Dear Eva — Episode 9
There was a strange silence between me and Stan the next morning. Not hostile, but not entirely peaceful either. Maybe it was the weight of Kingsley's sudden death. Or maybe it was the fear of what the investigation could reveal.
Everyone at the hotel was walking on eggshells.
Detective Oluchi returned to the premises, this time with two other officers in plain clothes. She called me aside. "Eva, we need to talk. Privately."
We walked to the staff break room.
"Were you close to Kingsley?" she asked.
"He was my boss… and, well, he wanted more. But I never encouraged him."
She gave a slow nod. "We have reason to believe that his death was premeditated. The coroner confirmed it wasn't a natural heart attack—it was induced. Poison."
My hand flew to my mouth. "Poison? How? Who would—"
"That's what we're trying to find out. But the poison was laced in the coffee he had that morning. According to reports, he drank it in his office."
A deep chill passed through me.
"Who served it?" I whispered.
Detective Oluchi didn't answer. Instead, she reached into her coat and pulled out a sealed evidence bag. Inside was a plastic stirrer stained with dried coffee.
"The fingerprints came back. You and Stan both touched the cup."
I went cold. "I—Yes, I handed him the tray. But I didn't prepare the coffee. That's kitchen staff. I only delivered it."
She stared at me hard. "So you're saying Stan made the coffee?"
"No! I—I don't know. I was just asked to drop it. I didn't see who made it."
She leaned in. "Eva, if you're protecting someone, now is the time to speak up."
"I'm not," I said, my voice shaking. "I swear, I'm not."
After she left, I went straight to Stan.
"We need to talk. Now."
We sat in the staff lounge, far away from any prying ears.
"They found fingerprints on the coffee cup," I began.
He looked stunned. "And they're suspecting you?"
"Both of us. Me and you."
Stan stood and started pacing. "This is bad. This is really bad."
I looked at him closely. "Stan, is there something you're not telling me?"
He stopped pacing. "Eva, you need to trust me. I didn't poison Kingsley. But—" He paused. "There's something I need to show you."
He pulled out his phone, scrolled through his gallery, and showed me a picture.
It was Kingsley… and a woman. But not just any woman. It was the hotel's head of housekeeping, Miss Sade. They were kissing.
"What the—?"
"I saw them together once," Stan said. "Late at night. She threatened me when she noticed. Said if I told anyone, I'd regret it."
That changed everything.
Could she have had a motive? Jealousy? Blackmail?
"Why didn't you tell the police?"
"Because I'm already on the line. I came from nothing, Eva. I don't have your family's background or safety net. If I get even suspected, they won't blink before putting me behind bars."
His voice cracked. And despite my confusion, my heart softened toward him.
That evening, I called Detective Oluchi anonymously and hinted about the affair between Kingsley and Miss Sade.
It didn't take long before Miss Sade was invited for questioning. Within 24 hours, she cracked.
She admitted to lacing Kingsley's coffee with a slow-acting heart stimulant that would look like cardiac arrest. She had been dating Kingsley in secret for years, hoping he'd divorce his wife and marry her. But when she found out he was planning to propose to me—of all people—she snapped.
"He told me he loved me," she sobbed during the confession. "He said he'd leave her. But then he started flirting with Eva. Calling her 'Dear Eva' right in front of me. Like I was nothing!"
Her tears didn't stop the cuffs from going on.
The news broke like wildfire. Staff whispered. Guests gossiped. Management scrambled to contain the PR fallout.
Detective Oluchi returned to my office one last time. "You were lucky, Eva. If you had just delivered that coffee a little earlier… if Kingsley hadn't called his lawyer that morning before drinking it… the will might have gone missing."
I stared. "Wait—what will?"
She smiled faintly. "Kingsley updated his will the morning he died. Left the hotel to you."
"To me? But we weren't even—"
"He said in the letter that accompanied it that he believed in your leadership. That you were the only one who truly cared about the people behind the uniforms."
I was speechless. My hands trembled as I took the document she handed me. It was real. Signed. Stamped. Witnessed.
Stan stood by the door, looking uncertain.
"Come in," I said to him.
He stepped inside slowly.
"You heard?"
"I did," he said. "And I think Kingsley was right. You were meant to lead."
I looked at him, unsure.
"But what about us?" I asked.
He smiled faintly. "We'll figure it out. If we're honest. If we trust each other."
I nodded, tears in my eyes. "Dear Stan," I whispered. "I think I'm ready now."
He stepped closer. "Dear Eva," he said softly. "I've been ready since the moment I saw you."
And just like that, in the midst of chaos, heartbreak, betrayal—and now, clarity—we found a beginning.
To be continued…
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