Death at Springfield.

Chapter-3

The door opened again and Dawid walked in slowly. He looked very troubled and pale. He sat down on a chair quietly.
‘This must’ve been quite a shock to you Mr Dawid.’ The Inspector said.
Dawid nodded and said, ‘It sure is. It’s all like a nightmare. Father….’ His voice broke at this point and he raised a shaking hand to wipe his brow. ‘Inspector…..I….I want to tell you something.’ He started hesitantly. ‘I had a fight with father last night.’
‘We are most grateful, Mr Dawid, that you didn’t hide the fact.’ Inspector Matin said admiringly. ‘Please tell us what it was about.’
‘I wanted some…..money from him.’ Dawid said sheepishly. ‘I asked him to raise my monthly allowance but he refused.’
‘So you called him an old fool.’ The Inspector interjected, his eyebrows arched.
‘How do you know that?’ Dawid said sharply.
‘That doesn’t matter. Please go on.’
‘We had an argument and he was angry. Then Mary came in and I had to leave.’
‘But your father did not provide you with any more money?’
Dawid shook his head reluctantly. He looked a bit flustered under the Inspector’s suspicious gaze. ‘It was not such a serious matter Inspector. Father was very defensive when it came to his money. He even refused if the servants asked him for some money.’
Inspector Matin nodded and said, ‘What did you do yesterday after Mr Daniel arrived?’
Dawid contemplated for a minute and said, ‘We talked for a while then he went upstairs to meet father. My wife and I then talked with my daughter on the phone.’ A smile came on his face as Dawid mentioned his daughter. ‘I watched T.V. after that. Then Mary called us for lunch-’
‘Your brother did not come down for the meal?’ Aariz interrupted him.
‘No. He was resting perhaps.’ Dawid said, shrugging. ‘So, we-my wife and I-had a nap after lunch. We were awakened by Mary saying that father wanted us to meet you.’ He gestured to me and Aariz.
‘Thank you Mr Dawid. Please send in your wife.’
Dawid nodded and left. Before any of us had time to speak, Ariana came shuffling in. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. She sat down with a sigh and said slowly, ‘This is terrible. Oh! How I wish this hadn’t happened.’
Before she could start sobbing again, Aariz said, ‘Have courage, Madam. You have to be brave.’
Ariana nodded and said, ‘I’m sorry. It’s just that Dawid was so fond of his father. Anyway, you can ask me whatever you want to.’ She sat a bit straighter and looked serenely at the Inspector.
‘Thank you Ma’am. Can you tell me what you did after Mr Daniel arrived yesterday?’
‘I was in the living room with Dawid when Daniel arrived. He talked to us for a while and then went to father. We talked to Salina on the phone. I read a book and then Dawid and I went to our room to take a nap. When we woke up, we went to meet Mr Haris and Mr Aariz.’
‘Was it the last time you saw your father-in-law?’
‘Yes, it was.’
‘Thank you Mrs Basil. That is all. Tell Miss Sarah that I wish to question her next.’
Ariana nodded and scurried away.
‘She is devoted to her husband.’ Aariz commented.
‘She seems rather harmless.’ I said.
‘Looks can be deceiving.’
‘Do you suspect her?’ I asked him.
‘No one is free from my suspicion.’
‘Here is Miss Sarah.’ Inspector Matin said as Sarah entered.
I was once again struck by her confidence and beauty. She carried herself well and had a determined look on her face. She sat down, facing us.
‘You wanted to see me, Inspector?’ She said in her smooth voice.
‘Yes, Miss Sarah.’ Inspector Matin said. ‘Tell me, when you went in to meet Mr Tijan, wasn’t it your last meeting with your father?’
‘No, it wasn’t.’
All of us were taken aback by her answer. I had expected her to say yes.
‘No?’ Matin said.
‘I went in to see him at around ten.’
‘Why?’
‘There wasn’t any specific reason. I merely wanted to say goodnight.’
‘Did his behaviour seem any different to you, Miss Sarah?’
No. He seemed alright to me.’ Sarah said. ‘He just……..’She paused.
‘Yes?’ Aariz said encouragingly.
‘He said that I was much better than my brothers.’
Inspector nodded and indicated to her to go on.
‘I then said goodnight to him. He closed his eyes and I left.’
‘What did you do after noon, Miss Sarah?’
‘Let me think. I went to the attic to see my old things. I sat there for a while, watching the old albums. After an hour or so I came down and painted a bit. I like painting, you see. I had lunch with Dawid and Ariana after that. I was watching T.V. in my room when father called to meet his friends.’
‘Thank you Miss Sarah. You can go now.’ Inspector Matin said. Sarah got up from her chair and said abruptly, ‘Inspector, I knew my father very well. He was not the kind of person to kill himself.’ There was a dangerous glint in her eyes and her words were determined. ‘I want you to investigate this matter very carefully.’ She turned and swiftly walked out of the door.
‘She is feisty, that one.’ Inspector Matin said, grinning. He yawned and stretched in his chair.
We stood and walked out in the living room where the Basils were sat.
‘We should call the executor of Mr Rigel.’ Matin said. ‘Who is he?’
‘It’s the lawyer-Mr Xavier.’ Dawid said. ‘I will call him with father’s will.’
The call was put through to the lawyer who agreed to arrive shortly with the legal documents.
*****
The executor was a middle aged man with a beard and moustache. He wore thick rimmed glasses and carried a briefcase. We were all assembled in the drawing room. Without further ado, the lawyer cleared his throat and proceeded to read the important articles of the will of Rigel Basil:
‘I give all my personal property and policies to my children to be divided equally among them.’
‘I give my residuary estate to my eldest son Dawid.’
A resounding gasp was released by Ariana and Dawid’s jaw fell open.
‘I knew this was going to happen.’ Daniel’s drawling voice cut through the silence. ‘Dear brother had made quite an impression on father. I’m surprised he left even a penny to me.’ He then left the room returning with a glass of cold drink in his hand.
To avoid family drama, the executor packed away the documents and left hastily with a ‘goodbye’.
‘Don’t try to hide your happiness Ariana.’ Daniel spoke up again. ‘Your husband is going to be a very rich man.’
‘Shut up Daniel. Don’t be rude.’ Sarah snapped, glaring at her brother warningly.
‘What? It’s true.’ Daniel said, sipping his drink.
‘You’re just jealous.’ Ariana’s shrill voice came. ‘Dawid deserved what he got. He cared for his father unlike you.’
Everyone stared at Ariana after her outburst. She was seldom angry. It was clear that she was very protective over Dawid.
‘All of this doesn’t matter anymore.’ Dawid murmured. ‘It is dreadful that father killed himself.’
Aariz stood up tersely and said in his loud clear voice, ‘You are wrong Mr Dawid. I, Aariz Tijan would like to state that Rigel Basil did not commit suicide. He was murdered in cold blood.’
A/N
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