Part 2 of 3
It's 3 days later, Fidel and Dwayne are drinking coffees in the break area, relaxing after securing and storing all the reports and files and evidence. Once again, the Chief has cracked the case in jig time. "He's keeping a perfect record," Fidel says with pride, "and he was right again."
Dwayne lowers his mug, a petulant look on his face, "Yeah? Well, don' forget I wuz right too!"
Fidel blinks, "You were? About what?"
Dwayne frowns, "About Michelle. I knew she didn' do it an' I wuz right."
Fidel laughs, "Oh, but you just said she was too pretty to be a murderer…"
Dwayne nods emphatically, "Yes aye, an' I wuz right! The Chief took almost a whole day t' come t' the same conclusion but I knew it jest like that!" and he snaps his fingers.
Fidel sits back with a contemplative look and muses for a few moments before murmuring, "So, with your keen police eye, you know instantly when a woman is innocent?"
Dwayne slaps the table, "Yes mon, I always know, me!" He slurps his coffee to prove his point.
Fidel looks up to the ceiling, "I see. So… what about Mrs. Talbot?"
Dwayne blinks, lowers his mug, "Whut? Whut 'bout her? She didn' kill Mr. Talbot…"
"No, but it was sheer dumb luck that she didn't! She shot at him twice at close range, one bullet grazing his temple. Half an inch to the left and she would have been the murderer."
Dwayne fumes, "Yeah, but she never handled a gun before an'…"
Fidel points a stern finger, "What about Angelique Morel? She had YOU fooled, didn't she? You believed her frame up for the Headmaster, right?"
Dwayne looks irked, "Yeah but… I mean… she wuz a sick old woman! Whoda suspected HER?"
Fidel crosses his arms with satisfaction, "We both know who. The Chief! Annndddd..." he lets the word draw out as if relishing what he's going to say next. Dwayne leans forward, eyes wary, waiting. Fidel grins and finishes the sentence, "… what about Lily?"
Ten minutes later their boss walks in on a heated argument. As DI Poole lays his briefcase down, he barks, "Quiet, you two! What's got you so heated up with each other today?"
After a minute of listening to overlapping words embellished with outflung arms and huffs of annoyance, DI Poole pronounces with a firm nod, "Women will always be the death of us, gentlemen. If you didn't know that already then I'm telling you now."
Fidel deflates; he's married, with a daughter and a mother-in-law, so he already knows.
Dwayne refuses to admit defeat despite all the evidence to the contrary. As he tries to think of a suitable reply, he sees Camille coming up the outside stairs and turns to his boss, "Oh, yeah? Whut 'bout the Sarge? She's a woman an' she's one of us, ain't she?"
DI Poole pales briefly and mutters, "Yes, and therein lies the rub," before going behind his desk to barricade himself behind paper.
END – part 2