Chapter Thirty-two

Someone That We Used To Know

Right after school, Travis Becker quickly head to his house and was getting ready to go with Louis Lockwood in meeting with this ‘Wad Rosenwald’ dude. They will be meeting at Toby’s Coffee Shop.

His mom was not in the house; his brother was in the football practice; and Officer Shay was on duty. He was all alone in the house.

While he was styling his hair with hair wax, the portable phone that was lying on his bed rang. Travis quickly grabbed the phone and pressed Answer. “Hello?”

“Hello?” the caller asked. The voice was quite low and soothing but a bit creepy. It was a man.

“Uh,” Travis moved to the mirror while holding the phone, “yes?”

“Who is this?” the caller quickly asked.

“Who are you calling?” Travis squinted and threw a different question. He was looking at his reflection and was thinking if his hairstyle was suited for his look: a cream-coloured Lacoste jacket with green shirt underneath and grey tight pants.

 “I said, who is this?” the caller repeated.

“Wrong number,” Travis quickly jumped and hung up. He doesn’t want to be bothered by some insolence calls. He tossed the phone back to his bed as it bounced its way down to the floor. Travis quickly grabbed the phone and thought that it was broken for he heard it thud. As he picked it up, it loudly ran.

It startled the hell out of Travis. “Hello?”

“You do that on me again and I gut you like a fish,” the voice was dead mad serious, “you understand?”

Travis was not sure what to think. Was this a prank? He tried to open up his mouth but no sound was produced. His lips started to quiver.

“Yes...” the voice sounded grim, “you like that?”

“Fuck up!” Travis stood up and clicked the phone and hangs up the phone again.

Suddenly, the doorbell from downstairs chimed. He leaped and screamed. Then, Travis walked slowly downstairs and headed down the foyer.

The doorbell rang again.

Then, someone spoke behind the door. “Travis?”

The voice was familiar. It was Louis. Travis was relieved and he opened the door.

“Hey?” Louis greeted. “I thought of just meeting you here, though.” He saw Travis’ uneasy and terrified. “You okay?”

“Let’s go,” Travis stepped outside on the porch and locked the door. He pulled Louis down their front porch steps.

“What’s up, bro?” Louis got confused as he was being pulled.

Travis slid into his Chevy and started the engine as Louis followed in.

“You sure you’re okay?” Louis scrutinized.

Travis nodded and drove their way to their destination.

Travis tapped on his built-in GPS in his car:

24 Avenue West Oakfield Street, Mapleton, South Carolina.

The screen started navigating. Then the results popped out. The place was seven blocks around. They pulled over beside a jewellery shop.

Travis and Louis stepped out the car. “I think we’re here.”

Louis turned left and saw 24 Avenue sign on the street post. “There.”

Then, they both headed on the road.

“What are we looking for?” Travis asked.

“You mean, ‘who’? Wad Rosenwald,” Louis answered as they were walking. “Remember?”

“Right!” Travis said. “How are we gonna see this dude? You know, like a building or something? We didn’t even make any arrangement.”

“I know,” Louis said as he was scanning the store signs. “But I’m not sure where were looking exactly.”

Then, a guy wearing a black jacket with blue jeans came out from a bakery. Louis thought of an idea in asking questions. “Excuse me, sir.”

The man turned his attention to Louis. The man doesn’t seem creepy at all. He was in his thirties. His height was same as the Travis. His body sure was athletic as if he was a jock in his high school years. He has pure green eyes and pointy nose. He has a black mullet. His skin was fair. He’s the guy that you would actually see around the streets wandering around. “Yes?”

“Um?” Louis glimpsed at Travis. “Do you know a person living here named Wad Rosenwald?”

Travis smiled at the man showing his politeness.

The man scanned both Travis and Louis. “Yes.” He replied in a low voice. “The man that you’ve been looking for is...” Then, the man unzipped his jacket to let some air in in his body. “...me.”

Travis and Louis exchanged looks. The man that they were looking for was destined to stand before them. “You’re Wad Rosenwald?” Travis confirmed. 

Wad nodded. “Can I help you with something, boys?”

“Yes, please,” Louis lightened. “By the way, I’m Louis and he’s Travis.” Then, he paused for a moment. He does not know what to ask. He looked at Travis for a second and turned back to Wad Rosenwald. “Um... uh--- do you know Edward Lawson?”

Wad squinted. “Yes? Why?”

“We were wondering if you could give us information about his death.” Travis snapped.

“I’m not the one who you should be asking about the Lawson case,” Wad responded. Then, he took off and walked away from them.

