to kill my father, under Christina's orders.

"We need to give him money, Rob. I have a bad feeling. If he goes to the police, things would get out of hand. They might investigate further and discover that I'd poisoned Kenneth!"

This was too much! My eyes widened, my throat was heavy, my mouth got bitter and my eyes watered.

Christina had killed uncle Ken! She was that heartless!

I loosened my tie, unable to breath properly. Tears finally rolled down my cheeks. How could one be so wicked?

"And they might also accuse us for the disappearance of Paul's boy," Rob continued.

"Yes. That little bastard. They never found his body."

"What if he's alive. Out there somewhere."

Christina looked at Rob.

"What?"

"It'll be worse. Remember he was spying on you and Elijah that night. If I'd not hit him hard with my elbow, he would've heard more than allowed!"

So, Rob was the reason I lost consciousness that night.

"That bastard is dead and gone. His body was probably eaten by some wild animal," Christina said, "We need to pay Elijah tomorrow. For the last time. Find a way to go back to where he buried Paul. Burn the remains or something! So the next time he tries to blackmail us, we kill him instead."

"Yes!"

I closed the laptop in total shock. I had to talk to Elijah first. I had to find my father's body first.

*

That night I showed the recorded video to Keith. He was as shocked as I'd been.

"I can't wait for this witch to pay for everything she did to y'all," he said.

"I too. Get dressed Keith. And take out your masks. We're gonna pay that Elijah a visit. I know where he stays."

"Now you're talking."

Elijah would have to tell me where he'd buried my father. I would have to scare him a little.

**

At midnight, all dressed in black, armed and with masks on our faces, Keith and I waited patiently for Elijah at the corner of the dark ghetto street.

He was at a nearby bar, drinking at that time.

The streets were empty and foggy. Quite a dangerous time to be out.

We soon noticed him come out of the bar and walk down the cold empty street. Keith and I got out of the car and carefully followed up behind him.

Elijah's POV:

I was slowly walking, my head heavy and my conscience as well. Through the cold foggy and dangerous ghetto street, I walked. At midnight.

I heard footsteps. Someone was following me. I turned, I saw a tall guy all in black with a mask on his face. I looked at his hand. He was holding a gun!

I turned, afraid and began to run. I heard him follow me. He was catching up with me. Suddenly, another tall guy with the same mask appeared in front of me. I tried to switch directions but he slapped me hard across the face with his own gun.

The next thing I felt was the cold wet floor.

I looked up at them, feeling pain.

They looked down at me.

"Hello, Elijah," one said.

"Wh– who sent you?? Christina sent you!"

The guy squatted close to me. Looking at me into the eyes. He had familiar eyes.

"Christina did not send me."

"Pl– please, who are–" the other hit me hard in the ribs and I cried out in pain, "AAH! Please!"

"Tell me one thing," the first said.

"Wh– what??"

"Where did you burry Paul Wesley?"

I stared at the masked guy. Christina hadn't sent him. I looked at his familiar eyes.

"Didn't you hear me? Where did you bury Paul's body?!" he asked with sudden furiousness, pointing his gun at my forehead. He was going to shoot me!

"Please, I–"

"Hey, careful," the other masked guy told him trying to calm him down.

I looked at the first, I saw hurt and anger in his eyes.

"Where did you bury him?!" he repeated furiously. And then I remembered the eyes.

"You– you have Paul's eyes," I stuttered in shock. The masked guy's eyes widened a little, "Who are you? Are you Sheridan??" I asked in shock.

"Where is Paul's body?" he asked one last time, he was going to shoot me.

Footsteps were heard from a distance. People from the bar were approaching. The other masked guy turned to the one pointing a gun at my head.

"People are coming!" he grabbed the one pointing a gun at me and they both ran away, leaving me on the cold floor, confused, my subconscious screaming at me.