Chapter 2: CHAPTER TWO
The whole department was in turmoil when the news broke out about a nineteen year old young girl who had been with her friends at a lecture theater reading for her upcoming tests and exams had suddenly died in a tragic way leaving this world and going to the next without a single ounce of a good-bye to friends or family.
Not only the department had gone coo-coo but the whole school had also been disordered. The police had flooded the school, had been to the scene of the crime and had assessed the whole situation. And the next thing they were doing now was questioning anyone who had an idea who the dead girl was. Starting with her friends and acquaintances at the department.
The school was well equipped with a building used to shoulder situations like this. Popularly known as floor O to the students while the school management had decided to name it Security office.
Simple and efficient, though Floor O sounds more dangerous and intimidating. The VC had given the permission for the police force to use the building to hold all the witnesses and turn-ups they had. And what a great turn up they had. Not in the building but outside it.
It was like a swam of bees outside it's nest. It was baffling and saddening at the same time. Though many had come to sympathize at the last minute, but students would be students. Trying to look for something to gossip about.
Kemi was sure that the only people who felt like their world had come tumbling down was the six sitting at the lobby waiting for when to be questioned. The girls had their faces in their hands, while the boys look beaten up. At least they all had a particular thing to tie them together still.
Fear
It was the only feature on their faces that gave it any emotions at all. Kemi felt for their loss. It is not everyday you read with a friend for an exam and the next hour she is lying dead to you, the whole world and all your plans for the future. Everything you've worked for together comes crumbling and shattering before you and you don't even know how to pick up the pieces and what to do with what ever that is left for you. If there was one thing those six at the lobby had in common with that friend of theirs is that same thought Kemi had going in her head.
The questioning should have started hours ago, but it seemed one of the students had a fore-knowledge of what the law says and had called their parents first before the permission was given for their children to be questioned. Under no circumstances should any of them continue with the whole scenario if they ever fell into any panic attack.
That almost made Paul, Kemi's assistant, reel in fury declaring that they actually knew their job well and didn't need any civilian telling them what to do. Kemi had calmed him down explaining the fact that the kid's parents are only looking out for their children. And it was understandable. At least on her part, she knew if her kid ever was in this position, she would want no harm to come to him mentally or physically.
It has been five hours after they had cleared the girl's body and it had been identified by her friends. Though it took a while before anyone came up with an answer for her name and other identifications to her identity, these six had at last come out as a group and identified her as one of theirs.
Kemi at first did not like this plan they had all conjured together and made a mental note to ask each of them during the questioning.
Elizabeth Oseni.
The girl who had died. Who lost her life in just minutes she had fun with her friends. Had no idea what was coming for her in a fortnight. Had put her trust in the school management to keep her safe from any kind of harm. A girl who had a life mapped out for herself and her friends. The girl who was skilled in so many ways. The first child of her parents and also the only girl for her family. A shinning star amongst friends whom she had loved and loved her back. Had a best friend whom they did everything together. Whom she had said bye-bye to just like 12 hours ago, promising to see each other the following day at lecture. She definitely didn't have an idea that dying so young and gay was in her agenda before the end of the month.
When Kemi got the call from the school's management about the incident this morning as she was about to sit comfortably at her office this early morning, as she had been planning to sleep the day through and to order Paul about not to be disturbed. Well she needed the rest if her five year old son gave her tantrums every morning.
But this morning had been different since he kept crying about the fact he wanted a gun just like her own and had thrown a fit when she slapped his butt twice which had made him erupt like a volcano this morning in the bathroom and at last his dad had to take over.
For a young child he had the energy of a young teenager out on the field playing ball with his friends. And he wore her out of her strength which she had planned to regain at the office by having a few minutes to her self, to refresh her brain and body by eating, sleeping through out the day before it was time to pick him up from school, and possibly buy him a water gun at least for peace to reign for the next few days before another request came along.
But as she decided she wanted to hit the sack after her strict orders to Paul, he had come running in her state of unconsciousness shouting to her ears that the VC of the only college in town wanted a word with her.
Reluctantly she had taken the phone from him and the story of Elizabeth Oseni had flooded her ears and she had no choice but to stand up, gather her team and they were on their way to the school.
She arrived at the scene in time and had seen that the school had taken precautions by tying the scene with a red tape and had the school's security officials standing round and blocking the road that led in or out of the scene.
She had been greeted by the VC himself as she arrived and had been given access to do her job. The first thing that she had first noticed as she moved closer to where the still body lay was that, the victim was not the only one who had been there at the place. Someone else had been there and for the first time in years, Kemi thanked the heavens for the rain. The last time she made any thoughts like that was when she was still in secondary school, which had to do with a teacher not coming to class because of the downpour.
She faced the foot-prints again and the surrounded areas finding out that the incident had happened shortly after the rain stopped which would have been around 3:30 am to 4 in the wee hours of the morning. The noises she heard made her look to her left as the crowd was thinning out for a particular man who was making his way towards her.
Joseph Bello.
A forensic specialist, who specialized in reading the bones best. Good at his job and has always been good for all her cases. Came to the town a few years back and had settled in. No wife, just a daughter and house help who acted as a nanny to his daughter. Efficient and and also handsome for a man of his age. At forty-six going on fifty in a few years still looked like he was searching the town for the love of his life. Tall, 6.2, broad shoulders and that face that every single lady or mother yearns for.
Not her, she was perfectly married to the man of her dreams and had her son to end the happiness, what more could a woman of her age and status ask for.
She smiled as he got closer to where she was standing and gave her a smile of his own that showed his upper teeth. They were not too close or best friends but they were close enough as she could help pick his daughter from school or share a meal at the cafeteria or give each other lifts from time to time. Can share a conversation without getting bored, and she treated him with the utmost respect. He was old enough to be her elder brother as she was 7 years younger. He also respected her and her badge and they were both professionals at their jobs so... that's that. After exchanging a few greetings, they both got down the deep gutter slipping their hands into gloves as they checked the girl out.
The poor girl had been found in an uncomfortable position. Her face to the sky, her body twisted in a way that said she had broken a few of her bones. One of her legs was bent and the other straight, her head was lying on her right hand as if she was on her bed sleeping, her eyes were closed and she had bruises on her head that seemed to have turned red and bloody like she was bleeding, like she had been hit with something hard.
Kemi knew the cut wasn't enough for her to have bled to death as the blood at the side of her face wasn't running deep. Her clothes were wet at the back than the front, and face seemed to have dry tears on them. Joseph stood up to his full height after he had examined the body before then saying,
" She was murdered,"
Kemi sucked in a breath. She had that idea when she saw the other foot-prints on the soil but Nigeria was a country devoid of that kind of killing...not like it never happened but it rarely happened. But as she saw Joseph's mouth move forming the words murder she knew her first instincts were right... As always.
"Over here," Joseph was saying as he pointed towards the dead girl's temple, "she must have hit her head on the pavement," He said and continued by nodding his head to the level ground which seemed to meet at his chest and met Kemi at her head. Totally covering her view of the high ground.
At this Joseph had to give her a lift and pointed out the fingers that seemed to have grabbed the earth in an attempt to reach the high ground.
"But if she fell in an effort to climb back up, how is that murder?" Paul asked as he was near and had been listening to Joseph's explanation.
Joseph smiled and dropped Kemi to squat at the body as he pointed to the blood that was running down her face,
"She was hit with something hard across the face. Clean hit, she fell and died immediately". He summarized as he looked at Kemi. She just kept nodding taking it all in and Paul muttered, "this is going to be one hell of a case".
Kemi couldn't agree more, because she was certain Joseph was right and someone had killed this girl. First, as she looked at the earth again, it looked like the girl had slipped and had fallen and the other person had tried to help as she saw that the right foot of the person had come forward in an attempt to get closer to the girl to help but didn't succeed as the dead girl had fallen again which explained her broken bones.
Kemi asked to be brought up and she got on fresh land again she saw that the deceased could not be more than a 5.5 in height and definitely not athletic like herself. She turned as she saw Joseph get out of the gutter, and had not needed help as he swung his leg and helped himself up to the ground.
"If she was at least a 5.7 she could have made it out of that gutter," Paul was saying, "but looks like she is below and does not have the athletic body to climb out without help".
"Seems to be dead for about four hours". Joseph supplied. What she actually needed to help with the case. "Fresh blood and everything, body still warm regardless of the cold weather, and the wet ground". He just finished his words with a nod and Kemi understood perfectly. His job was done and the rest was up to her. Except the fact she still needed his report on an authorized paper. But he has given her enough to start to work with. Joseph was about turning when they heard Paul's voice behind them,
"Seems like there was a third feet". Paul announced as she and Joseph got closer to him. He was pointing at the ground as he said, "this person who was here at first had left," he said as he pointed to retreating foot prints and drew their attention to another that seemed to be coming from the hostel side. When Kemi saw what he was pointing out Joseph voiced out their concerns, "how come the same shoe print leaves to that side," he pointed at the opposite direction where they had come from, "and also comes from there," he pointed to the direction of the hostel, "but there are no foot-prints that leads or connects here". He pointed to where they were standing.
"This is going to be one hell of a case". Paul admitted this time loud enough for Kemi and Joseph to hear.
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