Suspects: murder case

Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Clad in a neatly tailored dark suit and a crisp white blouse underneath, I walk down the hall, my heels clicking loudly on the floor. Entering the conference hall, I am greeted by the reporters sitting at the table for the editorial meeting.

‘’Good morning,’’ I coldly respond. Then I sit at the end of the table and open my notebook. ‘’I am sorry for being slightly late, we can get started I hope we have workable news ideas this morning, I don’t want to hear trash.’’

My personal assistant Daniel walks in at that very moment and he sets a cup of coffee in front of me. I pick up the cup of coffee, take a sip and make a face, ‘’too much sugar in the coffee again,’’ I say, my voice raising an octave in indignation.

‘’I am sorry madam, I will make you another----.’’ He stutters.

‘’You are so incompetent,’’ I cut him mid-sentence pushing the cup aside so abruptly the coffee spills on the table. ‘’Goddamnit!’’ I curse when that happens.

‘’I am so sorry, I’ll clean the mess right away.’’

‘’Damn right you will!’’

He grabs the cup of coffee and rushes out of the room then he returns a minute later and cleans the mess on the table.

‘’Should I make you another cup of coffee?’’

‘’Don’t bother,’’ I wave him off.

I look at him as he walks out, Daniel has worked as my P.A for the past two years, I hate him naturally and I have done everything in my power to get rid of him but to no avail, everything I tell him to do, he does without fail or complaint.

He might be perfect and good at his job but there is something in him that I hate. Daniel never misses work, he is always here on time and rarely leaves the office unless I send him on an errand, he is so organized- he makes sure my files are in order.

I have never met someone this perfect- maybe that’s why I hate him so much, I can’t stand him.

You can toss him around anyhow and he will not respond negatively- I hate men who can’t stand up for themselves.

There is a profound silence in the room until I clear my throat, ‘’can we please get started, I don’t have all day, I have other meetings to attend too. Memory, what are your three workable ideas for today?’’

I intently gaze at her and she shifts uncomfortably in her seat before she opens her notebook and says, ‘’the Lusaka province Minister will be donating some sanitary materials to a girls school--.’’

‘’And how is that news?’’ I cut her off before she can finish.

‘’I talked to him yesterday and he asked if we can cover him.’’

‘’Memory, this is a newspaper and not a charity organization, please give me some workable ideas, that is trash.’’

She looks at me with a pained expression before she reads her second idea.

‘’That is even worse than the first one, which school were you trained from? Didn’t they teach you the guidelines of finding workable news ideas, ideas that you can turn into stories that can run in the newspaper?’’

She opened her mouth to respond but instantly closed it.

‘’I think we can go to the next person, we will come back to you when you are ready to give us workable ideas.’’

The next person presented her ideas and I was impressed, ‘’Well done Matilda, those are front news stories, you are really doing a good job, I hope everyone here can learn from you, can we quickly move to the next person?’’

The editorial meeting lasts two hours, by the time I walk out of that conference hall I have a headache. I strode into my office slamming the door behind my back, kicking off my shoes before I sit down and turn on my computer.

My door opens a minute later and Daniel walks in, ‘’is there anything you would like me to do for you?’’ he asks.

I roll my eyes in disgust as I stare at him, he has zero fashion sense, ‘’Get me some coffee and a cheeseburger from Aroma Mocha café, I also need some painkillers and water- and while you are out, keep my door closed I don’t want to be disturbed.

She stands there staring at me.

‘’What?’’ I raise my eyebrows.

‘’I am asking for permission to leave the office at three today, I have to attend to an urgent matter.’’

‘’Fine but don’t make it a habit.’’

‘’Thank you,’’ he says before walking out.

Twenty minutes later, I had my coffee and burger on my table.

Stella Msizi- that’s my name, I am 29 years old I am a managing editor for Msizi Daily Mail- a newspaper owned by my father.

My parents divorced when I was young, my father is married to another woman and they have a child together.

Her name is Kenzie, she is 27 years old, my step sister and I don’t get along. I loathe her with a passion, I blame her mother for my parents’ divorce. My parents would still be together if she had not come into the picture. The shrill ringing of my phone startles me and I let out a small gasp, I grab my phone from my phone and answer.

‘’Stella!’’ The familiar voice says on the other end of the line.

‘’Mr. Msizi!’’ I respond.

