From the day she discovered the person that killed Eric, everything about Itohan changed she became reserved and always in thought. Ese tried everything she could to make her happy all to no avail. Everybody around her noticed that something was eating her up but she refused to tell them what the matter was.

For over a week, Itohan continued to pray for God to expose Eric’s murderer. It seemed that the prayer would not be answered , but she kept believing in God.

On a Friday morning, Ese was invited to the police station. She quickly went to know why she was called. On getting there the DPO in charge of the case congratulated her. Ese looked up in surprise.

“Are you surprised that I am congratulating you?”

Yes sir.” Ese answered.

“I have been so worried because of this case. When I saw the way you cried because of this case, and also because the deceased was the only sibling you have I was touched. The whole issue became more complicated when the 2 suspects refused to confess to the crime. They were severely tortured. Yet they kept claiming that they were innocent. But finally the mystery have been unravelled. How many people are living in your compound?”

“It’s only my family and my late brother’s family,”Ese answered.

“It’s okay. But how many people have the key to the gate?”

“I , my husband, my late brother , his wife and my mother.”

“Apart from your late brother, every body you mentioned must be here tomorrow morning. Tell them that the culprit has been discovered, so they should come and see the person.”

Ese left and quickly went to inform her mother. When her mother saw her, she refused to talk to her.

“Mummy, what is the problem. I am greeting you and you refused to answer me.”

“Why should I answer you. Ha! Eric my son where are you? My son that knows the cry of her mother. Why did you leave me?” She broke down in tears.

“Mummy please stop crying,” Ese pleaded.

“If you tell me to stop crying again, I will break your head. If someone told me that you would abandon me in the village, I would not believe it.”

“Mummy did I send you to the village. So, you wanted me get myself entangled on what I didn’t know anything about?”

“But why were you threatening my husband’s brother?”

“I did that because he took you to that village to plot how to harm an innocent lady that is mourning the departure of her partner. Ha! Iye if not that you are my mother, you would not like what I would have done to you.”

“What can you do,?” She rose and held Ese’s cloth. “Come and beat me.”

“Iye please leave me alone. I am not in a good mood.”

“If I don’t leave you, what will you do?”

Ese refused to answer her and was humming a song.

“I hope that wicked girl is not still in your house. If she is still there, go and send her packing?”

“Mummy please, I have a reason for coming here. The police want to see us tomorrow morning.”

Her mother suddenly become elated.

“I am happy to hear this. I have been planning to go and tell them how Itohan took the life of my son. This will be a great opportunity”

Ese quickly went home to discuss the issue with her husband.

“You mean the police want to see us?” Her husband asked.

“Yes, they said that the culprit have been found.”

“That is a good news. Actually they have been taking time on that investigation. I don’t know why it was hard for them to name the culprit even when they have all the evidence.,” Ese’s husband noted.

“It’s better late than never,” Ese told him.

The next morning Itohan quickly left for the police station while Ese and her husband went to bring her mother to the police station.

Immediately Ese’s mother got to the police station and saw Itohan, she started cursing her.

“Shameless girl. You cannot take the life of my son and go scot free you will surely reap the fruit of your labour.”

Itohan didn’t mind her. She kept praying in her heart that all would go well.

When they were sited at the DPO office, he started addressing them.

“I want to appreciate you all for coming and also to condole with you, on the death of your, husband, son and brother. Investigations have been going on. By the grace of God, someone who knows how everything happened is here to talk to us. For security reasons, he is in the next room. We also changed his voice so that you will not know who is talking. ”

“There is no need to waste our time. I already know who killed my son. Look at her” Eric’s mum said , pointing at Itohan.

The DPO ignored her and told one of the policemen standing with him to tell the witness to start talking. A speaker that was connected to the microphone he would use to talk was in the DPO’s office.

The witness started talking,” I am sorry for not saying this on time. It is not my fault. I wanted to say what I saw, but close family relatives advised me not to talk. I was passing near your gate when I heard a sharp cry of pain. It sounded like the voice of a dying man I couldn’t resist going to see what was happening because I knew that it was Eric’s voice. So, I quietly opened the gate. That was when I saw a man, holding Eric’s throat, trying to choke him to death. I believed that he hit his head with a heavy metal I saw on the ground. At the point that I opened the gate, It seems Eric was already dead, but the man wanted to be sure that he didn’t survive. I wanted to shout but I was afraid. He may say that I was the one that committed the crime and people would believe him. The man I saw is her sister’s husband.”

Ese’s husband flared up in anger.

“What kind of rubbish is this? DPO what is this? Is this how you want to scuttle the investigation about the death of my brother in law. Who paid you to do this?”

“Oga, what is going on? This is not an investigation at all?” Ese said in anger.

“Madam don’t worry. We have an evidence to prove that the accused is guilty. The witnessed captured the scene with the camera of his phone. Let’s watch the screen.”
As soon as the video started playing on the screen, Ese’s husband attempted to ran away but the policemen held him.

Eric’s mum rushed to him and grabbed one of his ear with her teeth. She almost cut it off but for the timely intervention of the policemen.

Ese pointed at her husband and said “You! It’s a lie,” she fainted afterwards and they tried their best to resucitate her.

The police men quickly took Ese’s husband away so that Eric’s mum would not harm him. The DPO pleaded with Ese and Itohan to go home but Ese refused.

“Oga do you expect me to go home in this condition? How do you expect me to look into the face of Eric’s wife. What will I tell her? Please bring my husband out, let him explain to me how water managed to enter into the coconut. I am going crazy, please help me.” Itohan lamented.