“Thank you, Mr. Green, for the meal.”
“You're welcome Jeffrey. I hope you enjoyed your meal?”
“Yes I did. Did you prepare it yourself, or you bought it?” the excited Jeffrey, who was not aware of the bad news that awaited him.
“I will leave that to your guess,” Mr. Green teased, and they laughed hysterically. Afterward, tension returned to the study. Mr. Green waited for his questions, but since he did not ask, he decided to initiate one, “Did you take your prescriptions?”
“Oh! Where are the drugs, please?”
“They are in the guest room.”
“Okay,” he said, and left for the guest room. He returned afterward, and sat on the single seat beside Mr. Green, and announced, “I have taken my drugs.”
“That is good.”
Now, another silence ensued. He would rather not keep him in suspense for too long, so he went straight to business.
“Jeffrey,” he called out soberly.
“Yes, Mr. Green.”
“Why do you think your driver had not shown up to now?”
Now, Jeffrey flared up the moment he mentioned his driver and poured out his mind, "I don't care any more about him. He was aware that my phone was in the car, yet he chose to abandon me. Tomorrow morning, I will go home by myself.”
Mr. Green, who expected such reaction, asked again, "What about your dad? Why had he not checked on you?”
“He must be out of town on a business trip, and I am certain that he must have tried my number severally but could not reach me,” he defended his father.
Nevertheless, Mr. Green looked into his eyes, and advised, "Prepare for a shock, Jeffrey.”
Now, Jeffery was perplexed. Notwithstanding, Mr. Green brought out the morning newspaper and handed it over to him. Jeffrey collected it and gave him a questioning look,
before looking at the newspaper. He looked at the newspaper date before reading the caption. Afterward, he opened the paper, and looked at the picture in the middle of the newspaper. Howbeit, he saw only the skeleton of the car.
Now, tears were dripping freely from his eyes. He held the armrest of the single seat and cried his eyes out. Mr. Green allowed him to cry to his satisfaction. After a while, he said, in between tears.
“Mr. Edward Murray must be responsible for this.”
Now, Mr. Green feigned surprised.
'He seemed to know more than I know,' he thought, and that would make his work easier.
“Why did you think so?” He asked, feigning ignorance. Then, Jeffrey began to explain.
“I usually give Jessica, his daughter, a ride home every day. We will take her to her house before we proceed to ours because my driver knew her house very well. The father was aware of that gesture, too. Yesterday, she hesitated before showing up after school. When she finally arrived, she was aloof. I thought it was because I tried to…”
He paused and looked at Mr. Green, who urged him,
“Yes? Go on.”
“I tried to kiss her,” he informed, and looked at him again, but he was expressionless. Jeffrey could not see from his face whether he was right or wrong by setting out to kiss her, but he continued, “Afterward, she said; 'my dad had sent my driver to pick me up. He is already on his way, and I will wait for him'. I did not attempt to persuade her. I bade her farewell and joined my driver. As soon as we drove off, your call came. So, I asked him to make a detour to your house and requested him to pick me up by four pm.”
He stopped suddenly and looked at Mr. Green with his teary eyes and continued, “From the time and where my driver was bombed, it meant it happened a few minutes after he left me at your place.”
Now, Mr. Green was interrogating him as though he was of the Criminal Investigation Department, while Jeffrey was a suspect. Then, he continued, “Why do you think Mr. Edward Murray asked his daughter to stay away from your car?”
“Because he wanted to kill my driver. He had already planned it.”
At that moment, Mr. Green chuckled and inquired, “Why would he want to kill your driver?”
Now, he gave Mr. Green a bewildered look, and asked, “Could I be his target? Oh! He thought I was in the car. Does Mr. Murray want me dead?”
Meanwhile, he was filled with fright. Mr. Green, who wanted him to discover the truth on his own, continued, “Why do you think he wanted to kill you?”
“He wants to hurt my dad because of the business feud they had.”
Now, Mr. Green was astounded with the epiphany he got from him. In that case, his instinct was right. He saw dragging innocent children into a corporate feud as barbaric.
Now, Jeffrey was already sweating. He observed that he had not sneezed at all since they began their discussion. That meant that he was almost healed completely, and he was delighted with that.
At that moment, the problem that Mr. Green had, was how to break the news of Jessica's death to him. From his understanding, it seemed that they had something going on between them. Then, he gave him a smile to calm him down. Unfortunately, he did not smile back, but Mr. Green continued, “Why did you try to kiss Jessica?”
Now, Jeffrey put his head down and kept mute. Meanwhile, Mr. Green continued, and encouraged him to open up.
“I learned that she is a beautiful girl. Loving her is not a bad idea.”
Now, Jeffrey was as bold as a proud hunter, who was able to hunt down the stubborn animal other hunters could not kill. Then, he gave an honest answer, “I tried to kiss her because I loved her, and I was aware that she loved me too.”
“That's good. Don't you think that your dad thought you were killed along with your driver?”
Now, Jeffrey was worried and began to tear up again. Then he admitted, “I think so, and he must have tried to get across to me. I must try and see him soon because he must be distraught by now.”
At this instance, Mr. Green sympathized with his Innocence. Then, he continued by moving at his pace while thinking of the appropriate words to use.
“From what you know about your dad, if he discovered that Mr. Murray had killed his only child and his successor, what do you think he would do?”
Now, the startled Jeffrey declared without reservation. “I know my dad, he would not spare any member of the Murray's family. Let get across to my dad, before he does anything stupid.”
Now, Mr. Green rubbed and shook his head before he brought out the afternoon paper, and handed it over to him. Then he indicated, “Your suggestion is nice, but it is already late.”
Now, Jeffrey glanced through the headline and wept profusely and could not control himself. Then, Mr. Green pulled him to his embrace and allowed him to cry, and restrained him from attracting the other members of staff.
“It is almost midnight, and sounds fly faster at night. Put your voice down. If Mr. Murray discovers that you are still living while his daughter is dead, he will track you down and kill you. I know that you don't want that.”