Kenny and Joe sat with each little fingers wrapped around Granpa's feet as they looked at his face in earnest. He smiled again at them and settled himself comfortably on the sofa where he sat.

''Granpa don't tell us any more stories about fairies'', Kenny said.

''Yes, it's boring and so unmanly '', ten years old Joe chirped in, showing off the baby fat on his arm as muscles to the amusement of Grandpa and admiration of Kenny.

''Okay Kids, what would you rather i tell?''

''Criminals..... Bad guys you dealt with as a detective'', Joe suggested.

''Did you unravel every crime that came your way Granp?''.

''No and even up to this moment i don't know who the murderer was. A woman, i can only guess because of the lipstick that was smeared on the victim's mouth as a result of a kiss. But the murderer left a clear scene with no clues to investigate'', Granp said thoughtfully.

''Wow, i love crime stories especially the Murder ones'', Joe said clapping his hands excitedly.

'' Oh, do tell Granpy...'', Kenny pleaded.

Giving the kids a sly look, Granp ruffled his snow white hair.

''Your mother wouldn't want me telling you kids such stories, would she?''

''Oh Granps, we promise not to tell don't we Jo''?

''Of course, with my heart crossed'', Jo promised, his right hand on his chest as he gave a comical bow which made the others burst into laughter.

''Now, now children, don't make me laugh too hard, am too old for that, am only good for telling stories....''

''No Granps, you are good for many other beautiful things too'', eight year old Kenny said sweetly, putting a warm arm around the old neck.

''Oh, you're one sweet litle Granps angel'', Granps said, drawing her away to sit on the sofa beside him as Joe looked on with a raised nose, mortified at the girly show of affection.

''Don't distract Granps now Kenny, do go on Granpa'', Joe said in his most grown up voice.

Wiping a happy tear, Granps began...

''It was 11:00pm. She stood at the backyard of the Lady Clara girls's hostel, she was spreading her clothes on the lonely rope. The wind that blew around her was harsh, making her eyes teary with the cold. She looked into the dark clouds, a half moon was her only source of light since, the lights in the hostel was temporarily off.
'I should have brought my phone along', she said to herself. The darkness was becoming increasingly menancing. For the first time, the hands of fear stroked her spines. She threw a glance at her sides, making sure she was alone and safe. Then, she picked up the only blouse remaining in her bucket. As she placed it on the rope, a deathly warm hand gripped her throat tightly. For a moment she stood immobilised with shock, she couldn't even turn around. Then, as the shock began to wear off, the warm hand was replaced with a thick rope that circled round her throat, tighter and tighter. She choked, clawing at the rope. Her cry was a painful whisper. Hot tears raced down her cheeks as a warm lips found hers, kissing her fiercely, sucking away the little air that spoke of life. The warm hands unbuttoned her knitted blouse, stroking her soft erect breast as her body convulsed. The rope loosened around her neck and she dropped to the ground, cold, lifeless, so dead.
Later in the morning, she was discovered dead by her bunk mate who had wondered why she didn't come back to the room that night. The hall mistress, security men and girls residing in the hostel gathered around the deceased. The instrument of death lay a foot from where its victim was. It was a rope made of a strong and bristle rafia. The red marks it made on the deceased throat was caressed with dried blood. Across the victim's chest was an inscription that was branded on her body by a hot iron. It read, ''For the sake of love''. I a detective was called in to investigate the murder. I questioned all the residents in the hostel, searched for clues but there was none. The murderer was clever enough not to leave fingerprints for us. If there had been, it was effectively wiped off. I couldn't and still can't solve this mystery. The cracked ends of her lips showed that she didn't apply a lipstick that night. The red lipstick smeared on her lips was obviously by a forceful kiss. The victim's lips were torn, the deep mark of a teeth bite glared at all who beheld her. I couldn't rule out the possibility that the murderer might be a lesbian female whose advances was rejected or a jealous male lover. But then males were not allowed freely into the hostel except workers. Interestingly enough, all the male personnels that were present in the hostel on the day of her murder had an alibi.
That was my first and only crime mystery that was never solved''.

