Paul too, didn't have thought that the man would take such simple bait.
The man Paul and Simon are talking about is probably Liam's companion, who'd met with Liam in the bar 3-4 times a week.
Yesterday when Paul received the info about Liam he acted quickly, went straight to the Liam's rental house, although he'd already anticipated that going there wasn't going to get him anything, because the cops and the person who've killed Liam in the alley probably have swept everything up, which was connected to them or their work.
He had thought that while reading "I can't be sure on the contents I read" but Paul went there anyway and searched the room and sure enough he couldn't find anything useful, throughout all the time he acted in a very cautious manner like a thief, and next he went to the bar where Liam usually went, not dropping his cautious for a second, to push this more he didn't leave anything related to him, even using someone else's handkerchief for that, and talked with a certain man, in the handkerchief he wrote was simple sentence -
"Just get along with me."
And he offered the beer to the man he'd observed earlier when he entered the bar, "the man sitting alone staring at his empty glass." And the man was rather quick witted; he understood the matter quickly.
Paul then talked about the incident in Alley and told how he didn't find anything in Liam's house. Liam's previous job, how long he has been here with a mixture of some fake info, and the man only gulped the beer and only answered with nodding or "yes". After Paul finished his conversations he left the bar and didn't take the taxi and walked all the way to his apartment. He made a speculation that if… someone was really keeping an eye on him, then it's better to play all the way.
But still, doing all of that with great caution and even if he somehow managed to attract the man's attention, he didn't guess that the man would be this impatient or really was just dumb enough, he doesn't know.
Paul answered Simon with a small summary, only mentioning the main details about the last night.
"That's..good.. but didn't I tell you before to not act alone." Simon's voice sounded as if he was a little dissatisfied.
Paul didn't reply back.
And Simon continued - "Ok I'll tell if I get anything useful information about this, but... from next time you'll take Sara with you, understand?"
Paul with the silent and faint voice replied - "yes…"
The call ended and Paul sighed inwardly and looked at the phone screen for a few seconds.
Seconds ticked by as he slowly stood up and walked toward the balcony behind the sofa. He didn't know why — but his chest suddenly felt heavy. Everything around him had gone quiet.
He stood at the balcony, eyes drifting over the city. Darkness blanketed everything, but buildings, stores, and streetlights were trying to erase it.
But he knew —
They couldn't.
There's always darkness, lurking beneath you... your own shadow. That's why people stop at 99.99%. Because deep down, they know. There's no such thing as perfection. It's just a fantasy.
He sighed again trying to lighten his chest, his left hand slide into his pant's pocket and took out a packet, accurately it's a cigarette packet, he took out one cigarette and placed in his mouth and put the packet in pocket again, and light-up the cigarette from lighter which he took out from his right pocket. After taking a puff he heard someone's voice.
"It's you."
A female voice, which was very clear and it sounded very close to him like someone shouting from next balcony he thought, with another puff of cigarette he looked to his right to the balcony, and sure enough there she was looking at him with little surprise on her face. He already knew who it could be, the blond-haired girl Varsha wearing a short light blue t-shirt and shorts.
Yes, she is Boss's daughter.
Paul glanced at her for a second or two and focused on his cigarette again and thought "Why is she acting all surprised? Didn't she know that I was living here?"
Varsha asked him again, still a little confused - "You are Paul right? Same class as me?"
Paul without looking at her answered with - "Yes"
Varsha now confirmed her confusion that this person and the Paul from her class are the same, because she felt the same "I don't care" aura in him.
"Did you already know that I lived here?" Varsha asked again.
Paul again replied with simple and single - "yes"
Varsha pondered some thoughts. The last time something similar happened, it was a woman named Sara. The woman was living next door to her in the last apartment she was living in, just like this time.
She discovered that the woman was spying on her and it was her father who ordered that.
One thing is certain that her and her father's relationship isn't good and second.. she doesn't like being watched by some unknown person, so she changed places and told her brother to stop this and tell his old man, but her brother told her that it was for your own safety, but she didn't listen, and now she is having the same feeling as before, with growing suspicious she asked again -
"Did my dad send you?"
Paul still puffing his cigarette answered - "Nope"
"Do you think I don't know!!.. Whether you're lying or not, it is the same as last time, that the old man sent you here to spy on me like before, last was some women and now you."
She declared with belief.
But what she heard next was something she didn't expect.
Paul eyes locked into her face, his voice sounded irritated-
"Why should I give a fuck about you, and your that old man anyway."
Varsha felt a little startled with his reply - "Because you know, who's daughter am I, right?, he.. he probably sent you...
Paul cut her off half and said - "Then why don't you ask that old man of yours, did he send me or not? for whaat?... to spy on you? .. Are you fucking with me!! .. don't I have better work to do, then spy on you!!?? I prefer dying would be a better choice then this shiit.. Just who do you think are huh..? Are you some kind of princess or something who's enjoying her daddies money? While living alone?"
She felt totally silent. The words she wanted to speak didn't leave her throat. Paul looked his gaze at her for a second and left the balcony throwing the unfinished cigarette.
It's time to cook something for dinner.
TOMORROW 12:05 PM - S.T ANTHONY SCHOOL
The following day Paul went to school like always attending his classes without any interest, throughout the ongoing classes he noticed that his neighbour Varsha looked at him from time to time, he didn't know the reason why... no.
He actually has a clear idea. It is because of last night conversation, well Paul doesn't actually wanted to yell at her, and he also doesn't know why did that either but, "who cares" he thought, her relationship with boss isn't good and he has heard from Sara that they barely talked to each-other only in phone, even if she bother asking boss? He wasn't going to tell her the truth because he was the one who assigned this work to him, if.. maybe Varsha somehow manages to discover that her dad has sent him and tells this to boss? He doesn't have any problem with it, much less he would feel happy that he doesn't have to come to this jail.
So Paul ignored her glances and acted like he always does in school, observing the students or staring outside the window, and right now he is staring outside looking at the tree and waiting for students to leave the class first. As he waited, staring at the tree, it felt like time had stopped, an endless abyss with no one around him, only him and the tree.
I was standing there… looking at the tree, everything stopped, even my thoughts, my limbs weren't responding, no wind , no light , everything around me was pitch black with no ending.
"Wht you always looking outside?"
Then he heard someone's voice pulling him outside the dark abyss, his thoughts started running too.
The voice was clear and he felt like it sounded right besides him. He slightly turned his head to look for the owner's voice but what he saw…. he didn't want to see , it's Mia again, and she was standing right beside him, and Paul felt a little awkward.
She literally stood too close to him.
Mia lowered her head placing one hand on the chair where Paul sat, and the other on his desk. The distance between them shrank more, and Paul turned his face towards the window .
Mia said again - "Lemme have a look too wht you looking outside the window and not paying attention to the teacher's lesson."
Paul felt more and more awkward he thought "Whada hell is wrong with this chick, can't she asked the same thing few meters away, and why thaa… fuck she always comes to me, did she have few screw losses or something."
Paul didn't answer and was just looking outside the window, the scene he was always looking at. Mia also saw what Paul always looked outside the window.