Chris And Hazel - Volume 1 Chapter 52 51

‘What’s wrong, Mr. All-Time-Busy?’ Chris asked as Adam rushed towards his room.

‘I have to get to a conference but forgot to mail my business plan. I am here for that’ Adam answered stopping to answer him.

‘Liar..!’ Chris commented looking away from the TV.

‘Why do you say that?’ Adam asked slyly as Chris saw right through his white lie.

‘You never forget anything business related. I know you are here to see your wife’ Chris teased smirking at his brother.

‘I can’t believe you are talking like this in front of your older brother’ Adam answered in disbelief.

‘And I can’t believe you thought I would believe your stupid excuse’ Chris replied raising his brow teasingly.

‘Of course he’s here to see me. At least he was brave enough to propose me’ Evelyn spoke out coming to the living room holding Aurora trying to put her to sleep.

‘Hey! What do you mean by that?’ Chris yelled in defense.

‘It means that someone here in this room doesn’t have the guts to tell a girl they like that they like her’ Adam replied explaining Evelyn’s words.

‘Fine, I get it Adam! You both are onto me today’ Chris answered getting up from the couch.

‘No Chris. I am just reminding you. You promised us that you would propose her within this weekend and you got only two days left’ Adam answered taking Aurora from Evelyn.

‘I know but I am really not sure that Hazel likes me back. She’s friendly with everyone and if I mistake our friendship for something else I could ruin things’ Chris said looking up at them.

‘I wish your brother was this considerate but he ended up embarrassing me on the road’ Evelyn said smiling at Adam.

‘And it turned out great for us’ she added sitting on the couch.

‘I know. You know what? I am gonna do it. What could possibly go wrong?’ Chris asked looking at them optimistically.

‘That’s my brother’ Adam said smiling at him.

‘Adam, why are you here anyway?’ Evelyn asked looking up at him from the couch.

‘I totally forgot. Can you come to our office today? It’s really important for you to be there today’ Adam said sitting next to her.

‘What’s wrong?’ Evelyn asked turning serious.

‘We are having an important board meeting in two hours. And I think today could be the best opportunity for us to gather the information we want on Grayson’ he replied as his face got clouded with tension.

‘Right..! Did you manage to find out what his game was?’ she asked as Chris came over to them to get Aurora from Adam.

‘Yeah, it seems that he had taking funds from the complimentary project we have been doing for the government’

‘I knew that guy was sick’ Evelyn replied feeling ridiculed.

‘And I am guessing there’s more to it and…’

‘You know what? I am not interested in this business stuff. I am going to see Rob and I am taking Aurora with me cause she seemed bored too’ Chris said interrupting Adam as he walked towards Adam’s room holding Aurora.

‘But Chris Robert is sleeping’ Evelyn shouted turning back to look at Chris who was long gone.

‘It’s okay. He’ll take care of them’ Adam said looking at her.

‘I know, so I will go grab my phone and we’ll go to that meeting’ she replied getting up.

‘Fine, I take care of them’ Chris said as Evelyn informed him that she’ll be going back with Adam to her company.

Two days later;

‘Chris, are you ready?’ Adam asked entering his room.

‘Yeah..!’ Chris replied turning to face his brother.

‘Great! Let’s get going! Evelyn is still getting ready so you go before us and we’ll join you shortly and plus mom and dad are waiting with the kids to be picked up so go and pick them up’ Adam informed as they made their way down the stairs.

‘Not fair! I am not driving with them to the party. I had rather live in hell’ Chris yelled as they reached the living room.

‘Nope..! You are doing it’ Adam replied firmly telling Chris that there was no way out.

‘Fine..! Thank god mom took Rob and Aurora with them in the morning. They’ll be a stress buster when your dad tells me how unfaithful I am to him’ Chris answered in an irritated tone as he marched towards the couch.

‘He’s your father too’ Adam replied laughing at Chris’ comment.

