My love for you knows no bound
You knocked me out in the first round
It goes beyond the physical
You're my soul mate
Please forgive me for my actions
I didn't mean those words
I am ready to wait for you
Till you're ready
Because I love
I don't love you because I need you
I need you because I love you
I want to be with you and not just your body.
Please forgive me. I'd like to see you tonight if you truly forgive me..around 11pm at our normal spot?
your love
-p.o-

"P.o...What does that stand for?" Amara asked as she finished reading the letter out.
The girls had no idea. They all sat on Ezinne's bed apart from Amara who paced round
the room as she read the letter.
They had gone with Ezinne to retrieve the letter. Amara kept stressing the point that precious time was fast wasting.
"Wait it seems they had a quarrel...he obviously wanted sex but she must have refused, I recall Ozioma was bent on preserving her virginity" Ezinne said.
Amara nodded. She could remember Ozioma had been very vocal about it.
"Oluchi...is your surname not Okon?" Maama asked suddenly with a thoughtful expression on her face.
"Yes it is, what's your point?" Oluchi replied rather harshly.
"P.o....Paul Okon"
"You must be mad!" Oluchi jumped up. "How dare you!"
"Relax, don't eat me biko, it's just a suggestion"
"What kind of suggestion is that?" Oluchi was obviously upset. It was a good thing she couldn't breathe fire if not beauty for ashes would have been Maama's case.
"Wait...wait...wait first" Amara intervened "Oluchi you can simply check the writing if it's similar to Paul's own"
"It's not the same" she said without looking at the paper and folded her arms.
"Wait. I don't understand...are you saying Paul is the killer?" Ezinne asked as she stared incredulously from the bed.
"No...of course not" Amara said hurriedly when she noticed Oluchi's expression had darkened.
"We already know who the killer is; have you forgotten it's Okwudili...we're only curious about who was dating our friend back then"
"Exactly...I don't know why Oluchi is getting upset...besides that your brother seems like a player" maama said jokingly in an effort to lighten the mood.
"It can't be possible. My brother has been in Lagos for the past 3 years...he wasn't around when Ozioma was having a relationship" but even as she said this she looked at Amara and her friend's expression said it all: how could they be so sure...he could have as well been in the next village close by all along answering to 'Emeka'.
"Fine...I'd check. I know His writing very well anyway!" Oluchi rolled her eyes and collected the paper. Her eyes scanned the words for some seconds as she seemed to scrutinize the writing.
Finally she handed the paper back to Amara "no...It's not his handwriting...Paul's writing is more block letters but this is slanted"
"Okay...you see no problem" Amara said as she collected the letter. She wondered how far one was willing to go to protect the sibling. She knew she was willing to go the extra mile to protect her sister (Joy) and she knew Oluchi loved her elder brother.
She didn't believe her...not until she confirmed for herself that the writing was different.

.·.·.·.·.·
"Stevenson..." Osi called out as he approached the house.
The European lived in a small but handsome self contain apartment. Dé Nwachukwu had given him the address along with the extra information that the house had been provided for him from the village purse. The European was deeply loved and respected by the people of Amaife.
Osi could see him on the verandah hunched over a notepad as he scribbled furiously. He had on a pair of reading glasses and as he looked up he looked different.
"Ah pastor, what a pleasant surprise" he leaned back and smiled as Osi proceeded to climb the short steps.
"Sorry to barge in like this. Hope I'm not disturbing your work?"
"No...Not at all" he replied but he looked up in a 'what can I do you for' gesture.
Osi stammered. He didn't really know how to go about this...he had left the house this morning full of rage and the disturbing image of the dead woman playing behind his eyes. He knew he had to play hardball now. He had to ask questions...ask the right questions and ask directly and the European was the first name to come to mind. But now here he was watching that polite smile and he didn't know how to go about it.
"I find this your work fascinating...I have this respect for writers...especially academic writers. I used to suck at writing...letter writing was always an F for me back in school" he smiled sheepishly as he tried to get the conversation going.
"Ah...well believe me its not your passion. If not you'd be good at it...you'd get better at it"
"Hmm...But I mean yours is quite unique...writing about African culture"
"Well its my field" He sighed impatiently "I'm sorry but you kind of caught me at a bad time...I'm fully immersed in comparing a particular 16th century Ireland festival with the masquerade festival they had two months ago...strangely there are as many similarities as differences"
"Ok...lest I forget. Where were you last night?"
"I beg your pardon?" Stevenson tensed, just slightly but Osi noticed.
"I mean last night...I wanted to talk to you about tomorrow's service but I didn't see any sign of you"
"Really...what time was this?" Steve asked with a frown
Osi flashed back to the body...he tried to estimate the likely time of death...if rigamortis had already set in by morning then the death might have occurred around midnight.
"Errm...well it was quite late. I think just before 12 midnight"
"Woa...midnight...I was tucked in, far away in dreamland by then" he smiled as he said this but Osi thought his voice had an edge.
He waved it off as paranoia as he joined Stevenson in his exaggerated laughter.
"I should have been asleep too but too many thoughts about the crusade..." he said trying not to sound rigid
"I understand...please I'd appreciate if you come back or better still I'd come see you when I'm done...I need to finish up this chapter today"
"Okay no problem forgive me for disturbing"
Osi took his leave thinking of what he had just learnt. So Stevenson had been at home during the time of the murder. He had also been alone meaning there was no one to vouch for him. That alibi was poor indeed....Very poor.

