Chapter 12: Science II
It was two weeks later when Marco walked in the ’Jackson Detectives’ office from his day job. "Mrs. Whitehall?" he called, looking for the older woman. Mrs. Whitehall was a flabby old woman with ash grey hair, she had been working for Levi for more than six years now as a maid and cook, but nowadays she had also become an unofficial caretaker of the boys, bringing them tea and snacks. The old woman lived in the unit beside Jackson Detectives with her husband, George. "In here, Marco!" Mrs. Whitehall’s voice came from her kitchen. Marco entered, seeing her in an apron washing the dishes.
Marco looked around, noticing her husband didn’t greet him from the parlour like usual, "Mr. Whitehall?" he asked, "He went shopping," she answered softly.
"Is Levi here?" Marco asked, concern evident on his face. "Oh, he went out a couple of hours ago." Mrs. Whitehall replied, back turned to him, then turned to face the GP wondering if something was wrong, "Why? Is something wrong?" She asked, facing him.
Marco shook his head, "No, nothing’s wrong with me and the family. I’m just worried, Levi usually texts me when he’s without an interesting case, basically to complain. And Davies had informed me that his last consultancy was with me weeks before. " Marco said, then he asked, "Where is he?"
Mrs. Whitehall absentmindedly nodded while drying her hands.
"Tea, dear?" she offered, "Yes, please."
Thinking over what the doctor said, she turned to him holding the kettle. "Well, he’s usually out this time of day, most likely in Guy’s ’ doing god knows what with Sammy," she said.
Who’s Sammy? Marco thought.
The older woman placed the kettle on the stove. "He hasn’t thrown knives on the wall since she came a few weeks ago at Elizabeth’s party." She added, putting a kettle on. Marco listened intrigued, quite familiar with Levi throwing knives on a target he had pinned on his black and yellow throwing knives Target bolted on the wall. Usually any picture of random people he’d tore off magazines. And sometimes when he’s especially cross, he’d put up the picture of the person he’s crossed at and throw knives at it. Marco’s picture had been on that target many times, but mostly his older sister Anna.
"Sammy?" Marco asked, not familiar with the name. "That nice, red-haired woman, the Director?" Mrs. Whitehall explained. His eyes widened when it sunk in. "Really!?" he asked.
The flabby old woman nodded, "He tells me, they are researching that Program, I don’t know what it is, but as long as he’s happy."
"He is happy?" Marco asked. "Over the moon, Dear! Yesterday he came home, kissed me on the cheek as he went to his room. I served him tea, and he told me, ’Sam, showed me how to properly dismember a human body.’ " Mrs. Whitehall shared, causing Marco to crack an odd-looking smile, torn. The notion of a woman showing Levi how to properly dismember a human body, albeit, a corpse was unsettling yet, he felt relieved that his best friend wasn’t lonely as he initially thought.
"And with him always out, I had time to clean his flat top to bottom. You should run upstairs and see it yourself, smell it! It doesn’t smell like something is rotting." She claimed proudly, serving him tea. "Thank you. Had he suddenly stopped storing body parts?" Marco asked, humoured at the idea, then taking a sip. "Oh, no. But it’s.... manageable now. Come, I’ll show you what I mean." Mrs. Whitehall said, beckoning him to follow, Marco followed adamantly to leave his tea.