‘Says you’ Chris said making a silly faces at him as he walked towards the driveway.

‘He left already?’ Evelyn asked coming out of her room.

‘Yeah..! He’s going to pick up mom and dad’ Adam replied sweeping her into his arms.

‘Without throwing a tantrum?’ she asked raising her brow surprised.

‘I know. He was okay because Rob and Aurora are going to be there’ Adam answered smiling lightly.

‘Well he certainly needs them more’ she replied laughing lightly.

‘Mom and dad are always hard on him’ Adam replied, his eyes filled with worry.

‘He has us to compensate so don’t worry’ Evelyn assured him as she placed a kiss on his cheeks.

‘Yes, he does’ Adam smiled as they walked over to their car.

‘Looks like he took our car’ Adam said standing in the driveway.

‘But doesn’t your car key have the pendrive we need for the meeting tomorrow?’ she asked looking at Adam.

‘Yeah, we’ll tell him to keep it in the car then’ he replied as they got into the car.

‘Chris?’ Adam spoke out as Chris answered the call.

‘Yes bro?’ Chris replied connecting the call to speaker mode.

‘Did you pick them up?’ Adam asked as he drove towards the party’s venue they were going to attend.

‘Do I sound depressed?’ Chris asked as he looked at the kids in the backseat.

‘No’

‘Well not yet but once I pick them up I will be’ he replied frowning.

‘Quit whining! Now listen, the car keys you have has a tiny pen drive attached to it and it contains some important information so just leave it in the car before you come to the party’ Adam informed taking a U-turn.

‘Got it..! Where are you guys?’ Chris asked nearing his pickup point.

‘We just left home and I just made a U-turn to East high road’ Adam answered.

 ‘Why do we have to go to this lame party? I was going to meet Hazel today and I thought of proposing too. It’s all ruined because of this stupid party. Whose party is this anyway?’ Chris asked annoyed.

‘Our Grandfather’s’ Adam replied as Evelyn burst into laughter.

‘Oops! My bad..!’ Chris replied shrugging.

‘You will never chan…ADAM WATCH OUT!’

Evelyn’s scream faded into a distance as a speeding truck hit the car from the side Adam was sitting on. The car screeched to the side of the road where another vehicle hit speeded to hit the other side of the car. As the second vehicle hit Evelyn’s side the car went tumbling down the road bursting into flames.

Evelyn’s sudden scream frightened Chris as the line went dead in a few seconds.

‘Adam? Adam?’ he screamed turning his car, he speeded up to East high road.

He heard sirens as he neared the spot. He stopped the car only to find the place filled with police tapes crossed all over preventing anyone near the venue.

‘What happened?’ he asked rushing over to the spot.

‘I am sorry!  There has been an accident here. You can’t enter the scene’ said an officer holding Chris back.

‘What do you mean? That’s my brother’s car’ he screamed looking back at the officer.

‘Then I am sorry to say this but this car was hit by a passing vehicle and we are trying to track it down’ the officer briefed releasing Chris.

‘NO! You are LYING! I was just on the phone with them’ he yelled rushing towards the smashed car.

He walked around among the shattered glass pieces from the car. He froze as his legs weren’t willing to move any further looking at those blood covered seats. He grew numb and his whole body quivered under the atmosphere he was adapting to.

A sense of nausea came over him as his eyes filled with tears. He noticed the ambulance to the right corner and dragged his feet slowly towards it.

‘Please be a dream! Please be a dream! God I am begging you’ he murmured shutting his eyes tightly as he stood in front of the ambulance.

‘Are you the victims’ family?’ a doctor asked coming out from the ambulance.

‘Doctor please tell me they are okay I am begging you’ he begged as the held back tears streamed down his cheeks unconsciously.

‘…’

‘Doctor please’ he voice grew weak as the doctor continued to be quiet. He didn’t want to listen anymore as an indescribable pain washed over his heart.

