I don’t know how long I had cried. I only heard Ireti’s voice faintly, urging me that it was time to go. Mum hadn’t arrived yet, but she was going to find out soon enough. I wouldn’t be the one to break it to her—I couldn’t believe it myself.

"Nothing is adding up, Yemisi," Ireti said, crossing her arms as she paced. “Forget that you weren’t even with him when the murders happened. It’s just... one jumbled jigsaw,” she added, shaking her head.

I bit my lip, thinking hard, my brain working through everything in pieces. Finally, I found my voice.

"Let’s secretly investigate Mr. Bello and Mr. Austin," I said, the words coming out firmer than I expected. "Until I find my own evidence that Kayode killed them, this investigation is not over."

"I’m with you on that. What do you suggest we do?" Ireti asked, glancing at me with a mixture of hesitation and resolve.

"We find every single scrap of info we can on our prime suspects."

---

Later that evening, Mum burst into my room with a look I’d never seen on her face before—fear mixed with something else. Anger, maybe?

“Yemisi, from now on, you’re staying inside. I don’t want you going out until we know exactly what’s going on,” she said firmly.

“But, Mum—”

“No ‘buts,’ Yemisi,” she cut me off. “This thing with Kayode… it’s dangerous, and you’re not getting involved. I’m banning you from leaving this house without me.”

I bit my tongue, nodding, but my mind was already racing. She’d never understand. Kayode was innocent; I knew it. And now, it was up to Ireti and me to prove it.

---

With Mum finally asleep, I slid out of bed and grabbed my jacket, my hands trembling. I sent a quick message to Ireti: Meet me by the gate. She’s asleep.

As I slipped out the door, careful not to make a sound, my heart pounded, both from fear of getting caught and anticipation. Outside, the air was cool, tinged with the scent of damp earth from the earlier rain. I spotted Ireti waiting at the gate, her silhouette barely visible in the dim streetlight.

“You made it,” she whispered, eyes wide.

“Let’s go, quickly,” I replied, glancing back at the house one last time. We hurried down the street, staying in the shadows, making our way toward the school.

---

We snuck into the school grounds, the silence wrapping around us like a heavy blanket. The faint glow of street lamps cast strange shadows across the halls, and every creak felt magnified, echoing down the empty corridors.

Ireti clutched my arm, whispering, “You’re sure about this?”

"Positive," I replied, though my heart pounded wildly.

We made our way toward the teachers’ lounge, slipping past the principal’s office and ducking beneath the flickering light by the stairwell. The door to the lounge was just ahead, slightly ajar.

I held my breath as I reached for the handle, pushing it open inch by inch. We slipped inside, letting the darkness swallow us. Just as I was about to pull out my phone for light, we heard footsteps—heavy, deliberate.

Someone was coming our way.

"Yemisi," Ireti whispered, barely audible.

I squeezed her hand, trying to stay calm. The footsteps stopped right outside the door, and we could see the shadow of someone standing there, waiting, as if they knew exactly where we were.

The handle turned.

We both froze.

_______________________________
Hey Yemisi, are you okay, why would you sneak out of your house!
And now you're doomed
Don't worry I won't keep you on hold for too long
Chapter 21 coming soon
Today
Love you guys so much
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