Bullet Train to Murder | ONC novella ✓

15 | the connection

The phone rang, reverberating across the otherwise quiet home.

"Hello?" Lena asked as she tentatively picked up the phone. The number was unknown, and the caller ID did not pick up the information either.

Intriguing. She seldom received calls in general, much less from an unknown number.

"Lena Mayers, just because we are now no longer together does not mean you would go behind my back and distress me."

The tone of voice and the slight rumbling undertone in his accent confirmed it. The man was Dane Wade, her ex-husband.

Guilt flooded through her veins as she attempted to reconcile the reality that he had contacted her particularly on an accusing note.

She swallowed her saliva down, attempting to focus on the phone rather than the buzzing thoughts that nearly made her dizzy.

"Dane," she muttered. Clearing her throat, she said, "Dane, the reason I had to leave was far more than what appeared on the surface." But it doesn't appear to be the topic of today's call; what's the matter?"

Dane sighed and stated, "Whatever your reasons were, you didn't have to take Paige without asking me."

She attempted to grasp what he was saying; she hadn't seen Paige or Nicole in a long time. Nicole had been working overseas for nearly a year and only came home on holidays, but both kids had elected to stay with Dane; why did he think I took them now as some sort of revenge?

She tried to reason with him, "Dane, why would I take Paige with me without asking you when both of our kids had decided to stay with you rather than me?"

The phrase "our" sent shivers down Dane's spine, reminding him of their lovely past and how it had all collapsed due to her decisions.

"Then make a better case for yourself because Paige has gone missing!" he cried out in frustration.

He wondered where Paige was and how he was doing. He could only do his best and hope that he could find his son.

"WHAT?" Lena was jolted out of her thoughts at the revelation, "When? How? Oh god, is he okay?"

"That's something I'm also worried about. He must have been playing video games, as the console was turned on and the screen displayed League of Legends. Someone took advantage of his preoccupied being and urged him to accompany them. This is absurd. Paige never trusts anybody easily. How could this have happened?"

He could no longer hold his tears in and let them out. A single tear streamed down his cheek when Mr. Thompson rested his hand on his shoulders, comforting him.

"We'll get to searching for him together, Dane. The past shall never come in between us in a way that would hurt our kids."

"I hope you'll keep your word. Do you have any clue where Beatrice is?" Dane asked, pondering over the note he found in the bathroom.

"That's Paige's childhood friend, isn't it? What does she have to do with his disappearance?"

"There was a note in the bathroom while we were checking. We couldn't find anything odd, despite the thorough search. He was probably planning to meet her in secret, but the real concern is, whom did he trust and go? And if it wasn't about meeting her, who could be behind this?"

"Unfortunately, I haven't heard anything of her since they moved. I will try to do something. Don't lose hope, Dane. We got this."

"Thank you." Dane said and ended the call.

With each passing moment, he was getting more concerned about his son. There had to be some clue, some way to find him out, and moping around was certainly no answer.

-x-x-x-

Lena paced the living room, her thoughts racing as she struggled to process the shocking news about Paige's disappearance. She knew she had to act quickly, and she needed Jasper's support and rational thinking to help navigate this crisis.

"Jasper," Lena called out, her voice tinged with urgency as she found him in the study, working on his laptop. "We need to talk. It's about Paige."

He looked up, concern etched on his face as he registered the distress in Lena's voice. "What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

Lena quickly filled him in on the call from Dane, the details of Paige's disappearance, and the troubling revelation about the note mentioning Beatrice.

The weight of his disappearance hung heavy in the air, they found themselves drawn into a web of intrigue that seemed to intertwine with Jasper's family history. The photographs and letters from the ornate wooden box served as a haunting reminder that the mysteries of the past were still very much alive in the present.

"We have to do something, Jasper. Paige's safety is at stake," Lena implored, her eyes searching his for reassurance and a plan of action.

"Lena," he said in a grave voice, "I fear that his disappearance might be connected to the dark secrets that have haunted our town for generations. There's something sinister at play here, something that goes beyond what we can comprehend."

Lena nodded, her mind racing with the implications of his revelation. "It's all starting to make sense now. The disappearances, the hidden past – they're all pieces of a puzzle that we never knew existed. But how does it all tie into Paige's disappearance?"

Jasper's eyes darkened with resolve as he spoke. "I don't know, Lena, but I can't shake the feeling that there's a connection. We need to dig deeper, uncover every lead, and leave no stone unturned. Paige's safety depends on it."

Their conversation was interrupted by the harsh ringing of the phone, jolting them back to the present. Lena picked it up, her heart pounding with a mix of dread and hope.

"Dane," she said, her voice urgent. "Any updates on Paige? Have the authorities found anything?"

Dane's voice crackled through the receiver, filled with a mix of frustration and desperation. "Nothing yet, Lena. We're doing everything we can, but time is slipping away. I can't lose him, not after everything that's happened."

Lena's eyes met Jasper's, a silent understanding passing between them. "We're trying our best, Dane. We won't stop until we find him."

A determined glint sparkled in her eyes as she hung up on the phone. "Jasper, we need to retrace Paige's steps, talk to his friends, and find out if he mentioned anything or anyone unusual in the days leading up to his disappearance. There might be a clue that we've missed."

Jasper nodded, his expression steely. "And I'll delve into my family's history, see if there's any connection that we've overlooked. There has to be a link, Lena, and we'll find it."

Lena and Jasper knew that the road ahead would be fraught with danger and uncertainty. But they also knew that they couldn't turn back. The truth awaited them, and Paige's life hung in the balance.

"Let's not lose hope, Lena," Jasper said, taking her hand in his. "We'll find him. We have each other, and we'll get through this together."

Lena nodded, feeling a glimmer of optimism in the midst of the chaos. "We will find him, Jasper. We have to."

Word Count: 1157

Woo hoo! Another chapter is up yay! I am still behind on my schedule of catching up on books and also catching up on my own word count for this ONC, i will make sure to find time and try to read while also trying to balance my life and writing.

I have some courses to finish and a very important exam coming up, so, expect slow updates and almost invisible presence on Wattpad, but, i am trying my best. I will try to catch up with things, surely!

hope you're doing well! 💖

cheers,
Sara <3