A Cruel Quiet

Mr. Mau took a sip of his tea before speaking. “Detective, she was a person. A daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother. Someone murdered her among us.” He took another sip of the tea. “We did not want to hear her constant complaints, but no one wanted her dead.” He took another sip of the tea and put the cup on the table, then looked into their eyes. “Murder kills everyone attached to her. Kills love, kills friendship… it kills trust.” He looked at the floor briefly before continuing, his face full of sadness. “It is a cruel quiet, because we do not know what words caused the murder and now we do not speak with each other.”