Los Angeles, USA.
Peter McCall came to a stop in front of their big mansion. He took a full bite of the burger that had stared at him for some minutes now. He had lost every appetite for food. But there was nothing he could do. His life had changed from the normal peaceful life to that of a miserable wandering man. He came out and locked the doors. The burger was right there in his left hand. Looking around the compound, there was still no life he could feel in the premises. Could it be that they were murdered? He thought. That would mean additional accusations on his side. He hastened to the door. There was no time to waste. The same normal procedure followed. The system captured him. After some seconds, the click from the door came and it opened. He walked in . This time, he faced his reality. The sitting was alive in his memory. He walked on the Australian tiles to their Italian sofa. Their home displayed the full splendour of a luxurious traveller. He sat down, dropped the burger and rubbed his hands together to feel good. He put off his camo clothing made of gore-tex fabric and dumped it on their sofa. Then, he started a slow walk round the center glass table. He was home to find a truth hidden there. Which part of the home should he go to? The same library? He wondered. Had he had all the time, he would gently search everywhere. But seeing he did not, he had to search the right place. To do that, a lot of reasoning will be involved. His parents' Chambers . He thought and smiled. He tried to move but stopped. It could not possibly be there. If it had, the free access he had would not have been possible. The library was the only possible place. But the only part of restriction to him was no longer restricted from him . Besides, it was just a small room that didn't have much. But maybe, just maybe it could still be there. He picked the burger and took another full bite of it. Then, he made up his mind. It was the library again. He moved straight to it with the burger. He walked in and headed straight to the end . Removing the textbook again, he put his thumb in the space and hit the button. He had the victory a second time in his life. The shelf rotated and he stepped into the room. He looked around to find something new. Something he had not seen the previous times. But nothing new was there. He went to the cubicle and opened the first drawer again. Nothing new. He checked the second one. Nothing new. Then he drew the third one. It didn't open. He pulled again but nothing happened. What could be there? He asked himself as he backed off to stretch himself. He ran his hands over the wood. Nothing was there. He tried again. This time, smoothly. His fingers hit something on the surface. The drawer slides out. He smiled.
" Now, let's see what we have here. " He muttered to himself and squatted. There was only a little piece of paper in it. He slipped it out and took a look. A note was manually written on it. It was someone's short information
NAME: KARL GÜNTER.
LOCATION: HAUPTSTRASSE 128 C.
"Karl Günter." He called out. " Who is this? Haup.. hap… " he tried to pronounce the location. " What's even this?" He took a bite of the burger. Whoever this person was, he was precious to his father. This is the second reason he was directed home. To know the truth and seek the truth. Though his parents were no longer alive to explain who Karl Günter was , he was sure it had something to do with the truth that brought him home and as well led to the sudden demise of his beloved parents. So, even if he didn't want to embark on this journey, he has been compelled to do so. He closed the drawer and left the room. He made sure everything was still in place in the library. Then, he went back to the sitting room. Another thought came to him. What if his enemies were after him? Fear came. He was in the big mansion all alone. His eyes travelled to a large portrait of his parents which hung on the wall. A gift he had presented to them on their last anniversary.
