Rabbit Hole (Romantic-Suspense)

Chapter 29: Henry Co (3)

Chapter 29: Henry Co (3)

3rd Person's POV

As Lennox mindlessly trails down the open parking lot to fetch his car, a creeping shadow from behind follows him. Yet, the unbothered Lennox hums soothingly. Making the creeping shadow move at peace, thinking Lennox had not yet noticed his presence.

Getting closer to Lennox's car, the shadow smiles wretchedly. But, suddenly, Lennox took a turn to the aisle opposite to parked car. Making the person following Lennox paused for a while in caution, then when he saw Lennox pulled out a phone and heard him saying—

"Hey, I'll be a little late. I can't find my car here."

After hearing this, the shadow once again feels reassured. Following Lennox again closely, as they walk closer to the car parked parallel to his at the other side, Lennox's paused and looked at the car in front of him.

But, the soon he recognizes the car, his expression suddenly turned grim. The careless expression he was carrying just a moment ago left his face that washed unfathomable alarm on to the person's shoulders, following him when he saw how the careless expression didn't leave any trail.

And so, for a strange reason, the man just stood there and stares at Lennox. He couldn't process what pressure he feels as Lennox intently stares at the car in front. In the end, he couldn't budge an inch from his spot, and when he realizes it. It was too late when Lennox glances at him with a pair of dead calm eyes.

Then at that moment, the person glances at the dark green car Lennox was staring at, which was just parallel to his car, parked right just behind it—with a woman inside, staring outside the window.

"Is this car yours, sir?" Lennox asked, making the man startled.

Feeling the pressure to answer, the person took a moment to analyze the situation, but before he could, Lennox continued to ask and said—

"Were you following me? Why?" Not sensing any hint of panic from Lennox's voice that ironically backfired at the person, he impulsively pulled out a swiss knife from his black jacket. Just as Lennox faces him, he charges forward, aiming to his abdomen.

At the same time, Alice, who's waiting for Lennox at the café near the company's lobby, looks at her phone, feeling weird about how Lennox unusually takes forever to reply. But then, after thinking Lennox has always been unpredictable, Alice has just quickly shrugged it off.

"Yes, but it looks like he'll be late for some reason," Alice said, diverting her attention to the man she's having coffee with.

"So, what's your name?" She asked.

"Ah, I'm Henry Co." The man said, reaching out his hand to her, smiling with his eyes, tilting his head to the side.

Henry Co?

Alice thought, thinking how his name sounds familiar to her.

Where have I heard this name?

Then, coping up with a smile, Alice responds, reaches out her hands, and shakes hands with him naturally.

"I'm Alice Gomez. Nice to meet you," Alice said, shaking hands with him. Where…where have I heard his name? She thought, trying to dig into her mind. Looking at him more intently, trying to recognize his face, she found herself lost as to why his name rings a bell, but his face isn't.

Interesting, his name…where did I hear his name?

Alice thought, just as when her reminder alarms. Looking at which on her reminder list is ringing, the 'Dove's poems' appeared when it clocked exactly at 11:11 am.

And for some cause, she froze and paused momentarily. Words couldn't come out of her mouth fast as she struggles to put everything intact to what's bothering her system at the moment.

"Ms. Gomez, are you alright?" Henry asked, worried about how Alice seems to become occupied all of a sudden. Thus, his voice calls her back to her senses. Looking straight back at him, Alice stood up to her phone and back to the lobby area. Stepping back from the strange questionable feeling and Lennox's absence, she decided to look for the restroom to collect and straighten her thoughts.

"Hey, Uhm, I think I have to go to the restroom real quick." She said, grabbing her phone and bag.

Thinking she got an unexpected circumstance, Henry worriedly pointed out the direction of the nearest restroom.

"Ah, sure sure, it's just right there at the corner behind the partition—"

"Yeah, thanks," Alice said, dashing in towards the restroom and leaving Henry alone at their table.

Going into the female's restroom, Alice immediately took out her phone and searched through the internet for Henry Co's name, but she found nothing particular as multiple profiles popped out. Nonetheless, the feeling of familiarity still hasn't flashed out of her system. Wondering, as much as she wanted to, she just brushed it off. She knows she couldn't. Considering all the things she brushed off before Mae disappeared, Alice realizes that she must be careful with such seemingly measly things.

"Where, where?" Alice thought, hands on the counter as she stares at her reflection blankly. Yet a moment passed by her shoulders, and she still couldn't remember where she heard his name.

Am I just being paranoid?

Alice concluded as she feels like she just hit a wall on her face when no matter how deep she digs, she couldn't remember when and where she heard or even met him.

Well, if I ever saw him before, I wouldn't have any trouble recognizing him. His looks aren't average to easily forget…

"Seriously, what's with me?" Alice hissed, breathing out a bit of anxiety that grew inside her for the mere moment.

