Forty

Chapter Forty

Mark looked behind Jennifer and looked back at Jennifer who was trying to keep calm as the person pressed the gun harder into her back. “Just raise your hands slowly and turn carefully.” Jennifer nodded nervously and did as he said, the other two had their hands in the air already, the found documents tucked in Silvanus armpit.

As she soon as she fully turned, the person she saw caused a frown to replace the fear on Jennifer’s face. Jennifer’s mouth hung open for some seconds, unable to believe who was pointing a gun at her at that moment. “Jane?”

“Ms Lewis, you shouldn’t be here.” Jane, her secretary, took a step back before pointing the gun at her properly.

“Jane… what is going on?” Jennifer asked carefully, her eyes darting between the unremorseful look on her secretary’s face and the gun in her hand.

“You need to leave now. She is going to bomb this place.” Jane’s voice had become thicker, but Jennifer still tried to keep calm, her hands still mid air.

“Who is going to bomb this place?”

“Hannah! She said if I let anyone else in she will blow all of us up. And you won’t be the reason I will die, so you better leave or I will kill you myself!”

“Jane, Hannah is in police custody, she can’t possibly blow you up.” Silvanus butted in, moving a step forward to stay in line with Jennifer’s stance. A gunshot replied him making Jennifer flinch.

“Next time it is your head if you don’t keep quiet.” Jane said with a low growl.

“He won’t say a word. Jane, Hannah is in custody, she can’t hurt you.”

“Yes she can. She has always found a way.” Jane looked like she was about to break down.

“What do you mean Jane? What do you mean by she has always found a way?” Now, Jennifer was no longer afraid, but curious as it seemed Jane knew something or rather a lot of things.

Jane let out a shaky breath, sounding like she was about to cry afterwards. Her grip on the gun had already relaxed as her shoulders slumped. “Ever since I found out, I have been living in bondage.”

“What do you mean? What did you find out?”

Jane had begun to cry. She closed her eyes for a second, tears rolling out as she held her lips together to keep silent. After few seconds she began to talk. “After you father died, I noticed that Hannah and Francis came to the office together a lot. It is unusual to me, so I decided to snoop around a bit. I didn’t honestly hear much of their conversation, but I clearly caught the part where they said the plan to get rid of you had being set.

I was caught by Hannah before I could leave and she made it clear that if I told anyone what I had just heard, she would kill my sister and find a way to put me in jail. It was that day you finally came to the office after your dad’s death.”

Jennifer frowned in realization. “It was that day you told me to be careful. You said you felt something was off with Francis.”

Jane nodded.

“I wanted to warn you, but I couldn’t.” Jane dropped the gun and placed her hands on her cheek, shaking her head furiously as she looked for a place to sit, her breathing very heavy. Jennifer walked towards Jane, kicking the gun towards the guys. She grabbed a chair nearby and made Jane sit. She went to one of the crates and got a wine bottle, opened it and gave it to Jane.

Jane collected and gave an appreciative smile. ‘Sorry, there are no cups nearby.” Jennifer said, squatting beside the chair.

“So, why are you here?”

“Hannah has kept me captive here ever since you died, allegedly died. She kept me here and made me tend to the finances both of the office and their illegal business. I only got to go to the company once in a while, it was during times like that that I snuck in some documents containing the illegal transactions hoping that someone would find them and realize what was going on in the company.”

“That’s why it was easy for my friends to find them. Thank you Jane.” Jane took another big gulp of the drink in her hand. Jennifer looked back at the guys who gave her a thumbs up. Mark mouthed to her to keep the questions going.

“So Jane, are you the only one here?”

“Before you guys came, yes. But as at yesterday before the cops came to arrest Hannah, there was this blonde lady, Charlotte. We hardly talked but I know she was meant to pose as Francis wife and she also helped them with their businesses.”

Jennifer heaved a heavy sigh, her head feeling heavy. “Do you know why Hannah did what she did?”

“I don’t know. And asking wasn’t an option either. She is a scary, crazy woman.”

“Jane, is it safe for me to talk?” Mark said, gradually walking towards them. Jane nodded in affirmative.

“We need your help Jane. Will you help us?”

“I just don’t want anything to happen to my sister.”

Jennifer held her hand. “I promise you, we will ensure that nothing happens to you.”

Mark continued. “Yes Jane. We just need you to testify against Hannah so we can put her away for good.”

Jane dropped the bottle of wine which was almost finished on the ground.“Do you guys promise to keep my sister safe?”

“We also promise to keep you safe.”

“I’ll do it. I am tired of this bondage.”

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“Thank you Ms Starr. You may go back to your seat.” Jennifer gave Jane a smile as she left the witness box. Shortly after their conversation at the mansion, the police came in and took Jane’s statement which was just what they needed to proceed to the court as Hannah had insisted they all did.

“Your Honour, I would like to call Hannah Solver to the stand for further questioning.” Roberts said, Hannah’s lawyer glaring hard at him as her client stood up.

“I will like to submit these to the court as part of evidence.”Roberts took the files Silvanus had found at the mansion and passed to the clerk to give the Judge. As the Judge took a look, Roberts started his questioning.

“Ms Solver, do you care to explain why you have files containing information on the Lewis family?”

Hannah faced Jennifer, locking eyes with her as she said, “What if I don’t want to?”

“Hannah Solver, it would be in your best interest to answer the question like a sensible person.” The Judge said, looking down at Hannah whose eyes was still on Jennifer.

“Yes, your Honour.” She gave a smug smile which annoyed Jennifer. Jennifer could suddenly relate to the frustration Detective Sanders went through during interrogation.

“So, do you care to explain why you have files on the Lewis family?” Roberts asked again.

“I wanted to know more about them.” The smile enlarged. “ After all, Mr Lewis is my father.”