The Murder of Diane Florence: Chapter 3 ‘The Quest for Truth’

Mrs. Norris stood up from her seat and turned towards me.

“Everything will soon be alright sweetie. If you ever need help, you can always ask me.”

After saying that, she gave me a warm hug and left.

I was confused. Why did the officer end the questioning so early. How could he believe Mrs. Norris? What if she was lying? What if she was the one who gave my mom the pretzel? What if Mrs. Norris was just lying about my mom going to the airport along with her? What if Mrs. Norris had gone alone? What if- Mrs. Norris was the MURDERER?!?

— — — —

The questions echoed in my mind as Mrs. Norris left the room. The officer’s decision to conclude the questioning left me uneasy, and I felt an overwhelming need to dig deeper into the details. With determination, I approached the officer.

“Officer, I appreciate your work, but I need to know more. Mrs. Norris might be hiding something, and I can’t rest until I find out the truth about what happened to my mother,” I pleaded.

The officer looked at me sympathetically and nodded. “I understand, Fiona. It’s just that we need more evidence to make any accusations. Right now, we don’t have enough to keep Mrs. Norris in custody. We’ll continue our investigation, but you also need to be patient.”

Patience was a virtue I didn’t have at the moment, but I knew I had to play along to get the justice my mother deserved. I decided to take matters into my own hands. I thanked the officer, and with Anna by my side, started my own investigation.

The first lead was Sarah Luis, the caretaker. I needed to find her and get to the bottom of her involvement. Anna and I went through my mother’s belongings, looking for any clues that could lead us to Sarah’s whereabouts. We discovered a journal where my mom used to write her daily activities. In it, she mentioned a café where Sarah often went to meet her friend — The Emerald Brew.

With the name of the café in hand, Anna and I headed there, hoping to find some answers. The cozy aroma of coffee hit us as we entered. We approached the counter and asked the barista about Sarah Luis.

“Oh, Sarah? Yeah, she used to come here often. Haven’t seen her in a while, though,” the barista replied, wiping the coffee machine.

“Did she mention anything about her plans, or did she have any regular hangouts?” I asked, desperate for any leads.

The barista thought for a moment. “Well, there’s a park nearby where she sometimes went for a stroll. She mentioned it once. It’s called Sunset Park.”

Anna and I exchanged glances. Sunset Park became our next destination. As we walked through the park, we noticed a figure sitting on a bench, her head bowed. It was Sarah Luis. She was sitting with a blank expression, staring at a tree. She looked up, startled, as we approached.

“Sarah, we need to talk. My mother is dead, and there are questions that need answers,” I said firmly.

Tears welled up in Sarah’s eyes. “I didn’t do anything, Fiona. I cared for your mother. She was like family to me.”

“Then help us understand what happened. We found out that my mother’s jewellery is missing. We found poison on a pretzel in Diane’s room. Do you know anything about it?” Anna asked, her voice compassionate.

Sarah hesitated but then started talking. “I have to tell you, Fiona,” Sarah began, her voice shaky, “Mrs. Norris had been pressuring me to quit my job and leave town. She threatened to expose a secret from my past if I didn’t comply.”

“I admit,” she confessed, her eyes filled with remorse, “I succumbed to the temptation when financial difficulties overwhelmed me. I stole the jewellery.”

“But please believe me,” Sarah pleaded, fear evident in her eyes, “I had nothing to do with your mother’s death. I loved her like family.”

Despite Sarah’s admission to stealing the jewellery, Fiona decided that justice must prevail. She knew the severity of the crime and felt compelled to cooperate with law enforcement. Fiona, accompanied by Anna, took Sarah to the police station and provided a statement about the stolen jewellery.

After handing over the evidence, Fiona requested the officer to question Mrs. Norris again. The doubts surrounding Mrs. Norris’s involvement persisted, and Fiona believed that a more thorough interrogation might reveal additional information.

The officer, acknowledging Fiona’s concerns, agreed to reopen the investigation into Mrs. Norris’s possible connection to the murder. As Sarah faced the consequences of her actions, Fiona couldn’t shake the feeling that there might be more to the story. The quest for justice continued, with hopes that the truth would soon come to light.