So much had changed. Eleanor silently jogged to the outside of Adam's mansion. John, the gatekeeper was always standing out there.
"Sorry miss. No paparazzi within two blocks of Mr. Carnegie's home. You can go past the street and see if you can catch a picture from there." He said. A new rule, she assumed. Two blocks away was the street corner that Adam was at last night, the same street corner that made up the street she died at.
"I'm actually just here to give Mr. Carnegie a gift," She said, faking her southern accent once more.
Eleanor knew she shouldn't get involved in his new life, but everything inside her was yelling to give him back the ring. That thing in itself must've cost half a million.
She took out the small box and placed it in John's hand.
"Tell him it's from Bree," Eleanor said, knowing that by the time he received her message, they would be long gone.
John nodded as he began to walk away. It was getting late.
She hurried through the doors and up the elevator and into the hotel room.
"You ready darlin'?" Josiah smiled, he was folding his clothes and putting them in a suitcase.
"Yeah," she breathed, avoiding his eyes.
¤¤¤
The room reeked of cologne as Adam stepped inside the Star Mansion. This year, his birthday gala slash Christmas party was hosted at Magdalene’s home.
They walked in together, warm smiles on both their faces as they nodded and waved.
"Adam, I'm so glad you decided to come here tonight." Magdalene smiled, leaning her head into his shoulder as they continued to walk. She snaked her fingers around his suit jacket.
"Me too Maggie." He looked at her loving green eyes as they found their seats. The tables were assigned and in the center was a dance floor. The home didn't look like a home, it was arranged in a way that resembled the after party of his wedding to Eleanor.
He sighed, she wouldn't leave his mind and, in a way, he didn't want her to. But he was with Maggie now, and this didn't feel like the loyalty he had toward Eleanor. Anything that happened seemed to have something that reminded him of his deceased wife.
He coughed as Magdalene began talking, but all he could see were her lips moving. No words could be heard, and Adam began to grow frustrated.
In a split second, Magdalene’s eyes seemed to mold into those of Eleanor Carnegie's and he held tightly onto the table to stabilize himself.
"Are you okay Adam?" Magdalene asked, a concerned look on her face as she stared into his distracting brown eyes.
"Yeah," he cleared his throat, "Would you care to dance?" He smiled as Magdalene’s flowy yellow dress followed behind them.
She wouldn't get out of his mind.
Eleanor's smirking eyes played in his mind as memories of Jason's funeral played in motion. Her vivid yellow dress that he had chosen just for her, the smile she'd worn when she thanked him. He felt his face heat up and thanked the heavens for the slow song playing.
Magdalene clung to him, her face resting on his chest as he was slowly swaying with her. The song came to a stop and a couple more played.
More time for Adam to replay his life with Eleanor and sway to the music. But this was wrong, he was engaged to another woman now for crying out loud.
"Baby you seem distracted," Magdalene said after a while of silence between them. This was about the time of year when Eleanor had gotten kidnapped. He shuddered at the thought, pushing it away as his knees buckled.
Embarrassingly, he tumbled over in the center of the dance floor as the music stopped and people turned to Adam's long figure on the floor.
"Adam get up, you're embarrassing us!" Magdalene scolded, looking up to warn people to look away.
"Why don't you join me down here." Adam laughed, turning to lie flat on his back and grabbing Magdalene’s arm and pulling her to him as the couple hundred people in the giant room stared. That was a total Eleanor thing of him to say, and the sadness returned.
"Adam, this is not the time or place!" Magdalene hissed as the music began playing again.
"Relax Maggie, I was only joking." Adam laughed as he stood up and the happy birthday song came on.
"It's time." Adam laughed as Magdalene rolled her eyes. "Relax," Adam laughed, reaching for her hand as she moved it out if his reach. A few people caught the little action, but Adam played it off, it's not like this had never happened to him before.
But even at the start of their marriage together, Eleanor never told him that he was wrong, she never pulled her hand away from him. He shook the thoughts away long enough to realize that a cake was being chucked at him.
