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Three months before Shida’s death


Shida had drove down to Jay-boy’s apartment and was shocked to see him making out with another lady in his bedroom. She struggled to make her way out of his apartment with her body severely trembling. She cried all through her drive home that sunny afternoon, she missed classes and also her studio sessions for days, locked herself in her apartment with no one to reach her on phone or in person while she soaked herself in her soberness. She texted Jay-boy telling him she would never have anything to do with him ever again and that their two years romantic relationship was over and that he can go to hell and as well kiss her ass goodbye and swore never to cry because of that. And then she cried.

A week later, someone came knocking at Shida’s door persistently. She was forced by the noise to go open. It was Henry looking very excited to see her but as well shocked to see her looking so destabilized and unappealing, her body and room were unkempt and very untidy. When he inquired about what had happened to her, she rushed to hug him and broke down in tears. After a while, she was able to tell him all of Jay-boy’s episode. Henry was genuinely sympathetic to her tale even though he never liked Jay-boy, he gently cuddled her and then slowly went for her lips like it merely slipped, for about few seconds, they were both lost in the moment as their lips were locked to one another but Shida was quick to withdraw. She felt awkward and so was Henry who felt more embarrassed and out of place for going so far with a colleague. He quickly dashed out of her apartment without a goodbye.

The next day, Henry stumbled across Shida on his way into the studio, he felt so uneasy with himself and tried to apologize for what transpired the previous day but Shida was quick to apologize instead, she made him realize it was her fault and not his and besides, it made her felt wanted and alive again. With a cheerful smile, she gave him a box of chocolate she had brought along and also wished him the best of luck in his studio session. From there on, Shida and Henry had a strong bond beyond just colleagues, they talked more, frequented each other’s apartment, shared harmless secrets and soon she felt herself rapidly healing from the breakup and drifting far from the thought of Jay-boy.

One Friday afternoon, Shida visited Henry in his apartment, hoping to spend the weekend with him, they both did the cooking, washing and the entire house chores together, he brought her food in bed, sang her poems and treated her like a queen and all that and many more that got Shida wishing those moments never passed as she loved her every seconds with Henry who acted so understanding and caring and so loving. By night, on the Sunday evening while she was in the bathroom having her shower, she was shocked when she saw Henry flung open the door, walked in looking tensed and slowly shut back the door behind him. Wondering what had gotten over Henry, Shida felt uncomfortable with his presence, she quickly shielded her breasts with her arm across and between her thighs with the other.

“What are you doing here? Please leave, I need my privacy!” she said looking uneasy.

Henry smiled broadly, delighted with what he was staring at. He expelled deep satisfactory sigh as he took a step forward, “Wow! You’ve got a body of a goddess” he said admiringly.

Shida looked puzzled not knowing what to make of his statement; she slowly pushed back within the bathtub. “Henry please you need to leave right now” she struggled to look and sound stern.

“Hey relax, there is nothing to be uncomfortable about, it’s just you and I in here. Besides, I thought you love me” he said while he pulled-off his shirt.

Shida appeared terrified on seeing Henry unzipping his trousers “Henry please don’t do it, whatever you are about to do, I beg you to stop it. “She made a quick glance around for an escape but there was none, she was trapped in the bath room with Henry who had then fully gone unclad. On realizing what fate might soon befall her, she screamed for help hoping someone in the vicinity hears her distress call but it was cut short when Henry roughly pounced on her in the bathtub, he forcefully and roughly had carnal knowledge of her for quiet some minutes. When he was done, he felt remorseful and ashamed of himself. Shida was broken, she sat up in the bathtub crying quietly. Henry tried to apologize but the words never formed, he shamefully walked out of the bathroom wishing he could turn back the hands of time but it was too late.

*

In the middle of that night at 11:23, Shida packed her few belongings and walked out of Henry’s apartment, she cried while she drove through the lonely road that night to her father’s official residence. On getting there, she was informed that her father was out of town for an emergency meeting, she then remembered her father had earlier called to inform her of him travelling that morning.She felt so disappointed.
“And where is Flora?” she inquired from one of the stewards around.

The steward looked a bit confused, “You mean the madam?”

“Yes. Where is she?”

