SHADOWS OF DECEIT

18 to 22 indeed

Jesse, panting from his last exertion of shoveling sand out of the pit, found himself fatigued. The chosen inmates, tasked with fieldwork earlier that morning, had been diligently planting the trunk of a tree in a freshly dug pit. This cycle, aimed at fostering the growth of timber, involved cutting and replanting the tree for future cultivation.

Completing the task, it was now 30 minutes past 11, and they were preparing to return to the prison for their breakfast. Jesse, unaccustomed to such labor and plagued by hunger, fought dizziness but pushed himself to remain conscious as they boarded the bus back to the prison.

Upon their arrival, a prison officer notified Jesse that he had a visitor and should immediately proceed to the superintendent's office. Despite his hunger and fatigue, any request to eat first was promptly denied. Jesse, with no other choice, wearily made his way to the superintendent's office.

"Oh, you've arrived," Detective Elena greeted as she noticed Jesse's entrance. She was presently engaged in casual conversation with Detective William in front of Joe's office. With Joe currently absent, his office had become available for questioning Jesse.

"Get into the office," Detective Elena instructed, leading Jesse inside.

"Alright, I'll take my leave then," Detective William remarked, sensing Detective Elena was about to commence the interrogation.

"You can join. You weren't quite finished discussing the houses you're recommending. I'll be done with him shortly," Detective Elena assured as Detective William entered the office and settled into a seat, focusing on his phone.

Jesse sat uncomfortably, hunger intensifying. He raised his head at the clearing of Detective Elena's throat.

"I would like to ask you a few questions. I hope you're now ready to talk," Detective Elena inquired, to which Jesse simply nodded.

"What was your name again?" she asked.

"Jesse," he replied softly.

"I went to see your friend's grandmother. She's not that friendly, is she?" Detective Elena remarked.

Jesse found himself at a loss for words, uncertain how to respond to the Detective's question. He simply stared at her, grappling with the weight of the situation.

"Listen, boy, if you want to leave this building and regain your freedom, you have to tell us the truth. Trust me, we can get you a good lawyer who will help you spend fewer years here. Just tell me the truth," Detective Elena urged, her frustration evident.

Jesse continued his silent stare, unmoved by the plea.

Growing more frustrated, Detective Elena forcefully hit her palm on the table, creating a loud thud that caused both Detective William and Jesse to flinch. At that moment, the door swung open, revealing two figures entering the room.

"Well, what do we have here?" Detective Philip remarked slowly as he confidently strode into the office, accompanied by Yaw, who held his notepad and pen tightly to his chest.

"Detective Philip," both Detective William and Detective Elena uttered simultaneously, the former with respect and the latter with a tinge of disgust.

"Hello to both of you," Detective Philip responded, maintaining his calm demeanor.

"What brings you here, Philip?" Detective Elena inquired.

"Oh, I thought you were happy to see me, but I thought wrong," Detective Philip replied sarcastically, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Well, I came to pay a small visit to Superintendent... What was his name?" he feigned forgetfulness, resting his index finger on his chin in a thoughtful gesture.

"Oh, Joe, yes," he added when he finally recollected.

"He's not here at the moment. You can leave," Detective Elena retorted harshly.

Detective William, sensing the tension between the two, simply observed their bickering without intervening.

"Who's that seated?" Detective Philip inquired, curiosity evident as he moved forward to catch a glimpse of the person.

Detective Elena sighed in defeat, realizing she couldn't persuade Philip to leave. "He's the suspect in the case that was assigned to me," she admitted.

Detective Philip stared at Jesse for a prolonged moment before letting out a chuckle, as though he had some insight.

"Right, right. If the Superintendent is not here, we can wait," Detective Philip said, gracefully taking a seat and crossing his long legs with an air of elegance.

"Get a seat, Yaw," he instructed his assistant, who promptly grabbed a chair to sit beside his master.

"You can continue with whatever you were doing; don't mind us," Detective Philip added, noting the silence in the room.

Detective William, sensing the awkwardness in the room, gracefully stood up. "I have to go and supervise the installation of the camera. I'll take my leave, Elena."

Detective Philip, with a charming smile, intervened, "No, no, don't do that, Detective. It's very rude. At least, you were with her. You can't leave because of me."

"But I..." Detective William attempted to express his intention.

"Nope, I'm not hearing anything. It's rude to walk out on a woman. Just sit as you were already. It's not like you have something to do out there," Detective Philip insisted, his tone carrying a touch of seriousness, though his eyes hinted at playful teasing.

Detective William, unsure of how to navigate the situation, glanced at Detective Elena, who held her head in her hand, appearing somewhat fatigued by Philip's peculiar attitude. In the end, without further objection, Detective William resumed his seat, acknowledging the persuasive influence of Philip's words.

A moment of silence lingered in the room until it was interrupted by the unmistakable growling of someone's stomach, breaking the tension.

"It seems one of us is hungry," Detective Philip remarked, casting a glance around the room.

"My assistant here is well-fed, which enables him to work cooperatively and efficiently with me, unlike someone and her suspect," he added with a sly smirk, prompting Yaw to raise his head from his lowered position, embarrassment evident in his expression.

Detective Elena, breaking the silence, addressed Jesse, "You can leave. I'll come to you again."

Jesse, relieved to be excused from the tension-filled atmosphere among the Detectives, hurriedly exited the office, catching Detective Philip's chuckle before the door closed.

"How old is he?" Detective William finally inquired, breaking the lingering silence.

"Well, if you observe him, I'd estimate somewhere between 18 to 22 years," Detective Elena responded.

A brief silence ensued before Detective Philip erupted into loud laughter, prompting all eyes in the room, including Yaw's, to turn towards him.

"18 to 22, indeed," Detective Philip remarked amidst his laughter.

Just then, the door swung open, revealing Superintendent Joe, accompanied by Elvis.