Capital Offence - Lee Minho

Chapter One.

'Mr. Lee Minho has everything to do with the murder that took place on 31st October, and I am going to prove that today.'

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The sun rays teased inside the room through the cracks between the curtains and landed on Nada's face. She sat up, with her eyes still half-closed. While tying up her hair in a ponytail, her feet touched the cold floor, and she stood up.

'I hate mornings,' she said as she stretched her arms.

Something rubbed against her leg, and she looked down to see a cat.

'Oh, hello,' she said as she picked up the cat from the floor. 'Hungry are we?' she inquired, with the cat meowing in response. 'Alrighty, but let me wash up first.'

Showers in the morning refreshed her. After a while, she came out from the bathroom and wore her favourite pink bunny slippers and headed downstairs.

She put the cat food on the plate and called for her cat. 'Chief!' A while later, a small and chubby cat came running towards her. She grabbed her coffee mug as Chief nibbled away at his food. 'Okay, let's get some work done,' she said to herself, which was something she did a lot of as a result of living alone.

She opened the laptop and placed the cup on the table beside her. 'The case file for Kesha Williams, where are you?' she murmured as she tried to find the file on the laptop. 'There you are.' She clicked on the file: Kesha Williams, 11th March 1968. She began reading it while taking small sips of coffee in between. 'Okay, so she is suing the construction company that wants to demolish her house and build a shopping centre instead. She also submitted the receipt for the purchasing of the land. Well, that should have been case closed. Why are they still after her house?' she questioned herself. 'Looks like we will have to meet, Mrs Williams' and with that, she grabbed her belongings and keys and proceeded towards the door. 'Mama is going out to work, C. Don't miss me too much.'
She got in her car and drove to the woman's address.

She loved her job; after all, it was a profession that came with enormous advantages. It was respectable, she got paid good, and most importantly, she was making a difference in people's lives.

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Her car came to a halt, and she stepped out of it. She walked up to the house and gently knocked. No answer. She tapped the door again, and this time it opened, revealing a woman in her fifty's with curly hair and brown eyes. She had wrinkles on her face and forehead lines, which were on display when she spoke.

'Yes?' the woman asked. 'Mrs. Kesha Williams?' the girl replied with a question. 'That's me. And who are you? Look, if you're with the construction company, I will have you know that I have sued your boss. You don't need to come to me again. Besides, you have caused me enough hassle by making me involve the court,' the woman replied as she began closing the door. 'No no, I think you're mistaken,' the girl replied as she tried to stop Mrs Williams. 'My name is Nada, and I am the lawyer who you emailed your case to.' The older woman's eyes widened, and she began apologising. 'It's fine, I understand,' Nada replied. The woman invited her inside and shut the door behind them.

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The house was huge but rustic from the inside, and it reminded Nada of the late 80s. From the lack of noise, it was evident that the woman lived by herself.

'Make yourself comfortable while I get you something to eat,' the woman offered. 'No, I am fine. I just had breakfast,' was the response. Although just coffee hardly counted as breakfast, it didn't affect the girl. 'I would like to discuss the case if that's okay?' Nada asked the woman. 'Of course!' responded Mrs Williams as she sat opposite the young girl on a sofa.

'I read from the case file that you have already submitted the receipt of the land, then why are they still demolishing your house?' Nada began. 'You see, sweetheart, the receipt is quite old and not in the best condition. Therefore, based on that, the court has decided that I will need to give them another piece of evidence. Ridiculous, right?!' the woman laughed hysterically.

'Do you have more evidence, Mrs Williams?' was Nada's response. 'I might, but with a house this old, it could be anywhere.' 'Mrs Williams, as I am sure you're aware, with houses like these, you have to renew its' lease. I am assuming you are talking about the receipts of these leases as evidence, is that right?' Nada asked. 'Absolutely, we have been paying for these leases for the last 20 years.' 'We?' 'My husband and I. Now he's gone and left me all alone with these idiots to deal with,' the woman replied with a sad tone. 'I am sorry for your loss,' Nada attempted to comfort the older woman. 'Don't be sorry about it; it's life.'

'Do you have any memory of where those leases could be?' Nada asks which caused the woman to enter deep thought. 'I could start with looking in those big suitcases at the back, I guess. But you have to give me more time, dear,' Mrs Williams finally replied. 'Your first hearing is in seven days. Please ensure you find them before that,' Nada informs her. 'That should be okay. I will let you know when I find them, dear.' 'That would be a great help. Thank you, Mrs Williams.'
'No dear, thank you,' the woman replied. Nada smiled and greeted the older woman farewell.

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On the way back, Nada recalled that she needs to do food shopping, therefore, stopped by the supermarket. She entered the shop and grabbed a basket. 'Let's think, what do I need?' she asked herself. 'How about pasta?' With that, she headed towards the different types of pasta. After contemplating for a while, she decided that she wants to make spaghetti. Her hand stretched towards the last packet. However, before she could grab it, someone jumped in.

'I will take that, thanks.'