Inspector and Fish

Inspector and Fish (8)

CHAPTER EIGHT

It took four and a half hours to search the whole desk, the exhausted detective stood up, leaving with only half the evidence he expected to collect,  with still no records of any hired staff.

Disappointed, he was left to find his way back to the dining room for a meal with the family, an unique chance at a group enquiry.

Cassidy politely knocked on the solid door, only to get the reply of silence. He pushed open the heavy door, expecting to enter into an empty room. But to his surprise the room was full, the couple, the small woman, the large man, Madame Florengrove and Gerard sitting awkwardly at the end, a highlighted pink stain surrounding his mouth.

The inspector glared then edged around the table before taking the empty between the woman and Clones, no one said a word.

The next minute, the candles flickered as a section of wall opened, like a door, and the maids started to file in carrying paper white plates in front of them. In military order, they lined themselves behind the members of the table and to perfect timing they placed the meals down.

Victoria was one of the maids, smiling sneakily she left with showing off a recognizable pink stain around her own lips.

The silence continued with only the tinkling off cutlery and the crunch of vegetables being heard from the table. Robert cleared his throat.

"I would like to start the interviews early tomorrow morning."

No response was made as if his announcement had fallen on deaf ears. He continued anyway.

"Mr Florengrove"

Neither of the young men even looked up.

"Sir?"

A look of complete horror flooded over the wife's face. Her next move was unexpected, as she lifted he meat knife and slammed it down through the hard wood of the table, next to her husbands arm.

"STOP!" she screamed. "I've had enough! I cant take it any more! ALL of YOU!!!"

Still no one seemed to respond as she continued to shriek.

" How can YOU do this?!"

Without saying a word, the large man rose from his position, lifted the young womans chair and carried her out of the room.

SILENCE.

The silence was deafening and suffocating at the same time.

He had to say something, he felt the obligation weighing on him. Throwing his fork onto his plate, he stood up.

"Now I don't know what your personal situation is, and frankly I am not interested! But a man has been murdered, and someone in this house has done it! It is my job to get answers, and in my whole career I have never encountered a family so... Strange. And I warn you now, if no one starts talking tomorrow I will arrest everyone in this manor for perverting the coarse of justice!"

With that he stormed out, down the corridor followed by Clones.