P.I.E - A Limey Rivalry

Part 7 - A Partner Astray

Scanning every room he went to, Toast searched for Sophia. He started by checking the dining room, since that was the only other room he could think of besides where he'd just left, but she wasn't there. Toast's next guess was the kitchen, if he knew where it was. For all he knew, the kitchen was one or two floors up; it was an old building and Toast thought it would include a dumbwaiter.

Instead, Toast resorted to walking around aimlessly. He cursed his inadequate situation. He thought to himself, why did Sophia have to leave in the first place? The realisation hit him like a steel wall. Bryn had sent her out of the room and later told Toast to find her again. It must have been intentional, Toast was sure of it. Perhaps it was a method to get Toast out of his way for longer. Why, Toast thought, would he try to make sure Ghost spends the littlest time with his own partner and closest friend?

Just then, a crackling noise came from Toast's walkie-talkie attacked to his belt, followed by a familiar voice, "Johnny, are you receiving us?"

Toast picked up his walkie-talkie and responded, "Yes, sir. Over."

"I just wanted to tell you that we're going down into the basement, now."

Toast fumed. He was confident that Bryn got rid of him so he could investigate with Ghost alone. "Sir," Toast said, "just... Be careful down there."

He wanted to warn his companion about Bryn's hidden intentions, but didn't know how to. Besides, Bryn only seemed to be targeting Toast. From Ghost's perspective, Bryn was not only intellectual and competent, but suave and friendly as well. Even if Toast did tell Ghost, he'd probably disbelieve him and claim that Toast was simply overreacting.

Ghost gave one final message before vanishing from the conversation, "Okay, Johnny. I wish you luck on your side. Over and out."

Toast snorted when the crackling ended. He hadn't been getting any luck so far. He hadn't managed to find a single trace of any living person anywhere, besides the empty cup of tea that Bryn had been drinking out of and the chair he had left jutting out at an odd angle in the dining room. Toast couldn't help tucking it in when he saw it.

Looking around the current room he was in, Toast realised he didn't keep track of where he was going. He was standing in the middle of a room he had never been in before, nor did he know how to get back to anywhere recognisable. Toast cursed to himself again, pondering why all the rooms had to be so much alike. He was certain that half of the rooms were pointless, anyway; most of the rooms he had been in had been close to empty aside from the occasional table or fancy chandelier.

It was at this moment that Toast gave up searching for her and ended up shouting Sophia's name. If he wasn't going to find her, then she can just find him. Usually, he would try to keep a stiff upper lip toward these sorts of things. This, however, was different. He was annoyed, angry and a little bit scared by being slightly lost.

After a minute or two of yelling, Sophia finally found him. She was breathing heavily, due to running around her estate to find one inpatient man. Toast could see that she was not happy with him at all; she glared at him through her reading glasses like a strict librarian. She was not happy about being interrupted from her reading.

"Yes, Mr. Toast. What can I help you with?" She asked bitterly. Toast didn't need attitude from her as well.

He tried to calm down before speaking to her. "I'm sorry for yelling. I've been looking for you for quite some time now," Toast apologised. "I wanted to ask you about the claw marks that you mentioned in your email."

Sophia continued to look at Toast while occasionally glancing at seemingly nothing. Eventually, she gave a soft huff, "Alright. Come on, then."

She left from underneath the doorframe. Toast followed her. He was still a little tense, but he simmered down a bit, considering that he was actually going to do his job.