Chapter Six

A man walked into the dim lit room with a couple of brown files in his hands and placed them before Tessy in the station. There was only one lit yellow glowing bulb at their centre and every other thing remained pitch black.

Tessy, still wrapped up with the cozy blanket the police officers gave her to warm up, was being confronted with questions after she walked into the police station clueless of where next to be and hoping to be identified by someone as she had apparently lost her memory.

"I am inspector Felix, what is your name?" He asked, pressing his palms on the desk as he leaned closer to talk to her. She could feel the warmth his breath oozed out. He was very close.

"I don't remember," she replied, clutching tightly to the duvet and staring idly at the files.

"Who stabbed your thighs?" He asked again.

"I- I can't remember anything," she replied as her lips were slightly apart and vibrated on their own accord.

He left the desk and opened one of the files before them containing four pictures and placed them side by side for her to see.

"The uncompleted warehouse you said you last remembered, was traced to be a property of the late Stephen Richards and these are his sons. Tell me, does this ring a bell?" He asked and she narrowed her brows keenly at three pictures examining their features.

"I don't recall any of them. I don't think.. Wait! I remember something," she said and pointed on the picture by her right. "This one," she said and he slowly picked up the picture she had pointed at and stared at it.

"Damian," he spoke up flicking at the picture and running his finger at the edge.

*****

People had begun to leave the venue of the party carrying their gifts in bags and some snuggled the left over excesses of food, meats and assorted wines as the hotel workers set out to cleaning the hall. Duncan stood by the corner with Damian talking in a loud boisterous voice as the latter too let out a loud guttural laughter one filled with energy and happiness. They sat on one of the seats still wrapped up with the silky material and lavender bow as it had before.

Regina walked up to them seeing her chance and attempted to sit but on arrival, Damian saw her and turned to leave when she stopped him. "Son please. I'm here to make things right with you all even though I don't deserve it. We have all done bad things. Please don't punish me for my sins."

"I'm working on that," Damian replied and stood up to walk up to Laura at the other end of the hall.

"He'll never forgive me," she spoke up to the hearing of Duncan.

"Neither will I. How could you mum? I was starting to trust you!" He bellowed. "You kept the identity of my real father away from me all these while. Who is he?" He asked.

"I've told you... I don't know! Stephen and I had a little argument that stirred up so quickly I had to leave the house. I got drunk and must have met him in the bar..."

"Oh my God!" He replied, standing up to leave the seat when two police officers dressed in a sea blue shirt with a number of badges decorating the side including the Nigerian flag, black pair of trousers and a beret with the logo of the Nigerian Police Force right in the middle, walked in with Inspector Felix leading the duo in his checked shirt and baggy trousers. His stomach tucked out of his shirt and formed a large protrusion as he stepped into the hall flashing his ID.

"Inspector Felix. Damian, we need you to come to the station with us for questioning." His voice, firm, unwavering as he awaited repulsion.

"For what? What did I do?" Damian asked as he was firmly held by the elbow by one of the police officers and a metallic handcuff was used to keep him in place crossing his wrists one over the other as he was being led away. Laura screamed and held the Inspector by his shirt threatening to rip it apart. Duncan held her still and rubbed her shoulders as Celine and Daniel rushed down on hearing the ruckus from the hall.

"You were identified by a Miss Tessy as one of the last people she saw before her abduction and we need you to answer some questions." They pulled him away and Laura wailed louder and fell unto Duncan's arms as she stained his shirt with makeup washed by the tears she effortlessly released. Duncan watched Damian being pulled away and felt a wave of fear rush in within him but remained composed.

"Tessy?" Celine asked no one in particular. "She's alive!"

*****

Celine walked into the hospital she had received word that Tessy had been taken to for treatment and quickly rushed there making sure every step she took, was followed by a quick look backwards to ensure no one followed her. One phone call to a staff was enough to know Tessy's location and on reaching the door, she stared at the small board nailed to the door that told one room from the other and the number '35' stared back at her.

She sighed and pushed the door open. Tessy's leg had been wrapped within a thin bandage and knotted with the hook at the end. Blood still soaked the bandage and seeped out giving the sight a dreadful look but Celine knew better than to show disgust. It was all her fault, she acknowledged.

