Hot Chocolate For Two 💕

Chapter 38: The Hunch

Chapter 38: The Hunch

Aiden

It's over. I'm leaving you. Don't look for me, I don't need you in my life anymore.

I kept reading the text message on my phone over and over again - unwilling to accept what it said and unable to grasp whatever this was. Ten minutes after I realized Lessie had left, my phone buzzed. Now, all that was left of her was this - a measly fucking text message. She didn't answer any of my calls. I couldn't get a hold of her. Do I search the streets of Frankfurt? Where could she have gone? I wanted to run like a mad-man but I couldn't move - my limbs refused to function. Instead, I sat on the edge of the bed, my mind in a daze - what the fuck had just happened?

'Why did I pass out? Who was that woman? Shit - Mr. Schneider. I had completely forgotten about him. I can't deal with him right now - Logan! I'll just have to ask Logan to sort him out.', I thought as I dialed his number.

"Hello", Logan answered on the first ring.

"Err - hey. Where are you?", I asked, not really knowing where to start.

"Just got to the room. What's up?", he asked casually.

I was silent. My voice suddenly mute. Lessie's left me. I couldn't get myself to say it. Saying it out loud would make it real.

"What's wrong, Aiden?", Logan asked his tone concerned.

"The meeting - you need to handle it. Call Mr. Schneider.", I said, not letting my emotions take over.

"I'm on it", he replied without hesitation and hung up.

Without thinking my fingers were dialing Noah's number. By this time, he would've already reached Amsterdam - he was supposed to go early with Mason and set things up. Maybe Lessie reached out to him. Maybe she didn't, but right now, I couldn't think of calling anyone else.

He picked up.

"Hey man - about to board the train?", he asked, seemingly oblivious.

"Err - it's Lessie.", my voice shook as I spoke.

"What about her?", he asked confused.

"She's gone, Noah. I don't know what to do. There was this woman. I was drunk. She came onto me. I thought she was Lessie. Lessie saw us, punched the woman and left.", I ranted.

"Woah - hold on. What?", he replied as the doorbell rang.

"Give me a second. Someone's at the door...", I said as I walked over.

"Did you try calling her?", he asked in a tone of panic.

"She's not answering", I replied.

"Did you call the front-desk? Did she give her key back?", Noah was clearly speaking more logic than I could have thought to muster at the moment.

"Err...", I replied as I opened the door. It was Logan.

"Schneider isn't picking up.", he said as I gestured him to come in. He looked confused, "Where's Lessie?".

"Call Rodwick", I replied, ignoring his question. "And - err - I didn't call front desk, I'll do that - ", I spoke to Noah, but he cut in.

"Rodwick? As in Rodwick Carsen?", he asked stunned.

"No, John Rodwick. Who's Rodwick Carsen?", I replied confused.

"Lessie's psychotic ex?", he stated impatiently.

"Oh - that's his name?", I replied amused. Lessie never really brought him up after we spoke about him that one night and somehow, neither did I. Figured, he was a past not worth reliving - a memory best forgotten.

"Whatever happened to him?", I asked, suddenly curious, "You know, after the cops came that night. Is he still in jail?"

"You really want to talk about him right now?", he asked disbelievingly.

"Yes. I do...", I replied calmly. It might have been a coincidence he came up at all, but my gut was telling me not to let it go.

"Right...well, he's not. He was arrested but he got bail and then he - he disappeared. He's probably dead for all we know", Noah explained.

"Rodwick isn't answering either - I've asked Amanda to keep trying", Logan interrupted.

"Alright, if we can't get any of them on-line, we'll just have to go back to the lounge. Oh, and Logan, ask Amanda to email me Rodwick's police record?", I replied. Something about all of this didn't feel right. No matter how big the fight was, Lessie always kept in touch with somebody. The boys and Kara would become double-agents of sorts, not by choice obviously - helping us keep tabs on each other during our periods of silent treatment. It was the only way either of us could get through it. So, this was just out of character even for her.

~~

The front desk had no recollection of her checking out - she hadn't even returned the key card. She wasn't answering any of our calls, not just mine - they were being redirected to voicemail. What was stranger was that according to the bartender, Mr. Schneider hadn't even returned to the bar after I left the lounge.

"Should we go to the police?", Logan finally asked while I scrolled through Rodwick's record on my phone. Nothing seemed to stand out, except for it being a bit vague before a certain point - specifically before eleven years ago. My hunch was suddenly beginning to feel plausible. It was a long shot but what if...

"I don't think we have any other choice - Tell Kara and Liam to meet us there. Amsterdam will have to wait.", I replied in defeat. She wasn't answering any calls or replying any text messages. She could be anywhere by now.

"Maybe we could check the hotel cameras", Logan suggested out of the blue.

Ah. Shit - the cameras. Why hadn't I thought of that?

~~

"Fuck that's the woman", I exclaimed as the events from about an hour ago were unfolding on the screen in front of me.

"Have you seen her before?", Logan asked curiously.

"Nope. Never. No idea who the fuck she is", I replied, confused.

"Holy shit, you've married a bad-ass", Logan smirked as we watched Lessie punch and tackle the mystery woman.

"Wait, who's that?", Logan gasped as our focus suddenly shifted to a man grabbing Lessie from behind, forcing her to release her hold on the mystery woman. His back faced the camera and he wore a baseball cap so it was almost impossible to recognize who he was.

"Why is she leaving with him? She's not even putting up a fight", he continued as I stared dumbstruck, feeling all colour drain from my face.

Forcing myself to regain some sort of composure, I finally breathed.

"I - I think Lessie's been kidnapped."

END OF CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT