ℂ𝕃𝕆𝕊𝔼ℝ 𝕋ℍ𝔸ℕ 𝕐𝕆𝕌 𝕋ℍ𝕀ℕ𝕂

║FIFTEEN║

    YVONNE SAT ON NICOLE'S BED, worried because of the sudden mood swing of Nicole since she got back from Alfred's house.
“You are making me scared Nikki, did he hurt you?” Yvonne stroked Nicole's hair. Nicole kept on sobbing like a child as she sat on the bed with her legs crisscrossed, clutching a pillow tightly to her chest.
“Did he break up with you?” Yvonne kept asking her questions that might possibly cause her mood swing.
“He kissed me mum…” Nicole finally spoke, blubbering.
“He did?”
“I hate him for doing that, I don't know why he did it. I should have stopped him.” she cried.
“It's okay, baby.” Yvonne shifters closer to Nicole, placing Nicole's head on her  chest.
“It was all my fault, I should have stopped him… I should have stopped him.” she cried regretfully.
“It is nobody's fault okay? Stop saying that. Stop crying like a child. Maybe you two should have created and agreed on the rules for the relationship stating the dos and don't in the relationship.”
“I never thought of that.” Nicole sniffled, raising her head from her mother's chest.
“Now you know.” her mother patted her cheek, smiling.
“Thanks mom.” she hugged her mother.
“Anytime dear. I love you. I just want you to two to have a healthy relationship just like the relationship I used to with your dad. So have you gotten an answer for him, his proposal?”
“Not yet, I am still thinking about it.”
“Alright. Can I leave now or you still want me to stay?”
“Nah, I am okay. Just need a hug and you are free to leave.”
Her mother hugged her affectionately and kissed her cheeks. “Sleep tight.”
“You too.” Nicole said as she laid down on her bed, covering herself with her blanket. She rolled over to her side, perceiving the awful smell of her armpit. She ignored the smell because she was too tired to shower and then drifted off to sleep.

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“Daddy! what happened next, what happened to Goliath?” inquisitive seven year old Ian, Neil's son asked ethusiastically as his father told him and his older sister a story of David and Goliath.
“David threw a smooth round stone at Goliath and the stone hit Goliath's head ‘Boom’ , Goliath fell down flat on the ground and David cut his head with Goliath's big sword. The people of Israel joyfully celebrated David's victory. The end.” Neil said ruffling his son's hair.
“Yay!” Ian clapped.
“Now it's question time,” Neil said. “What was the name of David's father?”
“Um… Jesse.”  Joan, Neil's ten years old daughter answered boldly, grinning.
“Good.” Neil gave her a thumbs up.
“I wanted to answer the question dad.” Ian said, pouting.
“Okay, answer this one. What was the name of the giant David killed?”
“Goliath!”
“Bravo! What lesson did you learn from the story, Joan?”
“I learnt that God uses anybody no matter the age, race, gender and size for signs and wonders.”
“Good, what about you Joan.”
“Always learn to trust in God.”
“Yes. I am glad the both of you paid rapt attention. clap yourselves.” Neil smiled.
Joan and Ian clapped, giggling.
“It’s dinner time!” Bailey announced, setting the large table for the family.
“Ian, bless our food.” Neil said when the family was seated for dinner at the table. Ian closed his eyes, joining both palms together and prayed.
“Beautiful Jesus, thank you for this food, bless and sanctify it and bless the hands that made it, in Jesus name. Amen.” he opened his eyes grinning proudly after praying.
“Amen!” Neil, Bailey and Joan chorused.
“Pot roast for dinner, yummy!” Ian exclaimed as he licked his lips, hungrily jabbing his fork into the dish.

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Neil and Nicole paid an unexpected visit to Delia Donnelly's house after three weeks. When they got there, they were told Roy had gone to his girlfriend's house, so they left and headed to Roy's girlfriend's house following the direction to the girlfriend's house  given to them by Delia.
     They waited patiently after knocking severally on the door of his girlfriend's house and Nicole decided to turn the door knob. Luckily for them, it opened. They walked into the quiet house and saw no one inside. They decided to check the kitchen, still they found no one. As they approached the bedroom, they heard moans coming from the bedroom. Nicole peeped through the door that was left ajar and saw Roy and his girlfriend making out. She looked at Neil, scrunching her face in disgust. She knocked on the door to disrupt what was going on and walked into the room, with Neil following behind.
“Who the hell are you two?!” Roy yelled angrily at Nicole and Neil as he jolted off his girlfriend who quickly grabbed the blanket, covering her naked body. This is really Roy, his appearance matched the description of Janice. He had dreadlocks and a tattooed body. Perfect match!
Neil walked up to Roy, handcuffing him. “You are under arrest, what ever you say or do will be used against you in the court of law.” Neil said.
“You have no right to come in here to arrest me!” Roy protested but Neil pulled him along with him, taking him out of the room.
“What is going on? Can someone tell me what's going on?” Roy's girlfriend asked Nicole bewildered as she got out off the bed wearing her clothes.
“Please, you are to follow us to the station.” Nicole told her.
“Can you please explain, why did he get arrested?”
“You will understand when you get to the station.”
The lady reluctantly followed Nicole out of the house to the car where Neil with some police officers were waiting.

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“What is your name Miss?” Nicole asked Roy's girlfriend when they got to the interrogation room in the police department.
“Freya Reynard.” The lady's grey sullen eyes searched the Interrogation room quizzically.
“What’s your relationship with Roy?”
“He is my boyfriend.”
“For how long?”
“Three years.”
“Has Roy ever ill–treated you since your relationship started?”
“N…no!” Freya stammered.
“You are not helping matters Miss Reynard when you lie.”
“Just once but he apologized.”
“What did he do?”
“He… he beat me with a belt because he saw me hanging out with one of his friends. I meant no harm.” Freya  broke into sobs.
“Is it just ones he has assaulted you?”
“I don't know…No.” Freya confessed.
“And you never told anyone about it not even his sister?”
“I was scared to.” she rubbed the nape of her neck, nervous.
“Have you noticed anything suspicious about him?”
“No.”
“Before now, when last did you see him?”
“Early this year before he went back to school.”
“Do you love him?”
“ Yes, I do.”
“Thanks for cooperation with us.” Nicole said and told her to leave.
“Here is the truth about Roy, Roy was rusticated from Oklahoma university a year ago for the possession of hard drugs, three months after his rustication, he and Timothy conived together to rape Janice. He is guilty.” Neil told Nicole as they discussed in the office about the missing persons case.
“Come to think of it, his sister never knew he was rusticated. I wonder how she will take the news, that her trusted little brother is a drug addict and a rapist.” Nicole shook her head sadly.
“That is how life is, people can't be trusted.”
“At last, this case is solved now we are left with one difficult unsolved murder case of the McBride couple.”