Alibi
1090 Words
[Hazel]
Arthur, the detective, and I—all of us—hurried after James. He reached the door of the room and threw it open, glaring at Elijah, who was sitting at the table with his cuffed hands resting on the table.
"What’s wrong with you, man?" James demanded, his voice sharp, disbelief lacing his words. He stepped forward, fists clenched, his chest heaving with frustration. "Why aren’t you revealing your whereabouts from yesterday?" His words cut through the tension, anger ricocheting off the sterile walls.
Arthur craned his neck, trying to peer at the file in James’ hands. "What happened?"
"Your grandson isn’t cooperating with the police." James glared at Elijah, his voice clipped with anger. "He refused to state where he was last night." He then looked back at Arthur and added, "Miranda was dead by 3 AM. If we could prove he was somewhere far from the mansion, bail would be a piece of cake."
Arthur turned his attention to me, his sharp gaze piercing through the tension. "Hazel, do you know where he was last night?"
James spun toward me, the lines of his face softening with sudden hope. "Yeah, Hazel. You said you were with him last night," he said, his voice nearly pleading.
The detective interjected, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "We need an alibi for him around 1–3 AM. Were you with him during that time? Together?"
My throat tightened, and my pulse quickened. I knew exactly where Elijah had been, but if Elijah hadn’t said a word about his whereabouts, even though it could be helpful for his case. Then, it means he does not want anyone to know about the hotel incident.
"I... I..." My voice wavered as I wrestled with the decision. My eyes darted to Elijah. His expression was unreadable, but the slight shake of his head was clear—he didn’t want me to say anything.
But Arthur’s gaze bore into me like a scorching beam, his silent demand unmistakable. Torn between loyalty and self-preservation, I blurted out, "He was at the hotel. Silver Arc Hotel."
Elijah shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. His disappointment was crystal clear, and it raised my heartbeat even more, along with anxiety.
Arthur and James, however, exhaled loudly, their relief flooding the tense room.
"At 1–3 AM? How can you be so sure? Were you with him? What were you two doing at that hour?" the detective pressed, his tone sharp with suspicion.
I glanced at Arthur and James, silently pleading for them to intervene. But they simply stared at me expectantly, as though awaiting a climactic revelation.
"Be careful. I don’t want the world to find out about the crisis going on in my personal life. Specifically, about Miranda's affair."
Elijah’s words from the past echoed in my mind, their weight pressing down on me like a vice, tightening with every passing second. The tension curled in my stomach, threatening to make me nauseous as fear gripped my chest. From the moment we uncovered Miranda’s truth, Elijah had been unwaveringly clear—her infidelity was a secret that must remain buried as it would only hurt his grandfather, shame their family, and damage the company’s stock prices.
"We were... uh..." I faltered, my voice shrinking under their scrutiny. My eyes flicked to Elijah, who now covered his face with one hand, visibly frustrated. "I was... sleeping?" The words tumbled out of my mouth while I thought I was saying them in my mind. "I mean... we..." Searching for help, ideas, anything, I looked at Elijah, who was now face-palming, completely embarrassed by my stupidity, which obviously didn’t help me. However, I tried to cook up some nice-sounding lies along with the truth and served them. "We were working on a very important project in our..." I can’t say office. If they check the CCTV, I might be charged with the crime of making a false statement. "I mean... our company’s hotel room. Yeah, and I left at 3:14 AM."
James straightened, his expression calm but assertive. "Case closed. He has an alibi now.” He looked at the detective and raised an eyebrow with a smug expression before he added, "I hope the evidence is authentic now."
“Fine,” The detective let out a long, weary sigh as he uncuffed Elijah.
James hugged Elijah as soon as he stood up, squeezing him tightly. But Elijah remained stiff, his eyes distant and devoid of relief. I could feel his exhaustion even though I wasn't standing as close as James was. He had suffered so much in just a few days—lies, betrayal, heartbreak, death, accusations—so much.
"Grand—" Elijah began, stepping toward Arthur with hesitation, but Arthur raised his hand sharply, halting Elijah mid-step.
"I know you didn’t murder Miranda. I don’t need any evidence for that. But you did kill her. By cheating on her," Arthur said, his voice as cold as the steel in his glare. He folded his arms tightly across his chest. "I’ve read Miranda’s note, Elijah. There, she blamed your infidelity as the reason for her obnoxious decision." Arthur’s jaw tightened, his voice trembling slightly as he continued, "And while your secretary may have cleared your name, she also proved that Miranda’s claim was right. Do you really think I’m that naive? What kind of project requires you to book a private room with your secretary?"
"Ahhhm... Mr. Arthur, trust me. It’s not like that. We are not having an affair," I said quickly, the words tumbling out of my mouth. My palms were damp, and I could feel my voice quivering, betraying my unease.
"Did I ask you?" Arthur yelled, which sent a shiver through my body and clenched my heart as well. Arthur had this strict vibe spreading away, but he had always looked at and talked to me with respect. He trusted my words. But now, it was as if the thing he hates the most is my words. "Since you have such an urge to answer, then answer me, why on earth were you in that room with Elijah? What kind of project were you doing?” He came closer, his eyes filled with rage and disappointment."I was expecting more from a noble lady like you, Hazel. But you just turned out to be a w***e. If it weren’t for you, my granddaughter-in-law would still be alive and happy," he said, indirectly blaming me for Miranda’s suicide.
To be continued...
- Writer
