CHAPTER EIGHT

YET ANOTHER MURDER

Another day at work but no suspect or lead yet. What is happening? Something is wrong somewhere.

Amanda rushes into the discussion room and alerts them

"Another murder"

"What?!" They chorused in bewilderment

"Another murder by the same killer"

"Jesus Christ. Can this get any more worse?"

"Who the fuck is she! Why is she killing people and frustrating my fucking life! I'm.... I'm..."

"Hey it's gonna be okay" he coaxes her "just relax" he sits her down and took her hands into his "look at me" she does, tears welling up "you're a strong woman and this case is not tougher than you. You can do it beautiful" he whispered the last word to only her hearing. It manages to make her smile a tiny little.

"Thank you" she murmurs

"I got you" she smiles well this time "ALWAYS"

Amanda just stood there watching them. No better couple, she thought.

"Take me to the crime scene and Amanda I want all the details"

"Gotcha" she leaves. They stood up (Abraham and Stacy) and leaves. They got to the car and Abraham zoomed off. He says that she's not in the right mind to drive.

They got to the crime scene. It's a school murder. The team were already there, taking pictures of the body and of other necessary things. Some picked what they think can help solve the case. This time around she used a razor blade to slit the throat of her victim. But the razor wasn't found in the premises

"Check the waste bin" they found it in there laying carelessly. A smile made its way to Stacy's face. She might find her lead.

They went back to the office to check on the details of the victim and also to try and find out how it connects to the other murder cases. She truly hopes she will get a lead or anything.

"So our victim is a student at the State University. His name is Jerry Jackson also known as JJ. He is from a wealthy family. JJ is a play boy and toys with women and men too. Yeah he is bisexual. So last year he broke up with his boyfriend because he caught him cheating with a female student. This year he got himself entangled with a freshman girl Maya Alex" Amanda exhales "now the question is did she kill him after he broke up with her?"

"Bring her in for questioning" Stacy tells her. She nods and left.

Minutes later, Maya is seen going into the interrogation room

"Hi Maya" Stacy greets as she sits down on the chair facing Maya Alex.

"Hi" she says in a small voice that wasn't even audible at all. Does she know anything?

"So sweetheart I'm going to be asking you some questions" she smiles at her while opening the file she came in with and she nods affirmatively "what is your relationship with JJ?"

"Boyfriend"

"How long did you two date?"

"Barely a month"

"And why is that if you guys liked each other?"

"He wasn't interested in love but to separate my legs"

"How so?"

"He promised me we do get married after we do have it. I didn't believe him but he sweared many times, did many things just to prove to me that he was real...."

"And?"

"And my stupid self believed him and after few times of doing it, I think he had enough and he changed automatically"

"Like?"

"He avoids me, doesn't pick my calls or reply to my texts. So one day he called me that he wasn't interested in whatever we had anymore and that he is breaking up with me. A day after that I was on my way to class when I saw him with a new chick" she sniffles "I wanted to confront him but I decided not to. But then he went and did the worse" she is now at the verge of tears

"What did he do?"

"He shared our sex tape with his buddies and they always use it to tease me in school and before I knew it, it circulated. I think probably everyone in school has seen my nakedness and nudity" at this point she began to cry and Stacy is touched. She feels for her. And for some reason she likes the fact that JJ is dead. He paid the ultimate price for his crimes.

"Was that why you killed him?" Stacy hesitated before asking her this question

"No! No! I do never do that!" She becomes paranoid and frightened. She do never hurt anyone. Not for any reason

"It's okay. Relax. Just breath sweetheart, breath" she just shook her head

"I didn't kill him. I think she did" it rings like a loud bell in Stacy's head

"Who?"

"During the period that he shared the tape, I was in the school toilet crying one day about it when a girl spoke to me—"

"What did she say?" Stacy is eager

"Wipe your tears Maya. He will pay for what he did to you and she left"

"Did you see her face or anything?"

