COHABITING

Chapter Seven

She had locked herself up in her room ever since her mother had gone berserk and tried to strangle her to death.

She hugged her knees close, trembling vigorously, her face pale and tears stricken and eyes bloodshot, fear evident on her face as she rocked herself back and forth, trying to for once, wrap her head around what was really going on.

She let out muffled sobs, unable to think as she was distraught and disheveled.

One thing was, however, crystal clear to her.

Whoever that killer was wanted to ruin her life.

What her mother said two nights ago during dinner rang loudly like an ominous omen in her head.

That spiritualist, whoever he was, was right after all.

Whoever was hunting her wasn't planning on stopping at any moment.

Who the heck could it be?

She was about to go crazy from thinking too mich

She couldn't take it anymore.

Another person close to her was dead.

The very person she found comfort in was killed last night.

Her brother had been gruesomely murdered the previous night.

Austin was dead!.

"ah!" she let out a loud shriek, tugging madly at her newly braided hair.

How could Austin be dead?

Him of all people?.

Why?, just why

Angel kept wailing loudly, no one around to comfort her, till she lost her voice.

She calmed down after a while, her bloodshot eyes staring into nothing.

She looked way too disheveled at that moment.

Suddenly, her phone beeped and it snapped her out of her trance like state

It was a message from Stanley.

Her dull eyes lit up.

"where are you?" read the text.

"I'm in my room, are you coming over to my house today?"

"I'm here already" he texted and she sprang out of bed.

Stanley was in her house.

She felt excited and giddy, all of her sorrows and pains vanishing into the thin air.

She rushed over to her closet and was horrified when she saw her reflection in the full length mirror.

She looked terrible.

She had to change into something nice.

Stanley must definitely not see her like that.

Or... wait a sec, her brother just died last night.

Of course she had to look terrible.

Like someone grieving.

That would make Stanley feel sympathetic towards her and his male instinct to protect a fragile lady like her would kick in.

That way, she would completely steal his heart and he'd belong to her alone.

She left her room and met her family seated in the living room, a file of maid standing at a side, their heads bowed, not daring to look up and Stanley, together with his police friend, Jericho, were seated opposite her family.

Mrs Coker's grieving gaze landed on Angel.

Then she recollected the spiritualist'words, whom she had visited two days ago.

"only by destroying the serpent would you all be safe" he had conveyed mysteriously.

"who is this serpent?" she had asked, clearly puzzled.

"the strange murdered you've all been searching for. The only way to get to him is through your daughter. Refusal to heed my warnings would lead to the death of you all. Be warned, woman"

She could remember vividly the Peculiar look on the old man.

Mrs Coker saw red.

That girl knew who the murderer was yet when was feigning ignorance.

Her son, Austin was dead all because of her.

"I'll kill you today myself, you cursed child" she screamed hysterically and charged at Angel.

Though, they had all been expectant of their mother's action, they were still caught off guard.

Emmanuel and Evans were quick enough to hold her down under her incessant struggles.

"mum, you have to calm down. Remember Angel was closer to Austin than any of us were" David tried to reason with her however, she was beyond reasoning with.

"tell her to leave this house or I'd kill her myself" she threatened, shooting dagger like glares at Angel.

"honey, you have to calm down." Mr Coker said, trying to suppress the pain in his voice.

Austin was a son he had personally groomed.

He wasn't a playboy like his first son, Emmanuel, nor was he uninterested in working at the company like his second son, David.

That boy was the apple of his eyes, the perfect son yet he was brutally murdered by whoever that uncanny killer was.

It was too saddening and it felt like his heart had been torn apart.

But he knew he had to stay strong, for his wife and children.

"just get her out of my house!" Mrs Coker screamed and almost fred herself from the taut grip of her two sons.

"I think it's advisable to separate Mrs Coker and Angel for the time being" Stanley voiced out, receiving piercing from four pairs of eyes.

"what do you mean, Mr man?"

It's advisable not to make Mrs Coker see Angel for a while to prevent any unfortunate incidence. She isn't stable as you can see. She might end up harming Angel. "

Angel saw a very good opportunity. She rushed towards Stanley, who was already on his feet and grabbed his arm, pretending to be scared.

" I want to go with him"

"but..."

"I'm really scared of mummy right now, I want to go with the inspector"

"take care of her" Mr Coker's stern reply conveyed his approval much to Angel's delight.

She, however, didn't realize her father agreed because he also didn't wish to see her face for a while.

"okay sir. I'll come back later" he said and left with Angel.

Jerry pulled him aside before he could get into the car with Angel.

"where do you intend to take her?" he asked with an incredulous gaze and Stanley raised a brow at him.

"my apartment of course"

"are you joking?, what of Nifemi?"

"what do you mean?"

"you're taking her to the house you share with your wife?, are you crazy?"

"who told you I'm taking her there?. I'm taking her to the apartment I stay not where Nifemi or whatever resides"

"have you gone completely nuts?. You, a healthy young man, plans to live under the same roof with a crazy sex dog all alone?, don't you realize you're married?"

"don't remind me of that ever again" he warned, clearly disgusted.

Jerry felt sorry for his poor wife.

She didn't do anything to deserve such treatment.

How could her husband hate her so much.

"you're just being unfair to Nifemi. She hasn't even been to that apartment before yet you..."

"she doesn't deserve that honour"

"so a cursed seductress and nymphomaniac like Angel Coker does?"

"why are you being so nosy?" Stanley snapped in irritation and got into the car, sitting beside Angel at the back seat.

Jerry shook his head and got into the driver's seat, driving out of the Coker's mansion.