You know when detectives wants to question their prime suspect in movies, how they look all cool, with the swag they carry in their steps, how the whole world revolves around them, Yeah? Well, that wasn't the case for Chioma and Michael who were stuck in traffic.

"I feel like I am dying," Chioma said quietly her head resting against the window pane, eyes looking out. Hawkers were moving round the traffic, seeing it as an opportunity to sell their goods. She watched as from across the street a groundnut seller crossed the busy road to sell her groundnut to a man in his car.

"Well, I would keep you company if you hadn't told me to shut up." He said, resting his head on the driver head sit, eyes watching the activities going on in the road, he twisted his head a bit, glancing at Chioma before closing his eyes.

"Since when do you listen to what I say?"

"Since now."

"Well... Un-shut-up or whatever, Jesus, just do something to help with this boredom or perform magic, anything!"

Michael opened one eye looking at her, mischievousness written all over. "Well, if you want entertainment, there is something I can give you." He said sitting up straight, staring at her with gentle brown eyes.

Chioma raised her head up and looked at him. "I don't like that look on your fa-"

"Oooohooooo baby I love the way!!!" Michael burst into a strange song.

"Michael, what is going on?" She asked confused, sitting up quickly.

He stopped singing,"I have been told that I had the voice of an angel, by so many people around me."

"Michael?"

"Yeah?"

"They lied, they lied to you, they lied hard."

"Oh!" He said quietly, the jovial smile he wore before transforming into a sad one and his eyes no longer held it's look again. He kinda looked like a child who had been told he was of bad behavior.

"Uhmm..." Chioma didn't know what to do. "You can still sing... I didn't say you should stop oo."

"No, don't worry. I don't want to be a bother, let's turn up the radio." He reached forward and Chioma held his hand mid air, for some seconds they sat looking at their hands. "Your hands are really small and soft," Michael said intertwining them.

Chioma suddenly felt chills over her body, "W-well your hands are big and s-strong." She tried to pull her hands back, but Michael held tight to it.

"Are we ever going to talk about that day?" He asked looking at her, she looked away immediately.

"No, we shouldn't. Just drop it Michael, it would never work out."

"But-"

A loud horn blasted, they looked up to see that the traffic had cleared on their lane and vehicles where moving by freely now. The driver of the vehicle behind them was getting impatient, waiting for Michael to join the moving vehicles.