"No I didn't. I couldn't even see her retreating figure"

"Do you think she schools in your school"

"Obviously yes. How would she know?" It dawned on Stacy that she asked a dumb question few secs ago. She face palms in her mind

"Do you know that the person who killed JJ, has killed two people before?"

"I did not have any idea about that" she is flabbergasted. Like who was she?

"Well now you do. Do you have anything or something at all that can give us information on her?"

"No. Like I said she left before I could even see her"

"Hmm okay Ms Alex, inform us if anything comes up"

"Oh wait! Her voice. Her voice, I can recognize it if I hear it"

"Really? That's good. I will let you know when you can come identify some voices for us. Thank you" Stacy is happy, at least there's something to hold onto

"Ok" Stacy left and soon Abraham came in and escorted Maya out of the building.

Well this is something I guess. Stacy told herself as she made her way to her desk. She's going to gather all the voices of the ones she suspects

After the day's work, Stacy dropped by at a bar to have a drink.

"Jellybean" someone called her

"Are you stalking me?" Her mood has changed automatically

"No I'm not"

"Then?" She asked sternly

"I come here to drink. But today I came to see you"

"You're really stalking me because, how did you know I'm gonna be here?"

"I just want to talk to you?"

"But I don't want to talk to you" she turned her attention to the bar and sipped from her glass.

"Please hear me out" he began but she didn't respond "please jellybean hear me out" she still didn't respond but it really touches her when he calls her that pet name. It's her favourite name. He touches her left shoulder and a shocked shiver ran down her spine. It's been so long, so very long but the feeling is still the same. She yarned for that touch for many years but never got it. His money is not what interests her but her father. She wants her father

FLASHBACK

"Hahaha Daddy!" He was throwing her up. They are playing

"Jellybean" he tries to catch her but she is running around

"You can't catch meeee!" She laughs giddily. Very happy and cheerful. They kept running around until he caught her "Nooo!"

"Yesss!"

"Daddy" she mewls. She doesn't like defeat

"Oh baby. In life you mustn't win. But you can always be happy"

"Really Daddy?"

"Yes jellybean"

"I love you Daddy"

"Aww my baby, I love you more" she kisses his cheek with her small lips and he did the same. "Who wants ice cream?!"

"Me!" She shouts cheerly jumping a little

END OF FLASHBACK

"Lily" she stands up and left the bar but he followed her

"What do you want Mr Mayor?"

"I want my daughter" he responded with a pleading tone and eyes "I want to make up for the lost times. Please jellybean. Just one chance. It's all I'm asking for" he is now at the verge of crying. Tears were welling up in his eyes and ready to start fireworks.

"Mr Mayor I will see you around" she quickly made her way to her car, entered it and zoomed off. The Mayor stood there watching her zoom off to the distance. He stood there until he couldn't see her car anymore.

Stacy with tears running down her cheeks she drove herself to Abraham's apartment. A bang at the door and he rushes to know who would be banging at his door at this time of the night

"Hey" she greeted with teary eyes as he opened the door

"Are you okay?" He goes close to her. She fell in his arms and cries harder than she has ever done in her life. He moved them inside and closed his door. They hugged each other for a long while, arm in arm. All these while she was crying

"What is it?" He asked tenderly with a soothing soft voice that anyone would melt to

"The Mayor" she says with a sniffle

"What did he do?" He became alarmed

"Nothing. He wants to come back into my life"

"And?"

"I don't know" she mewled like a child

"You don't know?" She nods. "What do you really want Stacy?"

"How?"

"Do you want him again as your father or not?"

"Well...I...I..."

"You don't have an answer to that, I will give you an answer. You want him back"

"I don't"

"Yes you do"

"No"

"Yes"

"No—"

"Enough. I want you to answer me and yourself sincerely. Do you really hate your father or you are just angry at him?" She didn't say a word "take your time. Decide what you really want. If you can be able to answer my question then you won't find it hard anymore to accept him into your life or not" she breaths out heavily to his words.