MURDER IN THE WINTER

Chapter-5

THE NEXT DAY WAS A NORMAL ONE, RAVEN HAD COME FROM HER SCHOOL AND SINCE IT WAS REALLY COLD SHE MADE HERSELF A CUP OF COFEE. WHILE MAKING IT SHE WAS BUSY THINKING ABOUT WHETHER THE FIRE STARTED ON THE PREVIOUS DAY WAS ON MISS ELEN'S ENEMY OR WAS IT AN ACCIDENT? HOW COULD IT BE AN ACCIDENT WHEN ELEN'S PARENTS AND SIBLINGS HAVE CLOSED AND LOCKED HER DOOR EVER SINCE SHE WAS FOUND DEAD? THE KNOCK ON THE DOOR GOT HER OUT OF ALL OF THOSE THOUGHTS. "WHO IS IT? ASKED RAVEN. "WELL MISS RAVEN, IT'S MR. THOMPSON." "RIGHT ON MR. THOMPSON, I MUST BE RIGHT THERE. RAVEN WALKED TOWARD THE DOOR AND OPENED IT, "WELL MR. THOMPSON, HOW MUST I HELP YOU TODAY?" ASKED RAVEN. "WELL SHOULD'NT WE BE OFF TO INTEROGGATE THE OPSTALEN'S? "FORGIVE ME MR. THOMPSON I HAD COMPLETELY OVERLOOKED THE MATTER." "DOES'NT MATTER MISS RAVEN." "SO MIGHT I EXPECT YOU TO COME TODAY." "YOU MAY BECAUSE I AM COMING. SIR" "RIGHT ON, LET'S BE OFF." "DEFINETLY SIR," RAVEN AND MR. THOMPSON WERE READY TO LEAVE, RAVEN DID HER SAME ROUTINE- WEAR HER SHOES, PUT ON HER COAT AND HER HAT,LOCK THE DOOR. AFTER RAVEN FINISHED HER ROUTINE MR. THOMPSON AND RAVEN STARTED OFF FOR THE OPSTALEN'S HOUSE.