"Look at that..." She said pulling her hand back, "ok, let's go." She rested her head against the window again.

~~~~~~~~~~~

As they got closer the Edward mansion, they sighted a woman leaving, Chioma leaned forward, looking closer as the woman got into her car.

"Michael!" She called.

"Yeah?" He answered confused.

"Look, that woman, walking to her car." She pointed in the direction of a young lady in a black knee size dress, wearing huge sunglasses, walking towards a red sedan car. "That's the woman that gave me CPR...look! She is the one."

Michael looked closer as he parked his car at the roadside, he couldn't see her face well, but she fit the description perfectly. "Yeah, she is the one," he said quietly.

"What is she doing, coming from the Edwards house?" The lady had gotten into the car and they were already driving away.

"This is a small town, family friend I suppose." He said as he removed his seat belt, he and Chioma got down from the car and walked towards the house.

Chioma pressed the bell and waited, the maid answered almost immediately and looked shocked to see Chioma and Michael, there were tear streaked mark from her eyelids to her chin. It was the same maid who had been answering the door for them.

"D-detectives, what are you doing here? I wasn't expecting you." She stammered and swallowed deeply. Chioma raised an eyebrow at the question, the reaction of the lady to their presence just spiked up her suspicion more.

"We have some question for Alex Edward, can we come in?" Michael asked.

"Uh... Alex is uhmn... He isn't around, he- he went out on a business trip." He rubbed her palms behind her apron, her breathe seemed to have quickened.

"Uh... Business trip, I though the firm went on a break after Evelyn's death," Chioma said.

She darted her eyes between Chioma and Michael and her lower lips started trembling. "I don't know, I don't know anything!" She cried out.

"Ma'am? What's wrong? Who was that lady that just left." Chioma asked.

She stepped out a bit, looking left and right, then ushered them into the house quickly, locking the door behind them. They turned around to face her.

"Do you mind telling us what's wrong?" Michael said, glancing round the empty house before looking back at the lady.

She looked round the room scared before opening her mouth. "Alex went out with his family yesterday, he came back in the middle of the night, I don't know where they went, but Alex came back alone. Early this morning I was awoken by a loud noise, I came down to see what it was, Alex was being bundled up by some hoodlums and they were taking him to the car, they were two cars outside. They both drove off and I was about to go call the police when the lady came back. She said if the detective comes I should tell them nothing, she threatened my family, I didn't know what to do." She burst into tears again. "She just left before you guys came in here, if you had come earlier, you would have caught up with her."

Chioma stared speechless, her mind was reprocessing the word that came from the lady's mouth. Once again, the murderer had played her.

She turned to Michael. "Funmi! We have to go Michael." Quickly she rushed out of the house. Michael followed, but before leaving, he turned back to the maid.

"We will get Alex back and put the murderer behind bars. I suggest you should go somewhere else, it isn't safe here." She nodded to his words and he left, going after Chioma.

Chioma stared speechless, her mind was reprocessing the word that came from the lady's mouth. Once again, she felt played by the murderer.

She turned to Michael. "Funmi! We have to go Michael." Quickly she rushed out of the house. Michael followed, but before leaving, he turned back to the maid.

"We will get Alex back and put the murderer behind bars. I suggest you should go somewhere else, it isn't safe here." She nodded to his words and he left, going after Chioma.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Michael drove with speed, taking a different route to avoid traffic, Chioma's kept murmuring curse words under her breath.

"We couldn't have known," Michael said finally. "But we do know now, that's what matters." Chioma looked at him, "Ok?" He said.

"Ok." She nodded.

They got to Funmi's house, getting down from the car quickly, not even turning the ignition off, they raced to the house. Michael raised his hands and knock on the door, but it opened itself against the push of his knuckles.

He looked at Chioma, who raised an eyebrow. Opening the door he entered inside, Chioma following behind, staring at the living room.

"We are late, they got to her," Chioma said. Inside the room was a broken mug, which had previously held a cup of tea that was wasted on the rug now, a slipper beside the foot-mat which Chioma suspects belongs to Funmi and a broken vase. "Who do you think they got first?" She asked.

Michael walked towards the broken mug, went down on his kneels, using his hand to touch the tea stained rug. "It still warm." He stood up turning to Chioma. "They were here not long ago, they got Alex first, then Funmi."

He stood up slowly, looking round the apartment.

"This wouldn't have happened if we had gone separate ways." She said quietly.

"What?"

"This wouldn't have happened if you had stop worrying about me and we had gone separate ways." She said, her voice louder now.

"Let's not go into this," Michael said averting his eyes from her look.

"Why? Because you know I am right, if you had stop worrying about me, this wouldn't have happened."

"Chioma don't-"

"Why shouldn't I? You have never cared before, never! And now, because of one kiss, my life choose to matter to you?"

"Your life always mattered, you always mattered," He said quietly.

She kept quiet for a moment, before walking out, "I am waiting for you in the car." She walked out of the apartment, leaving Michael.

Michael sighed looking round the house, rubbing his palms on his face, he kept repeating "fuck" under his breath as he thought of the situation.

Meanwhile, Chioma was sitted alone in the car, she was blaming herself for being so harsh on Michael and for the situation they were under now. Funmi and Alex had been adopted, and they had no idea where they were.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed, she looked down to see that someone was calling her, she had put it on vibration mode which caused the buzz sound. She reached out for it, not looking at the Caller ID.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Hello Detective." The voice of a woman came through, "How is your case going?"

Chioma sat upright, "Who am I speaking to?"

"Well, I know you aren't stupid, you should know." The woman said and gave a small laugh, Chioma heard the blare of an horn, which she suspected was that of a train.

"Well... What can I say, maybe I did underestimate your capabilities, but you should know I will find you." Chioma raised her hand to her head, touching the bruise she had sustained days ago. "I will also break your nose and then put you behind bars."

"Well, you can try. In fact you should try. I am sure you already know I have got Alex and Funmi-"

"What's your aim in holding them?"

"So inquisitive detective..." She laughed again, "well, I plan on killing Funmi, Alex is really special to me like you know already. Well... I have to go, there are things to do."

"Wait!" Chioma shouted, but the call had been cut. Chioma sat still thinking.

Train

"She is near a train station! Bellhound railway..." She got down from the car immediately, "Michael! Michael!" She ran into the house to see Michael beside the empty board which once held Funmi's artifacts.
"I think I know where they are holding them."

"And I think I know our murderer." He said, turning to look at her.

******************

So, that's it for this chapter.

I will run away now before some people will attack me.

Vote and comment, thanks.

Stay safe.