"Henry Co…"

Well, he may not look as hot and stern as Lennox but Henry certainly is cute enough to remember—

"—oh, shoot!" Lennox!

Thinking Lennox might have already arrived at the lobby while she's inside the restroom; Alice hastily checks and calls Lennox's number when she still hasn't received any text replies from him. Walking out of the restroom, her eyes looks out through the glass wall separating the coffee shop and the lobby's area, checking if Lennox is already there as she hears continues ringing through the phone. Then, getting closer to their table, her eyes instinctively shifted to Henry's chair, but he isn't there anymore.

Instead, she found a sticky note pinned on the table next to a muffin on a plate.

"Oh," Alice uttered, pulling off the note, sitting back to her seat.

"Nice meeting you, Alice," Alice said, reading the words written on it. And when she's about to disregard the note, she accidentally saw a glimpse of what's on the other side of the paper.

"What?" Thinking it was just her imagination, she looked at it and reread what's written at the back of the note again.

But what she saw next only confirmed she's wide awake to imagine things.

"11:11," she uttered, surprised, but not having the time to savor the chills she's feeling, Alice stood up and abruptly looked around the café from her spot.

"Dove—"

"Alice?" But, before she could even take a step to search for Henry, a voice from behind resonated. Feeling she didn't need to turn back to know who's calling her. She immediately suppresses the shock and hurriedly crumbles the note in her hands.

Turning around just when the person came closer to the table, Alice looked at him, composing herself, yet what she sees in front of her intrigues her.

"Hey, sorry I'm late. I had to take an urgent call," Lennox said, almost gasping for air, as crystal clear sweats breakout from his temple.

"Yeah, you took quite long. What happened? You look…pale?" Alice asked, observing Lennox's poor state, who's just a while ago isn't looking anything but calm and composed.

Damn it. I have to find that Henry. Damn, why didn't he told me this earlier—should I make a run of it? No, Lennox will surely follow me out, and if he sees Henry—

— I wrote this message exactly four years ago from now. If you made it this far and hasn't blocked me yet, then I'm probably dead or just hiding away from him.—he's dead.

Alice thought, remember the last letter dove wrote with the previous poem he sent.

Wait, is he even Dove himself? Alice thought, thinking of another possibility.

"Oh? What's this? You're worried about me?" Lennox said, grinning at her face to tease her, while almost everyone in the café looks at them circumspectly. Curious about the ambiance they're making.

"I'm worried we might not make it on time for later's announcement," Alice said, flat out rejecting Lennox's ploy. Getting used to the attention they have been getting since Lennox become more showy and clingy towards her, wherever and whenever he wishes. She didn't budge and paid no mind to everyone's watchful and curious eyes.

Sneering, Lennox looks at the table beside Alice. Glancing with his extremely observant eyes, a cup's watermarks parallel to Alice's coffee cup, and a plate of muffin caught his eyes. Glancing back to her, a gentle smile comes up.

"What for? Believe me. We already get the spot even before the bidding started—"

"Hmm, well. Considering what happened to us earlier, I'm starting to doubt your source. What's her name again? Ah, it's Sasha, right?" Alice said, acting as if she didn't know the maid Lennox is using to spy on her brother Clyde and her.

Thanks to Lennox's detailed plan, she figured how Lennox manages to bump into her on her first day at the condominium. That's because, with Sasha as his eyes and ears inside their house, there's no single detail that couldn't reach Lennox.

What a total creep. I don't even want to know how and when he started using Sasha-just because thinking about it makes me hate him more--Another reason why she has to figure out a way to get rid of Lennox's obsession towards her before he goes out of hand.

"That girl…yeah, that's her name," Lennox said, thinking of the lifeless girl he saw at the passenger's seat inside the dark green car at the parking lot that was parked exactly right in front of his car with only an allowance of five hundred millimeters in between. The same car that chased them earlier.

"So, I was thinking, why don't we ask her about what happened?" Alice suggested, sitting back in her seat. But, the tired-looking Lennox didn't budge. Instead, his eyes smile and calmly say,

"I believe that won't be possible anymore," Lennox said, which makes Alice raises a brow as she sips from her cup of coffee as she secretly hid the note she's hiding in her grasps to her pants' pocket.

"Huh?" She uttered, looking up suspiciously at him. Then, Lennox looks at the table.

"You must have craved too much coffee that you ordered two, huh?" He said, brushing his finger on the watermark of Henry's iced coffee cup had left.

"Huh? Ah…" Seeing where the conversation is going, Alice tries to come up with a reason.

F*ck, what kind of senses does this jerk has?

"Or you were with someone—"

"Huh? No, that must have been there before I got here—I just got here. Anyway, let's go." Couldn't think of any reason that could pass Lennox's keen observant senses, Alice stuttered. Standing up, she grabs Lennox's arms and pulls him out with her. But little did she know that Lennox already caught a grasp that she's hiding something, especially when the note she just hid inside her pocket peaked through. Sensing something's up with Alice's behavior, Lennox pulled it out carefully and swiftly when they're already out of the cafe, enough for Alice not to notice it.

