CHAPTER NINE - THE BALL 2
1029 Words
"Elizabeth Everhigh." she said.
I couldn't believe my ears. She said her name was Everhigh. What are the chances that she wasn't related to the girl in the carriage.
"I guess you must be related to the Duke." I said.
"Yes, he's my father." she answered.
"You're not the only child I hope?" I asked.
"No, I'm not, but why do you ask?"
"Nothing I'm just curious."
"I'm the second child, I have two siblings, my brother Richard, he's the oldest and there's my sister Noel, she's the youngest and there's my mother. It's just the five of us.".
"Wow, it's as simple as that, trust me you have everything you need." I said.
I was having a great time at the party until Akpan called my attention. He walked out of the party to a different section of the mansion.
"My lord we have a problem." he said.
"What's the problem?" I asked.
"Information just arrived from our spies in London, we have a update on the people who captured our ship a month ago.". he said.
"Akpan, do you know who they are?" I asked.
"Not all of them, no but I information reaching me is that there's this baron Oscar Maximilian, he played a key role in the events.
"Where can we find this baron?" I asked.
"My lord, he's here right now in the party." he replied.
"Akpan, I need you to take care of him and make it clean.".
"Yes my lord." he replied.
I returned to the party immediately. I was so tense. I saw Akpan whispering something to one of the waiters at the party. I watched the waiter closely observing his movements. He bumped into a man spilling the contents of the glasses on his suit. Immediately I realized that the waiter was probably one of our spies. The man slapped the waiter across the face.
"Are you blind, you have ruined my outfit you monkey." the man said.
"Would you please forgive me my lord, if you would please follow me to the washroom, I'll get it cleaned up." the waiter replied.
The man followed the waiter to a different room in the mansion. The party was going on smoothly, everyone had forgotten what transpired a few minutes ago and were engrossed in the activities of the night. I left the hall and moved in the direction I saw the waiter go earlier. I was going in the direction of the washroom when a man pulled me into an empty room. It was the waiter.
"Where's the baron?' I asked.
"I took care of him your highness, we won't be disturbing us anymore.".
"How did you get rid of the body?" I had inquired.
"I haven't your highness." he replied.
"That's not what I wanted to hear, it is only but a matter of time until someone realizes this man is missing, they'll come looking for him immediately." I said.
"But we cannot dispose of the body while they're so many people in the mansion my lord." he said.
"Do you work here?" I asked.
"I was stationed here by prince Eze, the plan was to siphon information on the nobles of Malmesbury." he said.
"Listen to me, you will leave this mansion as soon as possible, you will have to stay in the shadows for at least a few months or even better you will be sold off somewhere else." I said.
"But your highness what about the body?"
"I'll take care of it, you should leave now." I commanded.
I saw the man leave through another entrance in the mansion. I left the room with the dead body open and went back to the party. After about five minutes, I heard the screaming of a woman, everyone rushed to the scene, I went along with them to avoid unnecessary suspicion.
"How did this happen?" a man had asked.
"Somebody call the police." another said.
The gates of the mansion were locked, nobody was allowed to leave the mansion until the police arrived. We had waited for about thirty minutes when the police finally arrived. A detective had asked everyone to stay remain in the hall until the police sorted things out in mansion. I hadn't noticed when a man walked up to me.
"Good evening sir," he said, "where we you when the murder happened?
"And who are you if I may ask." I said.
"I'm the officer in charge of this case." he replied.
"Didn't you think it right to introduce yourself before beginning to question me?" I asked.
"You're straying from the question sir." he said.
"Is that so?" I continued, "tell me what is it that you want to know from me.".
"Nothing sir, I just need you to answer a few questions." he said.
"I was in the hall, when I heard a lady scream from the other side of the hallway, we ran to where she was and saw the dead body lying there." I said.
"Did you leave the hall at anytime this evening?"
"Yes I did," I replied, "I did go to the washroom earlier on but the Baron was still in the hall when I left."
"Thank you for cooperating sir." he said before he left as he went on questioning other people.
After some time the police decided to let everyone go.
"Finally, I can go home now." I said.
People had already started leaving the mansion. But I still hung around trying to make sense of what evidence the police may have come across.
"I'm sorry for what happened here my lord," I said to the Earl, "it was most unfortunate.
I walked away not waiting for a reply, I bumped into Elizabeth on the way.
"Mr. Ndaeyo?"
"How are you doing my lady?" I asked.
"If not for the unfortunate incident that happened I would feel much better." she replied.
"I feel sorry for his wife and children, they must be going through a tough time."
"I can only imagine their pain." she said.
"I know," I continued, "I'll be leaving now my lady." I said as I turned and walked towards the direction of my carriage.
- Writer
