The glance , novel

He looked at me. His glance was deep. He frowned.

“Now, we are sure that your mother was a victim of a murder.” He said.

I nodded. “Yes.”

The policeman looked at me a long time, silently.  After a few moments, he got up from the table, and troughed papers in the dustbin. I glanced at him.

“Well, it’s the Inspector Oarzbranch who will lead this investigation, He is a new Inspector but I’m sure that he will resolve this story. What do you think? I looked at him.

- It’s perfect. My lips were parched.

When the policeman left his office, I looked at the papers on his table, and saw the form of identity of the Inspector who works on my file: He was almost bald on the picture, and his skin was white as milk. He looked nice and a little naïve.

Two days later, a man came to me.

 He was a tall man, with a three day’s beard on the chin.  He had big spherical eyes, but especially, he had wall eyes. One green and the other brown similar to the chocolate. He had a nervous tic (I supposed), a permanent wink, rather annoying, liked an uncommon person. Yes, Sir Oarzbranch rang at mi door, two days after my appointment with the policeman.

- Mr. Audile? He said.

I nodded. “Yes, it’s me.” For a moment, he stared at me, and did not speak … as me. Then, he entered in my poor apartment, like a killer, a shirker. On my desk, there was a big Canvas, dark and disturbing, showing the face of somebody.

- Who is he? He said. I hesitated.

- It’s William Palmer.”

 - And who is William Palmer? He asked me  

 - He is a famous serial killer, condemned to death for murder at the conclusion of trial, one of the biggest of United Kingdom.

 To my surprise, the Inspector smiled and said:

- It’s a beautiful painting, I like it. And why you paint this Serial Killer?

 My answer was long, and by serving a bottle of wine, I looked at him:

- This man has an especially glance, and … I was a little strange when I was painting. He giggled. He seemed to be relaxed, and admiring my work of painter. If he knew the reality, I was rather crazy and strange than endowed.

- So Sir Audile, I like your sense of creativity but I came here for another reason.

- Yes, I know.

He took his glass which contained Penfold*, and unpocketed papers.

- Your mother died one week ago.

-That’s right, I said.

-Well, and you have an idea of the killer? Somebody she hate, who annoyed him, or maybe more?

It was a stupid question, a question on principle.

- No.

He wrote on a paper, and after a few moments, looked up.

- You aren’t talkative… You’re answer it’s important.

- Yes, I know, but I don’t know who killed my mother, dot. He stared into emptiness, as if he was thinking.

- You want a cigarette? He said.

- What is the brand name?

He looked at the packet.

- Kent, you like it? I Toke it.

- Thank you. Well?

-Yesterday, I spoke with the policeman, you had an appointment with.  He told me to go to your mother, with you …

The nauseous smell burst on all nooks and crannies of his house.

I wasn’t hot for this idea, but if I refused, I will arouse the suspicions.

“When we leave Mr.Oarzbranch? I asked

He laughed, always with this fat laughter, not a surprise. “Now”.

I hesitated, and after a few moments, I said:

- Rather, Do not you have photos of her house? He didn’t understand my question, normally, it was suspicious.

- Why Mister? This question is strange you know.

- Yes I know, I wasn’t just excited at the idea of going to my mother, ghosts' house.

Was he convinced of my answer? I would never know. He looked in my glance to find something abnormal, something that made me guilty, killer.

 He stared into emptiness:

- Okay… He pocketed another paper… crumpled, with stains. “You recognize? “

- Yes.

It was a big house. Before, there was always his gardener along hedges of her house. Before, when I went at her home, the light of her kitchen was alight, now, it was different on the pictures. On the third photography, I saw my mother on the ground with a blood bubble around them. Yet, I liked the color of the blood. Just next to her, there was a revolver of the murder, maybe a Bren Ten. I had the impression to see this weapon every days, I believed that my weapon is of the same mark, or maybe no. I don’t know.

- You see a clue, something unusual. He said.

- No, nothing, I said. I was motionless on the picture.

Mr.Oarzbranch crushed his fag end in the glass ashtray.

- The policeman said me that he knows you, because he was a friend of your brother, no? I don’t care at        all; it was just a question for have a chat.

- Yes, but he doesn’t knew my mother; well it does not matter to me.

He frowned, and a short time letter, he looks me.

-You’re strange Mr. Audile. It’s deliberate no? He said.

-No, I am always like that.

- It’s not reassuring…

He took a second fag.

“You know, I think to be as strange as you. He gave off smoke. Sometimes I want killer, cause to cry and to do spit blood to certain person. I look him, but not him. These eyes became black and licked one's lips. He started again:

- It’s often old women, bags of bones…

Yes, my mother had 60 years old. I was afraid. Why he thought that? Why he said to me that? It was a trap or to test me?  I Didn’t no.

During one minute, a time eternal and heavy, we didn’t speak; my life was his cigarette, which wasted away as time goes by. Did he play? Was he serious? I didn’t know. The ciggy was finished.

- Well, I think that our conversation is finished. He looked his watch and got up, having finished the bottom of his glace.” Mr. Mista is going to take in hand the rest of this questioning. “

I didn’t understand. “But who is this man?”

- Always the same, the policeman who questioned you before me.

The inspector had terrified me; I had to say at the policeman.

- Hello Mr. Audile. We are sorry to invade you...

He closed the door, one tour, then two.

“Sir Mista, I want to speak with you seriously”

“I listen to you” He closed the window and lowered drew curtains.

“I think that Mr.Oarzbranch is the killer because he provokes me, playing with me and I know the murder weapon is also the one policeman: and he is a policeman… It’s right now?

- He is not the only one to be policeman.

I looked for the first time the man, and suddenly, he seemed incited and wild.

- It’s true… I suspected nothing.

-You know Mister; the danger can come of everywhere. He loaded his gun.

I understood nothing more.

- And now, what happen?

He smiled. It was a smile of a madman, a smile of killer.