Finally, the investigations ended and we were moved back to the house. Inspector Owen Boss, was there to welcome us. He and his team, had done a great job of clean up. The entire place was clean and there was no trace of what happened.
Before finally leaving, he called Aslem and I, aside for a little chat. The first thing I asked was what they were investigating for.
“We have cause to believe your mother’s death was not suicidal as we thought.”
Aslem and I, gaped at him with mouth agape. He was the first to recover.
“What?”
Inspector Owen hung his thumb on his belt. He seemed to hesitate. “Actually, the evidence we have show that your mother was well aware of what she was doing when she jumped out of the balcony, but my team and I, feel that something doesn’t feel quite right and we don’t know what it is. We were hoping you can help.”
My hope deflated like a pricked tube. “What does not feel right?”
“A lot of things actually. For example, there was no suicide note, now that may sound unimportant but most suicides leave notes, especially those as well organized as hers but then, that could also be insignificant. A second thing is, she had this delicious smell on her.. We found out it was nutmeg.”
“Yeah…mum used nutmeg often” I explained. “When cooking.” I should have added, when cooking stew or jollof rice but then, this bored, burly cop didn’t need to know that.
He nodded, “That is what we found out, so it is this way, one moment she was cooking, the next she was jumping out of the balcony.” He looked in my direction. “Are you following me?”
I nodded. I thought he was a very smart cop to think that way. “She was wearing her evening clothes but a search in her room, showed she had a dress ready, like she was expecting someone.”
“Yeah me. I was coming home with a friend.” He nodded again.
“So you see, the question that baffled us was, how can one switch from that, to killing herself?”
“Are you saying she was murdered?” Aslem asked.
Inspector Owen, seemed to consider that question. “Maybe but then, it could also mean she was suffering from clinical or maniacal depression.”
Aslem nodded, quietly. The inspector assessed him silently as though measuring him against something. “Ordinarily, as a cop, my first inclination was to think it was a murder, staged to look like a suicide and naturally, the first person to suspect, was you.” He was looking straight at Aslem. Aslem’s suddenly stiffened beside me. I was surprised too and then, it was amusing. The inspector held his hand up for attention.
“We checked your alibi, Mr May,” I saw Aslem flinch. I felt bad for him, to be investigated for a crime he had no thought of.
“Do I have to contact my lawyer?” he asked, calmly.
Copyright @ Kitanaà 2017
Episode 8 is going to be a bomb. Don’t miss it.
Okahsplace 