There Ghost My Everything

Chapter 9

A minute before Inspector Clay parked his car, Yuno called him. He immediately answered it. He knew that Yuno has something to report.

"What you got?" Inspector Clay asked before stepping out of his car.

"Where are you?" Yuno asked back.

"I'm here again," he sighed.

"You mean? The Lopez's house?" asks Yuno.

"Yeah. I need to do this," after he locked his car he started walking across the street. He did not park near the Lopez's so Herdon won't see him coming.

"You know what... I'm starting to think that there's something personal in you about this case," declared Yuno.

"I got to go," he tried to avoid his partner's question.

"Wait, Clay. You're just wasting your time the—" Yuno didn't get the chance to finish what he wants to say because Inspector Clay already hangs up his phone. He tried to contact Inspector Clay again but the Inspector won't answer his call.

When Inspector Clay reached the house, he gets the chance to look around. He noticed that the surroundings were quiet and no one could be heard. He was about to knock when he noticed that the windows were tightly closed. And there was no car in the garage as he walked around. That's when his phone ring again.

"They're not here," he said after answering Yuno's call.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you," Yuno in a boring voice.

"What? When?" he frowned while crossing the street.

"You hang up on me, Clay!" exclaimed Yuno, "seriously, these past few days or since the accident of Mr. and Mrs. Facundo, you changed! Your not the Clay I used to know. And you're not telling me what is it you're after them?" he sounds disappointed.

Inspector Clay chuckled before starting the engine, "Don't tell me you're jealous of them, Yuno?"

"What?!"

This time, Inspector Clay laughed because of Yuno's voice, "See?" his eyes on the road while trying to tease Yuno over the phone.

"Nah. I'm not playing with you, Clay," says Yuno before he hangs up.

Inspector Clay shook his head while still laughing. There's this personality of Yuno that he loves. That's why he's very comfortable having Yuno on his side.

While he was still driving, he saw two cars driving too fast. And these cars are heading into Lopez's house. He immediately turned the wheel back. The two cars stopped but there was no movement. He can judge by observing that whoever inside the car, they were looking at Lopez's house. It's a good thing that there was no one inside the house.

"What are you hiding, Herdon Facundo?" he murmured to himself, "who are these people to you?"

He texted the plate numbers of the two cars then he sent them to Yuno asking to check who owns those plate numbers. After a while, Yuno called.

"Have you let them checked?" he asked.

"Whoah! I'm not a robot, Clay. But don't worry, I already gave them. I'm not sure if I can give it to you immediately. I called to ask where are you?" Yuno was worried.

"Are you worried?" he still had the chance to tease Yuno.

"You're freaking me out, man..." then Yuno hangs up his phone again. Making Inspector Clay laugh.

"Is this really my partner?" Yuno murmured before putting back his phone into his pocket.

Inspector Clay in his car, got serious when he saw someone step out of one of the cars and headed to Lopez's house. But the man leaves when he observed that there's no one there. The two cars started to move and he didn't hesitate to follow them. He just followed them because he's interested in where they're going. Now, he's hundred percent sure that Herdon is hiding something. Herdon was just lucky that he wasn't there. If Herdon was only there, he would have questioned him about who those people are.

His brows furrowed when the two cars stopped and so he. They're in a wet market so he doesn't have any idea what they're doing there especially that the market is closed. But then, his heart beats fast when the same man who checked Lopez's house stepped out of the car and went straight to him. He did not bother to open the door. He doesn't have any plan to.

The man knocked on his window. Good thing his window is tinted but once the man looked directly into his window, he'll be dead, maybe. When the man tried to look in, he stepped on the gas. Then he hurriedly drove away from there. Making sure that the car won't be able to catch up. He was sweating. Then he picked up his phone and dialed Yuno.

"I'm assuming you got it now," he assumes.

"Yeah. But first, tell me what you're into this plate number?" as usual, Yuno loves to answer Clay in question too.

Inspector Clay rolled his eyes, "I need to answer you first, right?"

"Oh, you're right, man," agreed Yuno in satisfaction.

"Okay. Those two cars went to see Herdon, but as I told you before, Herdon wasn't there. I don't know if they just went outside or they're gone..." he steps on his brake after realizing what he just said.

"You think they went away?" Yuno asked.

"Let's hope, they didn't..." he stepped out of the car to breathe some air. He can't accept if Herdon and his family left the town.

Inspector Clay heard Yuno sighed, "Who owns them, Yuno?"

"The DDDDD12345 was own by Michael Rhodes. And the other one was own by his brother Jim Rhodes. These people are one of the richest and most powerful families here, Clay. You know that. What are you up to?" Yuno was like giving Clay a warning?

"Herdon must be onto something... I don't believe that he was abducted that night. And that's what I'm going to prove, Yuno," he stated. Then he stepped into his car and drove away.

**********

"I can't believe this! This is one of the most enjoyable moments in my life!" Herdon exclaimed after stepping out of the car.

Cassandra and her parents agreed and smiles are all over their faces too, just like Herdon. Then Herdon helped Cassandra to her wheelchair.

"You know what, hon. I had this feeling that by this week, you will not be needing this wheelchair anymore," Herdon said, with hope.

"That's not what the doctor said before, hon. He clearly said to me that months—"

"Well, don't stick to that statement. As long as you help yourself and as long as I am here, I know that you will be getting off that wheelchair one of these days. Not in the next two months, or more," Herdon said excitedly.

"He's right, Cassandra. Don't think about what your doctor said before. It's okay and healthy to assume that your legs will be fine one of these days," Mrs. Elaine agreed to Herdon.

"Yes, darling. They're right," Mr. Ray agreed too.

Cassandra smiled. She was very happy seeing her parents giving Herdon the kind of treatment they're waiting for a very long time. She thinks that the accident made them closer together.

"Let's go inside now," Mr. Ray walked inside the house first followed by Mrs. Elaine.

"Thank you..." Cassandra whispered, enough for Herdon to hear.

"You don't have to thank me... I'm your husband and you are my wife," Herdon answered and he gives Cassandra a passionate kiss. And before Cassandra knew it, his left hand was already inside Cassandra's blouse.

"Hmmm... Let's go inside..." Cassandra feels like there was a fire inside her.

When they got inside their room, Herdon wanted to take a shower first when his phone rang. He ignored it but Cassandra saw who was calling.

"Won't you answer it? It was your mother," Cassandra said.

Herdon doesn't want to answer it but he did because of Cassandra.

"Yeah, mom?" Herdon listened carefully to his mom. He went inside the bathroom like he doesn't want Cassandra to hear them.

Cassandra just shrugged thinking that Herdon just wanted to take a shower immediately.

Inside the bathroom, Herdon gripped his hand after talking to his mother. He was angry with what his mother told him. It's about Inspector Clay. His mother told him that Inspector Clay gave her a visit. The Inspector was really into him.

Herdon frowned when another number called him. He answered it.

"Who's this?" he listened carefully to the caller.

"I don't know what you're talking about. You must have called the wrong number," Herdon said still frowning. He did not wait for the caller to answer or talk again. He pressed the end button and switched off his phone. He finished his shower and when he got on their bed, he was disappointed. Cassandra was already sleeping. He knew that she got tired so his disappointment didn't last. He kissed her on the forehead. That night, he can't sleep because of Inspector Clay and the last one who called him. He has no idea who called but the voice was very familiar to him...