Writing for Fun
December 2018
The Alibi - Maureen Rampersaud
Father woke me while it was still dark, ‘Eleanor . . . was it today that you’re due to work in the stables?’
‘No, Father, it’s tomorrow. What time is it?’
‘Five o’clock,’ he replied, showing me his pocket watch, ‘sorry to wake you, go back to sleep.’
He turned out the light and I turned over, but I couldn’t settle. I turned on the light and read my book.
Our maid brought the post on a silver tray when we were all having breakfast.
‘Excuse me, Sir but I thought you’d like to know, Lord Westbury has been shot.’
Mother dropped her cup, which smashed on the floor, scattering the pieces in all directions. My sister, Evie, burst into tears and I put my hand to my mouth to stop myself uttering a scream. Lord Westbury was our jovial neighbour, who was always around while we were growing up. He was the one who we could talk to if we were sad, or tell if we had exciting news . . . a father-figure really.
Inspector Diamond called and spoke to my parents. I was outside, playing, when he was leaving. He came over to talk to me. He was kind, like Lord Westbury, we had a nice chat.
Shortly after that, Father was arrested and he disappeared from our lives. Mother, Evie and I felt as if a weight had been lifted from us, the household relaxed. I didn’t question what had happened at the time, I was just grateful to be happy.
It was much later that I understood, when I found an old newspaper stuffed in the back of a cupboard.
I knew my father was a cruel and violent man, he beat my mother and terrorized Evie and me. Lord Westbury knew and protected us by calling on us as often as possible. Father didn’t like this and he and Mother had terrible rows. He accused her of being unfaithful, he couldn’t understand that Lord Westbury was just a kind man. Apparently, he threatened to report Father to the police if he laid a hand on Mother again. Father flew into a rage and decided to shoot him in the early hours of the following morning, when he knew Lord Westbury would be in the stables, checking his beloved horses, at five o’clock precisely.
Father changed the time of his pocket watch from six to five o’clock when he got home. He thought he was so clever, using me as an alibi but as I told Inspector Diamond, when I put my light back on after Father had left my room, my bedside clock showed six o’clock.