" Dad. Mom. " He spoke to the portrait. " Hope you are watching me? Look at what your beloved son has turned into. A wanderer in a land that once smiled at me. You can put an end to my misery. The pain is too much right now. I know you guys must have planned to tell me the truth about my past. Father, I now understand why that inner room was beyond my reach. I'm not hurt at all. " He smiled weakly. " But ,Who are they? Who killed you guys? Why are they after me? I am in desperate need of answers right now. " He eyed the note in his hand . " I got your message, dad. You have nothing to worry about. I will find your friend, Karl Günter. I sincerely hope he gives me the answers that I need . And I am making you two a promise right here. I, Peter McCall, your beloved son vow that I will reach the depth of this mystery. I will find who killed you. I will find out why they are after me. And I will make sure I expose them. The battle line has been drawn and I will not back down till I have fulfilled this promise. " He chuckled. " Hope you heard me? Well, I will leave this house soon enough to do that. " He took the last bite of the burger. The feeling came again. This time, he took action. There was no need to put on the camo clothing again. It would only give him away. He rushed into his Chambers and took a quick shower. In the next few minutes, he was done dressing. He looked at himself in the mirror. He looked more refined this time. His hair was in perfect shape. The black T-shirt and the pair of black jeans trousers matched with the black sneakers he wore on his leg. The musculature of his whole body reflected fully in the mirror. He smiled. " Are we good to go?" He said to himself, then took his perfume and gave himself a finishing touch . Then, took his sun shade with him and walked out of the room and out of the mansion. Now standing outside, he absorbed the splendour of his father's empire again. The statue of his father still stood tall. In a way , it gave him the feeling that the tall structure would keep an eye on him wherever he went. He walked to their garage. The cars lined up like contestants waiting for approval. Avalon was not the ride any longer. He needed a change of everything. After much consideration, he decided to go with a Chevrolet sedan. The dude was made of a V8 engine. It had an excellent performance with a dynamic handling ability. An adjustable suspension helped one to alter its driving dynamics to a self preference level. It moved with a speed of one hundred and sixty meters per hour. At least, this would give him what he needed . Escape drives won't be too difficult. He settled in and drove out slowly from the garage. He remembered the girl as he drove. He never overlooked instincts. It saved him many times in his life from different challenging situations. "Poor her…" he muttered as the gate made way for a Chevrolet sedan to pass. He thought of what to do. If the girl was really in trouble then helping out wouldn't be such a bad idea. He steered right, now backing the statue as he drove on. The side mirrors gave him a confirmation of no suspicious cars behind him. The earlier incident shouldn't repeat itself. Chevrolet now exited the McCall's estate through the east gate. Security officers saluted as it passed. A custom they had adopted to gain favour in the eyes of well to do men and women who had their abode in the estate. He waved at them. It was a pointless gesture since his car was heavily tinted. He was on the road, now headed to a hotel where he would spend the remaining hours of the day and take his leave for Germany the next day. "Karl Günter." He muttered. " Who are you? Never knew my dad had a German friend. " The traffic light turned red and every car halted. In the midst of parked cars , a black girl was passing. The memory flashed again. Could it be her? He thought. Those straight legs twerked elegantly. He opened the door and stepped down. Walking swiftly, he held the lady.
" Hey!" He said.
The lady turned. " Good day. "
It was a mistake. Not the lady Peter had in mind. There wasn't even any similitude between their facial look. Their body form only looked alike.
" Do you know me?" She asked. " How may I be of your help?"
" Uhm… apologies. I mistook you for someone else. "
" Be careful next time. " The lady turned and continued her walk . Peter returned to the car . The lights turned blue and he drove with the rest. He pulled over. Another destination was in his mind. The restaurant. He needed to clear the thoughts in his head. If she was in trouble, he ought to help. If she wasn't, he would be glad. After twenty-four minutes of a fast drive, he arrived at the restaurant. After checking himself in the front mirror, he stepped out. After looking around, he turned and locked the door. Opening the back door, he took a face cap and wore it, making sure his face was tightly covered. Then, he headed into the restaurant and sat down. A lady came to attend to him.
" Good day, sir. Welcome to our restaurant."
" Thank you. " He replied, looking up slightly. It wasn't the lady he had come there for. This one was fair.
" What do we offer you? We make the best —" she was cut short.
" Please, do you mind sitting with me?"
" I hope there's no problem.?"
" No problem at all. "
" Wouldn't be bad if we had this discussion after work. " She said, smiling.
" It's not what you are thinking. "
" Okay. Just be quick. I'm at work. " She pulled out a chair and sat down facing him.
" I have a few questions for you. Let's say just one question. "
" Alright. So far, it's one I can answer, I will help you."
