Chapter 70
The authors leaned in and saw a phone with a lit screen lying in the grass, sprinkled with dewdrops from overhanging leaves. It must have been lost that morning.
“Someone dropped their phone?” Aurora bent to pick it up, noticing the caller ID: “Money Sender.” She thought, Maybe the caller knows the owner?
With that in mind, Aurora pressed answer. Before she could speak, an angry voice barked, “Holt, what’s going on! What time is it? Why are you still not here? You better arrive within ten minutes, or you can forget about getting money from me!”
“Indeed, a money sender,” Aurora raised an eyebrow. “I’m not him. His phone fell on the road.”
A vulgar curse echoed from the other end, accompanied by heavy breathing. Feeling it unfair to unleash his anger on an innocent bystander, the man softened his tone slightly. “Where are you now? I know Holt. Just give me the phone.”
Aurora scanned her surroundings for landmarks, speaking clearly. “Can you see a cliff carved with a giant chessboard? I’m on the back side of that mountain.”
Silence. Then, “I’ll ask someone for directions. Don’t hang up.”
The man, worried she might hang up, repeatedly thanked her and urged her to stay on the line.
“Don’t worry, I’ll wait,” Aurora assured him.
Soon, a male voice called from the concrete road below. “Thank you so much. Holt is so careless. When I see him…” The person froze. Seeing Aurora standing behind the bushes, phone in hand, John forced a smile. “What a coincidence, we meet again.”
Moments before, John and Dexter had been waiting atop the mountain for the late Holt. The intense sun had made them dizzy, forcing them to seek shade. After over an hour past their appointment time, they’d called. Surprisingly, Aurora, whom they’d met earlier, had answered.
As Dexter rounded the bend and saw Aurora, he was startled. “Hey there, what a coincidence!”
Aurora pushed through the bushes, handing the phone to John, intending to leave.
“Wait,” Dexter called.
Aurora turned, questioning eyes fixed on him. Dexter smiled gently. “We had an appointment with Holt at Bradley Mountain. We waited a long time but didn’t see him. You picked up his phone, so he must have arrived already. Please tell us where you found it.”
Holt was a gambler who wouldn't act without assurance. Dexter had promised him a substantial reward for revealing information about the past. Since Holt had likely been involved in illegal activities, he was cautious, insisting on a face-to-face transaction at a location of his choosing: Bradley Mountain.
Aurora felt increasingly uneasy, her gaze lingering on the suitcase in Dexter’s hand, strengthening her suspicion of illegal dealings. She remained vigilant on the concrete road, keeping her distance. If Dexter harbored ill intent, she could run. Despite their numbers, their unfamiliarity with the mountain gave her a good chance of escape.
“I found it right where I’m standing. I was walking along the road, then heard the phone ring,” Aurora said, her words a blend of truth and evasion. She’d sat in that spot for a while without noticing anything unusual, but whether she elaborated mattered little.
Dexter, shrewd, noticed her wariness, but couldn't disclose his true reason for seeking Holt to an outsider. He explained vaguely, “I came to Mercida on business and am unfamiliar with the area. Holt is a local, so I hired him as a guide. We were supposed to meet at nine-thirty, but it’s almost noon, and he’s disappeared, losing his phone. I couldn’t help but ask a few questions, please don’t mind.”
Aurora nodded, but subtly began moving towards the mountain, wanting to leave. Dexter noticed her movement and rubbed his forehead. He'd intended to ease her suspicion but inadvertently fueled her desire to escape.
A loud exclamation erupted from behind Dexter, followed by a thud. Both Dexter and Aurora turned to see John sprawled on the ground.
John’s face reddened with embarrassment. He wished to disappear. Brushing grass and debris from his clothes, he awkwardly laughed. “These pine needles are too slippery. I didn’t watch my step.”
John's fall, however, broke the tension. Before falling, he’d seen footprints and a glimpse of clothing down the slope, where Aurora had found the phone. He suspected Holt was hiding and watching, attempting to catch him in the act, but had leaned too far and lost his balance.
The fall didn't diminish his curiosity; it ignited competitiveness. Holt wants to hide and spy on us? Who does he think he is? He thought. “He owed a lot of money to underground casinos. If it weren’t for Mr. Whitaker wanting information about Ms. Whitaker, Holt would have been dealt with by debt collectors. How is he still here?”
“Mr. Whitaker brought seventy thousand dollars from Jydratica, yet Holt still doesn't trust us. To avoid revealing his vocation, he even threw away his phone! It looks like we've shown him too much respect!” John grew angrier, wanting to drag Holt out and beat him.
Dexter watched Aurora disappear around the corner, then heard John say, “Holt, I’ve spotted you. Come up now!”
“What’s going on?” Dexter asked.
John explained his suspicions. Dexter leaned against a pine tree, spotting a piece of clothing. His expression darkened. “Holt, my patience is limited. You can’t afford to anger me.”
Silence descended, broken only by the wind rustling through the pines.
“I’ll go take a look,” John said. If Holt appeared and apologized, Dexter might show mercy. But his stubbornness changed things.