Chapter 2 : Memories - mirth and misery

"The spider taketh hold with her hands and is in the King's palace".

Proverbs 30 : 28

Worcester Police Department

9 : 15 am

Aaron stroked her cheeks slowly, "Are you okay?".

"I'm numb", Chioma nodded, "Its just perplexing that's all".

"If you don't want to take the case, you can let me know. I'll let the captain know", He put his arms around her protectively.

She rested her head on his chest, "I'll take it. Its not my first time facing this kind of case. Besides, Josie and I got bones to pick".

"Do you think she'll come after you again?", Aaron slowly pulled away.

"Are you afraid?", She asked.

"Honestly, I am. She tried to kill us 5 years ago", He exhaled.

"My mistake was not killing her when I had the chance. Now, she escaped jail and is on a killing frenzy", Chioma looked down.

Aaron lifted her chin with his hand, "Hey, don't say that. Josie or First Disciple or whatever she answers, put you through a lot. She put us all through a lot. Don't take the case. I don't want it either".

"Okay".

*********

Ross twirled in his swivel chair with a mug in his hand. Anyone will think its coffee but she could smell the alcohol.

"So you don't want the case", He begins.

Chioma nods silently. Apparently, Russell Brown became the newly appointed captain after the old one bailed. Josie did a number on the town. They had little or no tourists anymore. Worcester, the once peaceful town became a hotzone for murder. The indigenes had left the insecure place until Josie was put in jail. The town became safe again. Now, the state provides a drinkard to police its people.

Ross clicked his tongue, "Why is that?".

"I can't take the case, Russell", She glared at him.

Ross frowned, "Use your words, detective. I'm the captain".

Chioma looked down, "I apologize, sir".

"I hear you're among the best detectives we've got around here. I can't lose you knowing that no one is as good as you".

"Do you even know what Josie did to me?".

Ross set down the mug on its saucer, "I know but everyone's got scars, chichi".

"Not like mine".

"Fine. I'm giving the case to Pete and Aaron".

"Leave my husband out of this".

"He's under your unit so he must be experienced enough to handle the First Disciple murder case".

"No way. Give it to someone else please", Chioma pleads.

"I say what I wanna say, detective. Will you take the case or not? If you care about your husband like you claim you do, I suggest you take it. Besides, First Disciple wants you on her tail. I might be new here but I know exactly what happened to this town 5 years ago. Ol'ronald ran away and my colleagues told me not to come here but we both know its only you that can clip the wings of that deranged killer like you did 5 years ago", Russell sounded confident as he spoke.

Chioma exhaled and stood up disappointed, "You're right. I'm responsible for the case. I need some air".

"Go ahead", He relaxes back on his chair.

She walked out of the precinct and dials Aaron's number. They had agreed to call each other after hearing Russell's decision. He picked it up.

"Hey, babe", He answered.

"Hey", She replied. Not knowing how to break the news to him, "Are you at work?".

"Yeah. Fortunately, there's a meeting I must oversee ove there. Do you need anything? I can come right away if you need me", He sounded worried.

She shook her head, "No, I was just wondering".

"Did Russell say anything?", He asked.

"He's not around", She lied, "I'll talk later".

"Okay, love you", The phone call got disconnected.

Chioma wiped her eyelids and sniffled quietly. She would have to face First Disciple for the second time. She clenched her fist. She had just lost Suresh to her and it wouldn't happen again. Russell was right. She was the only one that could stop her. She got into her car. Going for a drive to clear her head. She suddenly remembered the first time she had met Aaron years ago.

It wasn't special or scenic as any description from any romance novel nor dashing like a TV drama. It was an ordinary Tuesday in Worcester. The sun had risen at its peak and sent hot beams to the ground. Aaron wiped his brow with the back of his left hand as he got out of his Maybach. Chioma was going for a run with her dog and it had stopped at his feet.

"kookie, come back here", She tuts as the dog ran ahead of her.

A stranger held her dog in his arms and fondled it while giving him bacon. She saw him and smiled. Knowing the reason why Kookie ran. He could smell the bacon from that guy. Unlike other people who frowned at the dog with one eye, this guy called Kookie cute names.

He noticed her and smiled, "Hello there. Is this dog yours?".

"Yeah", She went over to carry the dog.

