Chapter 8: Suspicions
The next few days that passed by were pretty much non-eventful. Max stayed with Darien twenty-four hours a day, just like he was told, and the two men basically played video games or watched movies. Darien finally did check his answering machine messages, but when he had tried to call Hobbes back there was no answer.
'Probably out discussing the 'textile' industry again,' Darien thought.
It was on December 30 that Darien realized he'd forgotten something very important. He and Max were playing a new snowboard racing video game when the thought came rushing back to him. Out of the blue he dropped his remote, shouted "Aw crap", and then ran to his closet and began rushing through his things. Max stared at him in wonder.
"Uh, Fawkes?"
"Yeah?"
"What the hell are you doing?"
At that moment Darien pulled a brand-new basketball out of his closet. It was still even in the original box.
"Aha!" Darien said in delight.
"Aha, what?" asked Kifton.
"I forgot to give this Christmas present," Darien grabbed his black leather jacket and headed towards the door.
"Excuse me, Mr. Fawkes, but where do you think you're going?"
"I need to go deliver this."
Max stared at him.
"Oh, yeah," said Darien, "Wanna come along?"
"It would be my pleasure," smirked Kifton and the two men left the apartment.
As soon as they left the apartment the phone rang, (of course). It was the Keeper.
"Hi Darien. It's me Claire. Listen there's something really important I need to tell you. I've tried you on your cell phone, but I guess you don't have it on. Could you please call me back right away? This is very important. I'll be in my, uh, 'office' if you want to call me there. Please call me back Darien. Bye."
Meanwhile in the Keep...
Claire almost broke her phone by slamming it down so hard.
"Bloody hell, Darien!" she cried out in anger. "Why is it that whenever I don't want to speak to him he's always around, breaking beakers, shedding quicksilver all over my desk, asking me annoying questions, but, whenever I do need to talk to him I can never find him! Argh!!"
Claire threw herself down in her chair. Just then the phone rang.
"If this isn't Darien, I swear..."
She picked up the phone.
"What!" she yelled into it.
"Whoa! Take it easy their, Claire. It's just me, Bobby."
"Oh, sorry Bobby. I thought it was Darien."
"Fawkes? You can't reach him either?"
"Well, I saw him the other day for his shot and he was in such a hurry that I couldn't even say two words to him!"
"Hurry? Did he say where he was going?"
"Something about not wanting to miss a movie, or something. You said you haven't reached him either?"
"Yeah. I called him a few days ago. I gave him the wrong gift and I wanted to apologize, but he wasn't there. I've called him back a few other times and he wasn't there, but I didn't leave a message."
"Uh. That's odd. He's usually never out of his apartment that much, except when he's with one of us. It's strange."
"Maybe I should come back early. Ya know, check up on him?"
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about it Bobby. You shouldn't have to come back from your vacation early. Darien probably just met up with an old friend and is just catching up with them or something."
"That's exactly what I'm afraid of, my friend. You know how depressed he gets around holidays and I don't want him..."
"Listen Bobby. Please don't get paranoid about this. Enjoy your time off, alright? I'll see you in a few days."
"Okay Claire. Whatever the doctor orders."
"Oh and Bobby?"
"Yeah?"
"Behave yourself."
"Yes, doctor."
"Bye, Bobby."
"Bye Claire."
The Keeper hung up the phone and thought for a moment.
"Where could Darien be going?" she said aloud.
"Oh, stop being so paranoid, girl! You'll start turning into Bobby."
Claire decided to get her mind off of the whole situation by getting some work done. Yet, she still couldn't help but wonder what Darien was up to, if anything at all.
The next few days that passed by were pretty much non-eventful. Max stayed with Darien twenty-four hours a day, just like he was told, and the two men basically played video games or watched movies. Darien finally did check his answering machine messages, but when he had tried to call Hobbes back there was no answer.
'Probably out discussing the 'textile' industry again,' Darien thought.
It was on December 30 that Darien realized he'd forgotten something very important. He and Max were playing a new snowboard racing video game when the thought came rushing back to him. Out of the blue he dropped his remote, shouted "Aw crap", and then ran to his closet and began rushing through his things. Max stared at him in wonder.
"Uh, Fawkes?"
"Yeah?"
"What the hell are you doing?"
At that moment Darien pulled a brand-new basketball out of his closet. It was still even in the original box.
"Aha!" Darien said in delight.
"Aha, what?" asked Kifton.
"I forgot to give this Christmas present," Darien grabbed his black leather jacket and headed towards the door.
"Excuse me, Mr. Fawkes, but where do you think you're going?"
"I need to go deliver this."
Max stared at him.
"Oh, yeah," said Darien, "Wanna come along?"
"It would be my pleasure," smirked Kifton and the two men left the apartment.
As soon as they left the apartment the phone rang, (of course). It was the Keeper.
"Hi Darien. It's me Claire. Listen there's something really important I need to tell you. I've tried you on your cell phone, but I guess you don't have it on. Could you please call me back right away? This is very important. I'll be in my, uh, 'office' if you want to call me there. Please call me back Darien. Bye."
Meanwhile in the Keep...
Claire almost broke her phone by slamming it down so hard.
"Bloody hell, Darien!" she cried out in anger. "Why is it that whenever I don't want to speak to him he's always around, breaking beakers, shedding quicksilver all over my desk, asking me annoying questions, but, whenever I do need to talk to him I can never find him! Argh!!"
Claire threw herself down in her chair. Just then the phone rang.
"If this isn't Darien, I swear..."
She picked up the phone.
"What!" she yelled into it.
"Whoa! Take it easy their, Claire. It's just me, Bobby."
"Oh, sorry Bobby. I thought it was Darien."
"Fawkes? You can't reach him either?"
"Well, I saw him the other day for his shot and he was in such a hurry that I couldn't even say two words to him!"
"Hurry? Did he say where he was going?"
"Something about not wanting to miss a movie, or something. You said you haven't reached him either?"
"Yeah. I called him a few days ago. I gave him the wrong gift and I wanted to apologize, but he wasn't there. I've called him back a few other times and he wasn't there, but I didn't leave a message."
"Uh. That's odd. He's usually never out of his apartment that much, except when he's with one of us. It's strange."
"Maybe I should come back early. Ya know, check up on him?"
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about it Bobby. You shouldn't have to come back from your vacation early. Darien probably just met up with an old friend and is just catching up with them or something."
"That's exactly what I'm afraid of, my friend. You know how depressed he gets around holidays and I don't want him..."
"Listen Bobby. Please don't get paranoid about this. Enjoy your time off, alright? I'll see you in a few days."
"Okay Claire. Whatever the doctor orders."
"Oh and Bobby?"
"Yeah?"
"Behave yourself."
"Yes, doctor."
"Bye, Bobby."
"Bye Claire."
The Keeper hung up the phone and thought for a moment.
"Where could Darien be going?" she said aloud.
"Oh, stop being so paranoid, girl! You'll start turning into Bobby."
Claire decided to get her mind off of the whole situation by getting some work done. Yet, she still couldn't help but wonder what Darien was up to, if anything at all.