Kenny and Joe watched him silently. Then Kenny spoke, ''Maybe Joe and i would be the one to solve this mystery''.
Joe nodded thoughtfully.
Granp smiled at them and said,
'' Maybe. Now off to bed and i love you kids'', he said finally, kissing them good night and the moon smiled.

You have no idea how shocked I was when Granps included kissin and strokin bosoms in a story to kids barely 10 years old. a bit awkward I'd say.

you have it in you though...keep honing it

I am more shocked that Granps would be telling them this story as a sort of bedtime story. He wants to give them nightmares?

Nice though

Hmmm,couldn't breath till i finished the episode,you write very well,i hope you will be regular with uploads.

I'm still in shock that grandpa who should know better narrated this story to kids.

luvmijeje: I'm still in shock that grandpa who should know better narrated this story to kids.

lol pretty shocking tale

I'm still waiting for your story btw

That night, Kenny tossed about in her bed. She disliked stories with loose ends. She knew she would never be able to sleep till the mystery Granps told Jo and her of, was solved.

Joe was already fast asleep in the bed next to hers or so she thought.

It seemed as if she gazed at the ceiling for an enternity before sleep blew a kiss across her eyelids.

She stood at the backyard of the Lady Clara's girl's hostel. It was bigger than she had imagined. She stood, listening to the hall mistress who narrated what happened.


''Ah ah ah ah!'', a loud unearthly scream pierced the ears of the early dawn.


The tall fair girl kept screaming, her eyes hollow, filled with fear that made the Hall mistress shudder.


''Calm down, what happened?'', she asked the girl, pushing her gently into the soft chair that stood in her lodge.


''Dead, Dead'', the girl mumbled.


''Dead, who? Who is dead?'', Aunty Sholanke the Hall mistress asked impatiently, shaking the frightened girl a little.


As usual, a crowd of curious girls had gathered around the lodge.
The girl pointed outside.


''My bunkie, the backyard, dead'', was the last thing she said as her body gave in to the shock and she slumped into unconsciousness.

They poured water on her in a bid to revive her. She sat up, assisted by three girls and stared at them in a dazed stupour. The manager of the hostel came out from his office, he had slept there that night instead of going home. With the help of two other girls, he drove the shock victim to the school's Medical Center.


Aunty Sholanke ignored the girls that gathered around her. She beckoned to Sanni the security man and together with the curious onlookers, they went to the backyard.


The sight that greeted their eyes made some of the girls cry, scream and sob.


A very beautiful dark-skinned girl lay on the ground. Her knitted blouse was open and the twin peaks on her chest pushed forward, still erect in death. Her face was contorted in a look of horror and fear.


Sanni moved closer to the deceased. His gaze settled on the red marks on her neck.


''She was strangled'', he said unnecessarily.


Just like Granps had told, the instrument of death lay a foot beside it's victim.


''Everyone back to your room'', Aunty Sholanke ordered.


She felt sick and knew the effect such as sight would have on a weak minded individual among them.


The girls scrambled reluctantly back to their different rooms.

That evening, the girls were unusually subdued with fear.


''Detective Kenny, would you mind assisting us in this crime situation?'' Aunty Sholanke asked Kenny who looked and was dressed as an adult.


''I would love to, but to me the succes of this investigation would depend solely on you'', Kenny said as a matter of fact.


''So, what do i do now?'' Sholanke asked.


''Lets start by summoning the girls here, room by room. I would question them, find out who has an alibi or not, the deceased friends, foes and acquaintance'', Kenny said.


'' And how would that help?'', Aunty Sholanke asked doubtfully.
Kenny smiled then said,


''To solve a puzzle, you must first have pieces of it. To solve a mystery, you must have clues and to solve a murder case, you must have.....''


''Suspects'', Aunty Sholanke concluded.


''Bless you, you do learn fast Ma'am. Without suspects, i can't work.They hold the clues, hidden puzzles'', Kenny said again, flashing the confused Sanni who sat with them, a smile.

She threw back her head, dug her feet into the thick green rug as she waited for the girls to come down for questioning.

Then...