Abducted

CHAPTER 8

Lieutenant Cassio was awaiting their arrival.
A tired looking man, seemingly near his sixties, sporting a kangaroo's pouch for a stomach and looking like he'd rather be anywhere but there.
Greeting his visitors with a nod, he motioned them to two seats, opposite his untidy desk.
Without preamble, he began speaking,
"Sorry about your loss, Mrs. Hartland. Just a few questions and you will be on your way."
"Where were you this afternoon between 1.00 p.m. and 2.00 p.m.?
Marina looked up..dazedly.
Stuttering searching her mind she replied
"At home.....no...I mean....I had an appointment with a detective....no no..I am sorry, with my hairdresser."
The Detective glanced at her dishevelled hair and made some notes.
"Can anyone vouch for your whereabouts?" Mrs. Hartland.
Marina was stupefied. She realised that she had walked straight into a pool of hot water.
She could not very well admit to the officer that she visited the Detective's office, under the guise of Martha Hackshaw. That was a jail term in itself.
"No, when I got there, she was closed, so I returned home."
"Did you see or speak with anyone during those hours?"
"No Sir."
Did your husband file for divorce Mrs. Hartland?"
"Yes, Marina replied meekly.
"On what grounds?"
"We were having internal problems since our baby disappeared."
"Were you aware that your husband was a multi millionaire?
"Yes..no..but.."
Jumping to his feet, Geronimo exclaimed...
"That's enough! Can't you see that my sister-in-law is in grief?
You should be out there looking for my brother's killer!
For goodness sake, her husband is dead, have a heart!"
Grateful for the intervention, Marina stood.
"If you may excuse us now Lieutenant, I really need to get home. I have calls to make."
The lieutenant leaned back in his chair, placing one dusty boot clad foot, on the table.
He clasped his hands behind his head and rocked back.
Scrutinising Marina and Geronimo, he smiled.
"Certainly ma'am we will be in touch! Don't leave the country for the next few weeks."
With a cold nod, she turned away and walked through the door followed by Geronimo.
Lieutenant Cassio remained in his pensive position.
Seizing the phone, he dialled his Captain's extension.
"Sir, was any information released on the cause of death for Mr. Hartland?"
Upon hearing the response in the negative, Lieutenant slowly replaced the receiver in it's cradle.
He was now in a very pensive mode.
"With furrowed brows, he asked himself "If no information was released, how could the brother use the words "brother's killer?"
For in truth and in fact, it was still to be released that the deceased vehicle was tampered with, causing it to fly headlong, over a precipice.
Lieutenant Cassio began to make frantic notes.