“She is upstairs in her room”

Shida felt a bit relieved knowing she had got Flora her thirty-one year old step-mother to confide in for the night about what had happened.
She climbed up the stair-case and as she flung open the door to Flora’s room, she was shocked by what she saw. Flora and one of the security guard were in the middle of a sex romp, they both fled up on seeing who was standing awe-stricken at the door way. Shida quietly turned away to rush down the stair and was heading for the main door when Flora caught up with her while she hadthe bed sheet carelessly wrapped around her body.

“Shida, it’s not what you think” Flora said restraining her by the arm. “I can explain”.

Shida angrily yanked off her arm from Flora’s grip “Get your filthy hands off me you bitch” She yelled “And here I am thinking I could trust you but here you are cheating on my dad with your bodyguard. She paused a while to stare at her disgustingly “All of you are the same, cheats and liars, never to be trusted” she yelled before storming out through the door.

Flora rushed upstairs to her room, there she saw Bobby calmly cladding himself with his uniform.

“We are in big trouble!” She said alarmingly.


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Seven months before Shida’s death


“It’s been wonderful hanging out with you guys this afternoon on the program Campus Gist with Shida. It’s me your radio sweetheart S.H.I.D.A…A.k.A, Ashely Shida your radio goddess wishing you all the very best of the week as I sign out with one of the maddest jams from my home-girl Tiwa Savage featuring Star-boy wizkid and she titled this ‘Ma Lo’, enjoy it and catch you tomorrow same time same station” Ashley Shida said in a soothing voice, one that had mesmerized the heart of anyone that ever tuned to listen to her on radio. She turned up the tune of the music button before switching off the transmitting microphone in front of her and then pulled-off the head-set. While she scrolled through her phone to read the messages scooping into her twitter handle about her just concluded program, Henry walked into the studio commending her for a wonderful job, she had lately been one of the hottest On-air personalities with one of the most rated campus program in the country. Shida stood up for Henry to begin his own session. Her hair was Khole-black and it plunged over her shoulders, she had this bubbly personality that attracted people whoever came in contact with her, she had light chocolate colored glossy skin with a slender eyebrow well shaped below her velvety eyelashes. Her dainty nose and the shiny halo-white teeth makes her look outstandingly beautiful.
“Oops! Before I forget” Henry turned to face her “There is a woman out there in the reception waiting to see you”

“Who is she?” She paused by the door to ask.

Henry slowly shook his head “I don’t know”

Shida walked out to the reception and soon saw a woman truly awaiting her.

“It is nice to finally meet you in person” a stout looking woman greeted as soon as Shida introduced herself. “And my name is Mrs. Bridget Okon, a very good friend to your late mother, I hope you don’t mind but I’ve got something very important to tell you”.

Within an hour, they found a secluded place around the campus where they sat to talk, there Mrs. Bridget revealed to Shida all she had witnessed the night of Dupe’s death.

“That’s a lie, my father can never do such a thing” Shida revolted “And besides, the police reported with evidence that someone else was my mum’s killer”.

“The report was not true, I was there that night, I saw how it all happened and so were you”

Shida turned to look at her surprisingly “What do you mean by I saw how it all happened?”

“I saw you staring at him ignorantly while he strangled life out of your mother” Mrs. Bridget recollected with her eyes lingering of tears.

“That is it, I’ve had enough” Shida fled up, she stood to leave as she couldn’t take it anymore “I need to leave, I’ve got a class to catch-up with”

Mrs. Bridget quickly scrambled through her bag and brought out her business card, she handed it over to Shida. “Over the years, I have been hunted by dreams of that night and felt guilty for not exposing the evil perpetrator. Now that you are aware, my conscience will be at rest and I hope you do the right thing”. She stood up and gently held to Shida’s palm “If you ever need to talk to someone about that night as well, you know where to find me” Mrs. Bridget said shortly before she walked away.

*

All through that night, Shida found it hard to sleep, she was restless as her mind kept replaying the event she had through the years thought was just her own irrelevant childhood imagination. She tried to fix the puzzle but something was missing as she couldn’t make a vivid picture of what had happened. All that her mind could come up with was a woman in red and white outfit strangled by someone and that was all.
“Could that had been my dad strangling my mum?” she paused and thought it over for a while. “No” She shook her head “That’s impossible” she was quick to dismiss the thought off her head shortly before drifting to sleep.

