LOST 😥😥

Twenty five.

   Loretta and Diego sat at the ends of the long spherical dinning table each with Louis at the centre.

Loretta was not totally convinced of her innocence hence she needed a logical conviction.

   To prove her innocence, Louis had  to confidently respond to each question thrown from each end.

   At the end of the section,More confusion set in. According to Louis, she had only met with Sam that night at the club. Sam had stumbled into her while she was struggling to walk Drunk Loretta, and he had recognised Loretta and offered a helping hand.

  He only drove her to her house right after dropping Loretta off and had waved a good bye. She hadn't seen him until few days back when his dead body was broadcasted.

"Why did you disappear after that night?"

  Louis heaved a sigh. She felt reluctant to answering the question.

" Its my personal issues" Came her Shabby respond.

" In other words, you killed Sam for some personal issues" Diego attacked.

He has been acting okay, but deep down it was other wise. He was so not comfortable with someone he considered a murderer, sitting his house. It was too risky, bur Loretta wouldn't listen. She was so much convinced that Louis could know a thing about the Murder but didn't do it.

  It was lame to Diego's thinking anyways, who ever has an idea about a criminal case is also a criminal. And that made Loretta's theory, in other words to imply that Louis was responsible for the murder but, she had a paid  assassinator to do it all for.

"I still Maintain we detain you under the police's custody.  You probably wouldn't mind sharing your personal issues there".

  "No!" She reached out for his hand but gave up half way on the table.

  " Don't give me up for the police. Those people are merciless.." she sobbed.

  Loretta didn't agree to Diego's habit of threatening, but she kept her grief to herself. It was better than kicking her out.

" On getting home that night, i received a call that my dad was at the hospital, sick to death.." she explained as streams of tears flowed down her cheek with water dropping off her nose.

* I thought i could save his life. I had so much faith that at the sight of his only  family he will be alright, turns out I was wrong,So wrong but it was hard to admit. He died just after my arrival" she cried.

  Loretta handed her a wrap of tissue. She could feel her pain so much that she had joined in shedding tears. There were actually dads that could make their daughters shed so much tears for their demise.

"He was the best father ever. He was both a mother and a father to me, and the only family i ever had" she snouted
   

It was a Complicated irony of life. There was actually a female Child who would cry so much for her father.

  Louis  snuffle. She wiped her teary eyes and let out a weak Smile.

" I had to pay him my last Respect, after which i returned only to realise I have been announced wanted. I have been running not because I am guilty but, I know once apprehended then I am as good as dead."

Diego sighed. His heart and mind were at conflict. She had narrated a sad story indeed but its could be a cooked up sad story. He was always careful not to  punish the Innocent and while the guilty go unpunished

" Alright enough of the cries, you two" he raised his opened arms.

"we will have to work together to get hold of the culprit amongst us. Nobody is safe that I am sure of"

   Diego wasn't sure of what next to do. He stared at Loretta as she innocently pampered Louis into a brighter mood.
Her cherubic smile was so contagious that Louis got held under its influence. She was so innocent even with her swollen eyes and the red face as a result of crying.  A glance at her made him forget for a moment, that he had so much papers on his desk. He wished he could just push the papers off clearing the table to make enough space for better thought.

Despite being obviously not wanted by Loretta, Diego had a reason to push on. Its called being positive. He would do anything to prove his sincerity. Anything to win a place in her heart.

" For how long have you been feeding on pens" Loretta broke into his thought.

He blinked and made contact with her. Her face was so close, she was piercing into his eyes, obviously expecting an answer to her question which appeared more like a rhetorical one.  He imagined holding closer for a soothing kiss, but that would only make her think he was the murderer and might earn him a bonus slap as well.

" Since school days" he responded taking the pen out of his mouth.

Technically, he wasn't chewing on it. It kinda made him think faster.

"Here!"  She handed him a cup of Lipton.

" It will help better" she grinned and headed for Louis.

   The Lipton might help but Diego was confident of what he needed more than just a cup of  hot Lipton.

   Loretta was happy to have Louis back. Particularly, after she confessed how much she had missed her and had apologised for leaving without a notice.

  Of course Loretta forgave her. She was glad she was back.  But she wasn't sure about the chemistry they once shared.

  Louis reached out for her phone at the sound of its vibration. She had missed some few calls from a strange contact. She dialed the number and placed the phone on her ear while it rang at the other end.

  "Hello?" a voice called. The voice was known. Very much known.

  " Kelvin!" she replied alarmed. Her heart missed a few beat. She hadn't spoken with him since she moved in with Diego.

   " ITS CYNTHIA, SHE HAS LOST SO MUCH BLOOD!" he replied and the call got disconnected.

" Hello?, Kelvin are you there?, Kelvin!!" she cried as she unconsciously let the phone drop from her ear.

  " Cynthia....Cynthia..." She panted and passed out.