CHAPTER EIGHT

She stepped into the classroom and found it almost empty.

Stephen and Alex were seated in the front row, deeply focused on solving math problems.

Joseph, Hitler, and John Hanson were having a lively conversation while eating their meals.

Anita, Dennis, and Claudia, who had remained close despite Justina's passing, were chatting and snacking at their desks.

Meanwhile, Victor was peacefully asleep on his desk.

The atmosphere suggested that everything had returned to normal, as if the events of two days ago had never happened.

After leaving the classroom, she continued to observe, exploring other classrooms and the school itself.

She noticed that Theresa had increased security with armed guards.

An idea suddenly came to her, and she quickly went to share it with Theresa.T

Theresa was eating when she entered the office. "Come join me. My husband made too many eggs and plantains. He knows it's my favorite," Theresa said.

Anna sat on the desk and ate with her. "I have a suggestion on how catch this person."

"A suggestion? What is it?" Theresa asked,sitting up.

"Even if you have to borrow money, you need to install enough hidden CCTV cameras in and around all the tall buildings at Saint High. The killer's strategy is throwing victims from upstairs, right? If there's constant monitoring, there won't be as many deaths. The security guards trust this killer enough to let him move freely and even lead others without questioning him."

Theresa nodded thoughtfully. "Who will watch the footage regularly?"

"Just the two of us. Only the two of us will know about this plan and have access to the recordings."

"What about Fred?" Theresa asked.

"Like I said, only the two of us."

"But Fred is your partner, and he deserves to know."

"You brought him in. Deal with it. I didn't ask you to bring anyone."

Theresa observed her closely. "Richard is smart. He stole your heart. What other ways can a man steal a woman's heart that money can't buy?"

"What about you? Did you fall in love with Smith for his money?"

"We both had money."

"Even without money, you would have chosen Smith again and again. That's what love does. I watched Smith care so much for you when we lost Kyle. He shared your pain. Those things are more than love."

Theresa nodded thoughtfully. "I'm pregnant," she said with a smile.

Anna gasped and jumped excitedly. "Are you serious? My friend is pregnant! How many months now?"

"Two months. I just told him this morning."

Anna chuckled. "Is that why he made this special meal? I wondered because I know Smith isn't the type to cook."

They both burst into laughter.

Theresa then asked, "How is Richard? Is he still mad?"

"He's been eating everything I cook, but he hasn't been talking to me like he used to."

"He'll be fine. He just needs time to adjust. Sometimes these men want to control every aspect of our lives. I remember how Smith did everything he could to convince me to give this school to someone else, but I refused! My mother was the breadwinner, and she managed this school. How could I just sell it? They just want to keep us at home like toys."

Anna chuckled. "In reality, we're just lucky. Very few men want to completely take care of a woman these days".

Theresa nodded thoughtfully. "You're so right." She then blinked mischievously at her. "When was the last time Richard touched you?"

Anna chuckled. "The day you called me after the third murder."

"That day when he was angry? And he still had the mind to do it despite his anger?" Theresa asked mischievously.

They both broke into laughter.

******

Anna arrived at Saint High Chapel, known as Lord Raphael House.

Theresa's mother had built several chapels at Saint High to enforce Christian discipline among the students, regardless of their religion.

Anna had been a member of Lord Raphael Chapel during her junior school years.

The chapel was always accessible for prayer, even without a service.

Named after the late Lord Raphael, the upstairs housed the pastor's office.

As Anna ascended the stairs, the atmosphere felt desolate and isolated.

The chapel door was inconspicuously positioned, making it easy for anyone to enter unnoticed.

Anna proceeded to the small balcony, the smallest among the other chapels, where dim lighting concealed onlookers.

The front lights at Saint High typically illuminated at precisely 8 PM.

Given that the incident occurred before 8 PM, it was clear that the killer was aware of these details.

Deep in thought, she exited the chapel and, lost in contemplation, entered another.

The previous two murders had occurred in a different building, indicating a pattern of church-related killings, exploiting the mandatory openness of the church.

She considered suggesting locking down the chapels but doubted its effectiveness against such a swift killer.

Footsteps downstairs interrupted her thoughts; it was Fred, offering her a bottle of juice as he approached.

"I'm very full, Fred." She declined sternly.

"I didn't put any love potion in it, so you don't have to worry," he teased.

She looked at him curiously. "Are you here for the students or for me?"

"Both, of course. Besides, Theresa is our friend. This is the least we can do for her after she lost her son," he replied.

Reluctantly, she accepted the drink and took a sip."I instructed the CSO to assign security to all the tall buildings at Saint High," he said, glancing around the chapel.

She nodded thoughtfully, as if he had read her mind.

Fred looked at her longingly. "How have you been coping? I hope you haven't been having a hard time."

She chuckled. "I made the right choice. It's been five years, and my love for Richard renews every day."

Fred nodded bitterly. "I saw your daughter. She looks so much like Richard. She's beautiful."

"Yes, she's a daddy's girl. She loves him more than she loves me," Anna sighed.

"Anna, I wish I had treated you better. I was too confident that you'd never leave me. I learned the hard way."

She stared out of the balcony, changing the topic abruptly. "The killer loves height. Most killers do." She turned to him. "Do you think there's a reason he's doing this?"

"I'm not sure. In Nigeria, most killers kill for survival or out of anger. But in other countries, serial killers kill because they enjoy it. If this killer is like those in other countries, it'll be harder to catch him."

"He left a letter for me."

She took the sheet out of her pocket and handed it to him.

He read it and gasped. "Does this mean you definitely might have interviewed this guy? You didn't notice anything suspicious about the behavior of the students you interviewed?"

"Everyone seems suspicious except the girls. I don't have any particular boy in mind, though."

"What if we install a hidden camera in their classroom?"

"How would that help?"

"They spend eight hours in class. In eight hours, there must be something suspicious about someone."

"The killer wouldn't seem suspicious to anyone around him."

"So what do you suggest we do?"

"Let's stick with the plan. Placing security at the entrance of every chapel is a good start."

"But that won't be enough to catch him."

"I'll set a trap for him."

"When?"

She smiled to herself. "Very soon."