The Silent Murderer Part III

"I'm sorry for all the trouble my partner here has caused," Martin bowed his head in straight 90 degrees position. "If there is anything I can do to make up for her rash behavior earlier, please tell me." Normally this kind of apology might sound like a desperate attempt of trying to swept sins under the rug but Martin sincerity and his innocent eyes conveyed the apology perfectly.

Being stubborn and being indifferent were two different things. Henry being the first, he knew that he was at fault back when he was angry with Maestra but his pride did not allow him to be the one who apologize first. "Young man, your words are certainly true to some extent and I know there is no lie in what you say but..." Henry clenched his fist. "How could I forgive that cold woman who dare treating me like senile old man!? Not only that, she was also the one who provoked me to fight!""Wait, is that true Maestra? Are you that immature to the point of picking fight with veteran?" Martin gaze looked straight at Maestra who in response turned away her head from his gaze like a sulking child.Assessing the current information, Martin tried to change his approach. "I see where the problem lies. She must be asking you information about the identity of the victim there but being a temperamental and overall indifferent to others, she must have interrogated you in not so pleasant way.""That's in fact all correct," said Henry.Maestra wanted to rebuke Henry statement but Martin stopped her before she could speak. "I see that she was at fault but what she said might not be necessarily wrong. After all, I know you must have an attachment to the victim but you need to let go of it for a bit. Please, help us in the investigation so you too can rest at ease after knowing all the fact," Martin swinged his bowed body up and down. "Please help us in uncovering this mystery. I'm sure it's what your family would want." A little hint of tear could be seen on Martin's eyes."Fine, just stop your crying and bowing," Henry said as he lifted Martin and made him stand straight. "A young man like you ought to stand tall in this cruel world."***"I see so that's how it is," Martin uttered in understanding tone. "What do you think Maestra? This looks like a murder but there is also a high chance it being an accident."Maestra swang her ponytail back and forth, sinking herself deep in sea of thought. "Just to make it clear, I will explain my thought process," Maestra said as she jumped and stood on top of the park bench.She walked in one place collecting her thought before she faced her two audience. "So, yesterday at midnight, a certain old man and his wife was having a fight for stupid reason," her arm took punching stance, signifying the abused that happen. "As it stands, the old man was too unbearable that his wife decided to left him alone."Her walk had become slower and her body shivered for a bit. "The piercing cold of winter combined with the pitch-black night was surely enough to dissuade anyone from going outside but the wife did not care about that, her only thought was getting away from her drunken husband.""Here in this very spot," she tapped the bench that she stood on. "Her favorite spot in park, she decided to maybe wait for an hour or so until her domestic situation became calmer. However, ..." Maestra eyes became more serious. "She never went home and her dead body was found, in ironic twist of fate, by her husband on the following day buried sloppily under oak tree that is located just across this bench," her sharp eyes was looking at Henry, this time she was the one gauging his reaction."The only clue we have is that branch over there," she pointed at the huge oak branch next to the bench. "That branch is huge enough to kill someone with enough momentum plus the bloodstain near it, I'm sure means what we all think. That branch is undoubtedly the causes of death, the deformed shape of the victim skeleton is enough for me to conclude that her death is caused by blunt trauma.""If so, then is it a murder or just an accident?" interjected Martin."Well, that is not my problem," Maestra jumped down from the bench, landing on straight feet. "I already solved this case and I found it to be too boring. Let's go home Martin, I have much better thing to do anyway." Maestra walked away to the park entranced ignoring, once again, the people in front of her.Martin lifted his shoulder to Maestra enigmatic response, after all those months working for her, this has been a daily occurrence. He could be seen making a small talk to Henry and gave him a candy for consolation before he started to run toward Maestra."Geez, I still can't understand you," Martin declared as he now walked to the bus stop with Maestra with harmonious pacing. "For what reason do you have to do that? Every witness is a potential new client and back then you just utterly destroyed the relationship to our potential money maker," his face showed annoyance."It's a bother to think about it. After all, why would I pay you if you can't even handle situation like that?" Martin's question was countered by another question, this time one that attacked him personally. "Besides that, it's for greater good that we leave for now.""For now? So, you are planning to go back to a case that you deemed boring, that's rare, maybe today I just won a lottery," the sarcastic tone of Martin's voice was apparent. Being an errand boy for a human who could not be comprehended was something that took toll after a while. Tired, he looked at Maestra with a serious eye. "Just tell me what you've found. I know you're not the type to abandoned case in the middle like this.""Looks like that brain of yours do work after all. You see..." Maestra voice became a faint whisper. "There is a murderer among the staff, it was no accident. What's more, the robbery case that I read this morning, it happened exactly at midnight during the murder of Alexa, Henry's wife."