"Well, what do you have to say about that?" Mark asked.
"Just admit it," Ashton raised his voice slightly. "You murdered Bobby so you'd get Clair right?"
Donald sighed and sat straight. "The only thing I'm going to admit is that you two are a bunch of foolish and amateur detectives. Is that the only evidence you have against me?"
"You do realise that it is sufficient to tag you a primary suspect?" Mark asked while trying to stomach the insult that had just been dished out to them.
"Yesterday I was here, I performed surgery then I had lunch here in my office. I left when it was dark and met up with my friends at a bar. Then I picked up a very pretty lady and fucked her all night. So tell me, detective, when I had the time to murder this Bobby?"
Ashton clenched his fist when he heard this. "You could've paid someone to do it!"
"That just makes me look stupid." He smiled and continued, "Who do you think I am? A desperate man whore?
"I have tons of ladies out there ready to throw themselves at me so why would I jeopardise my reputation and kill someone just so I can get Clair when people like Priscilla are out there—and believe me she is worth killing for!"
"And I wonder how you get all those girls. Do you threaten them as well?"
"Oh, please." Donald waved his hand impatiently. "I would never force a girl to sleep with me."
"You…"
"That will be all for now, Dr Dwayne. We'll leave now." Mark cut his partner who seemed to be losing his cool. He dragged Ashton out with him leaving Donald alone in his office.
The doctor sighed and shook his head. 'Just who do they think I am? If I can't kill for Priscilla would I then kill for Clair?'
….
Mark only let go of Ashton the moment they were outside the hospital building. Mark glared at him with an angry expression. "What was that for? You just blew our chance of getting any useful information!"
"That son of a bitch murdered Bobby!"
"And if he didn't? We came here to question him about this matter not to lay out accusations."
Mark took deep breaths while his eyes bored into Ashton who now avoided his gaze. "I think there's more to this that you aren't telling me."
"Tell me why you have such strong feelings towards Donald and why you go into a feat of rage at the mention of his name." Mark added.
"Because," Ashton said with malice lacing his voice. "The fucker killed my sister!"
Mark was stunned speechless. He looked around to make sure that no one else had heard that. He whispered, "What do you mean he killed your sister?"
"He made her fall in love with him. He broke her heart after sleeping with her. she cried days and nights without comfort. I tried all I could to calm her down and it worked until she found out that she was pregnant for him.
"She went to tell him about it but came home crying that day. I don't know what he said or did to her but my sister was never the same. Two days later she committed suicide inside her room. She left a note with only seven words."
The more he recalled the past the more he clenched his fist and the more the anger washed down over him. Ashton scoffed.
"What were the words?" Mark asked.
"'Donald has taken my heart and life.'"
"Let's go." Mark said after a moment of thinking. Ashton nodded and followed his colleague.
….
The door to Donald's office burst open and in came an angry looking old man with white hairs. His chest was heaving and his face was twisted. It was Donald's father, Mr Dwayne.
Donald jolted and stood up from his seat. "What are you doing here, papa? You should be resting!"
The old man snorted. "You never let me rest, Donald. What mess have you gotten yourself into this time?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb with me boy," he said pointing a finger at Donald. "I heard that the police came here looking for you and when I asked around I discover it's related to a murder case and you are supposedly involved with the girlfriend of the dead man!"
"Calm down, we wouldn't need another attack." Donald raised his hands.
"You're damned right we don't!" Mr Dwayne retorted.
"I'm not involved with Clair and we don't have anything going on. I swear."
"That's what you keep saying. You behaviour has gotten worse by the day!"
"I didn't kill the damned man and the police should stop believing anything they hear on the streets!" Donald was now furious as well. For the next few seconds, they engaged in a staring contest without saying a word.
It was his father that broke the silence first. "Fine. But let me warn you that the day you get a girl pregnant, you'll marry her no matter what!"
"Is that it?" Donald was amused a bit.
"Mark my words. I won't let what happened 15 years ago repeat itself again!" with that the old man stormed out of the office.
Donald stood there with a pained expression on his face. He stood like this for a while before wiping his face and sitting down. The memories of 15 years ago flooded his head.
Something he had hoped he would never remember. Memories he had tried to kill. They came back to haunt him.
He leaned on his chair and exhaled deeply with his eyes closed. After a while, he made a call to his assistant and told him to cancel his appointments and move up the surgery he was scheduled for today.
He took his car key and left the hospital. He drove to the bar to get drunk and maybe get laid just to forget about his broken life and forget about a few things.