Homecoming

Chapter Fourteen

At least no one had to ask her about Judge Rodrigo Dovidas, everyone knew the no grey area judge. The law was the law, if you broke it. Then you couldn't complain about your punishment; May was sure Rodrigo's motto in life was, don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

　　There had been a few people who've gotten away from Rodrigo without a punishment. From May heard from those cases, of all them were based in the law. Self-defence in a murder charge; the woman was being kidnapped. So she could see why he allowed her to walk away without going to jail.

　　Not that mattered at the moment. Instead, May just stood in his office and wondered what she had missed. He had known the person who killed him, like Faith had. That would explain why his eyes were wide; to May, he looked like a person who knew he was going to die.

　　They were wrong about the reason of their deaths. It most likely had nothing to do with Chevell Media, Rodrigo had nothing to do with them and preferred to avoid his brother's wife.

　　Besides from the pattern they've gathered so far. Rodrigo would have been stabbed. Like Faith and Mikolaj, his death showed that they were looking in the wrong direction.

　　"May," Isaac said as she started to look around for Rodrigo's guest book. Something he always kept by his desk. "What are you doing?"

　　"Rodrigo always kept a guest log on his desk," May told him, picking up the leather book from the ground. A few of the pages were ripped out and it showed the last visit to be a month ago. "Whoever did it isn't stupid, they removed their name from the list."

　　"I need you to talk to the maid," Isaac told her, as she passed him the book. It would be tested for fingerprints, so they might be able to find something from it.

　　Nodding her head, she ducked into the drawing room where a dark skinned woman was putting out tea.

　　"Maggie," May said as she leaned onto the door, making Maggie jump before turning. Dark eyes narrowing, before looking at her figure. "It's been awhile. Has it not?"

　　"Rumaysa?" Maggie asked shaking her head. "Nikola's tutor has finally come home."

　　"How is Nikola?"

　　"Away at University. Studying in Ireland."

　　"Ireland? Whatever for?"

　　"Business," Maggie told her, sitting down and pouring a cup. "But afterwards, she wants to go to France to study fashion."

　　"Wants to open her own clothing line?"

　　"One day. Now, child, we should start this interview. Wouldn't want you to get into trouble," she told her, napkin in her lap. Pushing a cup towards her as she sat down. "Not after you helped Nikola with her homework. She gained confidence in her abilities under your care."

　　"Nikola is an angel," May told her. Nikola was one of the few children she didn't mind helping with her homework, she was a dear. "And Maggie, it's May. You know I'm not all too fond of my name."

　　"And yet you haven't changed it."

　　"That matters not. Do you know why anyone would want to kill Rodrigo?"

　　"He was a hard man," Maggie admitted, her hands folded in her lap as she stared out the window. "Always had been, ever since I met him at my old job. Everything was black and white to him. His wife more so."

　　May nodded, before up her notepad. Maggie Worth was old fashioned, she was still recording their conversation. It was just better for Maggie to see that she was taking her seriously; some of the old laws still made her nervous about those with lighter skin writing off what she told them. Even through most of the said laws have been gone since the eighties.

　　"Anyone he put behind bars would have wanted him dead. Along with most of their families," she continued waving her hand. "I didn't see anything. I only agreed to stay on as a maid until Nikola moved out. So I was here when Mr Dovidas was killed."

　　"I see," May said pinching her nose. She hated having to ask this, but it was part of her job. "Then may I ask: where were you today?"

　　"Of course. I was packing things away into my husband's house, our grandchildren are still young," Maggie told her, smiling as she tapped the notepad in May's hands. "I can give you his number. Along with my son's, they were helping me move my stuff."

　　"What was Mr Dovidas' marriage like?" she asked handing her a piece of paper, along with a spare pen. May would admit she lost more pens then she found. "And what was their relationship like with their daughter?"

　　"Rocky for a few years," Maggie admitted. "Ever since Nikola was born, her scarring has always upset her mother. Mrs Dovidas loved things being perfect. She saw it as a failure that Nikola wasn't perfect."

　　"I remember," May told her. "So how did Mrs Dovidas treat her daughter?"

　　"Horribly, that woman would blame Nikola for everything," Maggie told her. "Nikola needed someone to guide her through her childhood, Mr Dovidas loved her to pieces. But he didn't have time, what little time he did have. Well, Mrs Dovidas wasn't pleased that he'd choose to spent time with his daughter."

　　"What would he do?"

　　"When he was given time off. He'd allow Nikola to pick the location for their holidays," Maggie admitted a giant smile on her face. "One year it was Disney land in America, then Japan. Along with the year that they took you to France."

　　"Yes, it was very nice for them to take me along."

　　"Mr Dovidas also paid for my family to go to Japan's Disney world, he always did believe that hard work should be rewarded."

　　"I take it Mrs Dovidas didn't think the same."

　　"I would know dear. They never fought where Nikola or I could hear them. At least he tried to keep their fights away from us."

　　May nodded as Maggie told her about the relationship in the Dovidas household, leaving her to feel like she was being told about a episode of Hollywood Housewives show.

　　"Do you know what Belladonna is?" May asked. It was a long shot, but it might prove useful to see if Maggie knew anything about the nightshade. It would keep Captain Pain-in-her-ass away from the poor woman.

　　"Never heard of it."

　　"What kind of knives do you use?"

　　"Top of the line. Mr Dovidas was kind enough to gift them to me when I finished my cooking degree," Maggie told her. "Along with my school costs. Don't have a student loan to worry about."

　　May nodded, before allowing Maggie to talk to her about her household. Gossip was never completely worthless, and many underestimated how much staff picked up. Maggie more so then others.

　　It might help her find out how everything was connected, because she didn't feel like she knew anymore.