" I met a lady here some time ago. A tall, black beauty with—"
" If I am right, you mean Nuella. "
" Is that her name?" Peter asked.
"Does the lady you are looking for have long hair?"
" Exactly. Long black hair."
"Please, who are you? You do not even know her name."
" Yeah. You are right. I don't know her. "
" Then why are you here?"
" Let's say I want to know her."
" Let me guess. You have a crush on her."
Peter smiled. " Though hard to admit. It's true. You are right."
" Oh.. poor you. Just get your mind off her. There are too many men on her list of rejected crushers."
" Oh. Really? She made a list?"
" Not literally. But I am just saying you should not risk entering the list. "
" Well, I can try. There's no harm in that ."
" You may be lucky. You are cute and the glasses make you look gentlemanly. Though, you don't look totally gentlemanly."
Peter laughs. " Thank you."
" There's just one problem."
" Problem? Is she okay?"
" She doesn't work here anymore."
" Why?"
" That's what it appears to be. Seems like you don't even know of happenings in the city."
" What do you mean to say?"
" If you had paid careful attention to the news earlier today, you would have seen her ."
" Are you for real?"
" You are aware of the sudden demise of Mr and Mrs McCall, right? You must have heard of it. It's everywhere."
" Yes, I have. It's still a surprise to me. It's even more shocking to know that their son is the culprit." Peter said, looking innocent.
" Do you truly accept that?"
" How on Earth am I supposed to believe that? That Peter McCall could kill his parents. No. No. That's not possible. It possibly could be a set up . Or maybe a mix-up somewhere. I mean, they shared great love. For what reason did he do it?"
" No one can say. The cops owe us a better explanation. Meanwhile, it has not really been confirmed that Peter McCall is behind everything. It is said he is the prime suspect."
" That invariably says he did it. Besides, the news headline made mention of their son being the cause of their death. "
" Something isn't straight here. Meanwhile, that is the reason for Nuella's present condition."
" How? " Peter asked. " What is that supposed to mean?"
" Earlier today, at the same hour the news was being reported, no one had an idea Mr McCall was in our midst."
Peter widened his eyes in surprise. " Are you being serious?"
" I wouldn't joke with this. He had his food served to him right on this table you are seated now."
" I'm not comfortable right now."
" You have nothing to worry about. At least, you are not him. Like I was saying, we never knew it was him. And the very person that served him his meal was the Nuella that you are here for. "
" Oh. Don't tell me she has been involved in the crisis." Sadness crept all over Peter's face.
" I understand how you feel. But that's the truth. When Peter McCall was spotted, he tried to leave. But our manager needed the prize. So, he asked Nuella to slow his movement by keeping outside for sometime so the cops could lay a hold on him. You know he is wanted. We all thought Nuella already did it . But the man left a few minutes before the cops arrived. Our manager had the cops arrest Nuella."
" Arrest her? But for what reason?"
" Our manager inserted a chip into her pocket. With that , he was able to record all they discussed. "
" Ah.. this is really bad."
" Nuella helped Peter McCall by letting him know of the plan. She was arrested. And currently is in the Los Angeles Police Department's custody. So, if you wish to see her, you must go there ."
Peter was silent now. His thoughts conflicted on what he needed to do. Should he go straight to see her ? No.
" Are you here, sir?"
" Yes, I am. Just disturbed by this news."
" What you feel for her must be strong ."
" I presume I have to go there."
" My advice to you is that you do not try to get too involved to avoid you becoming a suspect."
" I understand. I must take my leave now. "
" Take your leave? Are you not going to buy anything?"
" That won't be necessary. I came with the main reason to see Nuella. Just bad that she is not here. "
" I see. Alright then. Just be careful. And if possible, get your mind off Nuella. I doubt she will come out of this. "
" If Peter McCall can be proven to be innocent of the charges laid against him, then she will be free. What do you think about it?"
" If I got you right, you are indirectly saying you will prove Peter McCall's innocence just to win a girl over. That's insanity."
" If it's for her, then I will go insane. Thank you for your time. I really appreciate you. " He stood up.
