"He ordered you to accept the allegations" Lawyer Peter informed in a firm tone, his eyes barely glancing at Beth's fallen gaze and pale skin. Her lips sucked in as she laid her teeth on it, her fingers jittering as she wondered what made her have such a father. He wants her to accept a crime she was clean of, certainly there was more to it than the surface.
Of course, he was going to have her bail all the problems, all in the name of saving his political career. Come to think of it, she had expected much from him, he had never been the bonding nor the caring father, he only cared about himself and his so-labeled career.
"And what if I refuse?" a question she knew was less required had to pop out, but it wouldn't hurt to know what her father had installed for her.
"You don't want to provoke him" the lawyer plainly stated, granting a glance at her and then back at his phone.
Why bother, it was either her death or the one she cared about dead and ruin, and as much she would love to protest against his decision she couldn't. Her father was a man who always got what he wanted, either smoothly or the other.
"And what's the next plan?" She asked, the lawyer stared at her aware of her question being related to her life and what would happen after she took the blame.
"You'll be out a year after, once he is in power he'll have you set free and given back your life" Great, she knew better than to believe those words being said to her. She has to sacrifice a year of her life?, was it worth it?. All it would take was a word of hers and the police would have the real culprit behind those bars and in cuffs and not her, yet a feeling tingled differently.
Reasons known to her, she decided to comply with her father's orders. Having resumed the interrogation she narrated a line or two of the crime, though she held on to her truth of not being responsible for Emma's death. That night was a hard punch in her chest, being heard about the death of someone just a minute of you being with her, was something she would carry forever.
"Mrs Kamara, she already confessed to it. She hired Abdul to murder you and as you suspected your accident was planned by her" Samuel narrated, not too sure himself. Just minutes ago she was in denial of having caused the accident or attempted the murder but soon changed on the lawyer's arrival.
Something didn't feel right
"I don't believe it, Beth is capable of many things but not murder," Kamara said through a faded gaze at Kenita who held the same suspicious looks.
True she was a woman of many actions, many of which weren't of good but she knew where to draw the line. She was smart enough to not risk her career and life like that, so what could have compelled her?.
"Can I speak with her?" he requested, his feet chasing for the interrogation room the second Samuel nodded to his request.
Inside he stared at the person whom he had known for ages, one that had gone through thick and thin with him.
"You're here?" she chuckled through the words as her eyes followed Kanara guide his body in the chair.
"Did you do it?" his voice came out husk and flat, still dazzled by the sudden changes. What could have compelled her to do such a thing?.
"I've already told the officers everything, don't tell me you're also here to interrogate me?"
"I just want to know if you did it and if yes then why?."
"Why?," a scoff bridged her lips as she rolled her eyes in disbelief "What do you mean why?, can't you see that everything I did was for you Kay, every action of mine was all for you" Her words rant out as she squeezed her fingers in her palm, her veins tensed with every second her gaze fell on his unconcern eyes.
How dare he not care, how dare he act like he isn't aware of her feelings!
Yes, he knew about her feelings towards him yet kept a blind eye to it, not giving much into it. He had thought she would kill her feelings with the years of response, but clearly, he was wrong.
Could her love for him push her into committing the crimes?
"I've always been there for you, I was the one to stand by you when you were down, the one that extended hands when needed yet you chose her over me. You knew how I felt but pretended like you didn't" She cursed her ill fate. She should have never fallen for him, perhaps a situation like that would have been averted had she not accepted his hands that helped her off the muddy grass that day. Had she not run out of the house in tears after her parent's divorce then, she wouldn't have slipped on her feet and lost her weight on the merciless muddy grass.
Ten years old she should have known better than to seek refuge in the arms of a boy who appeared in the glory of a savior.
"It was my wrong to have overestimated my value in your eyes, over the years I thought you would clear your eyes and see my worth but you didn't" her voice died at the end.
Her fingers absentmindedly traced the edge of warm water she had requested for, its warmth long gone, much like the love she once believed she held.
Her thoughts drifted back to him, to the way he used to smile, the way his eyes lit up, but never for her. She had loved him fiercely, desperately, offering him everything she had, her heart laid bare. But his affections had always been distant, fleeting, as though his love belonged to a ghost she could never compete with.
With a sigh, she closed her eyes, and the memories flooded back, sharp and bittersweet. The quiet moments they'd shared, his laughter, his care towards her, all of it tainted by the knowledge that his heart had never truly been hers to hold. He had been kind, tender even, but there had always been a distance, an unspoken barrier that she could never cross.
She had told herself it didn't matter, that in time he would love her the way she loved him. But that time never came. Instead, she was left with the hollow ache of loving someone who was never hers. The regret was a dull weight in her chest, growing heavier with each passing day.
"I should've walked away," she murmured, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I should've known better." she continued as she glanced at his tensed face that didn't know how to react to her words.
Was he at fault?, honestly she wasn't sure neither was he. All she felt was hurt, had he known her feelings wouldn't be responded to then he shouldn't have led her on.
"I hope this is the last time I see you" her words came slow and dull.
It was for the best, she had thought through. Having him away from her would shield him from the danger of her father, whom she knew would hurt him.
****
"I don't think she's the murderer" Kenita emphasizes. The memory of that day didn't align with what Beth stated to the police, also her thoughts are still clear on her sister being killed by a man. His voice was clear enough to identify his gender.
"You defending her?" David's brows arched as he tried to gather his thoughts on what she was on to. She wanted the culprit found and have been found so why was she in question and in defense of the culprit?.
Was she being real?.
"I'm not defending her" She wasn't but at the same time, she didn't the wrong person to suffer or best let the real murderer out there roaming free.
If Beth wasn't the real culprit, and neither was Kamara who she had suspected from the start, then who was the real murderer?
Could it be her sister's mystery boyfriend?
Yet again what was she conveying with those words?.
"I don't care if you believe me or not, but I have nothing to do with your accident" Beth had told her body was being walked by the female officer. And somehow Kenita was in believe to her words, the sudden changes of the case weren't adding up to her.
Kenita's eyes narrowed, confusion and suspicion mingling in her gaze. "Then who did?" she demanded, her voice cracking with desperation. "Tell me, If you didn't caused it who's the real culprit?" and there she could tell from her gasp and second of averted gaze that she knew more than she was telling. Her guts were tied on Beth in cahoots with the real culprit or best knew who it was.
Beth's lips pressed together, her knuckles turned white as she gripped the tongue from saying further. Her eyes darted around, as if someone was watching her . She lowered her voice to a near whisper. "I… I can't. You don't understand. If I tell you, they'll come after me—after both of us."
"But you have to!" Kenita's voice rang through the normal, her patience running out by her unsteady words. Just an hour ago she had confessed to the officers of her being the real culprit so why was she whispering something else to her?.
"I can only say this much, the answers you seek are with you. I'm more curious to know what's your relationship with my father" and as she was taken away by the officers. She understood her time was limited and a probability of her ever seeing the daylight.
Even so, she was going to leave clues behind to catch her father without him discovering her or hurting the one she cared about.
"So what next?" Kenita's lashes fluttered as her eyes gazed at David. Her thoughts blurring from the short memory.
Right, what was she going to do next?
"Shouldn't you stop acting as your sister?" David queries his mind in torment of her stay with a man.
True Kamara had been acquainted from the list of suspects, and there was probably no need to continue playing the disguised role of her sister.
"I haven't found the real culprit yet, till I find who killed my sister, her identity is mine to carry" she stated leaving no doubts in her heart about her commitment.
Whoever he was he was, she was going to find him, no matter what it took.
But till then, what was the relationship between her sister and Beth's father?.