After receiving her mom’s urgent call, Margo rushed back to her mom’s house, who was sobbing at the doorstep. Margo knew why: Harold was murdered.

Margo lived far away from her mom and her younger brother, Harold, who was 17 years old, and the siblings hardly talked. Her dad was in prison. That day, her mom had gone shopping, leaving Harold studying for his exams. No one in the neighborhood heard his scream. Nobody knew what had happened between 4-5 pm.

While the police handled her mom, Margo slipped outside of the house. She wanted to ask the lady next door, Ms. Cameron, about this incident. She knocked on the door. No reply. She shouted her name. No reply. Disappointed, she was about to return when something caught her eye: a movement from the top window. It was a girl, probably Harold’s age. She wore sunglasses and had her ears pressed against the window, as if she was trying her best to hear what Margo was saying. Margo waved at her, but she didn’t wave back. Margo shouted whether Ms. Cameron was here, but the girl shook her head and signaled Margo to leave.

Oh well. Margo turned to return when realization hit her hard, making her freeze.

Miss Cameron never had a family.

Margo instantly turned back, but the girl was gone. Either her mind was playing tricks on her or Ms. Cameron had a daughter, and didn’t want to tell anyone, which was insane, because when she was little, she always had tea at Miss Cameron’s house and never noticed that someone else was living in her house. Maybe that was the reason Miss Cameron never let her go upstairs.

A flying sandal came zooming towards her. She ducked, frowning at the girl who was standing behind her window, with a sandal on her hand. She threw it, but this time her aim was very poor. It landed a few meters next to Margo.

“Why?” Margo yelled, but she shut the window and gestured Margo to leave again. “I just want to talk,” Margo tried. “I mean no harm!”

She saw the girl hesitate and then nod.

***

“You shouldn’t invite strangers into your house, but thanks for letting me in.”

The girl remained silent for a while, and the whispered, “You’re no stranger. You’re Harold’s sister.” The girl took a step forward but tripped over the coffee table. “I’m sorry… my bad… I’m really clumsy…do you want anything?”

Margo gently made her sit on the sofa. “Just information. Who are you?”

“Hazel.”

“You’re Cameron’s…?”

She sighed. “Her daughter, yes. I know you’re surprised, but actually I’ve always heard you and Harold coming over to our house for tea. And the reason my mom never let go outside or interact with anyone is because I’m… blind. There. I said it.”

“Ohh,” Margo said, realizing. “But that’s nothing to be ashamed out.”

Hazel shook her head. “You wouldn’t understand.”

Margo changed the subject. “So, um, you must know Harold, don’t you?”

She paused and nodded.

“Well?”

“Look, I know nothing about Harold’s murder. Good bye.”

“Funny how you mention the murder when I didn’t even mention it.”

“Are you suspecting me?”

“Well, you are kind of suspicious,” Margo admitted. “I know you know something.”

Finally, she gave in. She began to tell when Harold found out about her and when they became friends…

“Skip those parts,” Margo muttered impatiently. “Tell me something related to Harold’s murder.”

“I…don’t know much,” Hazel said, exasperated. “When I was testing him for tomorrow’s exam-”

“How?”

“Through our windows, obviously. Then he screamed, and then… I heard someone else’s voice…saying something like… stupid Lucy and… I’ll show you, son and… I’m sorry.”

“You saw nothing?”

“Obviously not. I’m blind.”

Margo’s mind was racing. Stupid Lucy. Lucy was her mom’s name. I’ll show you, son. She was now definitely sure that it was her Dad. Since when he was free from prison?

Margo stood up. “We’re going to the police.”

“You’re going to the police,” Hazel corrected. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Margo grimaced. She knew the police wouldn’t believe her without a witness… which was ironic, considering that Hazel was blind.  Still, she convinced Hazel out of the house, to the police and told them what they knew.

Upon Margo and her mom’s request, the police decided to track her ex-husband and question him. When he denied the crime, they brought in Hazel, who told what she had heard through her window and he realized that he was caught. Finally, he confessed that he had killed Harold because of his hatred for Lucy.

***

Even though they weren’t close, Hazel missed her brother, her heart sinking horribly as she watched her mom cry over Harold’s dead body.