Investigation Diaries

  • 30 Jul - 05 Aug, 2022
  • Salaar Laghari
  • Fiction

‘No, I haven’t figured out his identity.’

Answering him Nigel immediately leaves.

An hour later, Nigel was sitting in a hotel having his breakfast. He talks to himself:

‘Mr Driscoll is quite smart, he hides himself from world sometimes without wearing disguises.’

He continues having a breakfast and then he thinks about Uncle Simon who might be the person involved with Willy. The only reason he was now suspecting him was because he had kept away the security cameras. Therefore, he makes a phone call to him right away dialing his cell number,

‘Hello, Nigel?’ Mr Simon replies after receiving the call.

‘Yes, uncle I had to talk to you.’

‘Before that I need to tell you something first.’

‘What is it?’ Nigel asks curiously.

‘There’s another clue for you if you’re looking for the culprit.’

‘Really? What is it?’

‘I didn’t knew about it, but

the guards of Burlington had hidden another camera,

it has a video clip of that

night’s scene.’

‘Really? Did you see that video?’ Nigel asks getting excited.

‘Not exactly, the guards haven’t given me the video clip yet. They’re saying they’ll give me by tomorrow.’

‘Okay uncle, when you get that video, then please call me as I have to see that video at any cost.’

‘Okay, calm down, you’ll get it.’

They have a little more conversation, and then they turn off their calls.

Nigel stands up and leaves the hotel, realising that his uncle was completely innocent because he was not hiding the video clip. However, he makes another phone call to the detective, the detective answers the call:

‘Yes Nigel, how was it?’

‘How was what?’ Nigel asks pretending as if he didn’t know what he was talking about.

‘How was my act of being a news reporter?’

‘Look, I have something better to talk about. My uncle said he almost found the video clip of that night’s assassination.’

‘It must have been taken from the hidden street cameras.’

‘Yes, how did you know?’ Nigel asks getting a little surprised.

‘It’s my experience, I’ve seen this in many cases.’

‘Anyways, I want to tell you

that I’m sure that my uncle’s innocent, he’s not involved

with Willy.’

‘Oh yeah, well, I have a news for you too. I’ve figured out

who is Willy.’

‘Really, who is he?’

‘You want me to tell you or you can solve this mystery yourself.’

‘I want to…’ Nigel says thinking about him, ‘can you give me a hint or something?’

‘I received his call, the day you met me for the first time.’

‘…Wait, I think I know. It was someone with name Wilson…’

‘Wilson Rodger,’ Arthur replies, ‘he was behind your father’s murder.’

‘Do you know him?’

‘I’ll tell you other details after you’ll arrive here.’

‘Okay, I’ll see you today in evening.’

Nigel ends his call and then thinks about Wilson Rodger, he realises that the case was getting interesting now. In his mind he cancels the name of all the suspects he had made earlier, as he had finally identified the culprit.

Someone Around You

Meanwhile, Arthur was in his room, he had the dagger in front of him, which had been used for stabbing Mr. Steve Dahl. He was also examining the yellow paper sent by Willy. He was saying to himself:

‘Wilson Rodger…Willy!’

His doorbell disturbs his thoughts. He stands up and leaves his room to see.

A moment later, Nigel and Arthur were both sitting in his room. Arthur tells Nigel:

‘I have figured out that it’s Wilson. Because when I went to his house last time, his wife Jill used to call him Willy.’

‘Oh, that’s good. I mean it’s good that we’re close to him, but my purpose is not him, I want the assailant.’

‘Don’t worry. We’ll catch him after we’re done with Wilson Rodger. Because only Wilson knows who was hired by him to do this.’

‘Well, you’re right’ Nigel replies, ‘but I’m glad that the three suspects: uncle Simon, Kim R. and Oliver are no more of my concern, because no one among them is the culprit.’

Arthur looks at him giving a strange expression, and then laughs out loudly. Nigel feels uncomfortable and a little scared. However, he says:

‘What happened sir? Was it something I said?’