‘I am sorry, we tried our best but they both died on spot’ the doctor replied as Chris sank down in front of the ambulance, his world came crashing down.

‘I am sorry…we tried our best’

‘I am sorry…we tried our best’

‘I am sorry…we tried our best’

The sentence kept echoing inside his head as he fell onto the ground shattered from the news, his cold hands trembling as he looked up to see the crime scene.

He couldn’t hear anything after that as he blanked out.

‘NO…NOOOO!’ he screamed at the top of his lungs trying to catch his breath.

He looked around hoping that it would still be a dream and he would wake up from it.

He slowly got up and went inside the ambulance and found Adam and Evelyn’s body side by side covered with white sheets. He closed his eyes not wanting to look further at their wounded faces; he could barely recognize them. The sheets slowly turned red soaking in the blood from their bodies.

‘Adam? Adam? ADAM!’ he shouted sinking down in front of them.

‘Just get up…get up’ he whispered slowly leaning onto the side of the ambulance as he clutched his knees shrinking into himself.

‘Get up, it’ll be fine! We can go and visit grandpa. Please don’t lie still. I am afraid I am losing you’ he murmured looking at their soulless faces.

His vision slowly blurred and he was pulled back into a place where he couldn’t hear or see or understand anything anymore. His brother’s and sister-in-law’s faces faded as he blacked out from reality.

‘Hello? Are you there?’ a man asked shaking Chris vigorously as there was no response from his side.

Chris was forced back into reality as he looked at the man next to him;

‘Sir, your phone has been ringing like crazy’

Chris picked up his phone from his left pocket, the screen flashing mom.

‘Chris?’ he heard a faint voice call out.

He looked up to see his mom running towards him carrying the babies in their bassinets.

‘Mom…’ he responded faintly.

‘What happened?’ she asked kneeling over to him keeping the babies next to her.

‘Adam…he’s gone! Evelyn too’ he murmured failing to hold back his tears.

Gloria’s face turned pale as she processed the information Chris just told. She sank down onto the ground covering her face with both her hands.

‘Mr. Finch?’ a doctor called out standing next to them.

‘Yeah..?’ Chris answered getting up as he composed himself.

‘We kinda feel like there was more to your brother’s death’ he announced pulling Chris aside.

‘What do you mean?’ Chris asked confused.

‘I will tell you Mr. Finch’ an officer said coming towards them.

‘I am Officer Brian. We think it was a framed accident’ he explained looking at Chris.

‘I thought some truck hit their car’ Chris replied perplexed by the information he just heard.

‘Well they were hit by two trucks on either side and it seemed like they wanted them dead for sure and so they shot at your brother’s car several times after hitting it. We found bullets inside the car but unfortunately we weren’t able to track down the trucks or get any clues from the place’ he answered delineating the incident.

Chris’ grew frustrated with each minute as he heard his brother and sister-in-law were murdered.

‘But what do you mean? There must be security cameras and stuff right?’ Chris asked growing anxious.

‘We did..! The faces weren’t clear and the vehicles were abandoned in different secluded places. But we are trying our best Mr. Finch and we need you to corporate’ Brian replied explaining further to make Chris understand.

‘Fine..! How can I help?’ Chris asked wearing a blank expression.

‘First, no one should know about this accident. We blocked the media and you should cover it up from your side too. The killers seemed professional or at least they have been planning for a long time. So we need to look for clues without any other distractions’ Brain replied explaining his plan in mind.

‘Ok..! I will see what I can do to help from my side. At all costs, I need the killer’ Chris spoke out in a commanding tone walking away from there.

Chris splashed cold water onto his face trying to freshen up his listless face. He staggered his way out from the hospital trying to take in that day’s events. As he searched his pocket for his phone he stumbled upon his car keys.

“The car keys you have has a tiny pen drive attached to it and it contains some important information so just leave it in the car”

Adam’s words echoed through his mind as he looked down at the keys.