Fan Fiction |
by Mimosa
“If there is no further question, officer, I'd like to get back to my work” Felix said grumpily.
Raymond got up rather apologetically and retreated.
Felix sat immobilized in his chair. The stony expression on his face had faded and replaced by an indescribable contort. The agonizing memory of their mother, which he thought had been well-buried, now just resurfaced and tortured him mercilessly.
Felix got up and crossed the hall to his father’s office. So the police had concluded it was a murder. They had secured the room for two days and had just released it this morning. He lingered at the door for a moment, then pushed it ajar and stepped in. Felix touched the desk, a thin film of dust had had enought time to settle. He looked around, the room was somehow sadly deserted.
Suddenly Felix himself felt so abandoned. He had got this feeling before, the day his mother heartlessly left them to go after her quest of happiness. But Felix and his two baby brothers had at least got the strong arms of their father to cling on then. Now they were left with no one, all alone in the world.
Not quite! He still had his younger brothers. They might, at this very moment, had the same unpleasant feeling of being orphaned.
Felix turned abruptly and left the office. He knew exactly where to find Gallen.
***
Felix pulled over. From where he parked he could spot the young couple on the marble park bench, both appeared lost in conversation. It was the young man who did most of the talking it seemed. The girl tilted her lovely head and occasionally made a remark. Felix watched them for a while, not quite sure if he wanted to interrupt.
As the couple got up, Felix headed toward them.
“Dai gor!” Gallen turned white. He appeared petrified for a split moment, then swiftly stepped up in an attempt to shield Vivian. Gallen could feel Vivian trembling hands clutching on his arm. Vivian wasn't frightened for herself. Her eyes darted around, hoping desperately to find someone or something. The park was empty!
Felix let out a sigh, what had he done to make them this terrified of him? He looked at the girl “Vivian, thank you!”
From behind Gallen’s broad shoulder, a pair of large innocent eyes gazed at Felix in a mixture of astonishment and suspicion. Vivian stuttered: “What… what did you say Mr. Wong?”
“I said thank you!” Felix repeated. He glanced at his brother as if about to say something, but instead addressed Vivian again “I just stop by to say you need to go to work tomorrow if you don’t want to be fired!”
“Thank you, Mr. Wong!” Vivian couldn’t believe her own ears. She tugged Gallen’s sleeve happily. “But I’m truly sorry I hit you with the vase” She added
“Forget it!” Felix said and turned to walk toward his car “Be home for dinner! Mrs. Yung cooks hot pot tonight.”
Gallen stared after Felix’s car. Vivian tugged gently at Gallen's sleeve again “Gallen, what did he say?”
“I can go home tonight, Vivian!” Gallen blinked. He spun round and drew her to his arms “Thank you, Vivian, for everything!”
Vivian’s heart went wild!
***
“Gallen?” A soft female voice whispered in tremor…
***
Raymond flipped slowly through the pages of his note. What had he been missing? From 4 to 8 somebody poisoned the old man… There were only 5 people had the opportunity to do so. The housekeeper- Mrs. Yung, Felix, Gallen, one of his own sisters, and the old secretary – Mr Tong.
What would be the motive? Money? Raymond had just checked with the lawyer. The terms of the will were all straight-forward and above-board. The house went to Felix, two trust funds for Gallen and Roger. 60% of Antex went to Felix, and the rest was equally divided between the younger two. A very generous allowance was left for Mrs. Yung the housekeeper. This last item puzzled Raymond… But he could come back and check on this. So Mrs. Yung, Felix, and Gallen had the equal motive of killing the old man for money.
Now who would be in urgent need for money? Felix seemed to be out of the picture, since Antex was doing just fine. Well, there was of course the possibility of some embezzlement and the need to hush thing up… Mrs. Yung probably didn’t know about the money left for her. Not to mention at her age and with no children of her own, she would preferred to be able to stay at the Wongs. Gallen, now, with no real career in hand plus his extravagant way of living, he might very well in need of money… Now see what the bad boy was up to… Raymond flipped feverishly through the file. Gambling? No. Drug? No. Drunk-and-drive? Ha, one record. That was it! Hmmm, he might as well be a clever one and got all his tracked well-covered. He might be in deep water with gambling. But if Gallen was clever, then why didn’t he get an alibi that night? Why did he still show up at the office?
And then that Mr. Tong, the secretary of the victim, bugged Raymond with his peculiar sweetness as he talked about Mrs. Wong. Felix’s curtness at the mention of his mother also troubled Raymond. Raymond’s instinct urged him to find out more about this Barbara Yung…
And what was that with his two sisters?
Raymond threw the file back onto the desk and pinched his nose. His cell phone rang…
“Hester?”
“It’s Jess. Ray, I need to talk to you!”
“Perfect!” Raymond glanced at his wrist watch. “I meant to talk to you since last night but..”
“Come down to the parking lot, will you?” His sister cut him short “I’ll buy you lunch!”
At the mention of the word lunch his stomach grumbled. Raymond winked and rushed out.
“Ray, it wasn’t Hester who came to the Wong residence that night!”
Raymond’s hand stopped momentarily in midair as he was reaching for the seatbelt. He had suspected this. Some strangers like Mrs. Yung would not be able to tell his twin sisters apart. They were identical twin. Friends and relatives told them apart by the way they talk. Hester was light-hearted to the point of childish sometimes. Jessica was always serious.
“Why didn't you just tell me so?”
“I was in shock! You said it was a murder case.” Jessica murmured as she maneuvered the car out of the lot
“It is a murder case!” Raymond cried loudly “Why the hell did you go there for? Don’t tell me you’re dating Gallen!”
“No, I’m not!” Jessica swallowed “Gallen is supposed to date Hester”
“What the heck?” Raymond jerked his head sharply “Hester is dating Roger for God’s sake! I saw them together… Look out!”
Jessica had just missed the other car by a second…