Before Usman the security came into the interviewing room, Max quickly put a call through to the secretary at the office telling her to make phone calls to Abuja and all the hotels there, and finding out in which of them Mrs Murvelli had lodged, and the people she was seen with, as well as information concerning the members of the household. He gave her the names.
The door opened and the security came in just as Max was hanging up the call.
"Welcome, mallam Usman. That's what you're called, right?" the detective asked.
The lean man acquiesced, speaking pidgin English in an accent typical of northerners in Nigeria.
"You're Hausa, I take it?"
"No no, I'm Fulani," the man quickly corrected.
"Oh. I see."
Max interviewed him. He found the security was not a very intelligent person but gave straight forward answers. He had recounted everything as Max has heard from the day Jason came, to the incident of the quarrel. He had not been inside to hear the father and son quarrel, but the cook has told him about it when she came to bring him his supper late.
"So after eating," Max was asking, "did you see or observe anything?"
"Nothing, oga," Usman replied. "As usual, the lights inside the rooms were put out as everyone went to bed. I couldn't have seen anything going on inside the house even if I had looked through the window."
"But I understand the security lights must have been on?"
"They were."
"Then you must have seen or heard anyone come in through the fence."
The lanky Hausa man was clearly taken aback. His mouth opened agape and he seemed frightened as well.
"Ah! Did someone come into the house at night?" he exclaimed. "Was it a robber?"
"You are supposed to be the security around here."
"I'm afraid sir I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary beside the storm.
"
"And you didn't leave your station near the gate, did you?"
"Absolutely not. It was raining anyhow. Where else would I be?"
"Perhaps climbing the window of your employer with the use of a rope and hook and going on to murder him in cold blood."
There was hardly any expressions of surprise on Usman's face this time.
"Oga, you're accusing me of Murder," he slowly said.
"Why not?" Max retorted. "He's clearly not Islamic nor Fulani as you are. You might have no other reason to kill him but because he is not of your race, that's good enough reason for you, isn't it?"
"Oga, this is unfair. I really liked my late Oga, I can not imagine breaking into his room in the middle of the night and killing him. That is not the will of Allah!"
"Oh is it not? Then tell me how you did it."
"I did not kill my Oga!" Usman was almost shouting.
Max could literally hear the security's heartbeat increase a notch. The man was doing a poor job suppressing the tension growing in his cells.
"Then who did?" Max asked.
Usman stared into the detectives eyes in a state of confusion mixed with fear, so Max thought. The seemingly timid man had somewhat dispersed the timidity to some level.
"I'm sorry don't even have the answer to that," he finally said.
"It is widely known how your people, the Fulanis, go about killing the southerners for whatever reason. Maybe this murder case is not an exclusion?"
"I swear by Allah, it is not me!" the man swore, touching the tip of his tongue with his index finger and pointing the finger to the sky.
Max weighed him again. He appeared calmer now. His breathe had steadied a bit and he was looking down."
"I thought small oga, Jason, was arrested for the murder. Now you say someone came in through the window. It's all my fault. I should have walked round the house despite the rain."
Max almost felt sorry for the man. He wasn't entirely sure now if Usman was merely faking his stupidity. But he waa bent on finding out the ultimate mystery.
"When did you fall asleep, Usman?"
"Maybe too early because of the weather. I must have been asleep before midnight."
"You never woke up later?"
Not until this morning, oga."
"That's alright now." Max gave him a pat on the shoulder.
On questioning, Usman revealed he had been in the service of the deceased for about three years, which was before Rosa and the garderner finally came.
Aside that, there was nothing new.
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A/N:
If there appears to be racism in this chapter, it is purely coincidental and solely for the progress and development of the story. The author is by no means racist.
Okay so that's that. Thanks for reading and don't forget to drop your votes and comments. God bless us.