Chapter 7 Running Out Of Time

• “Is Aiden back?”
• A pale-faced Ruth asked Margaret from where she lay on the bed.
• Margaret had already lost count of the number of times Ruth had asked this question. Her answer was always a dejected shake of the head.
• “Mrs. Lane, you're still weak. Please have some soup!”
• Sighing, Margaret brought a steaming bowl of chicken soup to Ruth.
• Ruth had lost her appetite. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she stared toward a window as she muttered, “Why isn't he back yet? There's no more time. I'm running out of time.”
• Margaret did not have an inkling of Ruth's incessant “out of time” murmurs. Her heart ached for Ruth as she placed a shawl across the latter's shoulders. “Mrs. Lane, you're still recovering after your operation. You must take good care of yourself!”
• Ruth looked lifeless as she stared blankly into the distance. The light had gone out of her eyes as her usual exuberance was nowhere to be found. “I'm running out of time. Out of time...”
• “Mrs. Lane, what is going on with you?”
• Margaret began to worry over Ruth's strange behavior.
• Concerned that something might be horribly wrong, Margaret built up the courage to give Aiden a call.
• Once the line connected, Ruth grabbed the phone in an instant.
• She looked just like a frail little girl. Hunched over in a corner, she was shivering as she mumbled almost incoherently into the phone.
• “Honey, when are you coming home? I'm so scared! Someone's coming to kill me! Honey, can you please come home soon? I'm running out of time. I'm really running out of time.”
• Beep. Beep.
• She was greeted by the rhythmic digital beeping sounds from the other end.
• Aiden hung up without saying a word.
• Little did he realize that ignoration was a far more dangerous weapon than an actual blow.
• An hour later, Aiden's phone rang again.
• It was Margaret calling him. Initially, he planned to end the call, yet somehow he answered on instinct.
• Let's see what sort of nonsense Ruth is going to start babbling this time.
• However, what greeted him was Margaret's panicky voice through the receiver. “Mr. Lane, please hurry back! Something happened! Mrs. Lane is missing!”
• Aiden fumed at her words. “Missing? How could she have gone missing? Didn't I ask all of you to look after her carefully?”
• This damn woman is driving me crazy. How can she run around when she's recovering from her operation? Does she not care about her own life?
• “What's going on?”
• Sadie stumbled to her feet with the aid of her crutches. She ambled closer toward Aiden.
• “Ruth is missing!”
• Aiden frowned in annoyance. He put on his coat haphazardly in a rush to leave.
• Ironically, he failed to notice the genuine concern he felt over the same woman he was cursing out.
• “Wait, I'll go with you.”
• Sadie tried to catch up with Aiden. Accidentally or on purpose, she fell in her haste.
• “You shouldn't go,” Aiden said quickly before he left.
• He was so worried about Ruth that he had not thought of helping Sadie off the ground.
• As Sadie watched him leave in a hurry, her fingers clenched around the long fibers of the carpet. Her eyes positively oozed malice as she gritted out, “Just you wait, Ruth Adams!”
• Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the mansion had descended into utter chaos. Everyone was frantically looking for Ruth.
• Aiden ran more than ten red lights in his haste to return to the mansion.
• “What exactly happened?”
• “Mr. Lane, Mrs. Lane has been asking us when you'd be back the whole day. And she kept going on about how she was running out of time. I thought she was just upset, so I didn't pay too much attention to her words. She went missing when I went downstairs briefly to get her a drink. We've been looking for hours, but we haven't managed to find her.”
• Margaret looked like she was on the verge of tears as she stammered through her explanation.
• Night had crept over the sky.
• Lane Residence was located in an upscale residential area in the suburbs which was surrounded by forest reserves; hence, safety could be an issue at night.
• Aiden had already called the police, who were sweeping the areas around the mansion.
• He could not stay still and do nothing, so he left the house and drove his car along the roads along the mountains. Round after round he went as he imagined the various scenarios that might have befallen Ruth.
• Oh god, I hope she doesn't try to kill herself!