When Old Sir said he wanted to go back, James Black subconsciously began to walk back, but it took him a few meters to realize something was wrong. He stopped dead in his tracks as it dawned on him that he hadnāt come out alone. But in just those few minutes, where had Jane Sampson and the Great General disappeared to?
James Black quickened his pace and headed home, convinced that Jane Sampson and the Great General had gone back.
Upon arriving home, James searched the living room first but found no one; then he went upstairs, only to discover that Jane and the Great General werenāt there either.
So, Jane Sampson and the Great General hadnāt come back?
Or were they hiding in some corner of the house?
James returned downstairs, his face clouded with concern, and asked, "Where is she?"
"Who?" Old Master Black, who was watching TV, asked casually.
"Jane Sampson," James replied, and after saying that, he added, "And the Great General."
"Didnāt you just take them out for a walk? I just saw you come back alone. Where are Jane and the Great General? Donāt tell me you lost a woman and a dog on a walk? You took them out, and now youāre asking us to find them?" Old Master Black laughed heartily, "Iām not worried about the Great General; it knows the way home. If it gets lost, it can find its way back, but if your wife gets lost, that might really be a problem."
"Jane Sampson didnāt bring the Great General back?" Since Old Master Black had helped Jane before, James regarded his words with some suspicion. He turned his head to see Oliver Black and his wife looking on as if watching an amusing disaster unfold. James then chose to crouch down and ask the handsome little boy, "Did your aunt come back just now?"
"Auntie and the Great General havenāt come back since uncle took them out," the little boy answered earnestly.
"Hm," James patted the little boyās head and swiftly turned around to leave the house again.
James was surprised that Jane had found a chance to escape but hadnāt taken the Great General with her to sneak back home first. Could she really be walking the dog alone in the residential community?
In 15 minutes, James had looked around near home without finding anyone. He then called Janeās mobile phone, but it was constantly showing that she was already on a call.
James stood under the tree, frowning. Who could she be on the phone with for such a long time?
Peter Gingery?
At the thought, James dialed Peterās phone number without hesitation, but to his surprise, Peterās line wasnāt busy. After only a few seconds of ringing, Peter picked up.
"Hey, Brother? Whatās up?" Peterās voice sounded lazy, probably because he was taking a nap.
"Were you just on the phone with your sister-in-law?" James still asked.
"No," Peter replied, confused, "Iāve been taking a nap, havenāt been in touch with her today. Whatās up?"
James was about to say it was nothing and hang up, but at the last moment, he changed his mind and added, "Iāve been trying to call her, but itās been busy this whole time."
This additional comment, followed by Peterās casual guess, immediately caused Jamesās face to darken.
"Itās been busy? Maybe Jane has blocked you," Peter blurted out, clearly still groggy from sleep, "I said something wrong last time and upset her. She blocked me for a week. Every time I called her, I got a notification saying the line was busy."
Peter was about to say a bit more when, the next second, the only sound coming from the phone was a buzzing dial tone.