The list of sinners

...Donovan...

I received Cameroon the address of the Miller family's house yesterday afternoon, not that I had forgotten but as a hope that he would be alive. In fact, he only saw the message and nothing more. It was better to leave it in peace and not disturb it further.

After my usual routine, I took a shower and made coffee. Throughout the way, my mind was playing the questions I would address as if I didn't want to forget any of them. The camera had arrived earlier than ever before, where he had parked and the car near the Miller's house and was waiting outside, leaning on the car with a cigarette in hand.

"You're late."

"Two minutes late," I said.

"As precise as always."

"Hey, before we go inside, are you okay?" I asked.

"Of course, I'm fine," he replied, flicking the cigarette butt to the ground.

"I'm glad."

I walked the path and knocked on the Miller family's iron door. It was a simple-looking house, which made me believe the same about this family. It didn't take long, and the door was opened by a lady who seemed to have stopped at that age. For a moment, my mother came to mind, still looking like the photos when she was twenty.

"Hello, how can I help you?"

"Hello, Mrs. Miller," I greeted. "I am Detective Mayfair, and this is my colleague Detective Sinclair from the homicide division. We have come to question you about..."

"Come in," Mrs. Miller cut me short.

We entered the simple, familial atmosphere characterized by a cozy warmth. The smell of wood burning in the fireplace caressed the tip of my nose. We settled on a leather sofa, leaving an empty space between us.

"Would you like something to drink?"

"No, thank you, Mrs. Miller."

"Alright."

The woman sat on the sofa in front of us with a beautiful, straight, and very proud posture. Her eyes didn't express anything in those moments. She seemed very calm and characterized by self-confidence.

"Mrs. Miller, we are here for some questions regarding the death of your beloved daughter, Devorah."

"What do you want to know from me?"

"Tell us something about your daughter, how was she?"

"She was a devoted girl to the family, to us as parents, and to her sister and brother," said Mrs. Miller. "We are a very faithful family, and you can't expect anything different from Devorah."

"I understand."

"Mrs. Miller, your daughter was found dead in the early hours of the morning, but the autopsy shows that she died around 11:47 pm. Now, I want to know where your daughter was going at that hour," Cameroon asked.

"After dinner, she said she would go for a walk and come back home..."

"Did she take the car keys and her driver's license?"

"I don't know about that because I didn't see her taking them when she left," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Did Devorah have any recent conflicts, something that bothered her, something that may have appeared in her behavior?" I asked immediately after Kameruni's question.

"As I told you, Mr. Detective, we are a simple family, we believe in God, and we have no problems or conflicts with anyone. Devorah had no problems with anyone."

"If your daughter was so 'angelic', do you think the murder was random?"

"Don't you think she was another innocent victim who died at the hands of a psychopath?"

"Your daughter was killed in the same way as Rebecca Simons. Do you know her?"

"No."

This woman was not liking me at all. Her coldness in relation to the event that had knocked on her door was disproportionate. For a mother who had lost her child, this behavior had no place at all. A total disgust arose in me for this woman and her lack of sensitivity.

"Mrs. Miller, for a mother whose child has died, you shouldn't be grieving? I must say I have encountered many such cases but I have never seen eyes as dry as yours".

"Your idea of questioning me is so absurd," she says with irritation. "If you were to speak to me properly, considering me as intelligent and sensitive, you would have sufficient answers. But this shows what and who you are".

"Mrs. Miller, I believe this behavior does not suit you at all".

"I want you to leave this house immediately".

"Mrs. Miller, you are going against the questioning protocol...

"It doesn't matter to me, please leave"

The anger in her eyes showed a threat. They say anger is the bodyguard of sadness but I didn't know where that anger came from, but I knew it hid many things and the therapy of words was not having an effect.

"This does not end here, Mrs. Miller, we will meet again".

We left without dragging it out, enveloped in our coats. The fire with fire did not extinguish.

"What the hell was that?," asked Cameroon.

"She seemed very annoyed. A very secretive person".

"Maybe we shouldn't have touched where we shouldn't have".

"The truth burns a lot".

"Donovan..."

"Yes?"

"That child over there caught our eyes".

I followed Cameroon's gaze stretched over that child who was staring at us intently.

"Hey little one come here," I called with my hand.

He approached gently with child-like steps. He was around twelve years old, with two beautiful long t-shirts that fluttered as he ran and was wearing a simple sporty outfit usually worn to stay at home.

"What's up," she says sweetly.

"Hey what's up, tell me what are you doing out here dressed in a casual outfit?"

"Are you detectives?"

"Yes we are."

"You were in my house a little while ago. Mom kicked you out".

"Don't mention it," says Cameroon.

"Are you Devorah's sister?"

"Yes, I am Milly and I want you to investigate the person who killed my sister".

"Of course we will, I promise".

"Promise with a pinky finger?," she extended her finger as much as half of mine.

"Promise with a pinky finger".

"My sister and I were very close to each other".

"Did Devorah tell you something, Milly?"

"She didn't tell me about problems or anything like that, but a few days ago she had an argument with mom".

"About what?"

"I don't know. I only came down to get some water... in the kitchen. I wasn't eavesdropping, I swear. I found them arguing there"

"I believe you Milly, but did you hear anything from the argument?"

"Mom told Devorah that with what she had done, she would go to hell".