Grace stood in front of Veronica's door later that afternoon contemplating whether to knock or not. On her way over she kept beating herself that everything was all her fault. If only she had stayed away from the beginning, if only had kept her stupid fantasies to herself, everything would still be normal.
Her friends were no longer speaking to her. They never said any word to each other throughout the school hours till they got home and the same could be said for Veronica who had left her at the lab after she released her without saying a word.
She had decided to go over to Veronica's house when she realized she was going crazy over the thought of her having to kill Raymond. Time was running out and she had to do something regardless of who was with her or not.
Veronica was the one with the plan and she had figured she'd be easier to beg while her friends needed some time to cool off but now she was second-guessing if that would be true. She was about to stretch her hand to the door for the fifth time before it was jerked open.
"What do you want?" Veronica asked in a harsh tone, her head peering from the slightly open door.
"Veronica, please don't shut the door on me," She pleaded with her hands gesticulating. Veronica kept glaring. "I messed up and I'm sorry... My friends hate me."
"That's not my problem," Veronica said without flinching.
Grace sighed.
"Okay, lemme rephrase. I know you are mad at me and I don't blame you. But no matter the amount of hate and blame we want to share around to each other, it won't still make this go away. I don't know when but I might kill someone soon and I also don't know how to stop it. I need your help. Please."
Veronica gave her a long stare and then changed her expression almost immediately.
"Okay."
Grace was surprised by her response.
"Wait, just like that? I was expecting much more resistance."
"Yeah, well I saw from the upstairs window rehearsing your speech. I came to put you out of your misery." Veronica said grinning.
Grace tried to force a smile but was only feeling relief at the moment.
"So back to our plan, where can we find our bad boy?"
* * *
Ketu's community park is the only place in the town where the youths took pride in hanging out although parents always warned their children especially the girls to stay off at dusk due to the immoral activities that go on at that time. It wasn't enough reason to stop the ones who were regarded as the bad eggs in the town. Some of them still went there for the thrill of what their parents wanted them to avoid and for some an extra good time.
For Raymond, it was a little bit of both, depending on what he was in the mood for. He hung around the basketball court with his friends from school. Out of habit he would tease Patricia, the easiest girl in the group then make a joke with his friends and after laughing out loud, fall back to his phone and repeat the same.
He raised his head to watch a group of girls who were rehearsing a dance routine at the far end of the court only to see Grace and Veronica approaching.
His heart jumped.
'What the hell could she want? And who the hell is that chick?' He thought.
'Fuck it! No matter what, I can't make myself look weak.'
"Gracey! Baby! How are you doing?!" He yelled from a distance as they got closer.
Grace's irritation spiked the moment she heard his voice. Her whole body stiffened in rage. It was Veronica's idea that they met Raymond that night if they wanted to save time and plan before Friday.
"Murderers follow patterns," Veronica had told her on their way to the park. "Either the same killing pattern or the same time frame. And since we both know that can't happen because he is trying to recreate your fantasies, I am betting on the other."
"Okay, so what is our plan?"
"We are going to catch our killer in the act. Invite him for a date by the Ketu river. Set everything like you imagined and set a trap for whoever is behind all these."
She had agreed on everything but wasn't still ready to face him even as she was standing in front of him.
"Babe, how far na?" Raymond greeted again.
"Grace, say something," Veronica whispered through her teeth to her.
"Or wait, are you still feeling bad about what happened between us that year. I'm already over it. It's water under the bridge."
Grace sparked.
"Water under the bridge?! You fucking lied to everyone and now they are hailing you like a king!" She shouted throwing her fists at him but Veronica pulled her back before they could hit his chest. Her shout was enough to draw the attention of everyone as Raymond's friend drew closer while others watched from afar.
"Guy wetin dey sup?" Bright, the closest to Raymond asked with his eyes on
"Nothing guy," He reassured then shot a wicked smile at Grace as he straightened his hood.
Grace could hear her heart pounding from the rush. She yanked her arms from Veronica's grip.
'What am I even doing here? This son of a bitch deserves to die.!'
"No worry, make una dey go," Raymond told his friends. "They go, nothing dey happen."
Bright was the last to retreat. He gave Grace a long stare like he read a bad aura off her and then nodded to Raymond before walking away.
"Hey, I didn't ask for this." Raymond continues. "You came here to me. I thought you had forgotten but it's clear you haven't."
"Ogbeni calm down jour!" Veronica brushed in raising her voice. "Is it because I was keeping quiet before. If you think she is causing a scene you better think again cause I've got more madness in me. Better stop this big boy act you are doing and maintain."
Raymond shrugged.
"What do you want?" He asked Grace.
Grace was surprised Veronica could get Raymond to stop talking. He had to be like that ever since she knew him. Always wanting to be at the center of everything.
"Oya talk na." He said losing patience.
"I wanted to ask if you would be available on Friday for us to meet and settle our issue."
Raymond became puzzled.
"What? You came here because you want us to settle."
