Chapter 2 - The Man at the WorkshopThe next morning, Maxwell arrived at the workshop before seven.
He barely slept.
The mysterious call remained in his mind.
The voice.
The warning.
And Clara's strange connection to the number.
He unlocked the workshop.
Inside, everything appeared normal.
Tools hung neatly on the wall.
The hydraulic jack was in position.
His small desk sat beside the window.
He switched on the lights.
Then he noticed something.
One of the drawers was open.
Maxwell stopped.
He was certain he had locked it.
He walked closer.
The drawer contained only a few receipts, some cash, and an old notebook.
Nothing appeared missing.
Then he noticed the notebook had been moved.
Maxwell picked it up.
A page was folded.
He opened it.
At the bottom of the page, somebody had written three words.
STOP DIGGING, MAXWELL.
His fingers tightened around the notebook.
Someone had entered his workshop.
Someone knew his name.
Someone knew what he had been doing.
He immediately checked the locks.
The back door had no damage.
Neither did the windows.
That meant whoever entered had not forced their way inside.
They had a key.
Or someone had given them access.
Maxwell spent the next two hours saying nothing.
His first customer arrived at nine.
Then another.
By midday, the workshop was busy.
Maxwell's reputation had started spreading.
He worked differently from other mechanics.
He refused to rush jobs.
He inspected every vehicle himself.
He had a talent for diagnosing problems that other mechanics missed.
The irony was painful.
His father had always called mechanical work beneath the family.
Yet it was the one thing Maxwell had ever done with complete happiness.
Around three in the afternoon, a black SUV pulled into the workshop.
Maxwell looked up.
The driver stepped out.
“Are you Mr. Maxwell?”
“Yes.”
“We were referred to you.”
“What is wrong with the vehicle?”
The man looked around.
Then lowered his voice.
“The owner wants you to work on it personally.”
Maxwell opened the hood.
The engine was heavily modified.
It was not a normal vehicle.
The parts were expensive.
The build was sophisticated.
Maxwell examined the engine for nearly twenty minutes.
Then he smiled.
“This wasn't assembled correctly.”
The driver looked surprised.
“You can tell?”
“Whoever did this understands performance, but they ignored thermal balance.”
The driver nodded slowly.
“How much?”
“I need to inspect it properly.”
The driver reached into his pocket.
He placed a thick envelope on the table.
“Consider this an advance.”
Maxwell didn't touch it.
“I don't take money before doing the job.”
The man smiled.
“Your father would be proud.”
Maxwell looked up sharply.
“What did you say?”
The man's expression changed.
“I said the owner would be proud.”
“No.”
Maxwell stepped closer.
“You said my father.”
The man said nothing.
Maxwell's voice became cold.
“Who sent you?”
The man turned.
“Forget I mentioned it.”
“Who sent you?”
The man opened the SUV door.
Before getting inside, he looked back.
“You're more difficult to find than your father thought.”
Then he drove away.
Maxwell stood there in silence.
His phone vibrated.
A message.
UNKNOWN NUMBER.
He opened it.
YOU WERE WARNED.
His stomach tightened.
Another message arrived.
COME HOME BEFORE YOUR MOTHER GETS HURT.
Maxwell dropped the phone onto the desk.
“No…”
He immediately called his mother.
The line rang.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
Third call.
Nothing.
Maxwell grabbed his keys.
He rushed out of the workshop.
At that exact moment, across the city, Lolo Onochie was sitting in her bedroom.
Her phone was ringing.
She stared at the screen.
MAXI.
Before she could answer, the bedroom door opened.
Chief Onochie entered.
“Who keeps calling you?”
Lolo's hand trembled.
“Nobody.”
Chief looked at the screen.
Then his face changed.
“Is that Maxwell?”
Lolo said nothing.
Chief slowly reached for the phone.
Lolo pulled it away.
“Don't.”
His eyes hardened.
“Where is my son?”
Lolo stared at him.
“I don't know.”
Chief stepped closer.
“You're lying.”
Lolo's voice cracked.
“You wanted him gone.”
Chief became completely still.
“What did you say?”
“You wanted him gone.”
She lifted her chin.
“And now he's gone.”
Chief stared at her.
Then he whispered.
“If Maxwell calls you again, you will tell me.”
“No.”
Chief's face darkened.
“You will.”
Lolo shook her head.
“I spent six months losing my son.”
She wiped her tears.
“I won't spend another day betraying him.”
Chief turned away.
But before leaving, he said quietly.
“You don't understand what Maxwell has stepped into.”
Lolo looked at him.
“What have you done?”
Chief didn't answer.
He simply walked out.
Behind him, Lolo remained frozen.
Because for the first time in years, she saw fear in her husband's eyes.
Not anger.
May you like
Not arrogance.
Fear.
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