TST, 2020
Freddie remained on the bench. His mind was thinking about Isla. He condemned himself for being a negligent father. Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time, it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable. His heart was aching. He now realized the value of family and he thought it was too late. It's not what you are, it's what you don't become that hurts.
Someone tapped his shoulder.
“Warden…” Freddie said. He peeked over his watch, an hour had passed. He exhaled. Time was running awfully fast and with every second ticking, he hoped the door would open and doctors would give him some good news. Nothing happened. The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.
“Sir, are you alright?” Warden said.
Freddie looked at the warden. Behind him, two men stood, both in black suits and briefcases swinging on their hands.
“The detectives are here.” Warden said.
“Mr. Freddie, I’m detective Hudson Charles.” The man on the warden’s right side said. He was black, very black. He had a thin body and he looked like he was in his late thirties. One could say he was more a model than a detective.
“This is Greyson Robert, he’s my assistant.” Hudson introduced the man on the left of the warden. Greyson was a bit white, body well-built, maybe in his early thirties.
Freddie extended his hand and shook both their hands.
Hudson opened his briefcase. “We are detectives from—”
“Please gentlemen, spare me your CVs. My daughter is in a bed, comatose. I want the one who poisoned her found.”
“Do you think your daughter has been poisoned?” Hudson said.
“Think?” Freddie chuckled. “Doctors have confirmed it.”
“Why would someone poison your daughter?”
“That’s why I’m hiring you, detective.”
“What if she poisoned herself?”
“Can someone in a coma poison herself?”
“She was in a coma?”
“She had blows with another girl, she fell on her head. She never woke since then.”
Hudson wrote in his notebook. “Why did she fight?”
Freddie sighed. “I didn’t hire you to interrogate me.”
“Sir, we need all information to do this job effectively.”
Freddie exhaled.
“Why was she in a fight?”
“Because of a man…”
“So, this is a love issue?”
Freddie nodded.
“Do you know the man they were fighting for?”
“I chased him out of school.”
“And the girl she fought with?”
“She’s still in school.”
“I’d like to talk to her.”
“No problem.” Freddie turned to the warden. “Please take them to the girl.”
“We need to talk about the cost first, sir.” Hudson said.
“Go find that bitch who wants to kill my daughter before he or she endeavors again. I’ll pay you whatever you want.”