*

By morning, Shida drove straight to her father’s official residence. She needed to go tell him her mind as she couldn’t take it anymore, she needed to be open to her father like she had always been, he had been her best friend and as well her advisory all through the years. On seeing her father, Shida was quick to inquire from him what had happened the night her mother died. Chief Moshood Koker gave her the usual line of how one Mr. Ederson Brown had killed and left her mother to rotten in an uncompleted building, but surprisingly to Chief Moshood, Shida obviously seemed not to believe as she kept on persuading him into telling her the truth.

“Rashidat, where is this coming from?” he keenly asked as he stared penetratingly into his daughter’s eyes. “Now I see someone is telling you something else so as to tannish my political image. They know they could only get to me through you”.

Shida instantly felt foolish, she felt she had betrayed her father’s trust in her. She felt remorseful and apologetic. And on the request of her father about the source of information on her mother’s death, Shida handed over the Mrs. Bridget’s business card to him.

“Thank you sweet heart, let me keep this” he said to her before looking into the card “I would someday love to pay this Mrs. Bridget a friendly visit” he added with a mischievous grin.


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Nineteen years before Shida’s death


It was past nine in the evening, Moshood Koker was waiting impatiently in his small single room alone with his three year old daughter who was fast asleep. He had been for hours waiting for the arrival of his wife Dupe who had been out of the house since that afternoon.

Moshood quickly rushed to see the car that had just packed in front of his apartment, he was stunned when he saw his wife laughing and kissed the man behind the wheel shortly before she alighted the luxurious car with shopping bags dangling in her hands. Moshood saw her waving at the car as it zoomed-off, she turned and slowly headed to the apartment. Moshood opened the door at the first knock, Dupe majestically walked pass him into the room without courtesy or fear, she had few months earlier disregarded him as a man fit to be called her husband ever since he had lost his job a year ago.

“Dupe, where exactly are you coming from?” Moshood asked calmly trying hard to suppress his growing anger.

Dupe ignored him and sat beside her daughter on the chair to feel her body “O! My baby girl is asleep, wake up, mummy is home with plenty of goodies for you” she waved one of the bags of gifts to the little girl just waking-up.

“Are you deaf? I said where are you coming from and who was that man that dropped you off?” he raised his voice.

Dupe turned to stare at him disgustingly “And what do you care? If you must know, today is valentine, a day when real men take their women out for shopping, a day when couples celebrate love”

“What do you mean?” he stepped forward to her sounding vexed.

Dupe stood up to him “What I meant was you are not man enough to have me, you don’t deserve a woman like me, you are not my taste” she said spitefully into his eyes. Those words sank into Moshood’s heart and hurt so bad that it made him almost collapse.

“Please tell me you don’t mean those words” he said taking a step closer to her.

“I meant every word I said” she said confidently and continued “You are of no use to me or your daughter, I go out and provide for the family while you sit all day at home doing nothing tangible to help”. She paused for a while before she added “Just go away, leave us and I promise that myself and my daughter will never miss you” she added scornfully.

Instinctively, Moshood gripped her neck all of a sudden and pressed it tight against the sofa. Dupe struggled to scream as she attempts to kick and hit him, he kept on choking her for a very long time till she kicked no more. Moshood never felt remorseful afterwards but was shocked that not only was his three years old daughter had been a witness to the murderous act but also an unidentified pair of eyes was staring from the outside window as he looked up. He rushed to go see who it was but the eyes vanished into the night. He could swear he saw the eyes stared at him. Quickly, he lured his daughter back to sleep assuring her that mummy was fine. In no time wasted, he rushed to the kitchen to go grab a knife, wrapped the lifeless body in thick blanket before he sets out into the cover of the dark night.

Early the next morning, Moshood had gone to the police station to declare his wife missing, it had taken the police four days to discover Dupe’s corpse far away in an uncompleted building. Her hands banded with her skirt, her mouth covered with her blouse. Her body totally unclad and her throat gruesomely cut open. Police investigation soon led to one Mr. Ederson Brown as the only prime suspect who was last seen to have driven the victim in his car out for shopping. He was nailed life imprisonment with hard labour.

