TST
Leo was taken to the warden’s office, not as a student but as a criminal. He had to sleep there till morning. Things seemed weird to him. He thought about the eccentric men he saw earlier in the night. He thought about the forbidden library, a place effusively guarded every second. But at the time of the fire, no one was around the library. He thought about Isla. What was she doing in the forbidden library? Peculiarly, she was alone… late at night. He thought something anomalous was going on.
The first person to enter the office in the morning was warden. He wasn’t wearing his official dresses as he normally, he was in sports outfits.
“I knew you were after something since the first day I met you?” warden snapped after sitting
“I know you hate me”
Warden chuckled, “I hate those who are against laws”
“Didn’t do anything”
“Give me five reasons to believe that”
“I was in my room… saw fire exploding, that’s why I ran to the place”
Warden crossed his arms, “wanted to be a superman? Putting off the fire by yourself”
“I─”
“Did you scream or report anywhere?”
Leo breathed heavily. Warden’s face was flushed
“Why were you running away?”
“I wasn’t running, I was saving myself”
Warden sipped his coffee, stood, and walked around the office for five minutes. He sat and gazed at Leo, “Okay, let’s start afresh”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Your job is to retort my questions”
“Where were the guards when the library was burning?”
Warden gave a glazed look, “That’s none of your business”
“You should be interrogating them, not me”
“Who are you to choose who I interrogate?”
“You are being dogmatic”
Warden stood up, “Answer my questions!”
“Have told you─”
“What did you take from the library?”
“Nothing”
Warden leaned on the table, “Fine! Did you see anyone when you got there?”
Leo gasped, dodging warden’s eyes “I didn’t─”
Warden pounded the table, “LIAR!!”
Leo sighed
Warden called the school guards, “Lock him in the school cell… make sure no one comes visiting him. Search his entire room and see if you can find any clue. Let’s see for how long he will keep that mouth of his shut.”
**********
Rachel entered into Leo’s room. It was wholly a mess, everything was wrecked. She started arranging the room when she heard Leo’s phone buzzing.
“Hello” she whispered at a low tone
“You Leo?” replied the woman on the other side
“No, you can talk to me”
“A man called Benjamin Benson is under the Intensive Care Unit at Muhimbili hospital. Tell him to come soon"
“What happened?”
“He’ll know when he gets there”
“I’m sorry but─”
The phone was aborted.