.·.·.·.·.·
When the girls left, Ezinne locked her door. Amara had emphasised that she lock the door and windows and not go anywhere alone and she was getting scared already. Her parents were not in, her father only came home on weekends as he worked with a transport company and her mother was in the market. She would need to go and join her mother and help her close very soon like she did every evening.
She suddenly wished she had walked with her friends and from there taken the path to the market. Amara had not only made her security conscious but had managed to scare her as well. She didn't want to be alone right now.

.·.·.·.·.·
"Joy if you don't mind I'd like us to stop by pastor Bartholomew's house"
Her sister laughed "If I don't mind? If I mind would it even matter? You want to see your boyfriend I can not come in between"
"I don't appreciate your snide remarks...I have something I want to show Osi that's all"
"Osi...oh you're already on first name basis...you see my point exactly" her sister smiled mischievously and Amara gave up but she couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from turning upward.

Ovie opened the door. He smiled when he saw Amara. "Heey..you again...eeeerm...don't tell me..." He snapped his fingers "Amaka!"
"No...Amara" she corrected with a smile.
"Please come in come in...Its a pleasure to have you here..this must be your sister...the resemblance is uncanny"
They entered the parlour. It was the first time any of them were entering the house and they looked around.
"Is pastor Osi in?" She asked
"Not yet, but I'm expecting him any minute now" as he spoke they heard the door open. "That should be him"
But it was Bukky. She entered the parlour with a nylon bag of vegetables she had bought from the market.
"Hello pretty ladies, you came to hear the word that's nice"
"Actually they came to see Osi" Ovie explained and Amara thought she felt the woman frown slightly.
She tugged her sister's hand "maybe we would come back...I just wanted to show him something"
It seemed Joy was in one of her mischievous moods. She didn't budge "no naa...sheybe he'll soon be back...let's use this opportunity and listen to the word, after all I have missed all the Vigil service so far"
Ovie smiled bringing out a gigantic bible from the TV stand. "Say no more dear...say no more"

.·.·.·.·.·
"Well...what do you think?" Amara asked Osi as they walked the path home and he reread the letter again. He had arrived just as Joy had agreed they leave, 30 minutes into Ovie's preaching.
"This writing....I think I've seen it somewhere..." Osi said as he looked at the words for the umpteenth time.
"Where did you see it, are you sure?"
"Hmmm..." He frowned and closed his eyes.
He thought back and remembered earlier in the day when he had paid Stevenson a visit. The man had been writing something and although the pad had been upside down and Osi had only glanced at it, he could almost swear the curvature was the same.

.·.·.·.·.·
The knock was sharp and swift. The knuckles rapped the door three times causing a kind of tense vibration in the still silence that followed. Ezinne paused as she listened, trying to tell her beating heart that the knock hadn't sounded from her door.
As if to prove her wrong it sounded again. Maybe it was Oluchi, or one of the girls, they might have forgotten something and come back. But still she remained on her bed, steady and unmoving. The knock sounded again impatiently this time and she gave herself a mental kick. Whoever was at the door was knocking like he/she had every right to be there. It would have to be one of her friends maybe even her mother.
"I'm coming...who's there?" She Asked as she stood behind the door, her hand on the bolt.
"Ezinne...it's me, I left your mother a little while ago at the market and she said I should deliver something"
She recognized the voice immediately. Everybody knew that voice, or almost everybody at least.
She opened the door as her pulse returned to normal and smiled.
"So nice to see you"
"The pleasure is all mine, how are you?"
"I'm fine" She glanced at his hands and noticed he didn't hold anything in them.
"What, what did my mum give to you?"
His eyes grew serious as the warmth escaped from them "you have something that belongs to me"

