Story By Tisa Phiri
Days, weeks and indeed months now have gone by and I don’t seem to be able to uncover the person behind the murder or have any successful leads at all. I tried with everything I had to uncover the mystery of the death of my friend but every time I was almost getting to catch up with him, the guy behind the murder seemed to be a step ahead of me.
I was at the verge of my Career and almost giving up, what with the influence of the big man on the hierarchy in the police force. He seemed well known and connected to the top guys I even wonder why I had been so much lucky to have been saved from being fired.
I sighed at the thought and my excitement of Man U scoring 2 goals against Arsenal no longer having an effect on the sadness that I was facing.
Looking behind me upon hearing the door to the cafeteria open with a bang.
“What the hell!” I stated looking at my friend Mwila who rushed in almost banging his head in the door way.
“You have to see this!” he panted catching his breath.
“See what?” I asked snapping the phone from his hand as he extended it towards me.
“What the…? Where did this come from?” Stopping my mouth from mentioning hell.
“It came via WhatsApp” Mwila pushes his hands in his pockets.
“I know that silly, this is my phone and I can see how it was delivered. “ I scold him scrolling down as pictures of a dead girl covered in a pool of blood went down one after the other.
“Who sent this?” I asked throwing my phone on the table before me it crashed a little bit as it touched the counter.
I had been sitting in the cafeteria watching soccer when Mwila rushed in. I paced around ignoring the eyes of other officers around trying to think of what I was to do.
“Who could have sent this?” Mwila looked up my face his strong statue stationed to one point I looked at his rough face seeing how curious he was.
“We got to find out because whoever it is, is our Killer. The guy behind the death of this woman is our Killer and like I told you before, he was to kill again. This is the third time this idiot is killing and I seem to have no damn way of catching him. This is so ****ed up!” I snap walking out of the cafeteria and Mwila matched behind me I can feel his breath behind me.
He has been my partner for a long time. Since I joined the force as a detective 10 years back, I have known the shot tough guy behind me and what we had was more than a work relationship. We were so close so much that I sometimes felt he could read my thoughts and I his.
“Theodore!” Mwila holds my shoulder stopping me
“Calm down man, we have been on this case for quite some time and to be honest am frustrated too but we ought to put our heads down and think before we do anything.”
“This guy knows us more than we think and he probably knows how worked out we will be the more reason he is sending this to us. He wants to prove something to us.” He adds nodding his head as we stand close to the office.
“Prove what now?” I shake my head trying to think.
“He is better than you? Or maybe that he is invisible” Mwila smiles this time walking 2 steps away from me.
“Well, he got it wrong this time. I will not rest till I get him. Send those photos to forensics and let the IT guys try to track that number. Am going to take some air outside” I handed him the phone sighing.
“Where to now?” he asks before I walk away.
“Will just drive around call me on the other line if anything comes up” I spoke dismissingly.
The reviving sound of the engine catches my ears making my mind try to keep pace with its sound. Without thinking of where I was, I put the engine in gear 2 and left the car park with speed I knew if the director was around I was going get his scold for acting like a lunatic driving at that speed in the police premises.
I went on moving at a great speed in the outskirts of town my head going round in circles with thoughts.
“You are a failure! How can you take the whole 5 months without having a slight lead that turn out successful? My husband must be moving in his grave seeing how much his trusted friend has failed to avenge his death by catching the criminal who killed him!” I heard her scorching voice yell in my head.
“Calm down now will you? You damn know I have worked my butt off the past months to find the killer. It’s just a matter of time and I will have him. I promise you that. Everyone makes mistakes you know and he is not so different from everyone” I defended myself looking direct into her eyes hoping maybe she might just understand how much I wanted to catch the fool who murdered my friend in cold blood.
“Whatever! Just do me a favor, until you have him, don’t come near me” she exhaled and sat back in her couch turning on the volume from the TV. I stared at her figure for a good couple of minutes and walked out before I could get myself to say what was on my mind.
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Lost in thoughts I could hear the Phone in my pockets ring though it sounded like it was a long way from where I was standing watching over the straight road ahead of me. I let it ring till it almost cut and pushed my hand and sliding it to answer before I could even check the caller ID.
“Did you get my package?” a voice spoke from the other end making me sit up from the point I leaned on my car.
Shocked at the familiar sound of the voice, I looked at the phone and placed it back to my ear, realizing it`s unknown number.
“Who are you?” I was panting asking her.
Instead of answering she bursts out laughing in a way I find to be odd. The sound of her laughter so close to the voices of that bad b**** witch I saw in some horror movie I had watched. Before I could say another word the line went dead.
I tried to call back but it was off. I shake my head walking around as I called Mwila.
“Pick up, pick up man!’ I pace around.
“Yes man.” He responds finally.
“Say the number which sent those photos” I went on him straight up.
“Why? “ Mwila was sighing I can feel him on the other end.
“Do it now dammit! “ I screamed hating he was working on my patience.
Immediately Mwila gives me the other number, I establish it was the same line the killer had used to send the photos and called me on.
“You will never catch him, you know why? Cause she is clever and sharper than you all are” the voice of Cleopatra catches my ears again.
“She?” I had asked looking at her smiling face as she stood leaning on the rail in her back yard.
“How do you know it’s a she” I asked seeing her look at me and down at the glass of wine in her hands,
“Well,” she cleared her throat. “It could be anyone right? My point is that you have failed Theo” she shrugged and walked away like she was not the one who just lost her husband.
“Damn you!” my anger as evident in my voice as I hit the car so hard it makes a dent.
“b****! You have been under my nose all this time? How dare you!”
My anger now at peak as I went round the car. I drive turning around and speeding away.
“I will have you today!” I spat.
The house was silent, the deepening silence that makes my mouth dry as I take some steady steps towards the mansion before me. Pushing the door open, I match in after ensuring no one saw me. Prepared with my gun pointed out, I let a laugh in my mind not knowing if my mind was playing games with me or I was right.
Like to confirm my dilemma, she emerged from the stairs holding a glass of wine as she mostly did and walked elegantly in her long black dress. Slowly she steps down without taking her eyes off me.
I almost put down my gun but then noticed some stains of blood on her hands and shoes.
“What..?” my voice stammers afraid of saying what is in my mind right this minute.
“Congratulations detective! “She claps her hands as she comes closer to where I was not sure of what I am to do.
“For what?” I swallow hard am sure she is able to hear the sounds of the push down my throat.
“You are, you are the……” the stammering comes back, trying to hold myself and I suddenly feel a cold chill touch my heart.
“Say it Theo! Come on say it!” she yells at me laughing so evidently I begin wondering maybe she is on some kind of spell or maybe her thinking is taken over by some alien being.
To be continued