The Clock's Chain

[ V ]

The Clock's Chain
Chapter 5

Damn. It. Dammit. He chants the word all over again. Rayne Norringthon grits his lower teeth as he blames himself for wasting a perfect chance. How can he be so reckless? And stupid? Now he can't seem to get a trace again. He has lost the golden chance.

Stupid afternoon nap, curses him again. Really. He just wanted to rest his eyes for- No, he was just lying on the sofa and- Ray groans frustratedly again. He clenches his fist when he stares at the damn sofa. If that was a living thing, he would already rip its neck off. Like, literally.

Robbert Faulkner blows out the smoke from his mouth slowly. That white cigarette, hanging between his fingers, left some ash on the floor. His eyes are following the upset Ray who is going to bump his head to the wall any moment by now.

"Oy, Ray," called Robbert with his heavy sigh, "It's no use walking around the room like that, you know. We've still got the last stop." Ray stops his step when he realized something and turns to him instead. "What?"

"You were on the same team as Aaron did, weren't you?" His eyes were focusing on Robbert's stiff expression. "Answer me, Robbert."

He sighed a bit then dumped the cigarette that was on his hand to the nearest ashtray. If he had a choice not to say anything about Aaron Norringthon, he would have already done it. "That's not the best way to address someone who's older than you but okay." He clears his throat. "Yes. Aaron was the leader in the investigation section, and I guess you'd already know that. And I was his trusted man on the section."

The air somehow feels a little suffocating when Ray is about to ask something further. "Then, you should've seen the pocket watch I showed to you before, am I right?" He begins to doubt Robbert Faulkner even more now.

"Yes." He looks at Ray in his eyes. "I've already seen it countless of time."

Anybody could have guessed that Ray was trying to suppress down his anger in this very minute. He felt horrible, like living in between lies. Does that mean he literally can't trust someone? "Then why did you act like you never seen it before?"

"That's not the case." Robbert tries to look through Ray's eyes that are full of anger. "I have seen Aaron's pocket watch like almost everyday," he pauses a bit to see Ray's reaction, "But the one that you had with you..... Is not Aaron's."

"Like hell I would believe in you!" exclaimed Ray straight to the point. "Let me tell you something." He approaches Robbert and clenches his hand on his collar. "I am Aaron's brother. I might be young but you cannot fool me. I was there when he bought this damn watch." And he has this piercing look that only tell the truth.

"HUH?"

"WHADDA'YA MEAN BY HUH?!" he snapped; getting enough for the freaking patient. Probably someone heard his loud voice, but who cares anyway.

"Chill, man." Robbert Faulkner pulls down Ray hand that was chocking him a minute ago. He doesn't really understand about his matter either, but something feels off. "Now, I've always worked with Aaron and I had his watch perfectly craved in my brain before you came and got me confused."

Ray Norrighton has no choice but to back down. A part of him knows that Robbert is also telling the truth. Maybe it's because his lack of sleep? He sits down and rests himself on the couch. "Then what?" he croaked; holding his aching head frustratedly.

"The pocket watch that you had with you is different from what I've seen, but they had some similarities if I'm not mistaken." He shuts his eyes and tries to remember what was crafted on its lid. "It looks like a sun.... While yours...?"