A Marriage Of Reprisal

The following day arrived, with heavy clouds hanging over Norah and her sister as they sat in the police station, anticipating the sheriff's arrival. Their hearts heavy with grief, they replayed the events of the previous night in their minds, each moment etched with painful clarity.

The previous night, after the fire had been extinguished, their parents lifeless bodies were discovered on the floor, bearing only minor fire-related injuries.

The limited burns perplexed everyone, raising questions about how such a tragedy could occur. They were rushed to the hospital, and the sheriff asked them to come to the station to give their verdict, a night spent sleepless since the grim discovery.

Fifteen more minutes into waiting, the office door was pushed open, and the sheriff strode inside, with a heavy heart. Mr. Anthony was his close friend, it hurts that he had to lose him like this.

"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting, the doctor just called me, I think we should all head to the hospital." He announced, casting a sympathetic glance at the sisters.

Norah, trembling since laying eyes on her parents lifeless forms, found it challenging to articulate her thoughts amid the shock.

It has been difficult for her to open her mouth to utter a word due to the sudden shock. She never pictured a sad day like today.

Amber let out a sigh, and stood up to help her sister up her feet.

"Please lead the way, sheriff." She responded, her voice steady as she offered Norah a supportive hand. With a nod, the sheriff gestured for them to follow as he exited the office.

They all march to the parking lot, where a van was waiting for them. They hopped into the car, and the driver drove off. A few minutes later, they got to the hospital, and stride to the doctor's office.

Upon arriving at the entrance, they met the doctor striding out of his office.

"Sheriff, I was about to call you for the third time." He said, extending his hands to shake him.

"I had to bring his family with me. These are two of his daughters, Norah, and her eldest sister Amber." He introduced.

"Ms Norah, sheriff, please come with me to the morgue." The doctor requested, directing his gaze toward them. They fell in step behind him as he led the way.

They walked inside and found two nurses tending to the body of their parents. Norah hurried to her father, overcome with grief.

"Father, please you can't do this to me, you promise to be here, this wasn't our agreement." She sobs.

"Ms Norah, you have to take heart. Sheriff, just like you suspected, their bodies were poisoned. The fire was just a way to cover things up."

The doctor's words pierced the silence, his voice cutting through the haze of grief. Norah, who was crying halted, when she heard the word poisoned.

"Doctor what did you just say? What do you mean they were poisoned? Does this mean someone did this to them?" Amber asked, the burning house, crept into her head. The house was set ablaze, she never envisioned her parents being poisoned.

"Ms Amber, when we found your parents on the floor, they were still breathing. As you can see, their body isn't that burnt. We thought they could make it, but when they were brought to the hospital, they passed away." The sheriff explained, and continued.

"The poison they gave them was something that kills slowly. The fire is a cover-up. Whoever was behind it, wanted them dead." He added.

"Sheriff what are you talking about?" Norah roared, making the nurses to quickly held her.

"I'm sorry things turned out this way. An autopsy was carried out. They had a drink, and inside was a substance." The doctor responded.

"No, I don't believe they are dead." Norah said, and scampered out of the room crying her eyes out. The sheriff nodded at her sister, who quickly followed her outside.

"Sheriff, I know this must be hard for you too. I'm sorry." The doctor apologized. The sheriff removed his glasses and wipe a drop of tear from his eyes.

"I will have to get back to work. I have a surgery in the next twenty minutes."

The sheriff just bobbed his head in response, while the doctor nodded before leaving. He turned to the body's in front of him, and close the space between them.

'I never thought things would turn out this way. What about our drink? It would have been nice to spend some time with you' He thought inwardly, and heaved a loud sigh.

"I will take my leave." The sheriff said, and excuse himself out of the morgue. He walked back to the waiting area, scanning the place for them, but did not find them.

He decided to check the car, and on getting there, he saw them inside seated. As they sat in solemn silence, the minutes stretched into an eternity of anxiety. Amber was consoling her sister, with each passing minutes. The sheriff ignored, and just hopped into the van.

"Take us back to the station." He ordered, and they left the hospital, with Norah still crying.

A few minutes later, they got to the station, and walked to the sheriff's office. He offered them something to drink, but Norah yanked the glass off.

"I can't watch my parents die without getting revenge. The house didn't completely burn down, we can get the footage and find out what happened." She said.

The sheriff closed the space between them, and placed his hands on her shoulders. It hurts him that he can't do anything to comfort the both of them.

"We checked the footage yesterday, after the flame was put off. The area where everything was supposed to be displayed got disconnected even before they were poisoned."

"Does that mean there's no evidence to trace who was behind it? No, there must be a way out of this." Amber said.

"I still don't believe this would happen. Father never had any rival nor a foe. Why would someone come after him?" Norah asked in between sob.

She has been trying to convince herself that Liam had nothing to do with their death, even after the threat. Even if he wanted them dead, it was too sudden, when he hasn't met with her parents. But unbeknownst to her, he met with her father before the incident.

"Without evidence, we can't point finger's at anyone, except a proper investigation is carried out." Amber said.

"Be rest assured, we will find out who is behind it. I have ordered some cop to get me footage from the street." The sheriff said, and Amber thought they could find the culprit. There are a lot of footage surrounding the mansion, that can be of help.

"I think we should just bury the both of them instead of keeping their bodies in the morgue. If we can't find any proof, there's no need to keep their bodies." Norah said.

Amber expression changed, why would Norah make such a statement? She thought.

"What do you mean? We haven't caught the people behind it, yet you want to bury them? Can you hear yourself talk?"

"I'm sorry, Amber, but what do you expect me to say? Things are getting more complicated than I thought. Why must it be our parents? Father never got into a fight with anyone, who would want him dead?"

"That's not enough reason for you to just conclude. Just like the Sheriff said, the footage around the precinct could help."

"The both of you, stop it right now. Your father would not be happy if he was here. I promise to get to the bottom of this, even if it cost me my life."

Norah dropped to the ground and held the sheriff's pant.

"Please you have to catch the people behind it. You need to prove your friendship to father." She sobs, heartbroken.

The sheriff squatted to the ground, and assist her up.

"I promise to keep my words, I'm the sheriff because of your father. Even if it has to take me months, I will find the murderer, I just need your cooperation."

Norah looked up to him, and pulled him for a hug. "Thank you." She murmured.