Back At The Study
654 Words
"Father Fredrick how did you get that cut on your arm?" Ohlmes asks staring at the Fathers rolled up sleeve where a clean bandage has been neatly wrapped around his forearm. Fredrick turns from the inspector to face Ohlmes, all the anger that was previously in his eye's from before has left, now they were calm almost like a flat pond on a still day.
"This my Child I had a bit of an accident this morning while chopping wood for my hearth." He replies to Ohlmes calmly as if he were addressing his flock at the perish .
This throws Ohlmes off mere moments ago this man was berating him and almost coming to blows with Lockheart over just a few small words, now he is standing here calmly conversing as if nothing has happened. Ohlmes shakes it and begins to question him again.
"Where were you around eleven to one last night?"
Fredrick looks perplexed but begins to tell Ohlmes where he was on the night of question.
I was at the parish turning in for the night around ten or so, I had not kept track of the time I was quite weary from my duties. He tells Ohlmes with no change in his posture or demeanor still calm as before.
Ohlmes! A shout from the now irate Inspector makes Ohlmes almost jump from his skin.
"How dare you suspect the good father of this horrible crime!" Young striding forward his bulky frame and heavy foot steps reverberate through the study like an elephant charging across the plains.
He now stands face to face with the much slimmer Ohlmes his bulk dwarfing him but Ohlmes stands proud in the face of the Inspector just as Lockheart would, he took this job to find the truth not hide behind the badge and be a yes man of the church. The red faced Young now breathing in the face of Ohlmes, his face so close Ohlmes can see that the Inspector forgot to comb his beard and that a few crumbs of a muffin are just dangling in his beard nest of a beard.
"I had high hopes for you but it seems after only a few hours with Lockheart he has tainted you with his vendetta against the church, I want you out."
"No sir I have a job to do even if it ruffles feathers I want to get to the bottom of this!" Ohlmes snaps back defiantly at Young. Ohlmes heart is racing at this point, almost in shock how he brazenly questioned a senior member of the cloth and his boss on the first day working in this city. Young opens his mouth as if he was about to roar like a beast, but is interrupted by the calming voice of Father Fredrick.
"Peace my children, the young constable is just doing his due diligence let him speak I have nothing to hide."
Young seeing how agreeable the Father is decides to back down and let Ohlmes continue his questioning.
"So Father the deceased had very strong ties to the local perish, did you and Ronald have a personal relationship?" Ohlmes inquires.
"He was a man of strong faith and I would make frequent visits to his home, so yes I took his death personally as if one of my family were slain." The Father's eye's unchanged if his death upset him he was not showing it. Ohlmes at a loss on what to do next looks around the room for Lockheart.
"Lockheart?" He calls out but receives no reply. Young now just noticing Lockhearts absence begins to search the room as well.
"Where could he have gone off to?" Young curses to himself.
"Who knows what trouble he will stir up around here without an escort!" As Inspector Young finished those words the sound of a gun shot could be heard in the study.
"Oh no Lockheart!" Ohlmes yells out and begins to barrel out the door with Young hot on his heels.
- Writer
