Two Princes and a choice

Chapter Four

‘SO you said you’ve worked with Waldorf for twenty years?’ Sergeant Bill Okoro rubbed the stubbles on his chin vigorously and stared at the sheet of paper he was holding and then at the gnarled old woman sitting before him. She nodded eyes wide in fright. Bill adjusted his big body on the chair and rubbed his stubbles against his palm. He hadn’t shaved this morning before rushing out of his flat and hadn’t eaten breakfast. He stared gloomily at the cup of coffee that had become lukewarm on the table before him and then at the woman. He picked up his notepad stared at it for a couple of moments and then dropping it with a sigh and stared at the woman.

‘So Mrs Adeniyi, how do you describe Waldorf’s relationship with his employees?’

Bessie stared at the ceiling for some time and then fixed her eyes on Bill. ‘Mr Waldorf was a very kind man and he dealt with us nicely so I don’t see any reason for one of us to kill or aid someone to kill him.

Bill scratched the back of his head. This wasn’t helpful at all he had been interrogating Waldorf’s staff since morning and not one had dropped anything useful to better their investigation. ‘Oh...kay,’ he dragged doodling on the notepad. ‘Can you please tell me what happened on the night of the murder?’

‘Sure, but can I have a cigarette please? This is really unnerving.’

Bill removed a pack of cigarette slid it across the table to her. She took one and put it between her rubbery lips and looked expectantly at him. He slid her lighter watched her light it up, her face looking eerie in the flame’s glow. She puffed on her cigarette smoke enveloping her face for a moment and then dissipating. She held the cigarette in her hand and sat comfortably her head lolling back. She was taking her sweet time.

‘I didn’t really see anything on that night I was already at home during the time of the murder – ‘she paused.

‘Uh uh,’ he urged her to continue.

‘I remembered saying goodnight to Mr Waldorf and Hayley before leaving and when I arrived the next morning I met the placed crawling with the police.’

Bill paused waiting for her to continue but she didn’t she sat leisurely smoking her cigarette. ‘Who is this Hayley of a girl?’ he questioned. None of the other staff had mentioned the name Hayley to him before.

‘Oh Hayley,’ Bessie sat up straight. ‘She’s just a girl walking part time in the house doing odd jobs for Mr Waldorf.’

Bill screwed open the pen’s cap and screwed it on. ‘Okay? What sort of odd jobs?’

‘You know the likes,’ Bessie waved the hand which was holding her cigarette around. ‘I can’t list them. She was a sort of help to us like whenever we need a hand. And if we don’t need her she’s always hanging about Mr Waldorf’s office doing calculations for him or sorting files.’

Bill scribbled that down. ‘You left her with Mr Waldorf?’

Bessie nodded. ‘Yes, she was in Mr Waldorf’s office all morning and was there when I left. I always leave the place before her because my closing time is at nine while hers is at ten or so I think.’ She watched Bill scribble that down.

‘Okay. Mrs Adeniyi, can you tell me how this girl Hayley’s relationship is with you and the rest of the staff? Was she reclusive? Was she reserved? Did she always seem suspicious and could be dangerous?’

‘Hayley? She’s a sweet young thing always eager to learn and please. Mr Waldorf trusts her implicitly and we all do. In fact she was Mr Waldorf’s trusted adviser and was his pet. Too wise for her age.’ She clicked her tongue and dragged on her cigarette. She blew the smoke ceiling ward. ‘You don’t regard her as a suspect, right?’

Bill merely shrugged and smiled inwardly. At last he was getting somewhere.

*****

Hayley was shocked at the news of her employer’s death, a caring kind man who treated her like his own daughter if he had any but was more shocked at her mother’s reaction after she had increased the radio. The woman had begun to tremble as she fried the eggs, her hand shook making the spatula rattling against the frying pan. Hayley had to take the spatula from her mother’s hand and turned off the stove before the eggs got burnt. She served breakfast and they all sat round the table. Her father had led Morning Prayer and prayed for the dead man’s soul to rest in peace. Hayley watched her mother doing prayer, her hands which were clasped together was trembling so hard.

Hayley’s father drunk the rest of his coffee said goodbye to them and went off to work leaving mother and daughter alone. Hayley watched her mum as she ate; she was toying with her food picking at it her hand still trembling. She wondered if it was the news of Waldorf’s death or something else that caused her to tremble so. Anna, her mother had never met Waldorf before so why was she shaky?

She was still wondering about that when she heard a soft rapping on the front door. She got up and walked to the door. Two men stood at the behind the door and they flashed their badges before her eyes when she asked who they were identifying themselves as member of the police force.

‘You are wanted in our station,’ one said in gruff voice.

‘Hope there is nothing wrong?’

They both nodded and smiled reassuringly at her.

‘Who is that?’ Anna called from interior. Her voice was shaking too.

‘It’s okay mama, just some men from the police station.’ There was silence then the sound of flip flops on the floor. Anna appeared behind her and eyed the police men warily. Hayley could feel her trembling behind her and the police noticed that too and took a mental note to tell their boss. Surely this girl knew something about the murder. ‘Can I get dressed first?’ she asked and they nodded. ‘Come in.’ she invited and went into her room to dress. Hayley wondered what they needed her for in the station. She knew she would be questioned as an employee in Waldorf service. But it had to be a home. They were supposed to say “we have some questions for you may we come in?” not ask her to follow them to some station or was she regarded as a suspect?

Well only one way to find out. She sighed as she buttoned up her shirt and went to the living room. The police men jumped to their feet and asked with raised eyebrows if she was ready. She nodded and said bye to her mother as she followed them out.