Secrets

Chapter 4

On a sunny morning, Aikita set out on a jog, while the others enjoyed a leisurely breakfast together. Aikita's run was going smoothly, until she turned a corner and found herself staring at a horrific sight: Nneka's lifeless body, lying on the grass in front of the garden.  "Aikita stood frozen in terror, unable to move. She felt as if her heart had stopped beating. Everything seemed to slow down, the world around her going silent. Then, a scream erupted from her lips. It was a sound of pure agony and disbelief. Within moments, the others heard Aikita's scream and ran outside, not knowing what to expect. When they saw Nneka's body, they all fell silent, their faces pale with shock and horror."

 "Ama was the first to reach Nneka's body. She dropped to her knees, her hands trembling as she reached out to check for a pulse. There was none. A wave of nausea swept over Ama, and she felt dizzy and disoriented. 'She's not breathing,' she whispered, her voice breaking. The others stood in stunned silence, unable to process what was happening. Then, cross spoke, his voice filled with dread. "We need to call the police."Harry put his arms around Akita, trying to calm her down.'It's going to be all right,' he said, his voice soft and reassuring. 'Let's just take a deep breath and try to stay calm. The police will be here soon and they'll sort this all out.' But Aikita couldn't seem to catch her breath, and her sobs continued to wrack her body. She was in a state of shock, unable to process what had just happened."  She remembered the argument she'd witnessed between Nneka and Ama, and how Ama had stormed off in anger. But could Ama really have killed Nneka?

"Ama, you murdered her!" Damian said, his voice filled with anger and disbelief.

"No, I didn't!" Ama protested, her voice trembling.

"You have to calm down," Dubem said, placing his hands on Damian's shoulders. "We need to stay rational if we're going to figure this out."

"She was pregnant with my child!" he sobbed, his eyes filling with tears as dubem patted his back consoling him. 

"Dubem turned to Harry. 'Please take Aikita to her room,' he said. 'She needs to rest.' Harry nodded, and gently led Aikita to her room. Then, Dubem turned to Ama. 'You should go to your room too,' he said, his voice firm but not unkind. Ama hesitated for a moment, then slowly walked to her room. 

"Busola stood there, frozen in place. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Nneka didn't deserve this she thought. 

 She wanted to ask Ama what had gone on, but she couldn't find the words.

Ama

 I turned on the faucet, cupped my hands beneath the stream of water, and splashed my face. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. I understood why people would think I had something to do with Nneka's murder. After all, I made some threatening remarks toward Nneka during dinner, but I hadn't meant them. I just got caught up in the moment, and I said things I didn't mean. But now, everyone was looking at me with suspicion, and I could feel the panic rising in my chest. How could I possibly convince them that I had nothing to do with Nneka's death?

I was at a loss for what to do. My mind was racing, and I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare.

Busola

I ran to the bathroom and fell to my knees in front of the toilet, vomiting until I was weak and empty. The image of Nneka's lifeless body was burned into my mind, and I couldn't shake the feeling of panic and fear that was consuming me. 

My heart pounded in my chest, my mind racing as I tried to process everything that had happened. I felt numb, like I was in a dream from which I couldn't wake up. But I also felt a sick sense of guilt and shame. 

I retched until I had nothing left, and then I cleaned myself up as best I could.

But no matter what I did, I couldn't escape the feeling of dread that was overwhelming me. I felt like I was caught in a nightmare from which I couldn't wake up.

I was a mess, and I knew it.

***********************************************************************************************

Ama looked Dubem in the eye, her gaze steady and determined. "I didn't kill Nneka," she said, her voice firm and clear. "I would never do something like that." Dubem looked into Ama's eyes, he felt his heart soften. Despite everything that had happened, he couldn't help but feel drawn to her. In that moment, he realized that he truly cared for her, and he wanted to protect her from the pain .

After a moment, he let out a sigh and nodded. "I believe you," he said, his voice softer now. "But the police are going to want to talk to you.  Ama nodded, ''No matter what happens, I'll be by your side." Ama looked at him, her eyes shining with gratitude.

The police are having a closed case,based on my father's instructions" Dubem said, his voice grave. "They've put up a barrier and no one is allowed in or out of the house."

her shoulders sagging slightly in relief.

************************************************************************

"Do you think Ama actually meant what she said?" Busola asked Cross and Harry, her voice shaking with fear. "I mean, could she really have... killed Nneka?" Cross was silent for a moment, considering the question. "I don't know," he said finally. I'm not convinced that Ama is actually capable of murder," Harry said, his brow furrowed in thought. "I know she threatened Nneka, but I just can't see her actually going through with it. She's always seemed like such a gentle person to me. It's hard to imagine her as a killer." Busola and Cross looked at each other, both of them unsure what to make of Harry's words. "Maybe you're right," Busola said slowly. "But we can't just ignore what we saw and heard her say yesterday."

"The CCTV footage from yesterday is missing," Busola said, her voice heavy with dread. "It means the murder was premeditated."That's... that's scary," Harry said, his voice faltering. "We all know each other, and we're all suspects."

"Is Aikita okay?" Busola asked, worried evident in her voice. "She seemed really upset earlier. Has she calmed down?" Harry nodded, his expression serious. "She's sleeping now," he said. "I gave her a sedative. It should help her relax and get some rest. We'll talk to her later in the day." Busola sighed in relief. "I just hope she's okay," she said. "She's been through a lot." Harry placed a hand on her shoulder. "She'll be fine," he assured her.

"Miss Busola Akinsola, I need to ask you some questions," the detective said, his voice cutting through the tension in the room. "If you would please come with me?"

The group fell silent as Busola followed the detective out of the room.