CHAPTER THREE : STUNNED

"Are you okay now?" Mide asked his half-cast sister. The fair-skinned girl had gone into a trance after receiving the news. Ire was currently leaning on the wall with her knees to her chest, slowly rocking back and forth, tears clouding her vision.

"Yeah" she whispered as she immediately redrew from his embrace, which did not surprise Mide at all. Ever since their parents had died she had become a completely different person, it was like a switch had turned on and there was this aura around her, but as the years went by, he got over it.

It had been five years since Mide's parents were murdered in cold blood. The police had tried to catch the murderer to no avail, and as time went by, the case was closed and forgotten. Just another skeleton in the closet society could not account for.

Mide had just graduated from University after studying criminology, While his sister was still in high school when tragedy hit. The struggle had been real and he had many horrible memories from back then. His parents were wealthy, But there were enough uncles and aunties who wanted a share, and in the end, nothing was left.

Luckily for them, Mide got a Job a few months later, and since then his rank in the police force grew higher and higher, high enough for him to afford the luxurious lifestyle they had now. In those two years, the siblings had drifted apart. There was this unsaid rift between them. Probably because Ire blamed Mide for their parents' death. Yes, that was probably it.

"H-how?" Ire croaked out as she got up and headed towards the bottle of whiskey she had retrieved from her brother earlier, now, she needed a shot.

"she was found downtown... decapita—"

The sound of glass shattering filled the room as Ire choking on the whiskey she had tried to consume.

"W-what?" she said, still not registering the fact that her brother had rushed to her side.

"Are you okay?" Mide whispered

"It's my fault... It's all my fault" Ire whispered back as her eyes locked with her brother.

************

"Mide's obsession with this case is going to be the end of us all." Demola, The head of the Forensics department spoke.

"I heard he knew the victim—" Seyi began but was cut off by Jane's rant.

"Then why can't he allow her closure! let the girl rest in peace! but no! of course not, he just had to get involved!" The girl ranted. They were currently in the board room, discussing Mide's Obsession with the new case, Each of them was well aware of the problems a case like this could bring to their careers, and the fact that Mide was hell-bent on reopening the case, was disturbing.

"I don't know about you three, but I'm not losing my job over one of Royal's whims," Tayo stated. He had arrived at the meeting late. there was no surprise there, The team was now complete, Except for the head of the investigation unit, the main reason for the meeting;

Mide Royal.

"I have an idea" Demola spoke again, causing three pairs of eyes to dart towards him, He frowned nervously at the attention as he was not the social type.

"We need to prove to Mide that The girl is indeed Guilty" He stated.

Jane rolled her eyes "If he didn't believe the fingerprints and all that, what other evidence will he believe?" She asked rhetorically, "I mean, it's not like we could just create evidence from nowhere" She said missing the expression on her teammates' faces,

"Wait, you don't mean.." Jane began, realization hit her before she trailed off.

"Are you saying we should forge evidence and frame the girl?" she asked shocked that they would suggest that.

"She's already guilty so it isn't exactly a crime, we just need more evidence, even if we make it up" Seyi defended the idea, they were all getting desperate. And desperate times, called for desperate measures.

"And what better Evidence than a signed confession?" Tayo said a smirk lacing his features, a smirk they all mirrored.

***************

"I missed you so much!" Gina squealed as she wrapped her arms around her fiance a large grin spreading on her features, Mide only chuckled.

"I never thought you would come" Gina confessed as Mide collected her suitcase from her.

His relationship with Gina was complicated. More like one-sided, Mide wasn't interested in the back beauty and still had no clue whether he was with her because she was beautiful or because her father was a judge. Either way, things were complicated?

"How was your trip?" He asked a faint smile playing on his lips. Successfully ignoring the question.

"It was good, but nothing compares to you!" she said as they both walked towards the car that was waiting for them, Gina's face contorted into anger the second she saw Ire, They never got along, Mide never knew why, he had tried to make them get along, but along the line, he gave up.

There was just this unspoken rift between them. Ire couldn't stand Gina and Gina made sure to reciprocate the hostile feelings.

"What is she doing here?" Gina gritted out as she pointed an accusing finger at Ire. As much as their small fights seemed to amuse Mide, Now was not the time, His sister was still mourning Temi, and he wanted her as comfortable as possible, he had second thoughts about receiving Gina from the airport, but he had promised to make things up for the last time he stood her up due to work, and he could not go back on his word, right?

He was beginning to regret that now...

"Are you lost or something?" she asked again, waiting for a reaction from the beautiful half cast, But Ire was in no mood to entertain her insecurities.

The fair-skinned beauty simply closed the small walk to her car and drove off leaving both Gina and Mide stunned.