Redlie Amines Again (1)

[Hey . Hope you are doing well. I have published this chapter after a long time. So I request you to please read the previous chapter(s) SLAC.]

It was early Tuesday morning. I travelled all the way to Redlie Amines in my car overnight. Rita and Avani were back in the city as per our plan. They were supposed to depart as soon I was supposed to reach there.

The monastery was just astonishing and opulence as it was at the first visit. The brick walls gave an antique feeling, of course with the huge windows showing the interiors. I headed into the building, through aisle surrounded by the garden towards the entrance. The door was slightly open. I pushed it slightly open and stepped inside. It was almost empty with a few nuns walking at the above floor's corridor. The entrance hall was empty. The hall was furnished with wooden flooring and walls. On the left side there was a mesh, which had an inquiry office. There was a man in his sixties, sitting and reading a newspaper.

'Excuse me.' I said.

He looked up and squinted his eyes, as if he was reading minute fonts in the paper. Then he pulled out the glasses from the drawer and put them on.

'How can I help you?' He said.

'I'm here to see Father Samuel.' I said.

He quickly pulled the receiver of the landline and punched in some number, spoke to someone and put it down.

'I'm sorry. But Father Samuel is not available.' He said.

'When can I see him?' I asked.

'Sorry, but he won't be available today.' He replied.

The door on the opposite to the mesh opened. The wooden door cracked as it opened, echoing through the empty hall of the monastery. A nun, seemingly twenty-seven, five foot, fair complexioned walked out through the door into the hall. She walked in a fast pace towards the large and wide staircase that led upstairs. I watched her go. Suddenly, she stopped mid-way on the stairs, turned around towards me. She looked depressed, or rather sad. She immediately walked forward.

I felt like she knew who I was. Perhaps, She tried to say something. There was no reason to suddenly look at me with that expression. It was like she just recalled who I was, or maybe she just wanted to speak to me but couldn't.

I then headed to the transept through the nave of the church. I sat at one of the many empty benches. There was a woman sitting on the same column I was sitting in. She was praying. Then, she got up and left through the nave.

About half hour later a woman walked into the church and sat in the same bench I was in, on the other end. I looked at her. It was the same woman. She was staring straight. I followed her gaze.

'You're a journalist, right?' She said.

'Yes.' I replied.

'Are you here to meet Father Samuel?' She asked.

I looked at her. 'Yes.' I replied and turned to the initial position.

'I'm not supposed to tell you this, but I'll because Mary needs justice.' She said.

I looked at her. This time with a curious look.

'Father Samuel and Father Richard were not friends.' She said. 'They did not know each other well enough. Just knew each other as priest. On the day of his death, John was with him under his care. He must've told you that John did not want to go there. The reality was that he did want to go, but was not allowed.'

'Who are you?' I asked.

'I'm Grace. I was brought up here in this monastery, just like Mary. I've spent my childhood here.' She said.

Suddenly she looked at her wristwatch. It was old.

'I can't say anything here. Meet me at the Anni Street.' She said and urgently rushed out.

Her behaviour was uncanny, yet relatable. Rita almost behaved similarly at her place. But Avani was different. She was bold, quick, smart and secretive. At that exact moment I contemplated it. Avani never really revealed who her client was. Surely it was her duty to keep her client's details secure, but somehow I was suspicious of it. Also, how did she meet Rita? She mentioned her as a prime suspect at first but later involved her into the case. Why? Moreover, she had social ties at the Maxam Hospital similar to Doctor Khan.

The more I began contemplating about it, the quainter it grew. If that were to be true Avani could be a threat.

I went out the church and quickly set the plan into action.

Few hours later at about Two 'O Clock in the afternoon, the taxi arrived. Avani and Rita alighted the vehicle, made the payment and headed straight into the monastery. I was in a lodge across the street, at a viewable distance

I looked at the watch. It had already been half hour past the speculated time. The sun was bright. I kept scanning outside through the window. Then, it happened. A tall man wearing a black jerkin and a cap. He came out through the backdoor into the garden and stood there. He then looked to left, then right, like he was searching for something. Suddenly, he stopped. Froze in a position. He slowly turned towards the lodge, slowly looked at me, like he knew exactly where I was. I thought of squatting down to escape being spotted, but it was too late. He had found me. I simply continued glaring at him, and he did the same.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, right behind me. Three times. I was staggered at that. I looked back at the door. It was locked. I guessed it was to hunt me. I turned to look back at him, but he wasn't there. Just vanished into thin air. There was another knock, three times. This time it was aggressive. I crept towards the bedside table and pulled the drawer. Picked my gun out and put it on the buckle. I did not want to make any noise, or they'd burst in.

