A MATTER OF TIME

Papers were placed on the desk before him. Though he could not reach them, circumstances made it so.

“We have everything,” the man in a dark blue suit said as he adjusted the chair.

“Will you talk?” he asked him.

The man was wearing a red t-shirt.

“We were four of us…”

***

The four of them, friends since infinite walked down the road. With them, they had a stick, one they got from a coconut tree. It was actually a branch which they had improvised themselves to look like a stick.

Over the years they had become experts in their field. They knew the trade very well and confident were they. Deep within them they knew what they wanted and to all length they will go to get it.

There was an opening on the fence. One held for the others to pass through and then he too was held for to get inside. Everything checked out. Their timing was perfect. They knew that the owner had gone for lunch. It was 1:00 P.M.

The one that looked greener with many leaves was the target. They crisscrossed here and there until they found one.

“This one is it,” the gentleman with a red t-shirt said.

The group had no leader. The rule was that the first to talk on any adventure took charge. The one with the red t-shirt being the beginner of speaking took the lead.

With the stick, they tried to get hold of one, but unsuccessful were they. One of them volunteered to climb to fall them down.

Immediately after he was up, he saw.

“Raise up your hands,”

They all looked to their back to see whom it was. It was the old man and they knew him very well to be the owner. He had a short gun.

“So you are the thieves that steal from me. Now, walk.”

The three started walking, whereto, they knew not. They prayed for the best. Even thieves believe in God.

***

The man in a dark blue suit asked, “What happened next?”

The other man in a red t-shirt continued narrating.

We were taken to a store room, where the fruits were kept and our hands tied.

The old man then took a belt that was near and went to work, beating us mercilessly. Out of the blues, three minutes later, he touched his chest, stepped back a little then fell to the grounds that had sacks.

“How did you escape and come out yet you were tied?”

“Remember I told you that one of us climbed up the fruit tree. That was the one who came much later to help. It was 3:30 P.M by then.

“Did you take away any paws paws?”

“No we did not,”

“Then why were you only seen outside the farm at 4:30 P.M by the CCTV cameras on the road?”

“We tried helping the old man,”

“So you now became angels, any proof?”

“The farm has CCTV cameras everywhere?”

Nothing came out from the man in a dark blue suit. He was quiet. He did not know of that angle, it was a new lead, he had to check it out. He walked out of the interrogation room. As a detective, he had a duty to accomplish. Who killed the old man? 

Photo by MARCIN CZERNIAWSKI on Unsplash