He dodged on impulse as the creamy cake landed on Magdalene’s face. That was it for her, he had pulled her final straw as she squealed in anger. Adam couldn't contain his laughter, probably the first time he had actually laughed in a year.
"You think this is funny?!" She hissed, wooing cake off the bosom of her expensive gown.
"No," Adam laughed, "of course not," he couldn't stop laughing long enough. And before he knew it, she had stormed outside.
The people in the Star Mansion looked at him pitifully.
"Better go catch your princess."
Another reminder of Eleanor played as Adam pushed it away, running outside after Magdalene, angry and confused at himself.
"Maggie, wait," he called, looking down at his feet, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to happen," he nervously scratched the back of his head and looked down to hide his escaped smile.
A sly grin appeared on her Magdalene’s face, bringing a whole new meaning to cake face. She walked over to Adam, wrapping her arms around him and wiping the cake onto him.
"We're even now." She laughed, leaning forward to kiss him.
Chapter 4: The Path of Destruction
The old car had run its course. Eleanor and Josiah parked on the freeway, exhausted and afraid. Nobody in New Jersey would be willing to help; people were afraid to stop on freeways. Eleanor looked at Josiah, his face looked angry.
"Maybe we can rent a hotel room tonight Bree," Josiah suggested, an unsure look on his face as he grabbed his phone to call his insurance company. Eleanor couldn't contain the bubble of joy she felt at being able to stay here another day. Another day in the same state as Adam was a pretty dang good present.
"We might as well spend the New Year here too." She scoffed as Josiah glanced at her. "What?" She held her hands up defensively, a smirk on her face, "I was only joking Joe,"
Josiah said nothing as the call went through and he began speaking with a service representative.
Eleanor leaned against the car, boredom beginning to consume her. She stared at Josiah as he continued to speak on the phone, then he hung up.
"They'll be here in a couple minutes, I guess they need to tow a car to a mechanic." Josiah walked toward Eleanor, wrapping his slender arms around her waist and pulling her close. "Maybe we can spend the New Year here, it wouldn't hurt."
"Great idea." Eleanor grinned.
"Sometimes I just don't get you Bree." He said.
"You don't have to get me, just kiss me."
¤¤¤
Adam sat at the edge of the table, his investigators seated themselves across from him, each with a stern look across their faces.
"The prints came back." They began, "they're a match with those of Eleanor Carnegie. Now we know she has passed away, but we would like you to consider the possibility that she perhaps hasn't."
"What?" Adam's vision grew blurry at the thought of Eleanor, "I'm sorry, that doesn't make sense."
"It's speculation." The other investigator said.
"No Gary, it's not just speculation, it might actually be what happened."
"We're sorry Mr. Carnegie, maybe we should come back another time." Gary said. The two men began to stand up, packing their papers into their suitcases.
"Wait," Adam said looking at the investigator who had come up with a crazy conspiracy theory.
"Yes sir." Gary stared ahead, afraid
for his partner's life.
"I'd like to hear what... "
"My name is Zac."
"Right Zac, I would like to hear your theory. Gary you can be excused, I would like a report in three weeks if you find anything." Adam shook Gary's hand as Zac stood frozen.
"Sir, it's just... "
"Have a seat Zac. I would like to hear what you have to say." Adam's stern look matched the one he was receiving from Zac.
"Right, well, the other day while I was searching through your father's home, the strangest thought struck me. Nobody had actually seen Eleanor get killed, and the truck driver was probably too stunned to notice if it was a girl or a deer or something."
"We have no deer here." Adam said.
"Right, but let's just hypothetically say that Eleanor had ran across the street and threw an animal there. Because sir, none of the DNA on the street matched hers. None of it matched as well as the fingerprints in your father's home.
My theory is that she had given him a heart attack. Perhaps when he thought she was dead, the fright on the poor man's heart would have surely scared him to death. But that's what we all thought at first.
