Secrets

Chapter 5

"Miss Busola Akinsola, this is Officer John Ade-Rinsola, one of the lead detectives on Nneka's homicide case," the other officer said. "We're only here to take your statement."

"Good morning, Miss Akinsola," Officer John said, his voice gentle but firm. "Could you please tell us where you were from 1:00 AM to 7:00 AM?"

"I was sleeping," Busola replied. "I woke up at 7:30 AM and came down for breakfasts.

"Did you hear any strange noises, or anything out of the ordinary?" the officer asked, his pen poised over his notepad.

"I'm a heavy sleeper, so I didn't hear anything unusual," Busola replied. "I slept through the night, and I only woke up when my alarm went off."

"Is there anyone who can corroborate your alibi?" the officer pressed.

"No, we all have our own rooms," Busola said, shaking her head. 

The police detective leaned forward in his chair, his expression serious. "Can you tell me when the last time you saw Nneka was?" he asked, his voice soft but authoritative. Busola's hands began to shake, and she took a deep breath, trying to compose herself.

"It was the night of the argument," she said, her voice faltering. "Ama was so angry... I think she said something about wanting to kill Nneka."

A heavy silence filled the room, and the detective's face was impossible to read.

" The detective nodded, scribbling something in his notepad.

"Is there anyone else who can corroborate your story?" he asked, his eyes never leaving the page. Busola hesitated,"Everyone was at the dinning when ama said it".

"Thank you for your time, Miss Akinsola," the officer said, his tone formal and businesslike. "We may need to speak to you again, but for now, you are free to go." Busola nodded, grateful to be leaving the room. She felt like she could finally breathe again.

The detective stood up and walked her to the door, opening it for her. She stepped into the hallway, the door closing behind her. 

*"***"******************************************************************

 Damian sat down in the chair across from the detective, his body tense and his eyes hollow.

"What was your relationship with Nneka?" the detective asked, his voice even and calm.

"She was my fiancée," Damian said, his voice cracking. He was fighting back tears, his hands shaking as he clenched them into fists. "We were going to get married. She was... she was carrying my child."

"I'm sorry for your loss," the detective said, his eyes full of sympathy.

"Did you notice anything strange about Nneka the day before she was murdered?" the detective asked curiously.

"Now that you mention it," Damian said, a furrow forming on his brow as he struggled to remember, "I remember something. Nneka was in a hurry to get back to her room. She didn't want to sleep in my room, saying she needed her privacy, plus she was moving almost every part of the condo,when it wasn't her first time here."

"That's an interesting detail," the detective said, jotting it down.

 "Was there anyone who had a grudge against Nneka?" the detective asked, his tone neutral.

"Nneka wasn't the most popular person in our group," Damian said, his voice tinged with sadness. "She came from a poor background, and some people found that off-putting. But I don't think anyone hated her enough to hurt her. Except, ama..." he trailed off, rubbing his head.