SUSPICIOUS INVITE

"What is this?" Abdullah asks as he gently touches a protruding bone close to Ella's left ear.

"You are touching my bone." she murmurs as she buries her head in her diary.

"What happened? Why is it like this?" He asks again and touches the back of his ears, to see if he possibly has such bone too. "Mine isn't like that."

"Well, that is how it has always been." She closes her diary and places gently on her laps. "Ever since I could remember."

"Are you sure it's normal?"

"Of course!" Ella says a bit loud with smiles. "My father has the same too, you can say I got it from him."

"Oh! More like a birth mark right?" He asks again.

"Exactly!"

"But why haven't I noticed it all these years?"

"Maybe because you weren't paying enough attention." Ella shrugs her shoulders.

"That's not true!" He retorts. "It's not just very noticeable." He stutters. "You really have some of your father's features right?"

"Yes." Miss Smith nods. "A lot, I draw and love music just like my father, and I don't eat shrimps. I only physically look my mom, every other hereditary features is from my best man."

Abdullah sighs and draws her closer to him, patting her her shoulders gently. "It's so nice to see you happily talk about your father."

"I can't wait to finish up and go see my parents."

"Do not stress yourself, we still have plenty of time to solve all problems."

"No." Ella shakes her head. "I intend on spending just two weeks." she looks at him. "And we have spent five days."

"We still have have nine days left."

"Hmm." she mutters with smiles.

"It's still too early for this." Shamim cuts in. Apparently, he has been watching them for a while.

"Why so you guys keep stalking us?" Abdullah stands from the bed and puts on the bath robe hung very close to him.

"Are we going to starve this morning?" He asks and faces his sister. "Ella, prepare pasta for us."

"Why not add please?" Ella asks and tosses her diary to the top of the drawer close to her in the room.

"Must you torture me because of food?" He asks saying the word 'food' as if it is less important.

Miss Smith opens her mouth to say something but closes it almost immediately as her phone rings. "I guess mom is the one calling, did you give her my Nigerian line?" She asks Shamim as she answers the call. "Hello."

"Ella Smith." Jessie calls firmly.

"Who are you?" She asks and puts the phone on speaker. "Who are you?" she asks again.

"Why not come over and let's talk things out, like the adults that we really are?"

"Jessie?" She asks once more.

"You don't need to worry, you can come with any amount if people you want. It is going to be the a friendly conversation. I am not stupid enough to harm an hair on your head right now."

"Where are we meeting?"

"I will send you the address once I drop the call."

"You had better not try anything funny ma'am." Ella warns.

"Try anything funny?" Jessie scoffs. "When I clearly said you can bring people with you?"

"Send me the address." Miss Smith ends the call.

"That was a very terrible decision to make!" Shamim exclaims at the top of his voice and attracts the attention of Asma and Darifa.

"What is going on?" Darifa asks as she walks in.

"Why are you yelling?" Asma asks too.

"Jessie just called Ella and asked that the both of them meet up." Shamim explains.

"And?" Asma asks again.

"She accepted the suspicious invite."

"What?" Asma faces Ella. "Is that true?"

"She told me I can bring anyone I want." She smiles. "She can't possible attack all of us, you know?"

"Yes." Abdullah nods. "She even mentioned it that 'she isn't stupid enough to attack Ella that early' so definitely she knows what she is doing."

"The invite is to get something from me, I am very sure of that, but I don't just know what exactly she plans on getting.

"Do you think she want to tell you about the relationship she once had with you father? And probably the child she had then?" Shamim asks quietly.

"She wants to do something that will break me and make me feel useless for trying to fight on my dad's behalf." Miss Smith smirks. "She has no idea I already know everything."

"Or..." Darifa says sternly with her eyes down. "She wants to interrogate you to know how much you know on the case?"

"You are right?" She answers with her brows up. "What do you suggest I do if she tries to get wors out if my mouth?"

"Give her what she wants but don't freak out, cry or show your weakness no matter what she says." she pauses and continues. "That is an order from as the team leader."

Ella nods gently with smiles. "Yes."

"Also, ask about her husband and daughter, let's see what her reaction will be." she bends forward to her. "If need be, torture her with words.