"Tessy?" She spoke up and Tessy, whose back had faced her, turned sharply and lifted the magazine she held in her hand and looked up. Celine's eyes slowly fell on the magazine and back to Tessy. "You didn't really lose your memory, did you?"

"Took you long enough," Tessy replied carving up a smile. Weak. Dented but yet undiluted... Still Tessy's original smile.

"Oh my God! Come here," Celine cried in excitement and pushed her slender body against Tessy's that it was almost impossible for any of them to breathe. Celine slowly let go from the tight embrace. "Why? Why did you fake your memory loss? Is the injury self inflicted too?"

"I had to act clueless to protect myself because if they knew I know the truth, they'd come for me and yes, I cut myself with a knife. It's all staged."

"You'd do that for me?" Celine asked.

"What are friends for? Plus I would really want some closure if anything ever happens to anyone I love," Tessy replied.

"I don't know what to say," Celine said.

"You don't have to say anything, only act while I still buy time here."

"Did- Did Damian really abduct you?" Celine asked, examining the wounds.

"I'm not sure."

"Why did you have him taken by the police on uncertain grounds?" Celine asked.

"Because he knows something about your mother that he keeps as a secret and I think she's dead!"

*****

The Inspector hovered around Damian showering questions on him and occasionally saliva as they shot out from his mouth. Each question asked, got an 'I don't know' from Damian as he distastefully expressed dissatisfaction over the way he was tossed about by those trained police officers who dug their nails into his skin as they dragged him to the station for questioning. He felt his arm burn and his light skin turn red as he cursed one of the officers silently under his breath.

"Well.... Say something!" The inspector bellowed for the umpteenth time.

"I have nothing to say! I only met her once in my room and I even think she stole from me," Damian replied snuggling his wrist as he tried to gesticulate despite the restrictions the silver cuffs provided.

"What do you think she stole?" The Inspector asked.

"It's... A letter of some sort. It's not that important and I'd rather not talk about it," Damian replied.

"OK! I guess your wife won't mind you spending few nights at the cell. If I'm correct today is your wedding day, how an awkward way to spend one's most important day. How's your wife though?" The Inspector asked breaking into a hearty laughter that echoed about the walls of the room and bounced straight into Damian's ear. It was coarse and disturbing but yet he wondered and feared how Laura felt.

*****

Duncan left the hotel when everyone had sparsely remained and carefully took Laura to the passenger seat covering her skin that shone like oil neatly squashed from a palm fruit was applied on it, with his suit jacket. She was sobbing, a light sniffle she released at intervals trying so hard to think through all that had happened.

Duncan sighed and sunk into the driver's seat, wearing only his shirt and suspenders that held the shirt in place and was clipped to his pair of trousers. He felt hot although he was sure the weather was cool. Night creeped in and begged to stay, as stars, like pecks of salt, was sprinkled on the sky and the moon peeped only a fraction of itself having the other part crawl in later. He felt blood in his hands but blinked repeatedly and the whisk of imagination flew away. He inserted the key into the hole and pushed with his feet the acceleration pedal and then zoomed off. He sped occasionally and lowered his speed when he approached a junction. He wanted to wash off the whole event of the day hoping the morn will serve a better news. A turn, a traffic stop, a long straight road and one last turn, led to home. It was delightful but empty. He yearned for his mother's coffee so bad that he was so sure he perceived caffeine somewhere.

He turned to Laura but noticed her slender body curl up to a peaceful slumber, she had cried her soul to sleep. He alighted and went over to her end while his muscles flexed depicting strength and he raised her from her seat into the house and up into her room. She was still adorned in the immaculate white from the wedding but he shook off the idea to take her off her clothes, it was way too disrespectful. He undid the folded duvet and sprawled it over her skin. It covered her limbs and he tucked them by her neck and then made for the door when he heard her speak.

"Duncan! Please can you stay with me until I sleep?" She asked. Her voice still had the sad tone in it. It was difficult not to oblige.

"Sure! I thought you were already asleep though," he said as he took a seat on the side drawer bearing the lamp. He placed the lamp on the floor and nudged the drawer closer to the bed as he watched her attempt shutting her heavy eyes again, but they sprang back open.

"Do you think he did it?" Laura asked.

"I don't know what to think," he replied.