.·.·.·.·.·
Osi and Amara stopped at the gate while Joy entered.
"I can see you're suspecting somebody...but you don't want to tell me" Amara said
"Its not like I'm suspecting anyone, it's...its more like a feeling. I have ways to confirm and be sure, and then I can freely tell you"
"Just be careful, I have a feeling whoever it is would be very dangerous."
"Me too..."
"Just today in Oluchi's house somebody was outside listening to us and he ran away immediately Oluchi called out which is very strange"
"Hmmmm.." Osi frowned "when was this?"
"Earlier today"
"Did you get a look at him?"
"Nope...he took off immediately but it's probably paul, Oluchi's brother"
"What were you people talking about"
"Lemme see..." She tapped her foot as she thought back "I think Ezinne was telling us about the letter"
"Wait a minute; you said it was Ezinne who handed it to you earlier?"
"Yes..." She saw his eyes change and she got worried "what is it?"
"Where is Ezinne's house?"
"It's not too far from the market square" she replied
He began to run.
She joined him. Her heart was beating madly.
"What's going on?" She panted as she tried to catch up. His legs were long and ate the ground quickly and three of her steps equalled just one of his.
"Your friend is in danger"

.·.·.·.·.·
From far Amara could see the door was locked.
Oh thank God! Her friend had obviously locked the door when they left.
But then she saw the door open as Osi knocked on it. It hadn't been locked after all, it had just been slid shut.
As she reached the door finally, Osi came back outside. His eyes were strange and he blocked the door with his body as he used his hands behind his back to close the door.
"I don't think you should go in there" he said sadly.
"Why...what do you mean...?" But she could see it clearly in his eyes. She felt like her world was tilting upside down.
"What happened? Where is Ezinne?!" She screamed.
Pastor Osi surprised her by gripping her with surprising strength and clamping his hand over her mouth.
"Shhhhhh" Osi snapped harshly as he covered her mouth with his hands.
He strained his ears as he listened. He heard the noise again, a peculiar sound, like the soft slamming of a window.
"Is there any road leading from the back of this house?" He asked her.
She nodded and he removed his hand after she bit him...hard but quick.
"There's a shortcut that leads to the market square from the back..."
"Please don't go inside. Stay outside" with that Osi ran through the house, closing the door and running through the parlour, he jumped the dead body on the floor (the third dead body he was seeing in three days...he must be going mad) and ran to the first room. This one didn't even have a window. He noticed it had been turned upside down and hurried to the second room. He saw the window and knew the sound he heard must have come from here.
He hurried to the window, pushing the wooden board open and leaping out. As he landed, he heard the door to the parlour opening. Amara must have entered.
Women!! They never listened!
Well he couldn't turn back now..The devil was running away and he just needed a glimpse of whoever he was. He took off running down the path.

.·.·.·.·.·
The devil had never been as scared of exposure as he was right now. He ran with speed as he ducked between bushes trying to stay out of sight.
He didn't know which was more annoying, the fact that he didn't get to rape Ezinne or that the letter wasn't in his possession or that he was running from the foolish pastor, everything he had at a risk...
The girl had confessed when she saw the knife that the letter was with Amara.
Amara...well that would be taken care of soon enough...maybe sooner than expected because he couldn't rest until the letter was in his hands.
Those two letters; 'P.O' jeopardized his identity more than anything.
He smiled when he saw the beginning of the market square. But his smile disappeared when he thought about Ezinne...he hadn't done with her like he wanted to...he had been forced to use his knife and using a knife wasn't his style...it wasn't his modus operandi.
They said what goes up must come down and the height in his trouser would need to be pacified....oh yes, Amara's time was definitely up!

.·.·.·.·.·
"Oh my God...!" Amara put her hand over her mouth as she burst into unbelievable tears. It was like a nightmare to see her friend bleeding on the floor.
She fell to her knees as the tears rained freely.
"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...oh my God!"
"Amara...Amara...."
Her eyes flew open as she heard the words...which sounded more like a whisper.
"Ezinee...Ezinne..." Ezinne had been stabbed rather horribly in the stomach but miraculously she wasn't dead...not yet.
"Amara...Please help my mother to.....help...help my mother.... to... lock... up... her... sh....s...shop"
Blood spilled from her mouth as she struggled to talk.
" Ezinne...I'm so sorry...forgive me please..."
"It's..all...its alright..." More blood from the mouth.
"Ezinne who did this to you...who did this?"
"Its...it's...it's......" Her eyes went blank and lifeless.
She was dead.

.·.·.·.·.·
Osi stumbled into the market square running like a mad man. He felt eyes on him from every direction but he felt a certain kind of eye on him. The devil's eye; whoever he had jusrt chased was somewhere watching him that very moment. He turned round frantically as he looked at the faces. Everyone was busy with their respective business.
"Heey...did you see anyone run out of this bush?" He asked a young boy shining shoes.
"Yes"
Ahaaa! Finally!
"Who was it...who did you see?"
The boy pointed at him and burst out laughing "you"