Earlier
He was jolted out of his reveries by the ringing of the phone. It was becoming a regular thing, Lyana calling him. She called him to tell him that there was an emergency with one of her friends which required her to be away from home for the next day. She wanted to call over Raoul's sister for baby-sitting or to drop her kids at her place. Raoul was baffled with the conversation since neither Lyana nor his sister, Aileen were able to get along with each-other. Rather it could be said that they hardly saw eye-to-eye on any thing under the sun.
He was jolted out of his reveries by the ringing of the phone. It was becoming a regular thing, Lyana calling him. She called him to tell him that there was an emergency with one of her friends which required her to be away from home for the next day. She wanted to call over Raoul's sister for baby-sitting or to drop her kids at her place. Raoul was baffled with the conversation since neither Lyana nor his sister, Aileen were able to get along with each-other. Rather it could be said that they hardly saw eye-to-eye on any thing under the sun.
He sighed and gave in to Lyana's demand since he was more occupied to find out more about the 'Standing Buddha' case and he found Lyana irritating. He told her, 'Dear! If you think it is okay and if Aileen has no issues, leave the kids with her for the day. I would not be able to help you out this time. You are on your own here. I have a case I am working upon.'
He felt Lyana wilt on the other side of the phone and felt sorry for the turn the conversation was taking. Trying to assuage her feelings, he interjected, 'Leave them there. I'll check-up upon them, and don't worry, Aileen does like to spend time with the kids. I'll call her and try to work it out for you'.
Lyana replied in her cheery voice, 'Thanks, Darling! I Knew I could always rely upon you for to come through for me.'
Raoul smiled and speed-dialed Aileen's number after Lyana disconnected. Not someone for a small talk, Aileen jumped straight into the conversation, picking up from where they had left the last time, making it sometimes difficult for Raoul to follow the conversation. Aileen asked him about the progress he had made in the last report he had been working upon. Raoul felt bummed out having to explain to his sistre that the report had been scrapped after he had put in his sweat into it. 'Aileen has a way of asking the wrong questions, may be at the right time, but she does have an uncanny ability', Raoul thought to himself.
Aileen continued with her one-sided conversation asking about everything that was possibly happening in is life from his kids to his attempts at elusive promotion at work. Raoul knew to get in his own word, he would have to catch her off-guard, "How is your work with the new clients coming along?", he asked her remembering that the last time she had told him of trying to finalize the deal with a company for designing their office.
Aileen told him that she was already working on the project and was finding it challenging but invigorating. Raoul was proud of his sister, an elder sibling. They had grown together with the usual fights and camaraderie in siblings and knew the good and bad of each-other. While Aileen had been successful in all her endeavors from childhood, Raoul had always struggled to attain success. Shaking the thoughts away, he took his chance to ask Aileen if Lyana could drop the kids with her for the next day.
Aileen thought it over and told him, 'Umm! I am home tomorrow, the material required for working would be coming in by evening so I am free in the morning. I'd be happy to keep the kids. Would you be dropping them or would Lyana be coming over?
Raoul told her, 'It'd be easier for Lyana to come, but if you want I can come over, although I am in the middle of a case and might not be able to make it.', hoping that Aileen would agree for Lyana to drop the kids. Aileen said, 'No hassles, you or Lyana.. what difference would it make? I like to spend time with your kids. Either of you, but just ensure that you are not late or keep me waiting.'
He disconnected breathing a sigh of relief having taken care of the kids for the next day. He texted Lyana informing about Aileen's reply and also for her to drop the kids by 10 in the morning. Whatever Aileen was, she was not a morning person and would not be up before 9, so 10 was a safe time.
Getting back to the office, Raoul spread the pictures he had got developed along with the notes he had made with Omar and any other information he had been able to glean regarding the case. Squinting his eye, he tried to focus on the clues spread out in from of him. He could feel that there was something he knew but was missing out upon; something which was glaring at him, but he was not able to put his finger on it.
Glancing at pictures, he suddenly froze and could not move for a second, he could not believe what he was seeing; it had been in front of him all the time, but it was a difficult thing to believe and his sub-conscious had probably decided to make him ignore it.
He was frozen, his heart thumping against his chest with what he had seen.. he seemed to have unraveled the mystery man from the 'three musketeers'. He could not believe it, he seemed to know the 'person'. He stood rooted to his spot thinking about what to do next, torn between the decision to be made.
... to be continued... Raoul - 7
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