THE TRUTH: YOURS OR MINE (Episode 17)

Immediately Inspector Jane’s switched to a cop. “When was the last time you saw him?”
“About thirty minutes ago….after the service-”

She looked at her wristwatch. “One hour. Service ended about an hour ago.” I was pressed, my body was on fire. 30 minutes, one hour, who cared? “Can we start looking for him now?”
She spoke into her walkie talkie. “Secure the area. The little boy is missing. Make sure nobody comes in or leaves, no car comes in or out…”
“Okay, let’s go…”
“No, my men will handle it. I need to speak with you.”
“Can’t it wait?”
She pulled her pad out stoically. “I don’t think so. I need some very important information from you.”
I lost my patience. “My brother has been kidnapped by a dangerous psychopath. Shouldn’t you be worried about that?”
“My men are on it, and we don’t know for sure if our suspect took him.”
“I don’t care who. Where else would he be? for how long? He was running a fever, he is allergic to peanut, he doesn’t stay out without a sweater, he wouldn’t eat unless you make him. Who would care that much for him?”
“My men-”
“To hell with your men…..I’m out of here.” I ran in the direction of the car.
“I need to ask you a question,” she called to me. “Who was the last person he was with?”
She was asking questions, and I needed answers.
“Aslem…”
Hours later, the guests were gone, and Mrs. Helen was holding a box of tissues to me and encouraging me to let it all out. Aslem was sitting miserably in one corner, looking terrible. Johnny had not been found.
The inspector was saying, “we need you to gather yourselves together. Try to remember as much as you can. There might be a detail you missed.”
I had talked and said everything I knew and could remember. I tried to think of something, to remember any unusual movement, attitude, person around. I couldn’t find any. The scene of the kidnap showed that there was no struggle, absolutely none, as if Johnny willingly followed the person, as if he knew the person. That was also what the inspector thought. It was somehow hard to find out which of the guests, because Johnny knew most of the guests. They used to come around the house. It was getting dark. I worried that Johnny was still in his heavy suit and that he may be starving. He hadn’t been able to keep his breakfast in, in the morning.
For clarity of judgement, Aslem and I were questioned separately. I did not know what they asked him, I did not care.
“Think, try to remember something.. Anything.” They urged me.
“Mrs Munich had more than one cup of tea,” I said. “I noticed it when I was serving the snacks.”
Against the solemnity of the moment, she bit back a smile and scribbled something on her pad. “Anything else?”

“No, nothing else.”

She was going to ask more questions when Mrs Helen waved her off. “It’s okay for today. You should let the girl rest.”
I wondered the kind of rest I would have with Johnny out there with my worst nightmare.
Inspector Jane nodded and packed up.
While they were gone, Mrs. Helen ordered some food for us. I realized I was famished.
“Such a pretty girl, ” she murmured as she pulled my hair away from my face while I ate. “Having to deal with so much at such a young age.” She pulled the blanket around me and combed her fingers gently through my hair. It was such a comforting feeling, I felt cared for, then I thought of Johnny. Who was looking out for him. I hid my face inside the blanket and cried.
I missed mum, and then I hated her. With her death, our lives have been turned upside down. Was there really a psycho? Who was it? How did he meet her, how could she not have known?
I awoke to some sound in the house. I sat up to hear it again, very afraid. Maybe the psycho was coming for me.
I heard it again, the sound of a footfall on the stairs and someone’s palm, running over the rail. The sound got closer, and closer and my heart beat faster and faster. I wanted to shout for Aslem, but his room was far from me and I would only piss off the intruder. I just sat on my bed, trembling all over. What had he dine with Johnny, maybe he has even killed Aslem. The person stopped in front of my door. I grabbed a bat beside my bed. My room light was off, but the light from the street, filtered in from the window. I should go to the back of the door and flatten myself against it, like they did in the movies but my legs would not obey my command to stand up. Then, the person began to open my door. He tried the lock, tried it again. It did not budge. Then, I remembered I had locked it from the inside. Inspector Jane had asked me to.
After a while, the person realised this too and stopped. Then, I heard the footsteps, walk away. I collapsed in fright.
Who was the person, what was he looking for? How did he know the house so well? What was he looking for on that floor? The other rooms belonged to mum and Johnny. After a while, I heard nothing.
It was a long time before I could close my eyes again. I clutched my bat close to my chest and the pepper spray on the desk, beside my bed.
Around 5, I was awoken by someone crossing the floor. This movement had purpose, and it was not coming in my direction. A door opened and closed. I opened my door a crack and peeped out. There was nobody. I slid out quietly and tiptoed, holding my bat in front of me with one hand and the pepper spray with the other hand.
There was light on the balcony, and the door was open. Looking down on the street, bare chested, hands buried deep inside baggy joggers, was Aslem, silhouetted against the light. He looked like an African god.

Copyright Kitanaá@2017