"So, hey, what took you so long? What's up with the urgent call you've got?" Alice said, face ahead, pushing the lobby's exit door.

Damn it, how will I contact that Dove? Damn it, if I'm Alice and this psycho's the Hatter, then he'd probably suit the rabbit I've been chasing—ugh, what the heck.

I didn't wish to be in this creepy whirlpool wonderland.

Alice thought, as at the same time, thinks of how she will reach Henry again. Because despite the attempted emails she had been sending after the whole time, she figured Lennox was the devil she had been warned of—none of them got replied.

If that Dove could quickly reply to emails, he wouldn't go this far as to meet me and informed me he's alive.

Alice thought to herself, analyzing Henry's action with the note saying 11:11.

"Oh, it's nothing. What do you want for lunch anyway?" Lennox said, diverting the topic from the call he made up to cover up the lie he's hiding.

"Hmm? well, it's already 12:24—hey?" But with what Alice saw, his diversion just got nulled.

Blood from his coat's sleeves stains Alice's cuff. With puzzled eyes that immediately turn into still cold eyes, Alice immediately pulls Lennox out of the building until they make it in Lennox's car that's waiting just right in front of the building's drop off area.

Going in, Alice heaves a sigh, clearing her chaotic mind. She turns her gaze to him. When Lennox got in his seat, Alice stares straight into his eyes. Then, she grabbed Lennox's arm and shoulder, squeezing it up, and stopped at his biceps when he saw Lennox flinches and clenches his jaw. Telling her that he has been subduing the ache he's feeling for a while now.

Seeing and feeling the blood came out of his black sleeves, she immediately grabs and pulls out his coat, checking what kind of wound he has.

Alice realizes that something must have happened that he doesn't want to disclose now.

Right, I won't ask, for now, if he's determined in keeping it, then I won't dig any farther. And, right, he wasn't wearing a coat earlier. He was wearing his blouse earlier—what the heck?

Alice thought and was surprised when she saw a cut-through in his arms sleeves.

Looking back at Lennox's pale, smiling face, Alice closes and opens her eyes. Determined not to ask, she tries to remain calm as much as she can with the blood rushing out of his wound. Trembling hands, she pulls out her courage and wraps his wound tight with her handkerchief.

Lennox, not expecting Alice's silence, just stayed there, letting Alice does what she's doing. Looking at her with confused and half widen eyes, he found himself getting light-headed. Then, Alice carefully catches his head, which he didn't expect more, she'd do.

"Hey, I'll drive. Go and call George to attend the announcement instead. We'll go to the nearest hospital." Alice said, suppressing her panic with blood on her hands.

"Uhm, I don't think George will make it, though," Lennox said, still hasn't gotten recovered from Alice's trembling caring touch.

"Why?—never mind, then ask whoever's available—hey, can you move your ass from there to this seat?" Alice asked, composing herself, ready to get out of the car to change seat with him, but Lennox didn't respond and lifted his face to meet hers.

"What?" Alice asked.

"Aren't you curious about what happened to me?" Lennox asked, and with that, Alice pressed her lips, chewing in her nervousness.

"I 'am. I'm itching to ask now. But, I won't." Alice said.

"Mhm? Why?" That made Lennox even more curious about Alice's change of behavior. Is it because of the blood? He thought but what Alice said next convinced him more that caused him to blurt out a laugh.

"You'll just lie with a straight face." Then his face lightens, seeing how Alice has become accustomed to him. He couldn't help but laugh, but Alice, who doesn't see the situation as hilarious, got pissed and squeezed his wound tight, making him squeal in pain.

"AWW!" Enough for everyone outside the car to hear his scream.

And time passed, the laughter dies. After getting treated, Lennox sits on the side of the hospital bed with a bandage wrapped around his wound. He holds the handkerchief Alice uses on him, not letting go as she talks with the nurses. He remembered the note that was tucked in her pocket a while ago. Curious, he pulled it out and read what's written on it.

"11:11…" He uttered, then suddenly a call came. Seeing who's calling, a sly smile came on his face.

[Sir?] George said, calling Lennox, standing at the construction site's basement where the man following Lennox at the parking area is now tied on a chair, already bruised and covered with his blood that Lennox did.

"Start without me, but don't kill him yet," Lennox said, about getting answers.

[Copy that, Sir.] George said, ending up the call. Lennox's eyes trails back down to the note on his hand.

"Nice meeting you, Alice--who's this f*cker?" Lennox said, gritting his teeth.

Why did she have to act that way earlier to hide this? Who's this from? Alice...

Lennox thought, grimace, eyes getting darker he glances back to Alice, who's signing papers on the nurse's desk.