MURDER IN THE WINTER

Chapter-4

THE NEXT DAY SOON DAWNED, EARLY IN THE MORNING MR. THOMPSON RAN TOWARD MISS RAVEN'S HOUSE AND KNOCKED ON HER DOOR AS IF IT WAS A EMERGENCEY! "MISS RAVEN! OPEN THE DOOR IT'S MR. THOMPSON." RAVEN HEARD THE NOISE AT HER DOOR AND IT SOUNDED LIKE BANGING, SHE RAN TOWARD THE DOOR AND QUICKLY OPENED IT, "MR. THOMPSON, WHAT'S WRONG? HOW CAN I EXCPECT YOU THIS EARLY IN THE MORNING? DID SOMETHING HAPPEN? "MISS RAVEN! THE TOWNHALL HAS CALLED AND EMERGENCY MEETING REGARDING ELEN OPSTALEN," "WHATEVER HAS HAPPENED THIS EARLY IN THE MORNING?" I SHALL EXPLAIN IT TO YOU ON OUR WAY TO THE TOWNHALL." SAYING THAT MR. THOMPSON ASKED RAVEN TO HURRY UP. RAVEN TOOK HER COAT AND HER HAT, WORE HER SHOES, LOCKED THE DOOR OF HER HOUSE AND RAN ALONG WITH MR. THOMPSON. EVERYONE STAYING IN THE TOWN WERE AWOKEN, THERE WAS CHAOS EVERYWHERE. "MR. THOMPSON, YOU SAID YOU WOULD EXPLAIN WHY THE TOWNHALL HAS CAUSED AND EMERGENCY MEETING?" "EXACTLY I SAID I WOULD." "OKAY, SO IT SEEMS THAT YESTERDAY NIGHT WHEN THE WHOLE TOWN INCLUDING LATE MISS ELEN'S FAMILY MEMBERS WERE SLEEPING, A FIRE HAD STARTED IN MISS ELEN'S ROOM!." "A FIRE?!" "INDEED YES A FIRE MISS RAVEN." SAID MR. THOMPSON. "WELL IS'NT THAT JUST WHAT WE NEED?" MR. THOMPSON LOOKED AT RAVEN DOUBTFULLY. "WHATEVER DO YOU MEAN MISS RAVEN?" "IT'S JUST WHAT THE CASE NEED! WE NEED TO FIND OUT WHO STARTED THE FIRE. SO, I AM ASSUMING THE FIRE WHICH STARTED IN MISS ELEN'S ROOM, MUST HAVE BEEN STARTED BY HER ENIMIES!" WE CANNOT CONCLUDE THAT YET MISS RAVEN." SAID MR. THOMPSON WITH A GAZE ON HER." "YES WE CANNOT FOR FINDING OUT, WE NEED TO INTEROGGATE THE OPSTALEN'S." "MISS RAVEN! THE OPSTALEN'S ARE THE RICHES, YOU CANNOT ACCUSE THEM!." "MR. THOMPSON I AM NOT ACCUSING THEM. I AM SUGGESTING THAT WE INTEROGGATE THEM." " I SHALL TAKE PERMISSION FROM THE SENIOR OFFICER. BUT REMEMBER MISS RAVEN, IF WE GET THE PERMISSION TO INTEROGGATE THEM, DO NOT ACCUSE THEM OF ANY CHARGES. AM I HEARED?" ASKED MR. THOMPSON LOOKING AT RAVEN SINCERELY. "YES, MR. THOMPSON, YOU ARE HEARD." "GOOD. NOW LET'S HURRY TO THE TOWNHALL BEFORE THE TOWN JUDGES MAKE A FUSS." "WILL THEY BE MARKING ATTENDANCE OF ALL PEOPLE MR. THOMPSON.?" "I THINK THEY WILL BE BECAUSE THEY SAID THAT THIS CALLING WAS VERY IMPORTANT." SAYING THAT MR. THOMPSON AND RAVEN RUSHED TOWARD THE TOWNHALL.