My theory is that Eleanor is still alive, that she ran away to disguise that she had killed Mr. Carnegie. Unless she and him got along... "
Adam contemplated for a moment. The tightening of his chest was all he could seem to feel.
"Get out. You're fired!" Adam shouted, anger engulfing him.
"But sir... "
"Out!"
Zac quickly packed his papers, regretting ever spoken of his conspiracy theory. Adam furrowed his eyebrows, the crease becoming painful as he waited to Zac to leave.
The waterworks began to open as soon as the door locked, and Adam broke down. He wiped furiously at his and stood up, punching a giant hole into the wall. His fist began to bleed as he took a deep breath.
He walked out of the office and got a taxi home. He needed to let these pent-up emotions out. Heading to the nearest gym, he changed into shorts and began pummeling the punchbag. His anger overwhelmed him as he hit it hard enough to tear the bag and allow the sand to exit. He looked at his hands, tearing the gloves off and wiping the thick layer of sweat from his brow.
He was soaked and his anger was all gone. The investigator had given hike unwanted hope, hope that the woman he loved could possibly still be alive.
He knew it wasn't true. He had seen her run toward the road, he had heard her scream and the screeching of tires, he had seen the blood that filled the floor. Even the truck driver believed he had hit her.
Adam showered and walked home. His thoughts tormented him nonstop as devilish thoughts of Eleanor being a killer played in his mind.
She would never hurt a fly, Eleanor was gone. And she is dead. He took a couple deep breathed as he approached the gate.
"Hey John." Adam said to the gatekeeper.
"Hello Mr. Carnegie. I have a gift for you. A woman came by yesterday and asked me to give this to you. She said her name was Bree." John said, handing the velvet box to Adam.
"Thanks John." Adam smiled at the small box, not recalling he had met anyone named Bree. He was very forgetful when it came to meet new people.
Nevertheless, Adam entered his empty mansion, the hollow heart of his going wildly at how he would come home and see Eleanor there. He missed her cute smile, her personality, everything.
He sat on the brown sofa that Eleanor had loved so much.
Pulling out his phone, he saw the two missed calls from Maggie and silently called her back.
"Hey Mags, " he began.
"Adam, I wanted to know if you prefer the color beige or vanilla for the tabletop covers." She asked.
"Whatever you like." he said, it wasn't this difficult to plan his wedding to Eleanor.
"Okay, I think Vanilla is fine. Okay bye, love you." Magdalene hung up.
Adam hadn't said it back to her, the 'I love you's' were probably one of the most important hurdles in a relationship and Adam never said it back.
He was still hung up to dry his tears on a drying rack apart from the world meanwhile the possibility that Eleanor might still be alive loomed above him.
He couldn't comprehend how it could even be a possibility, how Eleanor could even kill his father.
Adam turned his attention back to the velvet box in his hand. He slowly unwrapped the red ribbon and opened the small box.
The ring. He stared at it for a few moments longer trying to figure out how it ended up in this little box. He finally picked it up and held the delicate jewel between his fingers.
"Eleanor, my love." He spoke it aloud, he didn't how to react to finding the ring of his deceased wife randomly a day after his birthday.
He placed it back into its container before his fingers glided over a piece of paper.
He pulled it out and stared curiously. He read over it, letting every word sink into his very soul.
This only confirmed the possibility that she might still be alive. Adam reached for his phone immediately.
"Hello Mr. Carnegie."
"Yes, hello Gary can you connect me to Zac?"
"Of course, sir."
"I am super sorry Mr. Carnegie, I didn't mean to, it was just a thought... " Zac began but was interrupted.
"I have a proposition for you, a private proposition between just the two of us. I have hope that your theory might be true, and I think I have some evidence. Will you help me find my Eleanor?" Adam said, monotonous.
"Yes, sir."
Chapter 5: Obsessed
Adam stared at the paper for far too long, trying to decipher if it was perhaps a joke. He couldn't remember the name of the girl who had left it, but he would need to ask John again.
