Unraveling a mystery.
Leila’s point of view.
This was harder than I thought. Who could have instructed the maid to poison me?
I paced back and forth nervously, trying to unravel the new mystery in front of me.
“I should try talking to the cook, she prepared the food and handed it to the maid, she should have an idea of what or how things went south.”
As I entered the kitchen, the air was thick with scent of spices and simmering food. I could see the back of the cook, as she was busy stirring a pot of soup.
I approached her and cleared my throat to get her attention. “Excuse me , cook?” I said, my voice wavering.
“I need to ask some questions.”
The cook stopped stirring and turned around to face me, her facial expression were neutral.
“She knows nothing.” A voice in my head said.
“Of course Mrs Castor, I am available to answer your questions.” The cook said, her tone even and professional.
“Thank you, you see actually I am here because I need your help.” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
“What can I help you with , Mrs Castor?” The cook asked.
I felt a knot of anxiety in my stomach, but I steered myself and pressed on. My eyes scanning the kitchen to make sure we were all alone and no one was eavesdropping.
“It is about the food that was served at breakfast...I am sure you know what happened to the food.” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
“The food?” The cook asked in confusion.
“Yes, it was poisoned.” I said and watched as the cook’s eyes widened in fear.
“Poisoned?” The cook asked, her voice rising slightly. “Are you quite certain about that?”.
I nodded, my hands trembling. “I am sure, but I do not understand how the food made in this house was poisoned.”
I saw fear flash in the cook’s eyes. “I do not know anything about the poison ma’am. I only made the food, the maid served it. Please ma’am believe me.” The cook pleaded, her voice trembling.
“I do believe you cook. I know you can not do anything of that sort, you are a sweet and nice lady. Too innocent for such acts.” I said, sounding as nice as I could.
“Thank you ma’am. Thank you for your faith and trust in me.” The cook said, and I noticed her tense shoulders relax.
“I need to know if you noticed anything suspicious.” I said, looking at the maid.
The cook’s brow furrowed and her eyes narrowed in thought.” I did not notice out of the ordinary ma’am . I prepared the food like I usually did.”
“Alright. What about the maid? Did you notice anything about her? Anything unusual or suspicious?” I asked, trying to know more .
“Yes. I did notice that the maid was acting strangely. She seemed nervous and restless. She kept glancing around the kitchen and asking when the food would be ready. I thought it was just her being her, but perhaps there was more to it.” The cook said, staring at me.
I felt a surge of hope. “Did you see anything else out of the ordinary? Did she do anything unusual after you gave her the food? Was she holding anything in her hand?” I pressed on.
The cook shook her head . “ no ma’am, I did not see anything else that struck me as odd. But I am sure that the food was prepared in safe and hygienic conditions, with the usual ingredients.”
My stomach sank. “I see, thank you for your honesty. But is there anything else? Anything you can tell me?”
The cook was quiet for some time. “There is one thing about The maid, we spoke a few days ago and she told me her mother was ill and she needed money for her treatment. She did not quiet say how much she needed but I guess it was a lot of money.”
“That is new information.” I said, my mind racing with thoughts.
“Pardon me ma’am, but I think the maid must have been bribed by sir’s ex girlfriend, Miss Tammy.” The cook said.
My lips curled up into a sneer, “ Tammy? Tammy .. why do you sound so sure?” I asked.
“Well.. you seem ma’am. While Tammy was here, she would always call the maid and they would talk about several things. Sometime Tammy would give the maid some money to get her some stuffs.” The cook replied.
“I see . Do you happen to know what they talk about? Like anything in particular?” I asked, trying to know more.
“I do not think I can recount what they say word for word, but I am sure it was always about the maid’s mother. I think they are related.” The cook said.
“Related? That is very useful. Thank you.” I said and walked away from the kitchen.
Tammy is related to the maid? That should be a possible explanation for whatever happened. But why would Tammy stoop so low as poisoning me?
Is Ben hell-bent of killing me?
No, I should call Alex and let him know about this.
I picked my phone up and dialed his number. It rang but there was no response. “Is he mad at me? Is he avoiding my calls? Does he fell awkward because of the confession.
My mind raced with thoughts and my heart pounded in my chest.
I was restless.
“Let me try again.” I muttered under my breath and dialed Alexander’s number.
It rang but there was no response.
“I think he is avoiding me. But what if he was in some sort of danger?
Biting my nails, I tried to think of what happened to Alexander. He has never ignored my calls.
Was he planning on ending the marriage? What if he feels I am doing more than necessary ?
Have I bitten off more than I could chew?
“No he can not do this to me. I have to get my revenge on Ben and Allison. When I get my revenge and he gets his we can both go out separate ways.
Then a thought crossed my mind.
“Why is Alex seeking revenge on the Maloney’s ?