‘’Child how are you?’’

‘’I am fine, what can I do for you?’’

‘’I have been unwell, I thought you would pay me a visit.’’

‘’I have been busy.’’

‘’Too busy to visit your sick father?’’

‘’Why have you called?’’

‘’I will be in the office tomorrow, I would like us to have a meeting in the morning.’’

‘’What time in the morning?’’

‘’At 8 hours.’’

‘’But that’s the time for the editorial meeting.’’

‘’Allow your P.A to stand in for you, the meeting is important.’’

‘’Whatever you say boss.’’

‘’I am your father.’’

‘’Is there anything else you want to say?’’

‘’I love you.’’

Rolling my eyes I hang up and place the phone back in my bag.

3 PM, I turn off my computer and rise to my feet, I am about to grab my backpack so I can leave when the phone rings.

‘’Get in here,’’ Madam Stella says.

I put my bag down and entered her office.

‘’Yes, Miss Msizi?’’

‘’I won’t be able to attend the editorial meeting tomorrow, you will stand in for me. I have a meeting with Mr. Msizi in the morning. Be here on time and get the meeting started, make sure people present workable ideas.’’

‘’Yes madam.’’

‘’You can go.’’

‘’Thank you.’’

She doesn’t bother to respond, not that I even care. I walk out of the office, grab my bag and leave before she changes her mind and calls me back. Stella is bitter and selfish, she doesn’t care about anyone or anything but herself.

Aside from that she is very bossy and loves to make everyone feel incompetent. I know she hates me and she would do anything to have me fired. The feeling is mutual, I despise her too but I have to endure all the insults and garbage she sends my way because I need the job.

My name is Daniel Mumbi, I am 30 years old and I am a single father of one beautiful girl-Joan.

My Life has been messed up since childhood, I grew up in an orphanage and life was really hard but I managed to complete my education. Afterwards I did all sorts of odd jobs and managed to get myself enrolled at Evelyn Hone College where I studied Business Administration.

I met Joan’s mother Nkoli three years ago, I loved Nkoli from the first time I saw her, we got talking and it wasn’t long before we were an item, things were great between us, we even had plans of getting married.

A year later she discovered she was pregnant and we moved in together. I was the happiest man on earth when Joan was born, she gave meaning to my life and even though I was not financially stable, I vowed to work hard so I could give her the life she deserved. A month after she was born down the line we noticed that Joan cried constantly and she seemed to be in pain somehow. She constantly wanted to be held and she refused to suck. We took her to the hospital and she had to be fed using a tube.

A few weeks down the line, her symptoms got worse and Doctors diagnosed her with an untreatable condition that was degenerative- her nerves were not covered. The doctors told us she will not live past her 1st birthday and because she was in constant care, we were advised to take her to a children’s hospice where she would be kept free from pain.

Joan is seven months old now and she is still battling with this illness, her health has been deteriorating over the last few weeks. Joan is still at the hospice, Nkoli walked out on us four months ago- she left a note saying she couldn’t handle seeing Joan in that state. I tried to get through to her but to no avail, it seems like she disappeared into thin air.

My daughter is the only reason I endure Stella’s insults, the money I get from my job is what keeps Joan in the hospice.

I pay a lot of money for her to receive the best medical care and attention, Joan has her own room at the hospice and a personal nurse. I visit her almost all the time, I have tried to make her room as colorful as possible- there are teddy bears on the bed and different drawings and balloons attached to the wall. I know her time is slowly running out and I am trying to make as many memories as possible.

*

When I get to the hospice an hour later, I am led into Joan’s room where I find her being cuddled by the nurse. Gently closing the door behind my back I walk closer, the nurse smiles at me before she hands Joan to me.

I sit on the couch and hold her close to me as I run my hand through her hair, she falls asleep within a few minutes

‘’She has been fussy today,’’ the nurse says.

‘’Why?’’

‘’The pain is getting unbearable, we have been giving her medication but I think it’s not working anymore.’’

‘’What else am I supposed to do now?’’

She looks at me but doesn’t respond, it hurts so much but I guess I need to start preparing my heart for the inevitable. I spent a few minutes in my daughter’s room just staring at her and wondering how different life would have been for us if she didn’t have this condition. Placing Joan on the bed, I wipe my face with the palm of my hand then I say bye to the nurse and leave.