‘Let me tell you something you weren’t expecting. You have seen this guy Wilson Rodger with your own eyes.’

‘What do you mean? I never saw him, I just heard his voice that day on phone call. And I hardly remember it, because it was too vague.’

‘Okay…now listen to me very carefully,’ Arthur says getting closer, ‘you know this guy Wilson Rodger with a false name and identity…you’ve seen Wilson Rodger but according to you his name was something else.’

‘Wait a minute, hold on,’ Nigel says getting confused, ‘you’re telling me that Wilson Rodger is someone around me, whom I know as a different person.’

‘Yes exactly, that’s why I’m telling you that you’re not supposed to leave behind your suspects.’

‘You’re right sir, but I don’t suspect my uncle to be Wilson Rodger, because he’s my father’s brother with Dahl as a second name.’

‘Sure, he must not be Wilson Rodger, but if his story of that night proves to be a lie then he may be an assailant hired by Wilson Rodger,’

Nigel gets alarmed. Arthur says to him slowly:

‘Mark my words, Wilson Rodger is someone around you and tell me how can you recognise a culprit who has been pulling a wool over your eyes?’

‘Gerard,’ Nigel says immediately, the first name that comes to his mind. ‘No, he can’t be it or maybe he is.’

‘Look Nigel, as far as I’ve tried, the possible truth according to me is that Wilson Rodger is playing a game with you or your step mother by sending typed letters.’

‘I’m not afraid, I’ll catch him,’ Nigel says. ‘But can you tell me one thing. Is Wilson Rodger among my suspects?’

‘Look Nigel, I can’t tell you that,’ Arthur replies gently, ‘you know why I’m not telling you this. It’s because you wanted to solve mysteries yourself, today you have an opportunity to find your father’s culprit. I have no problem at all with exposing Wilson Rodger, but if I do so then it will be useless. So, it’s better for you to find him on your own without any hints from my side.’

‘Well, you are quite right sir. Okay, I have one last question; I need this to be answered. Am I alone unaware of Wilson Rodger’s identity or everyone is?’

‘You’re alone, that’s what tells me that he is playing hide and seek with you.’

‘I see…’

‘But Nigel,’ Arthur says getting concerned. ‘There’s one thing more important in every case. A motive, I need that. I need to figure out why Wilson Rodger killed your father. He wanted revenge or something personal? That’s what I need to know.’

Nigel looks at the dagger and he gets a very strange feeling as something weird comes in his mind. Arthur keeps the dagger away and says:

‘I know what’s in your mind, everyone feels like this when they see the weapon that was used for killing someone special in their life.’

‘No, sir it’s not that, I’ve seen it before. I just don’t remember where, but I think I’ve seen this knife before my father’s assassination.’

‘Really? Are you sure?’

‘I’m not sure, but anyways it’s time for me to catch Wilson Rodger. So, that he can tell me who the assailant was.’

‘Okay but who’s your first suspect as Wilson Rodger?’

‘Oliver because he’s the only male in my suspect list,’

Nigel replies.

‘Don’t think that your culprit can’t be a female, because it can be Mrs Wilson Rodger as well.’

‘Mrs… But according to my suspects there was only one female, Ma’am Kim R.’

‘Kim R. the second name comes from R.’

Nigel gets an idea in his mind that it could be Kim R. because of her second name starting from R. He asks Arthur:

‘Kim Rodger, you mean her husband was behind this.’

‘Look Nigel, I told you it’s useless for you if I give you a clue.’

‘Okay, I’m leaving for her house.’

Nigel immediately moves out and leaves his home.

Nigel meets Kim R.

That evening, Nigel didn’t went home and went straight to his stepmother Stephanie’s home. He had to get information about Ma’am Kim therefore he stayed for long. And after having supper at her place, he asks her on dining table,

‘Do you know Ma’am Kim?’

‘Of course,’ Stephanie replies.

‘Good but do you know her full name…’

‘I’m sorry, I don’t know that but the bad news is that she and her husband are coming here tomorrow.’

‘They are, well that’s not a bad news then it’s a good news for me.’

