When all the staff of the Night bar had gathered, Roger, with a very serious demeanor, stood before Brian and said, "This is all the staff I have, Officer. These three are part-time student workers."
Roger pointed at each person, “Myra, Sunny, May, Bie, and Zoe, who has only been working here for two days.”
“Thank you, Mr. Roger,” Brian said.
Brian stepped in front of the three girls and introduced himself, “I’m Officer Brian Smith. I’d like to ask if any of you noticed any unusual behavior or unfamiliar guests here last night?”
The three girls thought for a moment and then shook their heads in unison. Bie, the longest-serving staff member, spoke on behalf of the others, “Most of our customers are regulars or friends of the owner. So, we know everyone who comes in. We only leave after all the customers have gone.”
“Who was the last to leave?” Brian asked.
The officer’s gaze shifted to the person standing at the end, as if expecting them to answer. Jill, who was standing next to Zoe, whispered in his ear, “The cop looks like a wrestler, doesn’t he? He’s huge.”
“Shut up, Jill,” Zoe hissed through gritted teeth.
Zoe’s action of turning away and muttering to himself drew Brian’s attention even more. But before Zoe could respond, Roger intervened.
“It was me. I was the last to leave after locking up, but I was a bit tipsy at that time, so I didn’t see anything.”
“You were drunk and still drove yourself home, Mr. Roger?” The officer next to Brian suddenly raised his voice, “That’s a traffic violation. Did you know that?”
Roger replied casually, “I know, Officer. But I was only a bit drunk, not to the extent that I couldn’t drive. If I’d encountered a patrol officer on the way home, I would have gladly stopped for a breathalyzer test. If my alcohol level was over the limit, I’d accept the fine or even spend the night in a holding cell.”
The officer smirked with a hint of disdain, “Mr. Roger, you’re quite knowledgeable about the law.”
Meanwhile, Brian still did not take his eyes off Zoe. He approached him and asked, “It looks like you have an injury on your forehead?”
Jill whispered again into Zoe’s ear, “The cop is suspicious of you, Zoe. You’d better answer quickly.”
Zoe ignored Jill and told Brian, “Oh, I got a scrape from a bike accident while crossing the street.” Zoe tried to keep his voice steady to avoid arousing suspicion.
“He’s my friend. I was the one who introduced him to work here,” Neil said, stepping in.
“Who’s your friend? Zoe only hangs out with me, just me,” Jill made a face at Neil and then turned to Zoe, “Isn’t that right, Zoe?”
“Shut up,” Zoe tried to keep his voice low enough that no one else could hear.
“Oh, really?” Brian squinted and said slowly.
He tried to appear surprised, but Neil thought he was acting poorly. Brian’s attitude seemed to be focusing all suspicion on Zoe.
“If there’s nothing else, Officer, should we conclude this?” Roger said loudly, “If you have no further questions, we’d like to get back to business.”
Brian nodded, “Thank you all for your cooperation. We’ll be leaving now.”
Brian and his partner nodded their goodbyes and left the bar, leaving a few instructions to call the police if anything unusual was remembered. Neil exchanged a few words with Zoe before heading back to the station, and the bar reopened as usual.
However, due to the media coverage of the unusual death of a man in the alley behind the Night bar, the number of customers decreased significantly. By the evening, only a few people came in for drinks and to inquire about the deceased man, most of whom were reporters from various newspapers or television stations.
By eleven o’clock, there were no more customers. Roger sent the female staff home early, advising them to be careful on their way back, while he and Zoe stayed to clean up.
Roger sipped his wine and sighed, “Why did he have to die behind my bar? It was so crowded yesterday; what a stroke of bad luck.”
He turned to Zoe, who was busy wiping tables, and asked, “By the way, Zoe, did you notice anything unusual in the alley behind the bar when you left last night?”
“I didn’t see anything… It was very dark outside,” Zoe replied without looking up, as if trying to avoid Roger’s gaze.
Roger nodded, “Yes, it’s possible that the man didn’t die until after you left.”
Zoe paused, puzzled, and looked up at Roger, asking quietly, “But I was the last one to leave. Why did you tell the police that you were the last one out?”
“You’re not very bright, are you?” Roger explained softly, “I didn’t want you to be bothered by the police. With the injury on your forehead and being the last one out, they would definitely be suspicious and might take you in for questioning. Even if you’re not involved in the murder, having a staff member from the bar questioned by the police would affect business.”
Zoe lowered his head, “Thank you.”
“Thank you for what? I just don’t want to lose money or have the police hanging around the bar. How can we do business like that?”
Roger seemed to remember something and looked at Zoe with a suspicious frown, “But you really didn’t see anything?”
“I really didn’t see anything,” Zoe said anxiously, his hands trembling.
Roger laughed, “Is it necessary to be so scared? I didn’t say the murder case was connected to you. You’re so weak, how could you have done anything? The man was so big, even I’m not sure I could have taken him down.”
“You saw the man?” Zoe asked in surprise.
“In the morning, I was invited to the police station and saw the body being taken away. They asked if I knew him, and I said I hadn’t met him before. Since he had no identification on him, it might take a while to find his family.”
“So… Did the police say anything about his death?” Zoe asked hesitantly.
“They didn’t say anything, but I noticed marks on his neck that looked like handprints. I guess he was strangled to death by someone, and that person must have been strong to do it. The man was big, but he could also have had accomplices. We’ll have to wait for the police investigation to know more.”
Roger slowly poured himself another glass of wine, then raised it to his nose, sniffed, and took a sip. The sweet aroma of the wine was truly intoxicating. After savoring the last sip, Roger turned to Zoe and asked, “I heard you’re staying at Neil’s place. How did you meet him?”
Caught off guard by the question, Zoe didn’t know how to respond. He couldn’t say he had just come out of a juvenile detention center and met Neil. If Roger knew about his shady past, would he kick him out? Not to mention, Zoe was worried about affecting Neil’s reputation by housing someone with a manslaughter conviction.
Zoe stood quietly, unable to answer immediately. Finally, he gave a vague but plausible explanation, “He saw me missing the bus, so he kindly offered me a ride into the city. When we got there, Neil realized I had no place to stay and no acquaintances, so he took me to his place to stay temporarily.”
“I see,” Roger said, nodding and finishing the remaining wine in his glass. He set the empty glass on the table and sighed.
“Neil is a good person, always wanting to help others. His mother passed away quite early, and he and his father relied on each other. After a few years, because his father’s health deteriorated, he had to return to his hometown to take care of her. Neil was left alone in that house, so it’s really good that you’re there with him.”
Zoe frowned, confused, and asked Roger, “Does Neil not have any siblings?”
“No, he doesn’t. He’s the only one in his family,” Roger said, taking his coat and leaving the bar. Zoe was left alone at the bar with Jill’s ghost lingering around him.