"I do! Damian would never do such a thing," she replied crying louder. She sat up on the bed and flapped the duvet swinging it to the end until a part of it swept the flooring. Duncan grabbed her by the arm and tried calming her as he assured her all will be well.

"The truth will come out eventually," he started, patting her curled hair and a white pin fell from it. One of the many that graced her hair keeping it in shape. "It's going to be OK! Damian will be fine," he said drawing her into a hug.

"Whoever did this will know no peace!" She added, sniffling even louder, but Duncan didn't reply.

*****

"My mum's dead? I saw her today!" Celine replied unleashing fresh drops of tears, they were multiple drops of them gushing all at once.

"Celine this is what you wanted, closure. Maybe you saw her ghost?" Tessy added.

"No! No I know what I saw was real," Celine replied, adjusting on the squeaky hospital bed. "How do you know all these?"

"I found this letter in one of the boxes in the room I was locked in," Tessy replied drawing out a folded paper from her skirt and straightening the crease from the squeeze removing the paper had caused.

"The same letter?" Celine asked, taking it from her.

"No! Different. Your father sent letters a lot. I guess he was still very much acquainted with letter writing to adapt to early technology."

Celine opened the paper and peered at the writing. It was an artistic cursive, slant and with blank ink. "This was a letter written for my birthday," she said, "I remember this day, it was my tenth birthday and he had sent a stuffed bear to me but I thought it was from my mum. He has always been in my life, but why didn't he come out for my sake?"

"You're an illegitimate child? I mean he was married to someone else and had you with his help. I guess you can see now why he had to keep his affair a secret." Those were the blunt words from Tessy.

"Yes but still, what do you think Damian knows about my mum?" Celine asked.

Tessy moved closer and began, "You told me your story over and over that I could almost sing it like a song. Something happened that night, the night your mother went missing, the night of your birthday and I guess it has something to do with the locked room upstairs. I'm trying to put every piece together and I think that's where your mother was killed. Damian has always been the short circuit Richards. Anger and Vengeance runs through those veins, he must have found out your mum had an affair with Stephen. I mean, why else would he have the letter? Whatever is behind that door, you'll have to find out yourself."

The night was young and promising as Celine leapt from the bed and made her way out of the hospital's cubicle that stood as an excuse for a room, and hopped about through the hallway. Doctors moved about with files on clipboards and nametags stuck to their chests and nurses handling files and moving from ward to ward. She was so carried away by the movement of a corpse on the stretcher that was sealed by the thick black bag that certified death, that a part of her wished she could peep through and see who it was; perhaps her mum. It was very much impossible but she was that desperate.

"Celine?" It was Daniel. The mixed subtle Igbo and British accent sank through her ears. He held a green leather translucent bag and she could peep a plastic plate of food and water. She wondered who they were for.

"Daniel! What are you doing here?" She asked rubbing her elbow. Her throat suddenly felt dried and itchy and her skin, sticky from the sweat accumulated at the party earlier. Her lavender gown stopped at her knee and the stilettoes she had on, sprained her ankle.

"Oh I'm here to see Tessy. The girl my brother... You know?" He said.

"Yeah! I've heard of her..." Was the reply.

"Why are you here?" He asked her.

"Oh I came to see an uncle. He is diabetic," she replied.

"I'm so sorry. I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed today," he said putting up a smile. A fraction of his teeth glimmered in happiness, she could tell. He found her hands behind her dress and reached for it locking his fingers into hers.

"Yea, me too," she replied. "I really need to go," she added quickly withdrawing her hand from his and parting ways with him. She could still feel his eyes trail her steps and grew worried, he was never supposed to feel that way around her if she hadn't misinterpreted his gesture. Daniel was probably just being the good guy he always is and so she decided to base her thoughts on that instead. That was her chance to finally do a thorough search in the house that held lots of secrets her brothers swore to protect. She had to find out what secrets lie behind that oak door.

Daniel folded his hand to a loose fist and attempted knocking on the door to Tessy's room with his knuckles, when it slowly opened on its own accord and the creaky hinges gave off a sound. His lips formed a shape like they would spew out words, but Tessy spoke first. Her back faced him and her broken thigh, slightly upon the other.

"Celine you're back, I told you to shut the door behind you while you're going," she said slowly assuming a sitting position and resting her back on the spring end and then she saw the figure by the door, "Daniel?"

"How do you know Celine?" He asked.