‘Why is that?’ Stephanie asks.

‘I have to do a little inquiry regarding my father’s death.’

‘Oh, please don’t remind me that,’ she says closing her eyes about to weep. ‘23rd of July, time around twelve o’ clock, he was secretly assassinated.

I will never forget that time.’

‘I know, we won’t be able to forget that, but we will catch Wilson Rodger eventually.’

‘Wilson Rodger?’

‘Yes, he’s the culprit who is pulling wool over my eyes.’

‘Oh boy, I almost forgot to tell you this,’ she says taking out something and giving it to Nigel.

‘What’s this?’ Nigel asks seeing a yellow paper, ‘another letter, what does it say?’

‘You can read it the same thing is written in a typed form.’

‘It means someone’s using a typewriter, isn’t it?’

‘But Nigel what do you want from Kim?’

‘I’m sorry to disturb you,

but I’ll be staying at your place for one night today.’

‘Sure, no problem,’ Stephanie replies not liking this.

She doesn’t ask why he wanted to stay but allows him to

spend a night.

However, next day at eight o clock in the morning, Nigel wakes up and eats his breakfast with Stephanie. During the breakfast, he asks her:

‘When is Kim coming here?’

‘Must be on her way…’

‘Why are you disappointed with her arrival? I mean yesterday you said that it’s a bad news for you.’

‘Well, I owe her a large amount of money,’ she replies stressfully, ‘your father never told you the true reason behind his rivalry with Kim. Before establishing that industry, your father took a huge amount of loan from Kim and never returned it back to her. This was the reason why Kim was always against his progresses.’

‘Oh, my god!’ Nigel says getting stunned, ‘I never knew this…’

The bell rings, Stephanie stands up to go and see the gate.

A minute later, Stephanie and Nigel were sitting in the living room next to Ma’am Kim and her husband, who was younger than her. Nigel was continuously staring at Kim’s husband as he had a complete doubt on

him of being Wilson Rodger.

Nigel straight away asks Kim:

‘Ma’am, what’s your complete name?’

‘Why are you asking?’ she replies feeling absurd.

‘Why are you hiding?’

‘Kim Rooney,’ her husband replies, ‘and I’m Landon Rooney, do you have any idea how much loss we’re suffering because of your father’s death.’

‘Loss?’ Nigel asks confusingly.

‘Your father died and took away our one million dollars with him. Now we have no legal authority to get back our own sum of money from you or your mother. Tell us, is this ok that we are not allowed to have our right?’

‘Then, why are you here if you don’t have legal authority?’ Stephanie asks.

‘We’re here to beg from you,’ Kim replies, ‘this is what you always wanted?’

‘Wait, I just don’t get one thing,’ Nigel asks Landon, ‘how come you don’t have this authority

to get back your money?’

‘Ask your father’s lawyer,’

he replies.

Nigel remains silent and all his doubts are removed as he realises that they were suffering a big loss because of his father’s death, which proved that they couldn’t be behind the assassination. And besides Kim’s husband’s name was Landon.

The Type Writer

Now Nigel was at his home, seeing the yellow letter. He remembers what detective told him:

‘You know this guy Wilson Rodger with a false name and identity…’

After concentrating on these words he says in his own thoughts:

‘Does this mean that Mr Landon was faking his identity…I’m not sure how come that’s possible, when he and his wife were suffering a loss from my father’s death?’

However, he also remembers that when he met Mr Driscoll for the first time, while he was masked and unexposed, Mr Driscoll and Wilson Rodger talked on phone something about Wilson Rodger’s wife. He immediately makes a phone call to Arthur and the call is answered after a while:

‘Hello, Nigel?’

‘Sir, I need to ask you something about Wilson Rodger…’

‘Okay, go on…’

‘What were you talking with Wilson Rodger that day when we first time met?’

‘Oh yeah, he was asking about his wife’s suicide note, so I replied that I tore it away…’

‘Oh, okay thank you,’ Nigel says ending his call.

to be continued...

RELATED POST

COMMENTS