HE DID IT

9: ESTHER...

After few months, I'm in Olive Garden waiting for Devorah we will just have a little catch-up like before. Devorah and I became close friends after what happened because we're helping each other to find Esther alive or not just to make ourselves in peace last few months were a tragic event for the both of us, her sister is missing which is my friend Esther, the mistress, and the murder crime. The search for Esther continued while the suspect was on trial in court for the death of Esther's husband. After all of the pre-trial hearings and finally the trial court, the suspect was found guilty of alarm and scandal as well as murder charges and sentenced to 22 years in jail.

"Hey," I brought back to reality when I heard a voice behind me. When I looked up, it was Devorah.

"Hello, what's taking you so long? Please take a seat," as she walks over to the opposite side of the table in front of me.

"It's Tuesday, a working day, and it's rush hour; what do you expect in terms of traffic?" she explained, and I just gave her a boring look.

I just said, "Sure."

"Why? Didn't Esther make the same alibi before?" She asked, attempting to be amused.

"Little did you know that she has never been late before and is always on time," I grumbled.

"Is that why you like her?" With that question, I can tell she's taunting me.

"What exactly are you talking about?" I asks Innocently.

"C'mon buddy I know you like her before, you keep on telling me those good things and good moments when both of you were together" she playfully stated.

"Shut up Devorah," I merely waved my hands to call a waiter to ignore her.

"Back then, when we had the opportunity to speak with my brother-in-law's mistress and she accused you of committing the crime, I was almost convinced by her, but of course, the law has a way of finding the truth," she said out of nowhere, and I just rolled my eyes at her.

"Let's not talk about that it's already done, and the real culprit has been punished" I look at her, and based on her expression she was confused about why suddenly I became serious because of that topic.

"Until now, I couldn't believe that woman could commit such a hilarious crime; I'm hoping she had nothing to do with Esther's mysterious disappearance," she rolled her eyes as she considered the possibilities.

"I know you wouldn't believe it if I told you she's my ex-girlfriend," her expression changes. I was about to laugh at her reaction, but I decided against it.

"How is that possible?" She wonder.

She doesn't believe me, "You're joking."

"Unfortunately, she appears to have forgotten about me since the last thing I remember is that she just left me without a word," I smiled at her, remembering my past, and was relieved when the waiter arrived, keeping Devorah from asking further about my past.

I was going to tell her my order when her phone rang, and when I looked at her, all she was doing was staring at her phone.

"Are you going to just stare at your phone or are you going to pick it up?" Then I told the waiter that I'd just call him back to take our order and then leave us alone for a while.

"The Police is calling..." I focused my attention on her and move my body forward at the table. I don't know but all of a sudden she was anxious.

"Then answer it, they must have something important to say," I told her

"put it in a speaker, I want to hear," she did.

"Hello officer," she said over the phone.

"We already found her body," she automatically stood up, her face flushed with surprise. She looked at me and met my stares, as if she was double-checking if she had heard correctly.

"Found her body? What do you mean her body?" she said to the line sounds confused by the police's statement.

"We returned to Mr. Smith's house today and found a basement door key on his closet; we went down the basement; when we opened the door, the pungent odor lingered all over the basement; we searched where the smell was coming from and found it in the farthest corner of the basement..." the officer paused for a moment.

"We discovered her virtually rotting body, which was covered in stab wounds, which we believe were the cause of her death." Devorah's phone had dropped from her grip, and she was taken aback by what she had just heard.

"Hello? Hello, are you still there?"  I glanced down at the table while she gathered up her purse and phone and ended the call.

"We have to leave; we need to go there," she said in a hurry, and she was about to step away when she noticed I wasn't even moving.

"What are you doing? I said we needed to go there, there is no way that Esther is dead" she said trying to be calm.

"She's dead," I repeat the fact.

"Do you hear what are you even saying?!" She said impatiently about what I just said.

"I knew it from the start that she's already dead," I seriously said.

"What are you trying to say?" she asked again in disbelief.

"Isn't it obvious? She told both of us from the beginning that her husband was cheating on her, but neither of us believed her! She was planning to confront him when she suddenly called you, crying, and there was a huge boom that sounded like something had burst; following that call, she suddenly texted you, stating she was alright, and you assumed she was fine? We were supposed to see each other that night, but she didn't show up. Later that night, as I was driving home past their house, I noticed her husband's truck had a brand-new tire, what do you think about that? Is it possible that she stabs the tires out of rage? Then I'm supposed to check on her the next morning, but I just found out that her lovely husband has filed a missing person report! She disappeared out of nowhere, and the mistress appeared. Tell me does that make sense to you now?" I took a long breath and exhaled slowly.

"Let's quit being deceived by this situation, she's gone! " As soon as I'm done talking I left her there, I couldn't bear the tension anymore

"Esther..." was the last thing I heard from her before I exited the place.

END