"Has something bad happened to Dora?" Abel asked switching glances from Sera to Jason and back again.
"Am sorry Abel, Dora seemed to have been your good friend, she was murdered," Jason was saying but Abel cut him off out of shock.
"What! Abel screamed in shock. He placed both of his hands over his mouth in shock and stared at Jason in total confusion.
"I am so sorry Abel, that's why we need your help. The bastards who did this are walking free and we need to bring them to justice." Jason said trying out the emotional card on him.
"Tell us a little about Dora, where is she from, do you know her parents?" Sera asked compassionately.
Abel seemed pretty hurt by the news, he was suddenly lost in thoughts and not concerned anymore in the conversation. He was in love with her and he had not even had the chance to let her know and now she is gone. He couldn't believe it. This could all be a joke or a prank, yes that's what this is. Who are these people anyways, he thought as he started at Jason skeptically.
Dora was a reserved person, he remembered when he would try to bring up talks about family, and she would just smile and change the subject. She could talk about her mother at length but never about her dad.
Dora's mother had died and Dora's joy disappeared, he made friends with her to bring back the cheery person he had always admired from afar.
He still remembered saying hi to her on her way from work one evening. She had been looking worried and absent minded. He had asked her why she does not come to the book store to pick books anymore, she had replied that, 'I and my mom used to pick up books together, she reads mine and I read hers, but she isn't here anymore so reading is kind of no fun anymore'. He had felt pity and love for her that day, so he offered her a book he had been wishing to recommend to her 'Flickers of sparks'. She had refused it but he insisted and that was how she always came by for a book and a cheery 'Hi AB'.
"Wouldn't you want the perpetrators of this act to be brought to book? Sera asked Abel with compassion in her countenance, distracting Abel's thoughts of Dora.
"Look I don't know who you guys are, I mean you showed me a badge but this could still be some kind of joke right?" He asked and looked from one to the other. "Dora said hi to me yesterday morning on her way to work..." Abel was saying when Jason interrupted him.
"Did she say hi on her way back? That seem to be a thing for both of you right?" Jason asked hoping for an answer other than 'No.'
"Well I wasn't at the bookshop at the time when she must have passed by from work, I had to get drugs for my mother i must have missed her." Abel said still being optimistic that Dora couldn't be dead.
Jason looked at Abel for a few seconds, they need the corporation of this young man and to get him to help he would have to be hurt first, not physically but emotionally. He hated the idea but when a man in love loses his love he is almost a lunatic.
Jason took out his phone and punched a few button before looking up again at Abel. "I hate to do this AB, I had wished it didn't get to this but can you identify Dora?" Jason asked.
"Yes I can." Abel answered.
"Ok look at this picture carefully, is this your friend Dora?" Jason stretch his phone to Abel.
"Hell no! That is not Dora, I told you she is still alive. You got the wrong person." Abel said with confidence.
Jason looked at Sera who also saw the picture on the phone while Abel was trying to identify the dead lady in the picture.
"Are you sure she isn't the one?" Jason asked taking back his phone.
"Am positive it's someone else not Dora in that picture."
During this conversation Jason clicked on another picture and stretched his phone to Abel again.
"Kindly look closely at this one, is this Dora" Jason asked with
"I already did that man, I can't mix up Dora even in a dark place." Abel said reluctant to take the phone.
"Am sure you do, that is why I want you to carefully look at it again." Jason said sliding the phone towards Abel.
Abel caught the phone just as it was about to slide off the table and his eyes squinted when he saw the image. He was dumbfounded and the shock was not difficult to notice on his face.
Jason didn't say a word and Sera looked pitifully at the once certain Abel who seemed very much confused now.
"This is Dora, I mean who could have done this to her." Abel said as drops of tears escaped his face.
Jason had first given him a wrong picture to be sure the identification was a hundred percent not doubtful. He took back his phone from the young man and was already very impatient to dig out everything this young man knows about the murder at the dockyard.
"Whoever did this, deserves to be put down too, how can I help?" Abel said cleaning the tears hanging on his sad cheeks.
*********************
Rahim, walked through the entrance with the guard in black suit nodding to him in respect. He return the nod with a smarter one as he went through the polished mahogany door. The mansion stood 6600 meters tall over a vast land of over seven plots, excluding the expanse of greenery and ranch at the left corner of the estate.
Tall masquerade trees lined the lawns and the quadrangle. Guards where all over the ground neatly suited up and occasionally switching routine.
Don was seating in his study and sipping from a glass obviously containing some strong drink. He had listened to the news and had seen it all for himself. He wasn't comfortable with the fact that business was left to a man who was not physically present to handle the exigencies that come with the monstrosity of the job.
Their activities has been of radar for quite a long time now and it would have remained like that if the council had listened to him when he had said that an alternative should be considered. Cash had taken it personal and even had the guts to say 'Why does the high and mighty suddenly pick interest in petty things as the conveyance of our merchandise from ground z to dispose point.'
Don had been so furious he replied with venom in his words.
"Cash, do not forget before whom you stand, trade carefully." Don spat
"I do know before whom I stand, in fact that is the, more reason I wonder if you still remember who makes your reputation so dreadful." Cash replied with as much threat in his words.
Rahim had pulled his silver .45 caliber on Cash. All he needed was a blink from Don to end Cash.
But Brian, Cash's executioner had gone for his own weapon, but before he could pull the pistol holstered under his arm. Rahim hit the butt of his pistol on the side of Brian's neck and as Brian lost balance and raised his hand to his neck, Rahim reached into his jacket and pulled the pistol from Brian's holster and pointed it at Brian while his silver .45 caliber covered.
Cash could see Rahim would shoot if Don breathed hard and he watched without confidence.
"Let's take it easy Don. Our family will miss us if we decide to get nasty." Cash said with both hands raised to signal he didn't want any of the violence.
The knock on the study door brought back Don's consciousness to the present, looked up to see Rahim.
"Boss, I came as soon as I saw the news." Rahim said standing three feet away from Don.
"I need you to locate where Cash is hiding." Someone has to pay for these losses.