Monday 2:30 pm
"You can continue dear", the I.P.O told Raliat, seeing that the presence of the D.P.O, Sam, Uche, and Bode had distracted her.
Her eyes were filled with pain and fear.
Raliat puffed out air and took her eyes off the D.P.O. Then she continued, "I left home on Sunday evening after dad informed me of his intentions to employ Ayoade in his company. I was supposed to leave for school on Monday morning but because I couldn't wait to tell him the good news, I went back to school that evening", she looked up at the I.P.O and he smiled, encouraging her to go on.
"I got to school late due to traffic and then I saw the calls I missed from Ayoade. I then decided to go straight to his room when I heard a shout. It was Bimpe's voice. They were arguing and I knew what the shout that followed the argument signified. Fear gripped me and I stood rooted to the same spot for almost 20 minutes. Then I began to hear moans and that jerked me back to life. I felt hurt and I began to cry bitterly. I tried to get a grip of myself but the pain wouldn't let me as I kept weeping for several minutes before I heard Ayoade's scream."
"The scream caused a piercing in my heart and I knew instantly that something was wrong. I tried to barge in on them but the door was locked from inside. I tried looking for the small phone I seized from my brother that evening to call anyone that can help because my own phone was off. Ayoade screamed again and I fumbled with what I was searching for because my mind was not at rest. I brought the phone out of my bag and was looking for a number to call when I heard her footstep towards the door. I took to my heels and the phone fell from my hand."
"That means your luggage was outside and not inside?" The I.P.O questioned.
"I left it outside the door." She replied.
"So you heard Bimpe's voice before Ayoade's?"
"Yes."
"What then do you think happened between them?"
"They were having sex", she blurted out, after a moment of hesitation. The D.P.O stared at Bode who was with an expressionless face.
"You mean Bimpe is Ayoade's sex mate?" The I.P.O asked.
Yes", she sobbed. "I got to know about it and that led to the rush to get married. I wanted us to get married so he could stop having sex with his sister."
"What reason can you give us to show that you aren't the one who killed him? Maybe you were very hurt like you earlier said and you went to stab him for cheating on you."
"What! I can't possibly do that. Besides the door was locked so I was unable to enter. Ayoade didn't cheat on me. I know about everything and I know how hard it is for him to refrain from doing what he is already addicted to. I was just hurt that it happened again after he promised not to engage in it again." She explained.
"Was it a rape?"
"I don't really know but from what he told me when it first started, they were both taking pleasure in it, ignoring the fact that it was wrong but after Bimpe got pregnant, the reality dawned on her but Ayoade was already addicted to her."
"Ok. What else do you know about Bimpe and Ayoade?"
"When they were still in Abeokuta, Bimpe barged into Ayoade's room when he was watching porn and that was how it started. She conceived for him three times and aborted the pregnancy those three times."
"She applied to A.B.U, Zaria so she could be far away from Ayoade but then, Ayoade was sent by his parent to come and check on her welfare and the escapades continued, against Bimpe's wish. He was already addicted to her, not until I came into the picture."
"I was in love with him and was about to confess my feelings to Bimpe about his brother when I overheard their discussion. I cried out my eyes and confronted Ayoade about it. He told me everything and also his plans to travel to Ghana to put a stop to everything. The reality had dawned on him too and he was ready to make amends. But I told him going away from home was not the solution. If I had known, I would have allowed him to go." She broke down in tears.
The I.P.O shook his head. "What advice did you give him?"
"I told him getting married was the only solution and I also told him that I was willing to marry him."
"Hmmm."
"That Sunday night, after I ran away from the apartment, I went to Salamat's home. I tried putting my phone on and fortunately, it came on and I quickly texted her to come out so I could tell her what happened. Before I knew it, my phone went off again. I waited for her to come out but she didn't so I took a cab to the nearest hotel to spend the night before going to Kaduna the next day."
"So you were the one who texted Salamat that night?"
"Yes."
"What about on Monday morning?"
"No, I didn't. I didn't contact anyone, including my family members."
"So what are you insinuating now?" The I.P.O demanded. "Are you saying Bimpe killed her brother?"
They all waited in silence, anticipating her reply which will be the solution to all the puzzles but it seems Raliat was still not ready to say who the culprit is.
The D.P.O turned to Sam and ask him to go and bring Lamide to come and check Raliat for the black spot.
He looked back at her and was about to go away when he heard the long-awaited words come out of her before she lost consciousness.
"Bimpe killed her brother."
*****
Monday 3:30 pm
"Bimpe", called one of the police officers, unlocking her cell with a bundle of different cell keys.
"Come out now", he instructed.
She stood up from where she laid down, holding onto her stomach, trying to control the hunger pangs she was feeling.
The officer pushed her towards the questioning room, immediately she was out of the cell. She turned back to glare at him. "Do you want to hurt my baby?"
The officer ignored her as he followed her behind.
"No! No! This can't be", Bimpe's mother was lamenting, pacing up and down, close to the questioning room.
"Mum?" She called
"Bimpe", her mother ran to her side and the officer quickly restricted her from touching Bimpe. He pushed Bimpe into the questioning room and locked the door. Bimpe was then faced with the I.P.O.
"Why are they stopping me from talking to my parents?" She asked and the I.P.O raised his head, looked at her for a while, and asked the officer to bring her parent in.
Mr. & Mrs. Jamiu entered and stood aside. Mrs. Jamiu was silently sobbing with her eyes closed beside her husband.
"Bimpe Jamiu, why did you kill your brother, Ayoade Jamiu?" The man demanded.
"What? Me? Ayoade? I d..di..didn't. W..why?" She stuttered.
"Bimpe, we now know the truth." He told her.
"Lamide", he called to the female police officer.
"Yes sir."
"Check her for the spot just like you did for the other girls", he instructed
Lamide moved behind Bimpe and pulled her gown down her shoulder to reveal her back as she struggled. The black spot was shining in the room's dim-lit and Lamide nodded in positive, to the I.P.O.
"The earlier you say the truth, the better." The I.P.O whispered to her.
"Why did you kill your brother?", he repeated but was met with silence.
The silence lingered for a while as Bimpe bowed her head. The I.P.O was about to say something when Bimpe raised her head with tears streaming down her eyes.
"Yes, I killed him and I don't regret it", she admitted and her father gasped while her mother stumbled to the floor, in tears.
"Why?"
"They caused it", she screamed, pointing in the direction of her parent.
"They caused Ayoade's death", she repeated and broke down into tears.