SHADOWS OF DECEIT

SECOND THOUGHTS

Yaw found himself in the police saloon car with Peter after seeking him out at the police cafeteria. Spotting Peter amidst a gathering of police officers, it seemed evident that Peter was keen on escaping the social interaction. Willingly, he offered Yaw a ride in one of the police cars.

As they drove, a silence enveloped the car, broken only by Peter clearing his throat. Breaking the quiet, he ventured, "How is it working for the detective?"

Caught off guard, Yaw glanced at Peter and then returned his gaze to the window, where he observed the passing scenery. "It's gratifying working with him," he replied softly.

Peter chuckled, teasingly remarking, "Oh yes, especially with the prospect of him offering you the world's food."

Curious about joining the ranks of detectives, Peter continued, "So, how can I work under him too? I want to escape from the cop job and become a detective."

Yaw smiled, advising, "You need to pursue a degree relevant to the work, write an application letter, and then either his firm or he will decide to take you."

Excitedly, Peter exclaimed, "Oh, nice! Since he knows me, I think he might choose me. I'll go read about it."

Yaw shook his head, knowing Detective Philip well. Despite numerous application letters, the firm's human resources selected only a handful. Detective Philip, known for his discerning choices, had even dismissed his niece, citing her lack of qualification for the role.
Even from the limited pool chosen by the firm, Detective Philip selected two individuals for his office – Peter and a fair lady named Lucy.

Yaw found himself fortunate to be alongside a fair lady named Lucy. However, Detective Philip assigned Lucy to Detective Hayford, leaving Yaw partnered with Detective Philip. The reasons for this choice remained a mystery to Peter, who couldn't fathom why the detective selected him. Perhaps, Yaw speculated, Detective Philip preferred working with male colleagues.

As Yaw reached for his water bottle to quench his thirst, the next question from Peter caught him off guard, causing him to cough.

"What? You heard me, Peter. We've been speculating on this at the station. My money is on the line. Only you know the answer, so spill it. Does he have a wife or a girlfriend?" Peter inquired.

"I really can't tell, but I'm certain he has no wife. As for a girlfriend, I'm not sure," Yaw responded uncomfortably.

"Come on, you should know. Okay, I'll keep it a secret. I promise," Peter winked.

"I promise that's the truth."

"Alright, if you say so," Peter finally conceded.

Upon arriving at the mansion's gate, Yaw hastily disembarked, eager to inhale the fresh air outside.

"Shall we ring the bell or..." Peter trailed off, gesturing uncertainly.

"Errm, yes," Yaw replied, moving to press the doorbell. They stood there for no less than a minute before a middle-aged man in a security uniform opened the door.

After explaining their purpose, he ushered them inside and went to inform the occupants of the house. Later, Vicky, Thomas's sister, welcomed them into the living room and informed them that Thomas would join them shortly. They were served water as they waited.

Meanwhile, Thomas remained in his bedroom when his younger sister, Victoria, entered.

"Bra Tom, there are people here looking for you," she said softly.

"Who are they?" Thomas inquired from beneath his duvet, still on the bed.
"I believe they are from the police station, looking for Daddy's phone," Victoria informed Thomas, who sat up on the bed, scrutinizing his sister before questioning further.

"Why are they coming for the phone? I thought they cleared everything up before bringing everything here," Thomas said.

"Well, they are here asking for it again," Vicky nonchalantly shrugged.

"Tell them it's not here," Thomas directed, lying back on the bed.

"But I saw it the other day with Daddy's car keys in the drawer. I was able to give the keys to them but didn't see the phone the other time the detective asked for it."

Thomas abruptly rose from the bed, walking briskly to his drawer. Upon finding no keys, he erupted in fury. "How dare you hand over the keys to them! And why didn't you come to ask me before taking it?" Thomas yelled angrily, causing Vicky to flinch.

Tasmina, who had heard her twin brother's outburst, rushed over along with their mother. "What's going on here?" Tasmina inquired, positioning herself in front of her younger sister.

"Why are you yelling at your sister?" Maame Yaa interjected as she entered the room. Thomas slammed his hands on his desk, startling the three.

Concerned, Tasmina turned to Victoria, asking, "What is it, Vicky?" Victoria, trying to hold back tears, replied, "He's upset that we let the detective take Daddy's car the other day."

"But they took it to assist in their investigation," Tasmina reasoned.

"Their investigation, my foot," Thomas cursed as he angrily left the room to confront the two waiting for him.

Peter and Yaw, having heard the commotion, sat there awkwardly. "Where is my father's car that you came to take?" Thomas harshly inquired as soon as he arrived.

Yaw stood there dumbfounded, and sensing his bewilderment, Peter decided to take it upon himself to respond.

"I can assure you that it is in its pieces without any scratch," Peter stated, though unsure of the coherence of his words.

Thomas, still furious, demanded, "And what search warrant did you use to take the car with?" Yaw managed to show him the search warrant.

Thomas took a moment to calm himself before instructing, "Alright, get out. The phone is not here." He then stormed back to his room. Victoria, Tasmina, and Maame Yaa, who had witnessed the confrontation, stood there in awe.

"I took the phone. I know where he hid it. Take it," Victoria admitted softly, handing the phone to Peter. Tasmina stared at her sister, who walked slowly to her room after relinquishing the phone.

"We are sorry for what happened," Tasmina apologized.

"No worries. We will be taking our leave now. That will be all," Peter said with a sheepish laugh, dragging Yaw out of the mansion and back to their car.

"What the hell was that? I'm reconsidering my thoughts about becoming a detective," Peter remarked.