10. I- am sorry sir

Back at the Bellvue Manor, Mr. Langley was anxiously anticipating Manchester's return. "Does he have answers, has he found the the thief?", these questions ran through his mind and it was impossible to sit down.

"Ah, Mr. Detective," he exclaimed the second the butler ushered Manchester into the living room. Mr Langley couldn't help but notice that both Emma and Atkinson came in along with him, and he started to question if they were innocent all along, or perhaps they had come to confess.

"Do you have answers?" He asked,

"Please tell me that you have answers. My wife's plane would land in an hour, and I'd have to go pick her up soon, so if you don't have answers yet, you can leave it while I...

"We have answers, Mr. Langley, " Manchester interjected, his tone was firm and certain. He felt that it was rude to cut the man off while he was still speaking, but knowing Mr Richard Langley's loquacious nature, it was for the best.

"So?" Mr. Langley asked, still standing.

"Well, sir." Manchester cleared his throat,

"Neither Emma nor Atkinson was involved in the theft... well technically they were not involved in ways that would make you think they wanted to steal it."

"In fact," He continued with a broad smile,

"They were the reason we got to the bottom of the investigation in the first place, so I owe them an apology but I was just doing my job...

"Quit beating around the bush Mr. Detective!" Mr Langley cut Manchester off in an authoritative voice, with his eyes fixed on the paper the young man was holding up while wondering if it had anything to do with the investigation.

"We tracked down the thief using Atkinson's phone number, and it led us to discover that it is none other than Mr. Noel Jackson."

When Manchester said those words, the room was thrown into awkward silence with all eyes staring at just one man standing at a distance.

"The butler?" Mr. Langley's jaws dropped in astonishment. The butler was the last person he'd ever suspect to take the necklace considering how close their relationship was compared to the others.

"Yes sir, your butler stole the Starlight Serenade necklace that you bought for your wife's birthday, and his intentions were even more shocking...

"I don't think you know what you are talking about, Detective I would never do such a thing to Mr Langley, I've known him for seven years and I've served in this manor faithfully." The butler began to defend himself. Both his tone and facial expressions were convincing.

"My master had bought a lot of expensive things for his wife, even for me. So why would I do it to him...

"You may not have done it to your master, Mr Noel." Manchester's chimed in.

"But you did it to hurt someone else, someone who you despised so much. You did it to get back at Atkinson, to make him lose his job isn't it?"

"That is just absolute nonsense!" The butler thundered, his voice echoing off the living room wall.

"Atkinson's wife ought to have married you last year, only for her to end up with someone else, whom you didn't know at the time was Atkinson." Manchester started to explain, going into details based on what Atkinson had narrated to him.

"I know it hurts," he continued,

"When the woman you loved and wanted to marry leaves you suddenly to be married to someone else it hurts. And seeing the man he picked over you every day in the same building makes it even harder to think straight, so you saw this as an opportunity to get rid of him once and for all."

"You don't know what you are saying...

"I know!" Manchester closed the distance between himself and the butler and looked at the man straight in the eye.

"I know because my wife left me yesterday, she just stood up and left me and my one-year-old alone to be with someone else. So I can relate to your hurt because they are quite similar. But you went too far, blackmailing the innocent man who did nothing but Marry a wife, trying to make sure he loses the only job he has to feed his family... you went too far."

As these words left Manchester's lips, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. Deep down he knew he'd probably do the same, but he had to keep this as professional as possible and let them handle these among themselves.

"Ahem," Mr. Langley cleared his throat,

"So you mean to tell me that the butler stole my wife's necklace just so that Atkinson could lose his job? And all this hatred is because of a woman? Quite childish if you ask me."

"What do you know old man? You've never lost your woman to someone else," Manchester swallowed these words, Mr. Langley would certainly be offended if he let them out.

"Where is the Starlight Serenade necklace?" Manchester asked the Butler in a calm soothing voice. In other to complete this task he must see the stolen item to ensure that his deduction is accurate.

"I am sorry, sir." The Butler turned to Mr Langley, whose face had now turned red with anger.

"I have taken the necklace but planned to return it as soon as .... as Atkinson is gone. It's locked away in the store room, underneath those British antiques that you have kept away."

Mr. Langley sighed in frustration, but instead of saying anything, he just sat back on the couch and folded his arm.

"I have never been this confused in my life about anything. Like... I don't even know how to react to this and i don't even know the words to say. First of all, Emma, go bring me the necklace from where he hid it, at least let me be sure that it hasn't grown wings and flown out of the manor. "

"And then as for the both of you," he paused and stared from Atkinson to Noel.

"I will decide what to do about the both of you later. For now, just leave my presence, I want to speak with the detective alone."