"He's a good one. Very cute", He shielded his hand over his head.

Chioma nodded, "Thanks. I'm really sorry for the inconvenience. Kookie is not like this".

"Its alright", He was sweating.

"Wait", She moved forward to wipe his face with his kerchief. He was a bit startled.

"Sorry", She pulled back, "Kookie put a lot of spit there".

"Oh", He laughed nervously.

"It was nice meeting you. I better run along. The sun isn't favouring us both", She squints her eyes.

He laughed again. This time from his heart, "That's considerate from you".

"Sure", She runs with Kookie. The guy seemed gullible but he's handsome. She had thought. Who would've that they would get married.

Feeling her negative energy has subsided, she blinked back to the present. There was a call on her phone.

"Hey, mom", She answered.

"Hello, darling. I'm fine", Miriam chuckled behind the phone.

"I find it weird that you called. Is anything okay?", Chioma swerved the car right.

"Nothing. Its just that Aaron hasn't been picking my calls", Her mother in law sniffles. Her voice almost breaking.

"You know him. He's busy with work. Managing the company alone isn't easy", Chioma rolled her eyes knowing the woman was faking her cries.

"I know. The police work and stress must be getting onto him", Miriam cleared her throat, "Have you tried talking him out of it".

"I don't understand", Chioma stopped the car in front of a gas station.

"I'm not saying that's its a bad thing to help people but don't you think its going to bite him in the ass someday?", Miriam said subtly as if avoiding a quarrel.

"I don't think I have. Whatever decision he makes is going to be final. As for the calls, I'll talk to him", Chioma exhaled sharply.

"Good. That'll be all. Bye, darling", the phone clicked.

Chioma rested her head on the steering with her eyes closed. Everything she was trying to avoid was finding its way to her.

Driving back to the station long minutes later, Chioma met Wysa.

"Russell says you're taking the case. How're you holding up on a scale of one to ten".

"Is zero among?", Chioma slumped on her seat, "I feel like shit".

Wysa sat next to her, "Suresh is dead".

"I know", Chioma replied immediately, "I was there".

"Josie's cleverer this time. Her previous murders aren't as meticulous as they are now. I think she found a partner", Wysa looked at Chioma for reply. When none came. She followed Chioma's line of sight. She stared at the photo of Aaron holding a little girl in his arms. Wysa put down the photo. Soft sobs escaped Chioma's lips as she hugged Wysa.

"Its okay, darling" She patted her back slowly.

FORENSIC LAB

"The open wounds on the victim's head are deep. It shows several stabbings enough to be deep. The male is believed to be from ages 8 - 11 and seemed to have lost a lot of blood", Wysa explained to the group.

"They were no signs of struggle on the victim's person. Could it be the victim is affiliated with First Disciple like the priest from 5 years ago?", A tall paled skin man in black suit adds.

"So it seems but its all a hypothesis, Pete. It might something else", Chioma looked at the man tapping his shoe on the concrete floor.

Pete rubbed his less bearded chin slowly, "You're right".

"The floor had been covered in a poddle of blood where we found the boy. He had been killed on the floor before he was crucified to the wall, nailed on both hands and feet. First Disciple wasn't alone. She will be too frail to lift the body. Its like the death was planned or the victim didn't struggle at all", Janice looks at the corpse of the boy.

"There were no signs of violence on the female either. No missing finger nor skin under her nails nor marks on her body. The male is unidentified but we found the woman's ID. She's Erica Martindale. Age 34. She was a caregiver at a local hospital. I think she's a guardian of the male", Chioma put her hands in her trouser pockets.

Team leader Choi says , "First Disciple escapes jail just to kill these two. They must be persons of interest".

"Yeah. We'll go with the idea that's someone working for or with First Disciple. She needs money and enough resource to carry out a quiet murder and go off the grid. She's more dangerous now. Be alert", Wysa looked at a tarp covering a different corpse on another table.

*********

Chioma went over the case file again. Flipping over the pages she thought she would never open again.

"What did I do? What did happen after all these years?", She asked herself.

Pete knocked on her desk, "Hey, you okay?".

"Yeah", She looked up.

"We got someone willing to talk to us. You're not gonna like it", Pete says revealing a paper.

"Who?", asked Chioma.

He shows her the paper and she let's out a gasp