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It took a while for someone to come and open it.
“Mr. Lennox.”
“I've come to pick up my daughters.”
“It's late.”
“The traffic didn't cooperate with me today,” I grumbled. “I just want to get the girls home soon.”
“I'll call them,” the woman said before going back inside the school, leaving the door half-open so that I could see through.
She made her way to the entrance of the building, passing through a small courtyard, and disappeared from sight after passing through a door. I felt uneasy, even though she had only been gone for a few seconds.
He looked from side to side, growing impatient as time passed.
After I checked my watch and realized that the woman had been inside for almost ten minutes and hadn't come with my daughters, I got worried.
“Hi!” I pushed open the gate and took a step forward. “Where are my twins?”
The corridor was empty and there was no sign of anyone until I heard a woman calling from one of the doors.
“Mary!... Anne!”
I walked in and bumped into the primary school teacher who was supposed to be responsible for both of them.
“Where are they?” My tone was harsher.
“Mr. Lennox!” She seemed to be startled by my presence, but I wasn't worried about it.
“The twins.”
“I...” She held her breath.
“Can't you speak?” I imagined that because of the expensive tuition at this place, the teachers would be better educated.
She gritted her teeth, showing that she was irritated by my offense, but I could sound a lot worse if I didn't answer what I had asked.
“Where are my daughters?”
“I'm looking for them.”
“Looking?” That word was so absurd that it took me a while to come to terms with it.
“I gave them to Holly along with the rest of the class, and they were supposed to be waiting on the bench in the courtyard.”
“And why aren't they there?”
“I don't know, sir.”
“That's not the answer I expect.” I clenched my fists, huffing. A growing fury was welling up inside me at the possibility that something might have happened to them. “The twins should be safe here.”
“But they are.”
“So where are they?” I was losing control.
“Sir, I know it's not what you'd like to hear, but they haven't left school. They're somewhere.”
“Anywhere? Do you have any idea what I can do with this hole if something happens to my girls? Do you know who I am?”