Ginger Fox Part 4
"Hello." I blink lazily, taking in the empty cabin and remembering where I am. "Who’s this?"
"That's what I want to know," says a frantic voice on the other end, as if they’ve been running. "I had my dog at the vet for a few days, left my phone at home, and when I got back, I saw missed calls from this number."
I yawn, standing up and pulling the phone away from my ear to check the number that called me. It’s the contact of Jon's grandmother's relative. The woman finally called back.
"Yes, that's right. I’m Ginger. I called because I work for the Roys. Well, I *worked* for them," I sigh in pain, feeling the anguish return with every second my brain wakes up. "I only called because Jon's aunt has been trying to reach his grandmother. She left the island without telling anyone. Could you ask her to call Baby?" The sound of heavy breathing on the other end increases, like an angry huff.
"What are you talking about? My sister is on the island!" I look confusedly at my sneakers, pulling on the tip of my nose, my thoughts scrambled by what she’s saying.
"No, you’re mistaken. She left. It’s been three weeks since she traveled." I scratch my forehead, inhaling the salty air that fills the cabin. The scent of the sea makes me melancholic, bringing back the pain.
"Look, I don’t know what kind of joke this is, but my sister didn’t travel, she would’ve told me. I can prove she’s there, give me a moment." I’m confused, looking at Dexter as he enters the cabin.
"We’re leaving in a few minutes." I nod at him, feeling both relieved and distressed to be leaving here. "Is there a problem?"
"I’m not sure," I whisper, hearing sounds on the other end of the line. "Baby’s looking for Jon's grandmother, she asked me to call the woman’s sister, who’s returning my call now." My head drops as I recall Baby being angry that the woman had left without telling her. "The sister’s on the line, she says Jon's grandmother never left the island."
"See? I told you!" The woman’s agitated voice snaps on the other end. "I’m looking at her phone’s GPS right now, it confirms she’s still there. She would never leave her precious grandson behind."
The phone slips from my fingers as I feel my heart race. Dexter moves closer, guiding me to sit on the couch.
"What did she say?"
"She’s still on the island, but I don’t understand... Jon told me she left." Dexter steps back, picking up the phone from the floor.
I watch him talk to the woman on the other end, getting the exact location from the GPS. My sweaty fingers start trembling, the anxiety spreading across my skin, leaving my heart in turmoil.
"I think it was around 10:40. Grandma had to leave suddenly. I went to the library when I arrived, but you weren’t there. So I went to the room and ended up falling asleep. Why?"
His youthful face tilted to the side, looking at me with a lost expression.
My fingers intertwine, my feet tapping nervously on the floor. Jon lied to me! Why did he lie? I try to comprehend the last words the woman said on the other end: his grandmother would never leave her precious grandson behind.
"Preci..."
I stop myself before finishing the word. I had heard it before, choked out, muffled by the agonizing pain in his petrified gaze.
"Preci... He grips my wrist tightly, his eyes wide open. His pupils shift sharply, focusing on the stairs, as if trying to show me something. Pre..."
"Precious." I jump to my feet, my heart racing.
Bob didn’t need anything, Bob was trying to tell me who had pushed him. "You didn’t need to hurt over your ‘precious’ Jon!"
"Oh my God, Jon!"
Dexter’s eyes lock onto mine. He hangs up my phone and hands it to me.
"Let’s go, I got the address; it’s not far from here." I shake my head anxiously, grabbing his arms.
"I need to go back to the mansion!" I shout urgently, feeling all the pain in my chest. "I need to go back to the mansion right now!"
God, Jon, what have you done?
I need to go back. I have to go back to protect him. Tell Baby, she’ll know what to do, she’ll help take care of him. It’s the only thing I have left, the only person in that mansion who’s real. I can’t let him destroy himself. I can’t save Jonathan from the evil that’s been done to him or save myself from what he’s done to me, but I can save Jon.
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