I was wrong to assume that it would be just another ordinary day at work. I was dead wrong! It had started out just like any other day. Meetings, endless phone calls and normal paperwork. It definitely seemed quite ordinary.
“Halo….is this Mr. Rimbo?” A voice enquired when I answered my cell-phone.
“Speaking…”, I answered wondering who the caller was.
“This is Inspector Tangara, you need to come home sir”,
I could feel my heart racing. What could possibly have happened at home? I had left my wife at home in the morning. Oh no! Could it be that something had happened to her? My darling Prisca, I hoped that she was okay.
“What is the problem Inspector? I asked.
“It is your wife…..she is dead!”
I was chocking. My tie was chocking me. My Prisca is dead? This couldn’t be happening? What had happened? She seemed okay when I left her in the morning. Prisca? This couldn’t be happening!
“Mr. Rimbo, Mr. Rimbo…are you okay sir?”
My secretary was in my office shaking me. I hadn’t realized it but I was seated on the floor crying. She looked alarmed and quite concerned at the same time. I quickly got to my feet and ran out of the office. I had to see her. It could be a prank and who was Inspector Tangara anyway. Prisca was probably just home watching a movie like she loves to do.
I found my house full of activities and so much movement. There were police cars, ambulances and just throngs of people walking around like they owned the place. However, there was only one thought on my mind. I had to see my wife.
“Prisca, honey, Prisca”, I yelled as I forced my way through the crowd. A uniformed policeman tried to stop me but I pushed him aside. I had to see her.
The scene in front of me was like something out of a horror movie. There was blood all over our living room carpet. The white carpet that Prisca loved so much was now filled with stains. It took a short while before I finally saw her. She was lying on the floor next to a seat that had toppled over. There seems to have been a struggle that had resulted in her death. Her face and upper body were covered in wounds and blood was all over. My poor Prisca had died such a horrible death. I was engulfed with grief so overwhelming that I could only try and hold her in my arms. I couldn’t even cry. My beautiful wife was gone. How cruel can the world be?
“Mr. Rimbo….we have to take her now”, I heard a voice say but I still held on to Prisca. They practically had to drag her from me. It was after the body had been taken to the morgue that I was able to think again. It didn’t make sense. Why would anyone murder Prisca? I looked around the room and everything seemed in place. It couldn’t have been a robbery.
“Why did they kill her?” I asked no one in particular.
“I am very sorry for your loss Mr. Rimbo”, one of the officers said as he came to sit next to me on the sofa.
“Do you know anyone who would have wanted to harm your wife?” he went on.
“Absolutely not! Prisca had no enemies!” I responded furiously. My wife who goes to church faithfully, had many friends, was actively engaged in the community service had no reason to be hated by anyone.
We sat in silence for a while as police officers continued to look around the house. I could see them taking photos and dusting the place for fingerprints. My darling Prisca, who did this to you? I still couldn’t believe that she was gone.
“Inspector Tangara, Inspector…. we have found something”, an officer shouted as he ran into the house excitedly. I stood up with the inspector and rushed to see what had been found.
Outside the house, there was a team of officers who had set up a desk and were looking at some gadgets. I quickly identified the phone that everyone was looking at. It was Prisca’s! Could it be that they had found something that would lead us to the murderer?
The inspector took the phone and started going through it keenly. Nobody said anything to me but I could see that the officers were all looking excited. It seemed that they had found something important, a clue perhaps.
“Excuse Mr. Rimbo, do you know anyone by the name Taabu”, Inspector asked me as everyone also turned to look at me.
I had never heard of the name before. I had no idea what this Taabu had to do with my beautiful wife.
“Well….. I think that we have found the murderer”, Inspector reported dramatically as he started issuing rapid orders to the officers around.
Soon there was a flurry of activities as some officers started running to their cars. The Inspector left me under the care of one of the officers as he also sped off. They had found the person who had taken away my Prisca. This was not of much relief though since there was nothing that could bring her back. However, at least there would be justice for my lovely wife.
“That man…Taabu… he had threatened to kill your wife in some texts sent her today in the morning”, the officer explained.
“Why, did he explain why?” I asked him. It really didn’t make any sense.
The officer looked away from me and suddenly took an interest in his shoes. He wouldn’t meet my eyes and looked like he would rather have been anywhere else instead of being there with me.
“Please tell me why anyone would kill my lovely Prisca….I beg you officer”, I desperately pleaded with him.
“I am sorry officer but….” He started and then went silent again.
“Come on; just tell me…but what!”
“Taabu and your wife sir….it seemed from the other texts….like they were…you know….together”, he went on as he cheeks turned red and he once again looked away.
My Prisca? Had an affair? This couldn’t be right. I loved her. We loved each other. She was happy. Prisca was my life and everything that I did had been for her. My knees buckled for the second time that day and I found myself on the floor. The officer knelt beside me trying to comfort me but I was inconsolable. I lived for Prisca and I had done nothing but provide for her.
Hours later, Taabu was apprehended and taken into policy custody. It was 10 hours after I had learnt of Prisca’s death that I finally went to the police station. I had already recorded my statement with the police but I went to see him, Taabu, the man who had taken away my Prisca. I blamed him for the affair just as much as I blamed him for her death.
There was nothing remarkable about the man that I saw in that police cell. He was thin, tall, had brownish hair, big sad eyes. He wasn’t even attractive. I doubt that Prisca could ever have an affair with such a man when she had me. This was absurd. The man held his head in his hands and was crying. All an act though. I wanted the officers to give me just a chance to teach him a lesson. I wanted to avenge Prisca’s death. This monster had taken away my reason for breathing.
“He has refused to confess and keeps insisting that his phone was stolen”, Inspector briefed me.
“He says that he loved your wife and is even making disgusting claims that she was going to leave you”.
“I will not allow that murderer to tarnish her name!” I yelled, trying to get access to the cell. Once again, the officers refused to allow me to get in.
“He will get the death penalty Mr. Rimbo, we will ensure that he gets his date with the hangman’s noose, what a monster!” Inspector Tangara added.
I left the police station satisfied that Taabu was going away for life. The officers assured me that they would see to it that he got nothing less than the death penalty.
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
That night Mr. Rimbo went back home, exhausted. In the dead of the night, all alone, he retrieved the letter that Prisca had written to him on the previous day. She claimed to have fallen in love with another man, she wanted to leave. He had always tried to be a good husband to her. He got angry from time to time and sometimes hit her but it was all for her sake. He had a mistress, she knew that, but he was still provided for her. He had taken care of her. The ungrateful witch had the nerve to leave him after all he done for her?
Next to the letter, he took Taabu’s phone and started going through it. Stealing the phone and using it to text Prisca had been a brilliant move. Stupid fool was going to die in jail now. He should have known better than to go after people’s wives.
“I told you Prisca, I would rather see you dead than with another man”. Mr. Rimbo said into the darkness.
People love to hate Holly Long. Smart, beautiful and a woman who men find it hard to say no to, she’s the town’s most gossiped about resident.
A Haven for Book Lovers 