" I am supposed to feel pity for you but I don't feel that way. Rather, I can say there is something strange about you. "
" I have to go now." He started walking out.
" Your name?" She asked .
" Believe me. You don't want to know." Peter replied as he walked out. He observed the environment to be sure all was well. Then, he began his walk to where Chevrolet parked a few distance from other cars. "Karl Günter". The name came out of his mouth. He took out the note and studied it again as he walked. Midway to the car, he heard a beeping sound from under it. He stopped. Stooped low to take a distant view. He was still in that position when the turbulent sound came accompanied by a temporal violent vibration of the Earth. An explosion had occurred . He was thrown backwards to the floor. Chevrolet had been sent into the air . After some seconds, it collided full force with the Earth.
" Aww… " he muttered in pain. His cap was off. The glasses had gone off his eyes and broke as it crashed on the floor. He gathered himself and rose to his feet.
" Back off!" The security shouted at everyone in the area of the explosion.
" They are here. " He said to himself. He alone understood the reason for the explosion. It was an attack on him. Or maybe a notice sent to him. A notice telling him they had their eyes on him. He thought of the perfect move at the time. He needed to live. To do that, leaving the premises was the only option. How far would he get? Chevrolet was turned upside down as it got consumed by the flames.
" Peter McCall?" A lady's voice spoke from behind .
He turned. It was the lady he had spoken with.
" Peter McCall. You are Peter McCall." The attention of everyone shifted from the explosion site to the new drama setting up. " You are Peter. That's him!"
At this point, Peter McCall couldn't think of any right move. If he ran, it would only confirm his identity.
" You lied!" The lady continued. The manager gave his orders and the security started coming for him.
" Not today. Not today. " Peter muttered helplessly. Then, he started tracing his steps backwards. "The cops will soon be here. " He thought. It was time. He made up his mind. Running was the only way out. Just then, the familiar sound blared the whole scene. His legs seized. The sound of police sirens filled the whole place. The fire team also arrived.
" That's Peter McCall!" The manager shouted as he ran to them. The attention of the cops shifted as they followed his outstretched hand. Their eyes met with that of the popular face.
" Your hands in the air!" A cop ordered.
Peter looked dazed. What the hell was going on? Was this a dream? If it was , he needed to wake up. It was turning into a nightmare.
" Your hands in the air!" He was ordered again.
He was still reluctant. He didn't bulge. Something hit him from behind.
" Aaah.." his tongue spoke out in pain. The barrel of a pistol collided with his head. He bent , both hands gripping his head. His knees were marched and he was forced to go down on his knees. The cops cuffed both hands in the air, denying him the privilege of soothing the pain on his head. Did he make the right choice? Or was it a mistake? He wondered. If he had continued with his plans of having a good rest before travelling instead of coming here , nothing would have happened to him. Was Nuella really worth it? Though she had helped him, it was already obvious that he too was equalising whatever care she showed him. Because of her, he was able to escape. Because of her also, he has been caught. Now, everything is on the line. His mission was about to be jeopardized. Karl Günter. He remembered he was supposed to meet him. While he thought, the cops drew him by both hands into their car and shut the doors. In the next few minutes, they were leaving the premises. Media men and women were all over the place. They captured the whole incident live with a news headline which read , "BREAKING!! THE MURDERER AND SON OF MR AND MRS MCCALL ARRESTED!" The manager of the restaurant had joy spelled all over him. His restaurant was becoming more famous. More people would come to eat there . And most importantly, reporters would not let him rest. His face would be all over the media as a good man. The police cars had reduced in number. Some were left behind to secure the site as the fire team did their work.
In the midst of the crowd, someone snaked his way through the gathered people. He came to his target . He bent and picked it. He smiled mischievously. The words written on the paper were...
NAME: KARL GÜNTER.
LOCATION: HAUPTSTRASSE 128 C.
He smiled and then slowly traced his step back and disappeared from the vicinity.