AFTER A LITTLE WHILE OF WALKING AND DISCUSSING ABOUT THE CASE, MR. THOMPSON AND RAVEN FOUND THEMSELVES IN FRONT OF THE OPSTALEN MANSION. "THEY HAVE A WONDERFUL MANSION, WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE ON THE INSIDE, IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL ON THE OUTSIDE?" "INSIDE WOULD BE MORE PRETTIER AND MERRIER ACCORDING TO ME." "RIGHT ON, WE MUST GO IN." SAID RAVEN IN EXCITEMENT. RAVEN WENT AHEAD ANd KNOCKED ON THE DOOR. THE DOOR WAS COVERED IN A BEAUTIFUL WREATH. AND THE DOOR HANDLE WAS A CIRCULAR RING. "WHAT A PRETTY ENTERANCE?" RAVEN SAID TO HERSELF. THE COLD COULD BE FELT IN THE AIR, AS RAVEN WAS PRAISING THE ENTERANCE, AIR WAS COMING OUT OF HER MOUTH. JUST THEN, A MAID OPENED THE DOOR AND SAID "HOW MAY I HELP YOU TODAY YOUNG LADY?" "A VERY GOOD EVENING TO YOU MISS, I HAVE COME TO TALK TO THE OPSTALEN'S?" "I WISH YOU COULD, THEY ARE NOT IN THEIR STATE, THEY ARE VERY DEPRESSED." SAID THE MAID IN A FROWN. "I CAN UNDERSTAND, BUT THAT MAN OVER THERE IS AN INSPECTOR AND I AM HIS ASSISTANT, WE HAVE COME TO INTEROGGATE THE OPSTALEN'S PLEASE TELL THEM WE ARE AT THEIR DOOR AND WANT TO MEET THEM. ALSO, DO GIVE THEM THESE COOKIES, I BAKED THEM. THIS WILL HELP THEM FEEL BETTER." RAVEN SAID IN A CALMING WAY. "I SHALL ASK THEM. AND GIVE THEM THIS DELIGHT." "THANK YOU SO MUCH MISS." "ANYWAY'S WHAT MUST I TELL THEM, FOR WHO'S COME TO SEE?" "PLEASE TELL IT'S MR. THOMPSON AND RAVEN SERLEN, THE INSPECTORS." "I SHALL" SAID THE MAID WHILE GOING INSIDE. THE MAID WENT IN AND SAID, "MR AND MRS. OPSTALEN, THERE IS A MR. THOMPSON AND RAVEN SERLEN, THE INSPECTORS TO SEE YOU AT THE DOOR. MISS SERLEN IS KEEN ON SEEING YOU. MAY I CALL HER INSIDE.?" MR AND MRS. OPSTALEN EXCHANGED GLANCES, AND ASKED THE MAID, "FOR WHAT REASON HAVE THEY COME?" "THEY SAY, THEY WANT TO INTEROGGATE." "INTEROGGATE?" ASKED MRS. OPSTALEN IS SURPRISE."SURELY MADAM" SAID THE MAID. MR. OPSTALEN HAD A GLANCE AT MRS. OPSTALEN AND SAID, TRUST ME. "DO CALL THEM INSIDE." SAID MR. OPSTALEN TO THE MAID. "WILL DO SIR." SAID THE MAILD WHILE GOING OUT TO FETCH THEM. MR. THOMPSON AND RAVEN WERE LOOKING AT THEIR BACKYARD WHILE WAITING FOR THE MAID. THE MAID CAME OUTSIDE AND SAID, MR. THOMPSON AND MISS SERLEN, PLEASE DO COME INSIDE, THE OPSTALEN'S HAVE APPROVED." SAID THE MAID. "THANK YOU MISS, WE WILL BE RIGHT INSIDE" SAYING THAT MR. THOMPSON AND RAVEN, MOVED INSIDE WITH THE MAID. WHEN THEY CAME INSIDE THEY COULD SEE THE WHOLE HOUSE DECOREATED IN BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS AND WREATHS. "BEAUTIFUL!" EXCLAIMED RAVEN. "INDEED MISS SERLEN." SAID THE MAID HAPPILY. THE MAID LEAD MR. THOMPSON AND RAVEN TO A ROOM CLOSED WITH A SLIDING GLASS DOOR. "HERE ARE MR AND MRS. OPSTALEN, PLEASE MAKE YOURSELVES COMFORTABEL, I SHALL GET SOME HOT COCOA IN THIS FREEZING WEATHER. "PLEASE DO" SAID MR. THOMPSON, AFTER LEADING THEM TO THE ROOM, THE MAID LEFT. Mr. Thompson and raven walked inside, mr. and mrs. opstalen greeted them warmly. "will you take coffee or tea? "we have told the maid of our request, thank you." "right on, how can the opstalen family help you today inspectors?" said mr. opstalen with a glow in his eye. "you could help this case with a little information, if you can mr. opstalen, said mr. Thompson with a suspecting face. "and what information might that be, for it holds high value?" "you could help this case with starting from, what elen opstalen was doing that night, at which she was found dead?" "does'nt you already know?, I assumed the whole town new about it? "we know, that she was partying mr. opstalen, but what was the reason for the party, for that was held at the dark hour of midnight?. "youngsters, these days are all about partying with their friends, are'nt I right?" "they may, but it was'nt safe for elen opstalen, to go at such a time, and I can't believe it, you allowed her to go?" "we did indeed, but we never thought this fate would bestow on us." Said mrs. opstalen with a frown. "how cannot you not no what's happening to girls, these day's, all the people of town had eyes on you and you children, since you're the riches, you don't know what the town's been talking about." Said Mr. Thompson "why? What's the town been talking about?" asked Mr. opstalen curiously. "the whole town had eyes on your daughter, everyone wanted her because of her beauty, in the town, they say, Margret may and elen opstalen are the only one's who are beautiful." Said raven. "now let's change the subject. What information can I and Eliza, help you with? Go ahead ask us." Said evon opstalen. "you can start by telling, if elen had any sort of enmity with someone? "yes, elen had enmity, with a girl called clemence, she was the bully, in elen's collage." "clemence? Clemence Serlen?" "yes her, you seem to know her?" "yes, please go ahead about her." "clemence Serlen was always bullying elen, but she did not speak about it with anyone." "not even melon white?" "who's that?" "melon white, who calls her to be elen's best friend?" "yes, melon white was just elen's friend, not her best friend." "then who was elen's best friend?" "miss margret may." "so.. melon white, wasn't elen's best friend?" "no, not at all." She never came to home once. Where as margret used to come all the time." "meaning, whatever melon white told us is a lie. I must wait till I get my hands on her." Said raven angrily. Just then the maid brought in the hot cocoa, "I apologize for it has taken me such time to bring the hot cocoa. Also, someone on the door called melon white want's to meet mr. evon and miss eliza opstalen." "bring her in please." Said mr. evon while feeling confident. "shall do sir." Raven passed out the hot cocoa's. "melon white? What has she got to do mr. and Mrs. opstalen?" "we are not sur dear, we do not even know for how she looks." Said eliza. "good evening to you mr. and mrs. opstalen." Said melon white warmly. "we do not know you!" shouted eliza. "tell us what do you want and get out of here!" "I just wanted to know your condition, because the whole town said you were in a deep state of uncontrollable mind." "we can accept the town's welfare, but we cannot for your's as you are a liar and have lied to miss raven and mr. Thompson. And for god sake, what did you tell them? That you are elen's best friend, oh not now I will deal with you later." "miss Barry, please take melon white outside. "give me a chance to speak mrs. eliza. "I cannot and will not." Just then miss barry, the maid came inside and guided melon white to the door. "please come with me" saying that miss barry and melon white left. "dear, miss Serlen, mr. Thompson, hope we have answered you." "not completely... Mrs. eliza." "right on, please come tomorrow for now we are tired." "we shall, good sleep for you mr. and mrs. opstalen." Said mr. Thompson while lifting his hat and walking out of the glass sliding door. Mr. Thompson and raven left the mansion with a little help from miss Barry. Mr. Thompson and raven walked home while talking about the case, until the had to part ways.