MURDER IN THE WINTER

Chapter-6

AS SOON AS RAVEN REACHED HER APARTMENT, SHE QUICKLY RUSHED USPTAIRS AND BANGED ON THE DOOR OF MELON WHITE. "WHO IS IT?!" ASKED MELON WHITE SHAKILY. "YOUR NEIGHBOUR!" SHOUTED RAVEN. MELON WHITE RUSHED AND OPENED THE DOOR, WHAT'S WRONG ARE YOU TRYING TO BREAK MY DOOR?" "YOURE THE ONE WHO KILLED ELEN OPSTALEN AM I RIGHT?" "DO YOU HAVE EVIDENCE MISS SERLEN?" "I don't as of now, but I will, I will prove you guilty." Saying that angrily raven went away.

Next day raven woke up as soon as she could and reached school early. When she returned from school, it was tea time. She quickly reached home dropped her bag and books and hurriedly went to margret may's mansion, raven tried to inform mr. Thompson about her new suspect, but when she reached mr. Thompson's house, his housemaid said he had left to Charlottetown for a emergency meeting. Raven continued the case on her own. Raven soon reached margret may's mansion. There she was warmly greeted by the housemaid. "please tell margret that raven Serlen is here to see her." "I shall" said the maid. Soon the maid came out and invited raven inside. "thank you miss" said raven. As soon as raven walked in, she could see how beautiful the may mansion was. She came across a beautiful room with a wreath hung on the door. "this is miss margret may's room, please make yourself at home." After saying that the maid left, and raven stepped inside. "good evening raven hope you are doing good?" said margret warmly. "I am, margret how are you doing?" asked raven. "I am well. Thank you for asking." "you must be sad after what happened to elen?" "I am not sad, I am heartbroken, I never imagined this fate would come upon by best friend." "well, that's what I have come to interrogate about margret." "interrogate?" "yes indeed" "well go ahead and ask me anything, I shall answer you for my friend elen opstalen." "much obliged, margret." "so, you can start by telling me, who was elen opstalen's actual friend." "surely, it's me." Said margret doubtfully. "I am guessing anything related with melon white?" "what?! Melon white? You must be joking!, melon white, always tried to get closer and become a friend of elen. But couldn't because elen hated her." "hated her you say?" she wasn't a rich one, elen's mother, eliza opstalen, always kept her away from mediums or poor families." "so no possible way of melon white to be elen's best friend? " "okay, answer me, were you present at the party which took place at the town hall, the night elen was found dead?" "yes, I was present there." "then how was I the first one to find elen's dead body?" "I was busy in partying, so I did not realize that elen had left the party before twilight." "you were busy partying, and you call her you best friend? I am starting to suspect you." "well then, suspect me, how much ever you want. But I am not the murderer." "we never said to anyone if it was a murder or a suicide. How do you know that it was murder?" "well, you can leave now. I have had enough. Please leave." Saying that margret called her housemaid and asked her to guide raven out.

Raven left the may mansion suspecting that margret may had done something to elen. That day had gone by quickly.

The next day was Christmas eve, a merriful day, a day of holiday, which marks the onset of winter holiday's. raven was overjoyed, for the holiday's so that she could spend her time on solving the case. Early in the morning she went to the chapel, and then to the townhall to give her respects and prayers. She found mr. Thompson on the way back to home. "mr. Thompson, I see you have returned from BUKINGHAMPSHIRE?" asked raven keenly. "yes indeed, miss raven, I have. The meeting was important so I could not help you yesterday, have you found and important clues on the case?" "I have, mr. Thompson, you would be keen to know that yesterday, I had gone to interrogate miss margret may, as I felt suspicious about her." "miss margret may!?" "yes, indeed." "did she talk?" "she did" "what did she talk about?" "I asked her whether she would help me with elen opstalen or not, she said that she shall answer me for elen. And she did, but she solemnly said that she had not committed the murder, I told her that, it wasn't concluded whether it was a murder or a suicide, I asked her how did she know? Right then she asked me to move out of her house. One more thing that I felt suspicious about was, margret may told that she was there at the party that night, at the townhall. She said that she was partying and did not realize that elen had left the party. I questioned her, which friend wouldn't realize if the best friend of her had vanquished from the party?" "hmmm..... even I feel suspicious, I wouldn't understand, which family, when the death of a family member has bestowed, celebrates Christmas so merrily?" "I quite don't understand what you mean, mr. Thompson." "when we went to interrogate the opstalen's, did not you notice? For their house was completely decorated in Christmas decors?" "it does seem suspicious, mr. Thompson." 'exactly miss raven." "also, margret may doesn't seem depressed at all. Rather she seems merry, her skin keeps on glowing with her dark brown eyes. If it were me, I couldn't show my face. Miss may, had also applied make-up." "strange, she did not even come to the chapel and the townhall, to offer her prayers. "said mr. Thompson suspiciously. "I don't understand this lady." Said raven. "whom don't you miss raven?" "melon white, mr. Thompson, she goes somewhere in that car, but I am not sure to where?" "should we follow her miss raven?" "I was thinking of the same thing!." Saying that mr. Thompson and raven caught a taxi, and followed that Morris minor Car. THEY FOLLOWED THEM FOR A LONG DISTANCE. THEY WOULD'NT KNOW WHERE THEY ARE GOING, FOR WHEN THE CAR STOPPED UNDER THE SHADE OF A COOL TREE. MELON WHITE STEPPED OUT OF THE CAR AND WALKED STRAIGHT TOWARDS THE TAXI IN WHICH MR. THOMPSON AND RAVEN WERE SEATED. SHE CAME AND KNOCKED ON THE WINDOW. SHE FIERCLY ASKED, "WHY ARE YOU FOLLOWING ME MISTER?" "WE ARE FOLLOWING YOU" SAID RAVEN FROM THE BACK. RAVEN TOO STEPPED OUT OF THE CAR, AND SAID, WHY DON'T YOU TELL ME NICELY, ABOUT WHERE YOU GO IN THAT MORRIS MINOR CAR, EVERY DAY? "OTHERWISE WHAT? YOU WILL TRY TO MURDER ME?" SAID MELON WHITE WITHOUT ANY FEAR. "I WOULD NOT TRY TO DO SUCH A CRIME." SAID RAVEN. "fine, my mother is horribly sick, that's why I go to her every day. She lives in the town of peasants." Said melon white with a sad face. "then why don't you live with her?" "if I live with her, who will take care of my house back in Devonshire?" "you can sell that house." "I can't it's my everything, I bought it with my own money, I cannot." "right on, we will be leaving then a good day to you miss." Saying that mr. Thompson and raven got back in the taxi and left. When they reached back to Devonshire, it was very cold. Mr. Thompson and raven parted ways to go back home and rest. While going home, raven was in deep thoughts whether it was a murder or a suicide.