Then I carefully put my legs outside the window on the ledge. There was a loud bang on the door, like they were trying to break in. I kept both the legs on the narrow ledge and looked down. There was a large slab of cement brick down. A second bang on the door. The lock was loosened almost to the point of coming out. I jumped and landed on the slab. The gravity did its thing. I bent down and put my palms on the ground to support myself.

A third bang. The door broke open. I ran towards the monastery. I looked back once. There was no one there at the window.

I had lost him, no clue where to find him again. I alerted them. They were on the lookout. Rather than waiting, I headed to Anni Street.

It was a narrow street surrounded by a cluster of compact houses. I would suffocate in such houses. Suddenly I heard a "PSST" sound, that one would make to alert someone. I looked in the direction of the sound. She was standing at her doorstep, gesturing me to come in.

I was seated at a chair. She brought me a diary. It was the diary of Mary. The diary was old, creases everywhere. I opened it. The first note started in twenty-fourth of Jan, 2015. She had written something about political friends and plans.

I quickly skimmed through the pages. On twelfth of December, same year, she mentioned a person, a prisoner. He was acquitted of all his charges on sexual harassment and attempt to murder. '"Dangerous. Be Cautious.'" She wrote.

'Mary used to maintain a diary. This is everything I have.' Grace said.

'Do you know anything of this prisoner? On twelfth of December, she acquitted him.' I said.

She shrugged. 'I don't know.' She said.

I was alerted by a text on my phone. Rita had texted. I rushed to the location she shared.

It was somewhere in the outskirts of the town. It had become cloudy. The sun began setting. The surrounding had farm fields. Harvest season was near, so the crops were big. The location directed me into a lane that led inside the forest. It was narrow, uneven and rough. I went inside. At a distance I could see Rita standing.

'What's the matter?' You found him?′ I said.

She shook her head. 'Avani found him running and went after him in that direction.' She said and pointed to the left side that that led deep into the forest.

'Stay here.' I said and ran in that direction.

The forest was thick. Dried leaves on the rough ground. Every step made a sound that could alert anyone around. I crept slowly as I found an old abandoned house. It was burnt down. There were debris on the land, glass pieces all scattered around. I gradually walked around it. There was route that led into an underpass. Above, there were rail tracks. I went down that path. The walls had moss-grown on it, a foul smell around. At the entrance I found Avani standing still. I crept enticingly and placed my hand on her shoulder. She suddenly turned around, like spooking a cat with a honk.

'You okay?' I asked.

'Yeah.' She said. 'You gave me a heart attack.'

'Did you find him?' I said.

'I think he went through this underpass.' She said.

'Let's go.' I replied.

We both started at the same time. Carefully and vigilantly walking through it. It was dark. Narrow gaps at the top allowed thin rays of orange sunlight. At the end, the land elevated upward, We climbed.

He was standing with his back turned at us, at a visible distance. I stood still, thinking of a way to catch him in one go. Avani carefully crept towards him. One foot, two, three, but the fourth one, she stepped on a twig. It snapped that alerted him. He looked at her, and sprang forward. Avani went after him.

I knew that chasing him forward would be futile because he knew this place better than any of us. So I took recourse and went into the forest, trying my luck to find a shortcut. Avani chased after him. She was fast but not fast enough. "He was faster and knew the place better, so he lost managed to lose her.

I took a shortcut deep into the forest. The straight route took a steep turn towards the right, so a straight cut through the forest would work to my advantage. I found the lane and the guy as well. He stood in one place, gasping for air after running for his like. I crept toward him. Then, I kicked at the back of his knee. He fell down to his knees. Then, I locked him in the neck.

He shoved his elbow in the stomach. I backed myself. He got up and pointed the gun at me. I was staggered. It was unexpected. The person before me was. It was Father Samuel. I raised my hands in the air.

'I don't want to do this. Step back.' He said. I did not respond.

He walked close to me to inspect if I had a gun on me. He kept the gun pointed at me. I first checked my pockets, then the waist. He found my gun, then pulled it out. He then backed himself, still pointing the gun.

'Why?' I asked. 'Why are you doing this?'

'I don't want to. He's forcing me to.' He said.

I needed to provoke him, so that he steps a little close. I knew that if I got him slightly apprehensive, he would get diverted into explaining me.

'Who?' I asked.

'I can't tell you that.' He replied.

'You killed Father Richard, didn't you?' I said.

He looked at me. Offended. Gun still pointed at me. My hands still up.

'You think I killed him?' He said. 'I can never think of doing it.' He said. The gun slightly pointed away.

'I don't believe you.' I said.

'It doesn't matter anyway.' He said.

I found an opening. First, I slammed my hand in the gun so that it was out of my range. Then, I punched him in the face and broke his nose. He fell flat on the ground. Knocked out.

We were fooled. Khan is still out there. He knows we are here. I had to shift to plan B.