SHADOWS OF DECEIT

An Accident!

"You didn't inform me about any visitors, Elvis," Joe remarked, addressing his colleague upon noticing the presence of the detectives in his office.

"I genuinely didn't know about it myself," Elvis defended himself.

As they entered the office, the focus of all three detectives shifted toward Joe.

Detective Elena sighed, rising from her seat. "I just wanted a private closure to interrogate someone, Joe," she explained.

"I, too, sought a private moment to await your presence, Joe," Detective Philip added.

Joe turned his attention to Detective William, silently awaiting his explanation.

"Oh, he was with me," Detective Elena interjected, noting Joe's gaze on Detective William.

"Please, take your seat," she continued, motioning for Detective William to sit since she had occupied Joe's chair.

Joe awkwardly settled into his chair, while Elvis remained standing.

"I wanted to speak with you," Joe finally addressed the detectives.

"Me?," both Detective Elena and William asked in unison.

Before Joe could clarify, Detective Philip interjected, "I have to go. I've stayed here longer than expected so I would appreciate it if you shed light on a few uncertainties for me," Detective Philip requested, his tone carrying a sense of urgency and curiosity as he gracefully checked his expensive wristwatch.

Joe nodded, indicating Detective Philip could proceed.

"During my investigation, I discovered that the late Regional Officer, Rexford Osei, visited here in the evening before his death, correct?" Detective Philip asked with utmost seriousness, locking eyes with the addressee to discern any signs of falsehood.

"No, I don't recall the late Regional Police Officer visiting that night," Joe responded a touch of confusion in his tone. He glanced at Elvis. "Or do you?" he inquired, but Elvis shook his head.

"If I may inquire, Detective Philip, how did you come to the assumption that the late Regional Police Officer visited that night?" Elvis asked with genuine curiosity.

"I have my sources, strong ones. That's why I'd appreciate your permission, Superintendent Joe, to review the surveillance footage in your control room," Detective Philip stated calmly.

Detective Elena, initially contemplating an early departure, now stood, visibly impressed by Detective Philip's advancements in the case. She, grappling with a lack of leads, marvelled at his progress. Her musings were interrupted by unexpected words that left her perplexed.

"Um, I'm afraid you cannot, Detective Philip," Detective William asserted, preempting Joe's potential permission.

Confusion painted the faces of the others in the room, except for Detective Philip, who maintained his composure, fixing his gaze on Detective William.

Amidst the collective bewilderment and intense gazes, Detective William opted to provide clarification. "There were complications during the installation of the new cameras—mix-ups with cables and settings. Unfortunately, my team inadvertently disconnected the wrong cables from the storage devices, resulting in the unintentional erasure of all old footage from the previous cameras. I sincerely apologize; this was an unfortunate accident," he explained with a touch of regret.

"An accident! How can you expect me to accept this narrative? What do you mean by all the footage being erased?" Detective Philip thundered, now on his feet. Yaw, who barely witnessed his master's fury, trembled in fear under the weight of Detective Philip's intense presence.

"I-I'm sorry, Detective Philip. It truly was an accident," Detective William stammered, visibly flustered.
"You need to calm down, Detective Philip," Joe interjected, finally intervening in an attempt to diffuse the escalating tension.

"Damn," Detective Philip muttered, exhaling deeply as he worked to regain his composure as he took his seat.

"You wanted to talk to me or Detective Elena?" Detective William inquired nervously, recalling Joe's earlier intention to speak with one of them when he entered the office.

"Yes, it was you, Detective William," Joe confirmed, prompting a mix of curiosity and apprehension in Detective William, who was now contemplating a swift exit from the detective's presence, fueled by embarrassment and fear of what might transpire next.
"Detective William, I need you to take a look at this," Joe said, his tone grave, as he presented a photograph of the deceased prisoner's body. The image conveyed a chilling reality, silently.

"Elvis informed me that you inquired about whether this was the first instance of a prisoner being murdered. He clarified it happened three days ago, preceding the recent incident, in which there was no body found. Instead, there was a dried patch of blood on the ground—an enigma. We can't ascertain whether it resulted from someone injured or a potential murder," Joe elucidated, shedding light on the perplexing circumstances that preceded the current investigation. However, the last prisoner murder occurred a year ago, and this is an image of the body as it was discovered," Joe explained to the detective.

"I thought it might aid your investigation," he added.

Having managed to regain his composure, Detective Philip rose to his feet, prepared to depart with Yaw. Without a farewell, he began to stride toward the exit.

Detective Elena, sensing the significance, sighed in understanding. "Let me take a look, please," she requested the photograph. As it was handed to her, she studied it intently. A subtle frown formed on her face, and she spoke in a hushed tone, "There's a vertical cut from the chest to the abdomen too." Her revelation halted Detective Philip just as he was about to exit the room.

Detective Philip swiftly returned to the office, snatching the photograph from Detective Elena, who displayed evident displeasure. As he observed the image of the man's body, he noted the familiar vertical cut stretching from the chest to the abdomen, reminiscent of the late Regional Officer's fatal wound, albeit wider and deeper.

Fixating his intense gaze on Detective Elena, Detective Philip queried in a low, serious tone, "What do you mean by saying the same vertical cut?"

Detective Elena, already irked by the photograph-snatching, raised her brows and nonchalantly replied, "Why do you ask?"

"Stop playing games with me and answer the damn question, Elena!" Detective Philip's voice escalated, causing flinches from Yaw, Detective William, and Elvis.

Sighing, Detective Elena admitted, "The case I'm working on had a vertical cut like that too on the man." She paused, gasping as if a revelation struck her. Her heart pounding against her chest "There was the same cut on the late Regional Officer's body that night when I was there. Wait, are they all connected?" confusion etched across her face.

Turning his attention to Detective William, now intrigued, Detective Philip asked, "What about your case, William? Was that same cut present?"

"Umm, somehow yes, just that the stomach was opened wide, along with the chest, with organs missing. So, I can say there was a vertical cut, just that it was wide open," Detective William responded, realizing a potential connection between their cases.

Amidst the detectives' perplexing discussion, Joe sat bewildered, while Elvis, deep in thought, and Yaw, at the entrance, seemed to grasp the gravity of the situation.

An awkward silence enveloped the office, the hush so profound one could almost hear a pin drop. Detective Philip, breaking the tension, chuckled darkly as he ran his hands through his hair.

"Do both of you have a suspect in your cases?" Detective Philip inquired, prompting Detective William to shake his head, his gaze fixed on Detective Elena, awaiting her response.

"Yes, he was the boy I was interrogating earlier. His name is Jean," Elena answered.

"How many times do you want me to tell you he's not a boy, and I thought his name was Jesse?" Detective Philip remarked with a raised brow, leaving Detective Elena visibly embarrassed for her lapse in remembering her suspect's name.
"Of course, Jesse," Elvis murmured, the words slipping out slowly in the lingering silence of the office.