No Way To Escape | Novel

CHAPTER 3: LARRY

I had a peaceful slumber that night. The food really gave me a great sleep. But once the sleep was broken, such circumstances were produced that I could not even think of a good slumber for days.

Ding-a-ling. Ding-a-ling.

The tintinnabulation of the bell woke me up from my sleep. I squinted at my watch giving a yawn.

9:38 a.m., it read. 'Urgh, late for job', I said to myself.

Ding-a-ling.

'Yeah, I'm coming! Give me a sec!'

I put on my shirt, got rid of the blanket and the bed and opened the main door upon reaching it. Mr. Punt was standing in front of me. He lives adjacent to the apartment of Larry's, down on the second floor.

'Oh, Good Morning Mr. Punt!'

'Good morning but first listen to me –'. He wore a worried look on his face.

'What happened sir, everything fine? You look worried.'

'That man who lives beside me, Mr. Larry Hughes. He is your friend. Right?'

'Yeah, he is.'

'I'm afraid the main door of his house has been open for a long time. I saw it early morning but thought he must be out there at the terrace or somewhere else. But till now the door is as it was in the morning.'

'What?! Na he is not here with me!'. His words gave me a strong shock.

Both of us started running down the stairs desperately. He was slow obviously as he was a sixty-two years old man.

'Did you check if anyone was there inside?' I asked Mr. Punt.

'No. The atmosphere was completely silent out there so I thought he must be with you and had forgotten about the door anyhow'

We reached his apartment. It was really having an utter silence.

'Oh my God. You stay here sir. Let me check.' I ran down the corridor to the equipment room and came back with a rod in my hand. I entered the flat with complete apprehension.

'Larry! Buddy you there?'. No reply. Not even a single muffled sound.

Taking a closer look of the surroundings I realised that no one was there in the house. Even nothing was stolen. Everything lay still at their respective places. Nothing was thrown here and there. No trace of Larry too. His mobile phone also lay there.

'Oh God where are you?'

I came out of his house, locked his door with a spare key and turned to Mr. Punt.

'You may go now sir. I shall take care of the situation from here. Thanks for informing', I said to Mr. Punt and then started searching for Larry all through the building.

Finding no trace of him, I hurried back home. On reaching my apartment, I called Bob and Fred and informed them about the matter. Listening to my words, they perturbed and started from their homes hurriedly for our residence.