Amber closed the front door softly as water dripped from her body. She walked up the stairs in a daze almost tripping in the process.

   Her mother gasped in shock as she saw he daughter mindlessly walking up the stairs soaked with water. "Amber! You should have stayed at Dorothy's place instead of walking back home." She cautioned as she rushed to her daughter's side.

    Amber shrugged her mother off and walked into her room. She slammed the door and made sure to lock it. Her mind filled with thoughts of the innocent family she made bereaved. Time and time again she wanted to believe it wasn't her fault, that she didn't know the officer was going to be there yet guilt ate her up inside.

    "Amber!?" Her mother called, knocking on the door. The woman bit her fingers worriedly as she pressed her ears against the door. She didn't hear a word and she wondered what went on. "Amber! Open the door now!"

   Amber sunk down to the ground as she held her head in her hands. She closed her eyes and saw a blurry shape of a woman and baby staring at her.

    "No no no." She muttered, biting her nails nervously. She took a deep breath and stood up yet her knees buckled and she found herself back on the floor. Tiny black dots clouded her vision and before she knew it, darkness over took her.

   After hearing the loud thud, Amber's mother knocked frantically. Horrific images flashed through her mind and she dialed her husband's number instantly.

    Half an hour later, the teen was carried out of her room by her dad while her mother cried. She quickly drew a bath for the girl and took her from her father.

   "What happened?" Her husband asked but the woman shook her head as a few drops of tears slid down her cheeks.

   "I.. I have no idea." She replied as she carried her daughter into the bathroom.
***
   "You killed him. You're a devil. You'll die too." Amber woke up with a start, drenched in sweat. She looked around and realized she was in her parents' room. She felt her neck for any sign of being strangled but nothing.

   "Baby, come downstairs for breakfast." Her mother smiled softly at her from the door. Amber nodded slowly while putting on her slippers that were beside the bed.

    She got to the dinning and saw her parents setting the table. A ghost of a smile reached her face as she watched them.

    "I made your favourite." Her mother said, drawing out a seat for her in the three seater dinning set.

   "Take those medications when you are done eating. You caught a cold sweetie." Amber's face fell into a frown at the mention of medications. Her father let out a hearty laugh at her childish behavior.

    The doorbell rang and the family looked at each other in confusion.

   "I'll go and see who's at the gate." Her father said. He went to the intercom by the door. He was met with a clear view of the police badge placed at the front of the camera outside. He opened the gate and let the officer come in.

   "Darling, who's it?" His wife asked.

    "An officer." He replied as he opened the front door. Amber's eyes snapped to the door. Her heart pounded in its cage as she heard her father talk with someone. The spoon in her hand fell off when she heard the name 'Okoye'

   "I'm sorry for disturbing you but I'll like to ask you people a few questions." Detective Okoye said. He looked at the couple in front of him with a blank look on his face and they nodded. "Is this the house of Mrs Enyong?"

   "It once was officer. She was our housekeeper, stopped working three to four years ago. Why do you ask?" Amber's father asked.

   "A phone number bearing her name was used to commit a very serious crime and the address at the telecommunication office is here." Okoye explained.

   "Oh my goodness." Amber's mother sat on the sofa in shock. "But the woman should be in her 70's now. There's no way she would've done something like that unless it was stolen."

   Amber listened to the conversation from the kitchen. She had used the phone she swiped from the old nanny years ago but she didn't know it would be traced back to her house. A part of her knew the detective might be suspicious of her if he saw her so she decided to keep quiet and let him leave. The kettle whistled in the kitchen and Amber hoped her mother would come and turn the gas cooker off herself but luck wasn't on her side.

    "Amber, can you please turn off the cooker?" Her mother called.

    Okoye's mind began to work overtime as he recalled the girl he saw at Willow Heights who was apparently Alisha's only friend and the silhouette of the girl he saw in the rain. He took a step back and looked into the dinning in the perfect time as Amber stood up to go to the kitchen. Pieces began to fall into place as he realized that the girl was in the middle of almost all the murders.

    His suspicions were confirmed when he heard a cough from the kitchen. "Cold weather isn't it?" He casually said and the middle aged woman nodded.

   "My daughter even caught a cold yesterday. A very bad one since she was out in the rain." Okoye smirked as he took note of the new information.

   Amber decided to act fast this time around. It was obvious she was going to be in the top of Okoye's suspect list. She cleared her throat and slowly entered the living room.

   "Good morning sir." She greeted. "You are detective in charge of the case at my school right?"

   "That's right." Okoye replied as he wondered what she was trying to do.

   "I have something to confess." She sighed looking at her toes.

   "Amber? What are you talking about?" Her father asked in shock.
***
   Tobe refeshed the website immediately the clock struck 11. He closed his eyes and held his breath as he waited for the final results to show. He opened his left eye, followed by the other as stared at the screen in front of him. The word 'ACCEPTED' were written in bold letters and he screamed.

   "Mom!!! I got in!!" He yelled happily as he ran out of his room. His mother rushed to him as soon as she heard him.

    "Isi gini?" (What did you say?)

    "I got the scholarship mum. I got into the school." Tobe said excitedly.

   "So my son is going abroad? I'll call your form teacher later and ask him the necessary school documents." His mother danced around the house singing songs of praises. Tobe dashed into his room and called Natasha on video call.

    "I have good news!" The two of them yelled at the same time. They laughed at the coincidence before Natasha spoke first.

   "So.. I called my uncle and he said that he has a spot in the medicine department. So all you have to do is get good scores in your WAEC and JAMB and we're off to school." She cheered happily but every words that left her mouth was like a slap to Tobe. "What's your good news?" Natasha asked but Tobe could barely keep his smile on his face.

    What would he tell her? He saw the sheer happiness on her face. Telling her about the scholarship would break her heart but he knew he had to tell her... soon.

   "Nothing really. I.. I um I just wanted to take you out for your favourite ice cream." He lied. Natasha grinned and nodded before going off about being in the same school with him. He felt guilt filling his heart but he shook it off. He would tell her the truth eventually but she was happy now and that was all that mattered.
***
    "So what you are telling me is that the principal knew fully well about Alisha's case and kept quiet without proper investigation?" Okoye asked the petite girl who was at the brink of tears.

    "Yes sir. The guilt has been killing me inside. I was on my way home yesterday when the memory cane back to me and I knew I had to speak up." Amber said sniffling. Her mind cheered ironically as she brainwashed the detective. "Honestly, I was relieved when I heard that my best friend's killer was dead but I want the law to punish those who tried to close the case. I think my friend will rest in peace then." She said as she wiped her eyes of the non-existent tears.

   Her mother hugged her closer as her body shook. Amber almost smiled at the card she was playing. It was almost too good to be true. Mrs Isioma and Ada, the school nurse, weren't even in her plan but why not punish them all?

    "I'll get the doctor's statement and make the arrest." Okoye stood up and thanked the family before heading out. He was still suspicious of the girl but he had zero evidence that she did anything. The possibility that it was just a coincidence flashed in his mind and he sighed. It was going to end one day and he wouldn't rest till it did.

******
Two more chapters to go🥺
Thanks for reading.

~Korisa💙