Trust In Love - Chapter 266

Alex grabbed two metal poles.

She shook them, already knowing they’d stay still. Her attention shifted towards the lock. She whirled around and checked the jail cell. It had a rickety wooden bed and a dresser. Strips of chalk lined up the brick walls. White tape littered on top of them.

Her eyes spotted a box under the bed. She grabbed it immediately.

It was empty.

She undid the bottom flaps, leaving space unturned. She found nothing and placed it back. She opened the dresser. Its shelves had a few laminated patterned paper. Taking them out, she searched the corners for the key. She crouched and peeked under it.

Again, nothing.

Alex stood up, straightening her legs. The soles of her shoes screeched against the cement floor. From the corner of her eye, she noticed a cowboy jacket. It hung on a hook and dangled against the cell bars.

She took it down and inspected the pockets.

That meant only one possibility.

Her head turned to the metal bars.

The room had a moderate size. A group of five people would easily crowd it. Across from her, a height chart hung on a wall. It had a cork board beside it. Pins, notes and two keys scattered over it. One of them could be for the jail cell.

Unfortunately, they were beyond her reach.

She moved her vision closer to her position. One table stood on the left wall while the other stood on the right. Her eyes flicked to the latter table. A map and a digital timer hung over it. The clock read 43:50:36. She ġrȯȧnėd, realizing it was the countdown.

The table had a chair unlike the one at the left side.

It was also occupied.

Logan sat on the chair with his blindfold still on. Handcuffs wrapped around his wrists and tied him to the table. The chains were short. The length prevented him from touching the blindfold. Compared to Alex, he seemed quite relaxed.

The sight irked her. She banged on a metal pole and called out to him.

“Earth to Logan? Isn’t this when you tell me the rules?” She asked, panic rising inside. The timer did its job. It added pressure on her shoulders. She refused to stay stuck behind bars until the time ran out.

She would escape. She’d make sure of it.

Logan whirled his head at the sound of her voice. A smirk stretched on his lips. “I was wondering if you’d be able to figure it out on your own.”

She glared even if he couldn’t see her. “Doesn’t that mean there’s an introduction for all players? Something to help with the game? I have a right to know about it.”

He merely shrugged. “I believe you would have found it eventually. You saw the clock, right?”

“There’s a countdown.” She nodded.

“Yep. We have 45 minutes to get out of here. There are only two things left for me to explain.” He said, twisting his neck around the room. Then, a scowl appeared between his brows. “Uh, I could make this easier if I could see but I can’t. There should be a first clue somewhere. It would be next to the Help Card. It’s a card that we’d show the security camera if we need help. We can only use it once.”

“The second time would mean we give up,” Logan finished.

Alex blew a raspberry. “Gee, that’s very informative.”

“I told you that you’d find it eventually.”

A small whiteboard hung under a square box.

The latter had a square chip with a question mark taped on it.

Alex reached for it, examining the item. The word ‘Clue’ was written under the symbol. She quickly realized this was the Help Card Logan meant. She put it back and gazed at the whiteboard. Black marker scraped on the surface with a messy handwriting.

‘Dear friend,

I have been framed. If you check the police records, you’d find that some events interconnect. That grand chase around downtown was a setup. Only a few people knew where I’d be. One of them used me as a scapegoat for their crimes.

You have to help me uncover them.

P.S. Look behind.’

Alex glanced over her shoulder out of reflex. She found the same brick walls. She already searched the cell. What did the PS mean then? Licking her lips, she racked her brain for an answer.

Then, something clicked inside her head.

Another note was stuck behind it.

‘Officer Luther loves to eat donuts for break time. Although he’d drink coffee with it, he’d eventually fall asleep. To keep the keys safe, he’d hung them on the wall under his hat.’

“A hat…” Alex mumbled. She placed the whiteboard back. Her gaze checked the three walls, starting from the left one. It led her to the one across from her…

… until her eyes landed on the wall near Logan.

She dashed for the other side where a billiard stick laid on the floor.

Under the map, she found a police cap hanging on the wall.

Alex cheered quietly. She was finally going somewhere! Now that she located the keys, the next obstacle was retrieving them. Her arm was too short to reach it. It could bȧrėly reach Logan and he was much closer.

Her hand picked up the billiard stick. She stretched it towards the cap, attempting to poke it off. She managed a nudge but it wasn’t enough. Pain throbbed in her shoulder. Even when she flattened herself against the jail bars, the stick only brushed the cap.

Alex pulled it back, panting.

“Damn it,” she cursed.

Logan raised his eyebrows. She sounded closer than before. “Did you find it?”

“I did but I can’t reach the keys,” Alex informed him. She tried again. This time she aimed for under the cap. If she could insert, even just the tip, she’d be able to point it up and unhook the cap.

“Where is it?”

It poised another problem. Since the stick would arch if she lifted it, the tip simply slid off the cap. A groan rumbled in her ċhėst. She finally answered Logan. “From your position, it’s near the left corner of your table. The side that’s pressed against the wall. My arm is too short even with this billiard stick I found.”

When Alex heard her own words, her gray eyes snapped towards him. She calculated his position. The handcuffs did tie him down but the size of the table wasn’t big. With his wrists at the center, the edge of the table stopped near his shoulder.

The length would also be the same if Logan sat on a different side.

“Logan…” Alex breathed out as she formulated a plan. “You can stand up right?”

“Hm, let me see,” he replied, rising to his feet. He kicked each of his legs and found no resistance. His lips beamed. “Yes. Yes, I can.”

“Then, you go get the keys,” she instructed him. “It’s under a police cap so you need to be careful not to drop it when you remove that first.”

“As you wish, milady.” Logan said. He began to move, taking a step. “It’s on my left, right?”

“Yeah,” Alex nodded. She folded her left arm over her ċhėst. Her right elbow rested on the back of her left hand. Her lips bit her thumb. Knitting her brows, she watched Logan carefully. “Just walk around the table. If you hit a wall, you’re in the right spot.”

He followed her suggestion. His legs walked in one direction until the handcuffs resisted. He took it as a sign that he reached the corner of the table. Taking a turn, he traced the table’s square shape.

“Stop!” Alex yelled before he hit the wall.

Logan shuffled his feet, facing the wall. “Is this it?”

“Yes! Remove the cap!”

He proceeded with caution. With no hands, he decided to use his shoulder and tapped the wall. He still needed to locate the cap. Alex mentioned it was near the corner. He descended vertically as he searched.

Something fell on his shoes.

“That’s it!” Alex confirmed his thoughts. The hook had a deep curve. It wouldn’t be easy to take. Hitting it wouldn’t be enough. Her mind raced for ideas. There had to be a way. What could it be?

Logan continued with the same method.

“No, don’t nudge it!” She protested, raising her hands towards him. “It’s not going to work.”

Lines creased on his forehead. “Then, how am I supposed to remove it?”

Alex bit her inner cheek. She had been trying to figure that out. The handcuffs limited many movements. The blindfold also contributed to the problem. If they used the wrong attempt, they might end up with another obstacle.

So what should they do?

…

…

…

…

…

Alex blinked.

Her eyes twinkled as the idea sank in. She grabbed the metal poles, mentally testing her solution. She imagined how Logan would get the keys. It was perfect. It didn’t cause another problem. It was the foolproof way for her to get them.

Smirking, Alex shared her idea with Logan.

It took only two words.

“Bite it.”