About a week after the case had been concluded, some police officers came to investigate and searched Moshood’s apartment intending to find any evidence connecting him to his wife’s death and when there was none, the police revealed to him that they had merely responded to an anonymous note that he was responsible for the death of his wife. But since the witness didn’t come out in person, the allegation against Moshood was dismissed. After a month, Moshood and his daughter relocated to his home town with an aim to begin life afresh.

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Four days after Shida’s death


Chief Moshood Koker walked majestically into a room where a woman was already tied to a chair, he had earlier ordered the kidnap of the woman. One of the bodyguards brought him a chair to sit in front of the woman who looked terrified. She had been kidnapped from her way to work and brought into a small empty room for about five hours with two hefty men monitoring her ever since.

“At last, we meet again” Chief Moshood said with a smile to his face as he sat. The woman got more scared and struggled on her chair on realizing it was him.

“I am very sorry sir, please forgive me” The woman begged remorsefully as her body trembled.

Chief Moshood sarcastically appear confused “Sorry for what exactly? Is it for you reporting me to the police nineteen years ago or reporting me to the police three days ago?”

“Sir, I’m sorry, I was only trying to help” the woman cried as tears had begun to flow down her cheek.

Chief Moshood had a good hearty laugh for a short moment, it was so funny to him how she really tried help “Try to help the police to catch me?Now I see how you are truly helping” sounding sarcastic and laughed again.

“Please don’t kill me” the woman begged.

He frowned by her last words but then again wore a dry smile “I promise I won’t kill you, I just need to ask you a question. What have you to gain for exposing my secret to the world? Why not just let it go so everyone can be at peace?”

“I promise you sir, I will not tell anyone again what I saw”

Chief Moshood sighed and then sat back like to reconsider her plea, “Mrs. Bridget, would you have thought that I could have killed my own daughter?”

“No sir” she was quick to shake her head vigorously.

He stood up and was about to walk out of the room when he turned to one of the guards and winked at him, the guard wasted no time in strangling Mrs. Bridget with a rope. Chief Moshood gently walked out of the room after the guard had declared her dead.

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CHAPTER ELEVEN

IT’S HERE







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BookEditor:


Yes we do. We are Professional Book Editors and Publishers.

We'll publish your books on Amazon Kindle, Smashwords, Google Books, Okada Books, Osmora Canada, IBooks, Apple, Draft To Digital, Lulu, etc, etc.

Kindly send us a mail via our email address below:

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Kind regards.

check your mail. Let me have ur digit so we chat on whatapp.

BookEditor:


Nice to hear from you. Sorry for not replying since. I actually replied you not long after you posted your request but my post got hidden & I was banned for 3 days without any justification. I just got unbanned few minutes ago.

Now back to your request. Send us a mail via: e d i t o r s p u b l i s h e r s @ g m a i l . c o m

Or get in touch with us through Fiverr by clicking the link on my signature.

Kind regards!

Do you publish writers works on various online platforms? I am intrested

I went through all your comments and I am really impressed, its part of what fuels my inspiration. I really appreciate you all for the fact that you took interest in reading a part of me. I will love you use the 'LIKE' to indicate you favorite chapters so it gives me a pointer to the next one.
I am sure most of you who are big fans of my write up had been disappointed many a times and already thinking i won't get through with this but i promise to see the end.The truth is that I am my own biggest fan and I love to read my own story more than any other story here on this forum and as well curious to see where it leads.

As for late updates, It's not up to me, it all depends on what inspires me at that particular time of writing and my mood. As for those of you predicting, walahi Tallahi you will only haf headache because I still don't know where its heading, I feel i'm just lucky to get away with every chapter. Just relax and enjoy the flow like I always do, I feel we still have a long way to go.

As for those of you who despirately await my story but too lazy to COMMENT or LIKE...I say thunder fire u all there.

CHAPTER TEN

NO EVIDENCE…NO CRIME


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Let me have ur whatapp number or email.

CHAPTER NINE


CLINIC MATE





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CHAPTER EIGHT


DOOM






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CHAPTER SEVEN

THE MISSING BOOK






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CHAPTER SIX

THE BLACK CAT






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