Clapping Monkey

Chapter 11 Friends or foe

Who could be that accomplice? I need to know that for myself. I will try sneaking out at night. So, for that, I need to observe the activities of this institute. Well, it can't be harder than breaking out of jail.

Ok from what I could make out. They will lock my door at night. And there are three people I have to be careful about one warden and two guards. Ok, the windows are locked from outside. It won't be easy to break through the window. I can try unlocking the door. There was a small see-through window. I can't break it open. I can loosen up the screws. My hoop earrings will come in handy. After breaking open the door. I sneak through the warden. One guard was dead asleep. I pass by him and move towards the main gate. I climb over the gate and now I am free. As I was running, I hear an alarm siren. The other guard must have spotted me. This means that the police will be informed. I won't have much time before I am caught.

I ran through our small neighbourhood, avoiding the main lanes. Well, the advantage I have is I know the whole map of this neighbourhood by heart. As I reach Father Jude's apartment, I sneak in through the backdoor. To my surprise, the backdoor had been already broken in. I quietly entered inside and see Claire desperately going through Father's belongings.

Claire must be here to find clues of my innocence. I should go over to her. As I make my move, her phone rings.

"What! Alina escaped the institute. I am coming there". She leaves saying that. Something in me didn't allow me to go over to her.

I reach over to the bookshelf. One of these books has the answer. I don't have much time left. I try recalling everything that Father told me before dying.
He said that the ring has the answer. I was wearing the ring at that time. I remove it and search for any clue. It's a greenish blue stone.

There was a laptop on the desk. I hope it doesn't require a password. I open it and fortunately, it had no password. I type in " Bluish-Green stone ". The name " Aquamarine " along with others pop up.

What does this mean? That's when it hits me, Father used to read a book named Aquamarine.

I rummage through the bookshelves. And at last, I am able to find a novel written by Alice Hoffman named " Aquamarine". I pull the book and secret safe pops up.

A sense of relief rushes through me. I might find who did it now along with all the clues.
I notice that in order to open the safe, I need a password. What could that password be?

I try remembering everything he said to me before dying.
"You were destined to be my saviour from the day you were born. "
He was the one who told me that my name meant "bearer of light". I brought light into his life from the day I was born. " The day I was born"...

That's it. I put in my birth date. I could hear sirens outside father's house.

"Hands up!", I hear from behind.

My heart is beating fast. And that's when I hear a click. Thank God it's open. I notice that there is a  red diary, a pen drive and a note" for my light bearer".

I showed it  to the police. They cuffed me and took me to the police station. There they read the contents from the red diary and a recording from that spy cam at Robert's house. It has the recording of somebody entering the house and exciting it during the time of the murder.

My suspicion was right. The murderer was Claire. But why.....

Was she my friend or foe...