"I know you think this is too good to be true but I want to be the bigger person here. After graduation, I want to leave everything about this town behind can't let a stupid grudge keep drawing me back."
Veronica was pleased with how Grace was handling Raymond.
'She has potential.' The all too familiar voice inside her said.
She was shocked. The voice never said anything since that night at the party. Why now?
"Wow, okay," Raymond said. "You said Friday, by what time, and where?"
"8 pm by the Ketu river."
"Ketu river?" He said in skepticism. "You are not planning to drown me there and call it bygones, are you?"
Grace and Veronica froze at his question.
He laughed.
"I'm just kidding."
Their relief soon met with disappointment.
"But I won't be able to make it, sorry. See my guy over there," He said pointing back at Bright. "Bright's birthday is on Friday and we are going to be painting Sultan's hotel red."
Grace was already wearing a sad face but Veronica saw an opportunity.
"Alright then, can we come?"
"What?!" Grace exclaimed I'm shocked.
"Of course, the more the girls, the merrier the party will be… I'm starting to like your friend oh, Grace." Raymond added, smiling.
"Okay. It's settled then." Veronica said. Her eyes were pleading with Grace to relax.
"We have to go now," Grace said hurriedly then grabbed Veronica by her arm and strode away.
"Wait! She didn't even tell me her name yet." Raymond shouted.
He watched as they walked away for a while, marveling at what just happened before he turned back to join his friends.
Grace took Veronica to the entrance of the park before she stopped.
"What the hell was that back there?"
"You heard him yourself, he isn't coming. I said that so we could still have a shot at this."
"And we still go ahead with the original plan?"
"Yeah."
Grace still wasn't sure.
"But that place would be crowded with people, the plan won't work."
"Don't worry, it will," Veronica reassured. "But we are going to need more hands-on deck."
* * *
Margret's mother, Maryam paced back and forth between her compound and the neighbors, series, and webs of thoughts flowing through her mind. Sylvester had abandoned her.
No! It didn't make sense, nothing did.
Her past relationships were with a sad list of unlucky lovers who left as soon as they got bored but Sylvester was different. When they first met, he had made a nice gesture towards her, offering to carry her everywhere she wanted to go with his vehicle. She didn't see herself being in a relationship again but they soon became lovers. She didn't also see herself getting pregnant but she did.
Stanley had changed the whole issue but it was okay. Yes, Sylvester had his faults, he became a bus driver whose vehicle broke beyond repair consequently leaving him without any source of income. Then there was his issue about his occasional drinking which she always cautioned him to curb to keep in check.
But it was okay.
It didn't matter if he had any job or not, she would make the money. He was always there and that was all she needed.
It didn't make any sense! Why would he leave?
She couldn't still comprehend what her daughter told her that night. She knew Margret didn't like him anyway so she wasn't surprised. She needed answers on what happened on Friday and there was only one person who could at least explain a few things. Francis.
She took a deep breath in and then walked over to the front door. She found Francis sitting by the corridor, his shirt off on his shoulder and his hands rubbing his belly after a nice meal.
"Ah, Mummy Margret, good evening ma." He said immediately he saw her and got to his feet.
"Good evening, Francis. How are you?" Maryam said, trying to sound as casual as she usually is.
"I'm fine ma. You wan see my mama abi? Make I go call am for you."(1)
"No no," Maryam said, gesturing with her hands to stop him. "It's you I want to see."
"Oh, okay. Hope no problem?"
"No," She gave a short laugh."Not really... I wanted to ask, last Friday when I called you to check on Margret, did you see anything strange or weird?"
Francis raised a brow in suspicion.
"Why? Is something wrong?"
"Eh, not really. It's just that my daughter told me that Sylvester left but I think he might be missing."
"Oh my God!" Francis gasped.
"No, hold on first. It might not be serious, I might be the one hopping around in circles--" She gave a short nervous laugh again.
"So it is not serious?"
"To be honest, I don't know... But his phone was charging at home. Who leaves without their phone? It doesn't make sense."
Francis placed a finger on his lips in deep thought for a moment.
"Margret and her friends were acting strange when I walked in that day." He said after. "First they knocked me out and then tied me to your dining chair."
Maryam's eyes got wide.
"Jesus! Why would they do such a thing?"
"I don't know, I didn't ask. But they went on to question me about why I went there. It was really weird and annoying but I'm sure they were hiding something... Did Margret tell you anything?"
Maryam shook her head.
"No, she didn't, I feel like she has been avoiding me lately."
"Well, you should try to talk to her. I don't know much about the issue." Francis said finally.
Maryam didn't see the need for any further questions. His answers only brought questions that only her daughter could answer.
"Thank you, Francis." She said in surrender, forcing a smile. Francis gave a slight nod and watched as he turned to leave. She had walked a few steps away when he called her back.
"Mummy Margret."
"What?" She said, turning her neck.
"If you think that Sylvester might be missing, then you should go to the police."
__________
Translation:
(1) I'm fine ma. Do you want to see my mum right? I'll go call her.