“Wait, sir,” Louis chased after him. “Someone told us that you have answers.”

Wad paused analysing what the stranger had said.

“This someone might be someone Edward was afraid of,” Louis added. “Someone that might be you’re afraid of.”

Then, Wad turned to Louis. His left eyebrow rose. He breathed in and out. “We should talk inside.”

Wad led their way inside the bakery. The bakery has some fancy chairs and tables inside.

The boys sat on it while Wad bought three pumpernickel. He brought it on the table with the boys.

“You shouldn’t have,” Travis said.

“No,” Wad said waving his hands. “I insist!” Then, he held his hands together and he placed his elbows on the table. “So, who is this someone that brought you here?”

Travis glanced at Louis. “Honestly, we can’t tell.”

“No,” Louis butted-in as he eyed Travis, “it’s just a guy from our neighbourhood.”

“What do you wanna know?” Wad directly asked.

“Who killed Edward?” Louis leaned forward. “The murders that are occurring in our town.”

“I don’t have all the answers,” Wad lifted his hands and started eating his pumpernickel.

“How were you connected to Edward Lawson?” Travis narrowed his eyes.

Wad chewed. Then, he swallowed looking at Travis straight in the eye. “We were friends. He used to come here to get advice. I’m sort of like his uncle. His father and I were best friends.”

So? That doesn’t make any sense on his death. Louis and Travis were officially boggled. They exchanged looks. Edward never mentioned having a thirty year old friend who gave him pieces of advice. “What is the connection of the deaths to you?”

“Oh no,” Wad replied. “I’m not connected to those. But I think I might know who killed your friend. My friend.”

They started to lean forward to Wad craving for their most awaited answers. “Who?” They asked in unison.

“The night before he died,” Wad recalled. “He told me that someone was bothering him. He said that he had been receiving texts from an anonymous number and calls with creepy voice. Someone threatened him on that call that he will die on that night.”

“Just tell us who is it,” Travis demanded. He couldn't wait for more.

Wad raised his right eyebrow. “Edward knew who his killer was. But he never told me who it was. What he told me was he had figured out those anonymous texts and calls right before he attended a party.”

Travis and Louis made another exchanged look recalling the night Edward Lawson disappeared.

“Before he attended that party,” Wad continued, “he called me and told me that the person that was bothering him was definitely someone that he knows, someone that became a huge part in one of your lives.”

Louis was seriously analyzing. Travis was tried to fix the puzzle in his mind.

“...part of one of his friend’s life and his,” Wad added. “By the way, there’re four of you, right? Edward used to tell me about you kids. He said to me before that one of you may have a connection of who might get rid of him. I mean, who have got rid of him. But let’s not assure.”

Louis and Travis exchanged looks. One of us had a connection of who got rid of him?

Then, Wad looked at his watch and saw the time. It was already 6:47 PM. “Well, I should be get going now, boys.”

Travis was looking at his eyes straight as if he knows who this guy was. He squinted.

Wad got sort of uncomfortable.

“Wait! Is there a name? A boy or a girl?” Travis spat.

Wad shook his head no.

Louis stood up. “Thank you so much, sir.”

Travis was quite dissatisfied and confusion registered in his face.

Then, Wad Rosenwald quickly exited and the two were left on the small round table.

“That’s it?” Travis cried. “I mean, I skipped general practice just to meet him and that’s all what we get?”

“At least we had something,” Louis said.

“Yeah,” Travis whined, “it made us more confused.”

“Welcome to E’s world!” Louis spat. “E will not give up that easily. Of course he will make us confuse to solve his puzzle.”

Travis paused to think. “But, do you think that’s true?” Travis asked.

Louis squinted referring that he does not know what Travis was talking about.

“What Wad told us?” Travis clarified.

“I don’t know,” Louis squinted as if he was recalling. “I think he is. We should tell this to the others.” Louis grabbed his BlackBerry and started texting the others to meet at Travis’s place.

“Wad’s eyes seemed to be familiar,” Travis switched the topic.

Louis quizzically looked at him.

“No. Really,” Travis continued. “I’ve seen that hazel eyes before. It’s so pure unlike mine. I just don’t know when, where or who. He seemed to be familiar, though.”

Louis shrugged.

Suddenly, Travis HTC started to chime. So did Louis’s BlackBerry. The chiming and tinkling of their phones were in unison. The sound sounded the entire bakery. Travis and Louis exchanged looks and started reading the message.

I know it’s complicated now that you have your answers. Start solving the puzzle. –E