The scream woke me up at 12:32 am. I felt disoriented at first, but when the scream came again i was forced to get my lost bearings. I shuffled my slippers into my feet. The scream sound like the kind of scream that would be emitted from Rose's jaw, I've never heard her scream but that is what my mind tells me she would sound like if she screams. The moment i opened my door, i saw Rose bent over a big figure. I would have to give myself credit for the correct prediction of her scream, maybe i would even become an FBI someday. I almost vommited when i saw the figure Rose was craddling. the first thing my eyes noted was the Chinese hair pin buried almost to the hilt at the side of his neck, the blood was dark pooling at the stairs, some of it socking Rose's white night dress, the blood so much that it flows to the next step in the stairs and it was progressing further. What terrifies me the most is the look in his open but death eyes, it was staring at me ash, harsh and very cold. I shivered i don't know if it's from the cold or the stare. My brain registered it like stamp on certificate, Richard is death. I turn to Rose.
"You killed him?" I hated that my accusation sounded like a question, of course she killed him whatever her reason is, she is the only person i believed is capable of murder, she is the only witch we have here.
"I didn't kill him" Rose fired back, there was venom in her voice. I took a step back and hated myself for it. I heard footstep behind, not just one series of them. Thank God everyone will get to witness what the witch did. Steve walked past me followed by the evil cat. The cat went ahead to pressed it's head on Rose's thigh, meowing as if Rose is what matters. We've just had a corpse in our midst and all the useless cat could do is meow at Rose. For a moment, i felt the urge to kick it, but i buried the urge. Steve bent over Richard corpse like a professional, it's so like Steve, he's always the one who keeps his cool when the rest of us are losing it. He pressed two fingers to Richard's neck using the light from his iphone to check extent of the injury.
"Who owns this hair pin?" Steve asked at last. His voice wasn't even shaking.
"That's the pin i gave to Bella for Christmas" Pal called from behind me.
"I didn't receive any pin?" I said, i hope i wasn't too fast in my denial, lest no one suspects me of the murder.
"It was the parcel on top the two boxes i brought to your room" Rose said with her teeth clenched.
"Well, i didn't open it"
"Let's get this straight, someone killed him and that person is living amidst us. I know non of us here is cold blood murderer, that it might be an act of self defense. So i will want whoever did it to confess now, i wouldn't want the police to get involved" Steve said.
"Will somone atleast get that stick out of his neck" Esther said, she was leaning on Chris and her voice sounded like a whimper.
"Whatever we do the police are still going to find out" Pal said almost in a whisper. He ignored Esther's suggestion of removing the pin.
"Why is no one concerned about who killed him?" Rose said, she was still sitting over Richard's head, his face was getting whiter and whiter as the minutes passes.
"We could start from here," Chris spoke up for the first time. He uncoiled himself from Esther "Where is the parcel that the pin was wrapped in?" He asked as he bent down and pull the stick, as Esther would call it. He tugged with it for a while, then he pulled it out in one swift motion, i was grateful Richard was not alive, he would have been in one hell of pain. Chris directed his gaze at me as he flung the stick away.
"I didn't open the parcel, I wasn't even sure it was there last night" i said raising my hands, indicating i have nothing to do with the murder.
"Then Anna killed him" Pal said
"My sister is not a murderer" i said with enough ice in my voice.
"Then it's you. See nobody could have retrieved the pin from your room except Anna. I mean nobody goes into your room" Pal countered.
"How could you be so sure, i didn't lock my door last night anyone could have come in" i said
"Speaking of which, where is Anna?" Esther asked
"She's probably cowering in her room in fear of not being ratted out for the murder she committed" Chris suppplied.
"Anna is a deep sleeper, she probably didn't hear any of the noise" Steve defended.
"I know of a way to find out if someone is sleeping or not" Rose said rising from where she was bending over Richard, her evil cat scampered away.
"I won't let you anywhere near my sister" I said
"If what you are insinuating is that she's the murderer of Richard, you are mistaking. You are more of a suspect, afterall the weapon came from your room and there is no proof that anyone entered your room. So the best you can do now is to keep shut while we sort this out" Pal said, he stood in front of Rose like he was defending her from me. Lust is a very dangerous thing and it's even more dangerous to be lusting on a girl like Rose.
"If you make an enemy of me because of her, you won't find me around when the crush fades" i said and started making my way upstairs. I heard Steve mumble something, but i can't tell what he said. They all piled after me as i made my way to Anna's room. I wonder what sickly way Rose is going to find out if my sister commit the murder or not.
It came as a huge shock when i found Anna at the door. Please go back inside, pretend to be asleep, they are going to take you as a murderer. My mind kept repeating all this words, but she didn't go back, instead her eyes grew wide, first from shock then she was terrified, it was obvious because she took a step back.
"Why did you kill him?" Rose asked as she step foward past me. I wanted to stop her, tell her that my sister is not a murderer or atleast give Anna a hint of what is going on, but I was numb, my sister has just potrayed an image of what a murderer will do when caught.
"What are you talking about?" Anna asked, then she broke into a gentle chuckle "This is some cruel joke you guys are playing right?" When no one answered her she looked over at me, i looked away. I wished Anna had scream or go wild punching each of our faces to confirm she is not the murderer it would have been good, instead she fell to her knees crying while saying she didn't kill Richard, she even mention his name. How could she be such an imbecile, she wasn't suppose to know the person who died.
"Guess this confirmed it?" Steve said stepping forward.
"Confirm what?" Anna raised her head, i think the implication of things is getting revealed to her.
"That you-are-the-murderer-of-Richard" Rose said putting emphasy on each word. I wanted to speak, but my mouth felt like acid as been poured into it.
"Maybe Bella was right, we should have kicked you out of the house when she suggested. Cause you are literally nothing but a witch" Anna said, to her own credit she stopped crying. Atleast she could defend herself "The only person in this house that has any reason to kill Richard is you" Anna pointed at her "or maybe one of the other riff raffs" Anna said pointing at Chris and Esther. Esther started forward like she was going to attack Anna, but Chris held her back with a scowl on his face. I knew it's my chance to stand up and defend my sister, so I took the chance.
"We don't know him, Rose does. Who knows what deal they had strucked together that resulted in his murder. So the scrutiny should go to the people who knows him" i said, i was barely able to keep my voice from shaking.
"I didn't kill him, he was walking for me. He had hurt you. Maybe you kill him for it" Rose said, she directed her words to Anna.
"You know what let's all get some sleep, we are going to talk about this in the morning" Steve said already progressing to his room.
"There is no way I'm sleeping with a corpse downstairs" Esther whined. Steve doesn't say anything, instead the door to his room slammed behind him. Utter quiet hit the place, nobody spoke. It looks as if Steve has taken everyone vocal cord with him. I watched without being able to do anything as Pal follows Steve in. He didn't even say good night to Rose, well it's morning already. I turn for my room too, my eyes hurts, signalling that i have sleep to catch up with. I made my way to my door leaving the others to gawk behind me. We need not bother move this corpse, rather we should let them pile and move them at once, because something tells me there is going to be more death bodies, not one, not even two.