3- Detective Vaughn Parker

3.

 

“It was the first time after so many years that Mrs. Rehman showed up. It was a shock to him but it apparently made Eliza very happy. So, He was happy too”, Just like this the whole case was explained to Detective Vaughn Parker, a fair man with a healthy physique and a square mustache by a Captain Shepperd.

This incomplete story kept on wandering with a curious sting to it in the mind of Vaughn as for further information that he craved for, he walked his way to his cabin where Mr. Ross Denver had been waiting.

“Hello Mr. Denver, I am Detective Vaughn Parker. I‘ll be the man for handling your case. I’d like to know more than you told Captain, like the things happened after” Simultaneously the detective settled on his chair behind the desk.

“So, what happened the next day?” asked Detective Vaughn. “I mean when did you exactly leave for your trip to Chicago?” Detective Vaughn added.

“I already had my booking at a hotel in Chicago. I flew out on Sunday morning” Ross replied looking down in frustration.

“That would be the same day your wife Eliza and son Hamid went to stay with Mrs. Amila Rehman. Is that right Mr. Denver?” Detective Vaughn enquired.

“Yeah, Eliza called me right before leaving for her mother’s place”, Ross said as a worrisome look on his face carries.

“What did she exactly say Mr. Denver?”

Anxiety was taking a toll on Ross. He was too exhausted and worried for all of this, which caused him to lose it.

“What does that even have to do with my family missing?” Ross loudly asked in exasperation and anger.

“Listen Mr. Denver, I need to know every detail. That is how it works. So, I cannot find your family unless you cooperate’ Vaughn stated calmly. “If you want me to help then you must help me first.”

Ross sighed. “I am really sorry. I just want my family back, man” he said in an effort to maintain his composure.

“I can totally understand Mr. Denver but you have to trust me. I want to help you”, Detective Vaughn tried to convince him for his own good then walked towards the coffee machine to fetch him a cup. He figured that would help him stay alert.

 

A sip of coffee helped Ross gulp down some of the excruciating pain he was going through. Not knowing the whereabouts of his wife and son for a day now was ceaselessly pushing him deeper into a swirl of depression and melancholy. Ross took a deep breath.

“She said that her mom had come to pick them up so she was leaving for her place now and would be back before me”.

Meanwhile Detective Vaughn sat on the edge of the table facing Ross and continued to ask questions in order to get some lead from where he could start as he had the same curiosity.

“Then why were you driving straight to your mother in law’s place to pick them up when she told you that she’d be back before you?”, Vaughn asked.

“I tried to call at home but it went straight to the answering machine every time, so I figured that she was still at her mother’s house”, Ross said. “That’s why I headed straight to there. I even tried to contact Mrs. Rehman but her phone was switched off”

Detective Vaughn sighed ‘Yeah"""

“Then you reached Mrs. Rehman’s place and found it abandoned. There was no one at the house. Am I right?”, Detective Vaughn confirmed.

“The place was wrecked, burnt to the ground. There was just one other house in the neighborhood, the old man who lives there told me about Mr. Hamid Rehman, he is my wife’s father.”

“He told me that Mr. Rehman got caught up in fire and died, but that was three years ago; whereas his wife had made it made out alive” he added.

“You are telling me that Mr. Hamid Rehman as per those old neighbors got burnt to death, and he’s been dead for three years now?” Detective Vaughn asked with a skeptical look on his face.

“But…you told me that Mrs. Rehman mentioned something about a cardiac arrest he had?” detective Vaughn further asked.

“Yes, that’s what I believed till I met that old couple from the neighborhood” Ross explained.

“Why would she lie about something like that?” Vaughn murmured, more to himself than to Ross.

“She could have straight away told Eliza the truth, I know. She might have hid it because she wanted the news to go easy on Eliza as she did not want to make it worse for her” Ross said hopefully.

‘I was thinking the same thing. In fact I thought Mrs.Rehman hid it because she wanted the news to go easy on Eliza as she did not want to make it worse for her’ Ross said hopefully.

‘But""""

“But…”

“That old man’s wife volunteered herself to burst my bubble and told me something I regret hearing” Ross further added, looking right into the eyes of Detective Vaughn.

“What did the old lady tell you?” asked Detective Vaughn.

“She told me that the fire that cost Mr. Rehman’s life three years ago was not actually an accident” Ross replied. “She said that Mrs. Rehman was responsible for his death”

“And…How do you know she wasn’t lying?” Detective Vaughn countered. 

“They seemed like a respectable couple…in their late 80’s. I don’t see why they would bother lying and even if they were, I don’t give a rat’s a*s”

“But… It is one of my major concerns, Mr. Denver” Vaughn said returning to Ross’s defiant stare. “You see, if your mother-in-law could be diabolical enough to manage to set her own husband on fire, I am afraid she could have done anything to her daughter”

Detective Vaughn stood silently and started walking toward the window. Ross couldn’t drink any more of his coffee; he put the half-empty cup back on the table then looked over at Vaughn, expecting him to continue further, because none of these things made sense to him.

Detective Vaughn placed his hand on the shelf beneath the glass window, looking outside.

“Apparently we have no trace of Mrs. Rehman either” Vaughn murmured. He suddenly turned to Ross.

“If we can manage to find Mrs. Rehman, we will be able to find a way to your wife and son as well’ Vaughn concluded. 

“By the way, how does that old lady know about Mrs. Rehman’s involvement in the fire that killed her husband?” Vaughn asked curiously.

Ross looked into Vaughn’s eyes.

“I don’t know. I was not in a position to ask any more questions” Ross said. “I was worried sick and just extremely anxious” He added as a tear ran down his face. Vaughn walked over to pat him on the back.

“I understand what you are going through Mr. Denver but you must not lose hope” he said to the desperate husband and father, gazing at him with hopeless eyes.

“The investigation is now open. You go back home, try to get yourself some rest and I’ll keep you informed”, the detective added, putting his right hand Ross’s shoulder to comfort him from the agony he was facing.

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Ross said. “I was worried sick and just extremely anxious” He added as a tear ran down his face. Vaughn walked over to pat him on the back.

“I understand what you are going through Mr. Denver but you must not lose hope” he said to the desperate husband and father, gazing at him with hopeless eyes.

“The investigation is now open. You go back home, try to get yourself some rest and I’ll keep you informed”, the detective added, putting his right hand Ross’s shoulder to comfort him from the agony he was facing.


Interesting turn of events, built up interestingly too, liking it

best wishes