AT THE TOWNHALL, THERE WAS A LOT OF CHAOS. THERE WERE PEOPLE EVERYWHERE. AMIDST THIS CHAOS, MR. THOMPSON AND RAVEN FOUND A SEAT. AFTER THEY SAT DOWN THE THREE MAIN JUDGES ENTERED THE HALL. EVERYONE STOOD UP. AND GREETED THE JUDGES. THEN THE JUDGES TOOK THEIR SEAT AT THE HIGHCHAIR. THEN THE 1ST JUDGE BANGED THE GAVEL AND SAID "MIGHT THE PLIGHT OF JUSTICE BE BETHOWED ON US." EVERYONE REPEATED AFTER HIM. THE JUDGES READ THEIR PLEDGE THAT THEY WOULD READ BEFORE EVERY TOWNHALL MEETING. AFTER THE PLEDGE ONLY THEN WOULD THE MEETING COMMENCE. "A VERY PLIGTIOUS MORNING TO ALL THE TOWNHALL ATTENDEES AND THE TOWN FOLK. THIS DAY, WE ARE HERE TO DISCUSS THE RECENT EVENT OF LATE MISS ELEN, OPSTALEN. WE PAY OUR HOMAGES AND RESPECTS TO HER. MAY HER SOUL REST IN PEACE." THE SECOND JUDGE SPOKE OUT, "SOME OF US MIGHT BE AWARE OF WHAT SITUATION HAD BEEN BESTOWED UPON THE OPSTALEN'S. IF SOME AMONG US ARE NOT AWARE, I SHALL TELL EVERYONE. YESTERDAY NIGHT. THE JUDGE CONTINUED, WHEN EVERYONE IN THE WHOLE TOWN WERE SLEEPING INCLUDING THE OPSTALEN'S LATE MISS ELEN'S OPSTALEN'S ROOM CAUGHT FIRE AT THE HOUR OF TWILIGHT. IMMEDIETLY RESCUE FORCES WERE INFORMED AND LUCKILY THE RESCUE FORCES CAME ON TIME. ELEN OPSTALEN'S FAMILY MEMBERS WERE FRIGHTEND. TODAY AT THE FIRST LIGHT OF THE SUN, THEY WERE TAKEN TO THE TOWN CHAPEL. THE PRIEST PROTECTED THEM WITH FEW CHANTS. A REALLY HORRIFYING EXPERINCE IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN. WE APOLIGIZE IN BEHALF OF OUR WHOLE TOWN FOR THE LOSS OF YOU BELOVED DAUGTER, SISTER." THE SECOND JUDGE STOPPED AND EVERYONE FOUND THEMSELVES IN COMPLETE SILENCE. THE MEETING HERE WAS CAUSED TO DISCUSS THIS FIRE ISSUE. THE TOWNHALL REQUESTS EVERYONE TO INSTALL FIRE EMERGENCY SYSTEMS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE HOUSES. SAID THE 3RD JUDGE FIRMLY. ONE LADY FROM AMONG THE PEOPLE, ASKED THE TOWNHALL, "I HAVE AN QUESTION," "WHO MUST THAT BE?" ASKED THE FIRST JUDGE. "MISS MARGERET MAY" THE LADY SAID WITH A GLOW IN HER EYES. RAVEN LOOKED AT HER SUSPICIOULSY AND WHISPERED TO MR. THOMPSON, "WHY DO YOU THINK, MARGERET MAY HAS SUCH A GLOW IN HER DARK BROWN EYES?" "MISS MARGERET WAS ALWAYS KNOWN FOR HER BEAUTY." REPLIED MR. THOMPSON WHILE WHISPERING. "PLEASE DO GO AHEAD MISS MARGERET MAY," SAID THE 2ND JUDGE. "I SHALL. EVEN IF WE INSTALL THE FIRE EMERGENCY SYSTEMS IN OUR HOUSES, HOW MUST WE KNOW TO WORK IT?" ASKED MARGERET MAY CURIOUSLY. "well, each fire emergency system shall come with an manual, that is easy to read. I hope I have cleared your doubt miss Margaret may?" "you clearly have sir. Much obliged." "any other questions if must I clear?" then the judge gave a pause and waited for questions, since none asked the 3rd judge spoke, "since none other questions, we must finish off this townhall meeting right here. Let's give our prayers, and be off. Then later everyone gave their prayers, and started leaving the hall when raven's sister clemence came in her and mr. thompson's way, she said "Pourquoi m'ignores tu? Qu'est ce que je t'ai fait? et pourquoi es-tu en déplacement avec cet homme? il se passe quelque chose n'est-ce pas? Raven did not want to waste her time, she said to clemence, vas t'en de mon chemin!

She quickly escaped from the situation with mr. Thompson behind her. Mr. Thompson called out, "why do you hate your sister that way?" "because she is a fool. She is the reason my sister is dead." Now let us not waste our time on that lady. Let's focus for what's important-miss elen opstalen's case." "right on miss raven.