CHAPTER FOUR

"Aspects is another lay down for tenses. Not the same and work differently in the English grammar. Tenses deal with verb and time, while on the other hand..." The lecturer had faced the white board to write something as always.

   But instead of watching or listening to what the lecturer had for them that day in class, it seemed half the class were more interested in watching Luke and his friends.  He took a quick sweep at the lecture room.... Scratch that...the whole class was watching them.

    It sucks, and they don't know it. It sucks coming to class, listening to the lecturers talk like as if just yesterday, nothing uncommon had happened. It took all his will not to shout at someone.

   He had been terrified. Very angry at everyone trying to get him to calm down as he had gone into a panic attack. How could he calm down after seeing the way her body lay helplessly in that gutter. It annoyed him because, she had her phone she could have called for help. She could have screamed or something but she didn't, he had always thought she could fight her way under no circumstances, but it seemed the son of a bitch— whoever that was— was on to her.

    He was tired. And he was very sure the others felt the same way. He had been half dozing in the class as the lecturer went on about Aspects and Tenses. He knew this was the last topic Liza had been reading before he left.

   He remembered been scared as he learnt of a girl who had died that morning in his hostel and he later heard it from Emma. The news had spread through whatapp chats and in a nona-second, he had gathered everyone to get there. They had reached there and stood as every other student did curious as to whom it could be. He had no fucking idea that it could be his friend.

   Three years he knew she had lived a life of happiness. He was sure that whoever had done this to her had a motive. He was absolutely sure.

    The lecturer had started reaching for the door before Luke knew that the class was over. That was the last class they were to attend before they got ready for the funeral.

   Yes, she had to be buried. And her parents wanted her to rest in the lay downs of the school. He glanced at his right and saw that his other friends were standing already.

    Mary, he had to give it to her. She was the strongest of them all. She had hardly cried in front of anyone. But if she could fool the others or the police officer, she as hell couldn't fool her friends. They all knew for a fact that she had been crying her eyes out. In that note they had asked Faith to talk to her. Knows my her she definitely didn't want anyone knowing about it.

    A roommate of hers had met with Faith to tell him of how she didn't close her eyes to sleep at all and had been crying all night. They also couldn't sleep because they had also known Liza as she had frequented their room and was close to Mary's roommates too. He was sorry that at the last junction of her life, she hadn't  thought to reach out to any of her friends. Mary was just a few minutes away from her. They all were thirty minutes away from her. Luke cried. He had cried like a baby when he had seen them bring out the body from the gutter and had seen a whiff of the sweater and sneakers. He had known, he didn't want to accept it thinking he must have seen something wrong.

   No it couldn't be.

    He had started shaking his head when Fred said

   "Liza".

   Just her name had got him worked up. He cried. Or should he say they cried. He knew because all of a sudden Emma said,

   "I told you guys I saw something happen to someone. I told you I saw something...I did tell you guys. I had no fucking idea it was Liza".

   At that Luke shook and remembered Emma coming late and crying her eyes out. He had no idea what had happened as all she could provide was and had kept repeating was...

   she is dead....gone.

    At that point they all wanted to help her because she had started crying blaming Liza's death on herself, claiming she could have helped her or called for help. So before she turned hysterical on them they had quickly moved her away from the scene before they decided to move forward to claim Liza's identity with Emma kept behind...just in case.

     Yesterday at the dark room with that officer had been brutal for him. Her eyes had shone like blazes as she stared at him and he wondered had his friends cowered in fear? Mary wouldn't he knew because she was tougher.

    The questions had started as he sat down opposite her but of all her questions he knew one was not expected. She had asked if Fred and Liza had any kind of relationship other than the one he claimed. He had told her in strong terms absolutely not. And she had said what had riled him.

     "Do you even know your friends as you claim?"

   That had done it. He saw fire in her words. How dare she try to pin this on one of them? He had watched enough of Crimes to know that she was headed somewhere dangerous. Trying to coax them into turning against each other. He had no calms for that and had immediately backfired at her.

    "What are you trying to say?"

     "Am saying, you come in and say something, while another comes in to tell me another shit," then she had risen to her full height and Luke saw that she could not have been taller than Liza, even their stature matches. Average height, good enough for a woman that was African through and through. She had that body that spoke of youth and as he stared at her face he came to terms that her age could not be lesser than late thirties.

       "— and then I ask each of you how much you know each other, and all I get is knowing that you all are hiding something under that tight skin. Each one of you". She had growled that last part out. And immediately he felt sorry because he knew she was just doing her job. As sad as this story could be, she was just doing her job. So after that he had answered all her questions even if it kills him.

      He had made it out to the open space out side the theater as he waited for the others so that they could all go to the funeral together. In minutes they all gathered around him with Mary the last to make it. Though the last, she was the first to take a step walking towards Liza's fellowship where they all knew, as they had been there a thousand times for programmes she made sure they all attend. They were making small talk with Faith leading the topic. Luke just stayed silent as he pondered on the last question he couldn't give an answer to when he had still sat across that officer in the dark room.

   "Do you have an idea if Liza had fought with someone lately and it was brutal?"

   That had left him shaking a bit. Because they all had claimed she lived her life like a saint. Because now as he thought about it, there was a day he met her fighting with Fred. Both of them shouting their heads off at each other. She had been furious that day as her pretty face was squeezed so hard as she shouted words at Fred. Which now he wished he had listened to.