-HARDY CONTD.
The detective stepped out of the interrogation room and asked if we grabbed anything.
Joanne had to explain her first to her last meeting with this Ophelia girl which caused everyone to be in total dismay.
“Wait a second, so she warned you about the ladies when she was the mastermind behind all these?” Detective Alex asked.
“Yeah” Joanne nodded, looking frightened.
“But she works for Anne-
“Anne shaw? Age 26. Married to Asher Black?” Alex interrupted.
“Yeah” Joanne nodded.
“Well she and the other ladies are asleep now, they drank so much they all passed out. But don’t worry, the moment they’re awake they’ll be interrogated.” Alex said to be assuring but Joanne didn’t bulge.
So he continued to put her mind at ease.
“Ophelia is being tracked. Every means of transport registry has been nicked with cops, she won’t escape. We’ll understand who she works for”
Joanne nodded and turned to me.
Her gaze were soft but yet I didn’t know what it was demanding.
“What’s wrong, I asked.
She shook her head carefully before stepping closer to me.
“I don’t want to be a judge of character now, but when I walked into the party, no one seemed suspicious, except Ophelia and I blame myself for not noticing anything. And if an and the rest are finally interrogated, I don’t think they would get anything from them because I do not suspect them too
“Not blame yourself do not ever blame yourself. All that has happened tonight is not your fault and you cannot blame yourself for not trying to see through someone who has once deceived you just because you didn’t read between the lines mean look at Ophelia doesn’t make you dumb”
My words immediately took action in her body, her eyes flattered heavily before brewing its own tears.
I didn’t stop, I just let my words linger.
“And like you said, you cannot be the judge of character because you do not know yet how far those women at the White House can go because they might be capable of so many things but also not capable and they can be clueless with this incident and they might not be. We never know but do you not and I repeat do not ever trying to blame yourself okay?”
She nodded attentively and wiped her eyes. I didn’t even want to imagine that you went through tonight.
And all of a sudden it hit me. None of this should have been Joanne or anyone else’s place.
I hate the fact that it had to take me two murder attempts to come to the conclusion that I was setting up a human for death trap
–
I wanted to send Joanne home Theo left two minutes after the culprits interrogation, he had to keep telling Lelani and her secret letters.
Who ever, she was sending that letter to would clearly be the person she works for what are the person she would be pointing out to.
Joanne on the other hand is not trying to leave the station. I wanted her to go home and have a good rest but she was optimistic on staying. She said it wasn’t just my problem anymore it has become hers too.
The word flipped something in me but I couldn’t tell what it flipped.
“Thank you” I didn’t know when I said so to her.
“Why are you thanking me?” She asked.
“I don’t know” I sounded beat
**
The morning was bright and humid, Joanne was fast asleep on a chair she has been sitting and waiting for answers, anything I knew that would distract her mind from the insane tension I also knew she was getting from all that has happened and was still happening.
Each of every lady from the Ale-o house was interrogated. None of them left out of the coop and Joe and watched everyone of the team waiting for an animal suddenly brought into the interrogation room and I saw Joanne make uncomfortable shifts.
Ditto I had no idea that’s happened to Joanne. None of us do our intentions with strictly just to throw a congratulatory party not get her kidnapped and I’m sorry? attempted murder?
I thought it was hard and flat. It was impossible to read through it even Alex looked to be disturbed.
“And your maid Ophelia- Alex began,
Anne immediately huffed ” I know nothing about her getting involved with this
Anne’s voice was so sharp.
“You’re clueless?” Alex pressed
“very clueless!” Anne looked disheveled.
“And how many years has Ophelia worked with you?” Alex looked calm but under those tired eyes anyone could see how determined he was to get to the bottom of this.
“Two years,” Anne sighed.
“And how did you get to know her?” Alex wasn’t stopping for nothing.
She looked tired. “Look, I feel like shit! I don’t need to be interrogated like this just because something terrible happened to Hardy Bensimon’s fiancee, I already said I have nothing to do with this. And don’t get me started on Ophelia, that fragile, dumb little girl can hardly understand a simple standard English sentence and yet you’re all tagging her the culprit for Joanne’s kidnap, just because Joanne saw her before she passed out? This just sound weird, no offense to Joanne but she is-
“Mrs. Brown just answer the damn question. How did you get to know her? And how did you get her to work for you?” Alex slammed the table separating them.
Anne flinched bit but pulled a perfect composure.
Joanne heaved a sigh and her shoulders shook at the sound of her name.
I stepped closer to her.
“A friend recommended her to me. I was short of hands at the gazebo and wanted someone back then and that’s when Ophelia stepped in for me. She mostly just sat my cats and cleaned the house when I was away, it wasn’t until now that I got her to start coming to serve us at the gazebo” Anne seethed.
“And can we know who this friend is?”
“My god” Anne mumbled under her breath.
“Mrs. Brown” Alex snarled. “Your dumb and fragile maid is a suspect and the cops are onto her for now, so to exclude yourself from any further investigation and suspicion. It will be nothing but wise to just continue this without putting up a fight. Your allies and testimonies were right but you never know”
“Are you saying I could actually hurt Joanne?” Anne scoffed.
“I don’t know. Can you?” Alex slammed.
“I don’t care how obnoxious someone can be but I’ll never hurt a fly. And the fact that we have similar names should be a pass for that. Anne and Joanne?”
Joanne scoffed at the words and I caught her lips stretching slightly.
“Just work with us here. Who is this friend?” Alex asked.
“Teresa Lyde. She’s a friend I met two years ago. She owns a department store at Lane Hills and has worked with a lot of influential women, she came to my aid when I said I wanted a maid and said Ophelia came from the country side with this extended family and needed help.”
“Well thank you for your time”Alex dropped his shoulders.
“That’s all?” Anne asked.
“Do you want to say more?” Alex retorted.
“You’re annoying.” Anne gently got on her feet.
Joanne and I walked out of the room and that’s when other women rushed up to her and started throwing hugs and kisses and apologizing for getting themselves drunk without knowing what had happened to Joanne.
Joanne didn’t look pleased, but she just managed to reciprocate their faux love and friendship.
Anne walked up to us and after throwing me a lucid glance, she reached towards Joanne.
“Are you okay?” She asked.
“I guess,” Joanne nodded.
“Well I’m sorry it happened to you.” She didn’t exactly looked sorry which made Joanne completely broken. “But you don’t think it’s really Ophelia”
“You were too drink to reckon anything happening last night. So I would appreciate it if you do not question me” Joanne stood poised.
“Well then, have a great day” Anne walked away, giving a glance before she left.
What the fuck is her problem?
Joanne looked beyond devastated but held it in. She got close to me like I was nothing buy her safe space and gulped.
“Can we leave now?”
I looked down at her and nodded.
Immediately my phone’s ringtone blasted through my pants pocket and I pulled it out to see Theo calling.
I picked immediately.
“Hardy. Leilani’s letter has been traced. She’s been sending letters to this lady called Teresa Lyde.”
I ended the call.
Teresa Lyde?
The fuck is that?
The name doesn’t ring any bell.
So if the women at the Ale-o house have nothing to do with Lisa. The only connection the murderer and white Ale-o house have is the teenage maid, Ophelia. Who was now on a run. But has deep connection with the woman Teresa Lyde. Who Anne had mentioned and Theo too.
Whoever the fuck she is. She wouldn’t like what’s coming.
–