He needed to find her, to question her on how she had his ring. He would only do so if the handwriting and the prints on the box matched those of Eleanor. He had gone crazy, wishing he had put a tracker in the ring to begin with.
He yawned; it was way past midnight when his phone began to ring. He looked outside, his heart racing rapidly as he imagined Eleanor walking through those doors.
He was obsessed.
John had gone home already, replaced by another man.
While the whole world rested in silence, Adam remained wide awake. He felt incapable of shutting his eyes like he had for months. What if Eleanor was to come home.
He took a deep breath, covering himself with sweatpants and a shirt and began another midnight run. He'd done so every day for the past eight months.
He ran out the doors, past the gatekeeper and onto the street, his speed quickened as he rushed past the street Eleanor had died.
And then there is was, the people he had been dreading for months. They must have been keeping track of him. A camera flash went off as people took pictures of Adam. He sprinted past them, sweat trickling down as he wiped it from his brow.
His phone began ringing and he took this moment to catch his breath.
"Hello?" Adam said.
"Adam, I'm scared, could you come over?" It was Magdalene’s voice. The girl he was supposed to marry in under three months.
He took a deep breath and changed direction, "on my way."
¤¤¤
Josiah stood beside his car as the mechanic continued spouting out prices for parts that needed to be fixed. Eleanor stood silently beside him.
"Maybe we can just take a bus home, we barely use the car anyway." Eleanor said, the sky had shaded itself black and with it left tons of white spots. She glanced at the old garage. Her eyes landed on a glowing light, two fifty-three a.m. She groaned.
Not only had the insurance company taken forever to show up, they had also forgotten the tow truck and had to drive back to bring another person who also took a long time to show up.
And then the mechanic. Eleanor groaned again as she wrapped her slender fingers around Josiah's strong arms, pulling him close for warmth.
"Yeah, maybe, but I don't think any bus stations are open right now." Josiah
said. He rubbed his temples.
"How much would you be willing to sell this car for?" The mechanic suddenly asked.
Josiah's eyes widened as he stared at the mechanic. "How much are you offering?"
"I can give you four thousand and take it off your hands."
Josiah turned to Eleanor who didn't look at him. She wanted him to make the decision, it was his car after all.
"I'll sell it only if you give us a ride to the nearest hotel." Josiah said, pulling Eleanor tighter into him.
"Deal." The mechanic smiled, his mustache turning upwards. He walked inside and stepped out with the money in cash. He then hit something inside Josiah's car, and it started. That's precisely the moment they'd realized he cheated them. But it was too late. Too dark to argue.
Josiah didn't seem regretful as he took the money and sat in his car. The mechanic drove to a luxurious place and dropped them off.
He drove home, a smirk plastered on his face as he drove quickly. He knew this was a bargain, would've cost him a couple more thousand if he'd bought it elsewhere.
And yet, right as the thoughts entered his mind, he swerved and drove off the road. His smirk was still plastered on his face as he drove straight into a tree, angry now that it would cost more than a couple thousand to fix this car now.
¤¤¤
Eleanor sat nervously, her fingers fidgeting with the tassels of her sweater. That's all she liked to wear now, comfortable and unattractive clothing.
She wondered how Adam would react, wanting so badly to know. She ran her hands through her hair.
"Bree, you haven't slept in two days, are you sure you're okay?"
Eleanor froze, she had thought Josiah would be asleep by now.
"I'm fine, just homesick." Her words having multiple meanings.
She was anxious. Josiah sat up beside her and pulled her close, rubbing his hands up and down the length of her arms.
"Is something bothering you?"
For a split second she contemplated spilling her guts and telling him the truth. Her secret was hers alone, she couldn't trust anyone with it
"No," she shook her head, moving to lie down beside him and shut her eyes. After a few minutes, the room filled with light snores as Eleanor sat wide awake staring at the ceiling.
The Girl that Fled (Bliss Book 3) Page 3
