***
Morning classes seemed to last for eons, building my anticipation for what recess would hold. Although, like Raheem said, this was not a date, I still couldn't get past the fact that I would spend my recess with him, Raheem of all people, when I should be with my friends. What would Amarachi and Flora think of this?
Spotting Raheem's figure just before he stepped into Doreen's classroom, I trailed behind him. More than half of the class had gone for lunch, but the person we needed to see remained.
A girl sat beside her, engaging her in a conversation. Wrapping it up, the girl rose to her feet and sauntered out of the classroom, stopping only for a minute to trade hellos with Raheem and I.
Doreen stared out of the window, her eyes holding the same distant look she wore yesterday. She no doubt reminisced over her encounter with whoever had tried to kill her.
"Let me do most of the talking," Raheem said.
I let him walk one step ahead of me. Moments passed, and Doreen didn't acknowledge our presence. Her eyes misted over and she swiped at them with her fingers.
She gasped at the sight of us, as though she'd seen the so-called ghost a second time. I held my breath, praying she didn't pass out and make this even harder.
Regaining composure, she greeted, "Hello."
"Hello," Raheem said back.
"How are you doing today?" I asked.
Again, Doreen stared out through the window. "I'm alright." While her lips said one thing, her eyes said another.
I played along. "That's a blessing."
"You didn't just come here to ask after my health, did you?" Doreen asked without turning to look at us.
"We're here to ask a few questions," Raheem said. "Tell us about the game. Bloody Mary."
"Mary?" Doreen turned to look at him, her eyes holding a mix of horror and disappointment. "No. It's Miri."
I doubted Raheem had forgotten I corrected him barely four hours ago. Obviously he'd made the same mistake on purpose to gain Doreen's attention. And so far, it worked.
His face contorted with confusion. If I didn't know better I'd fall for it. "Miri?"
"You don't know?" Doreen asked, her gaze darting between Raheem and I. When none of us spoke, she explained, "In memory of Miriam Adewale, a student who passed away, and then students came up with a game called Bloody Miri."
"How's it played?" Raheem asked. "Like Bloody Mary?"
Doreen nodded. "Standing in front of a mirror, you are to chant 'Bloody Miri' for as long as is needed."
"And then?" Raheem asked.
"And then the attack," Doreen said.
"How exactly did she attack you?" I asked.
"She just appeared behind me. She was dressed in our uniform, which is no surprise, because that was the cloth she died in. Her face...it hid behind a curtain of hair. Before I could react to her presence, she dashed to my side and covered my head with a dusty black bag. And then she forced my head into the water-filled sink."
"The sink was already filled with water?" Raheem asked.
"Yes," Doreen said. "One variant of Bloody Mary holds that the sound of water dripping from a tap was the last sound Mary heard. And so we incorporated it into our own game. One of the sinks was already half-filled with water when I arrived there, so I could tell the last person who Bloody Miried had also used the water approach. I moved on to the other sink, secured the drain and turned on the tap. I'd resolved to only stop when the sink was full. The other sinks had water as well. But I didn't notice until I saw myself being dragged sink after sink."
"Was that the only way she attacked you?" I asked. "Making you swallow water?"
"She wrung my neck. And I tried to fight back, but she kept slamming my head against the sink. That's all I remember about the ghostly encounter. Next thing I know is me waking up on the sickbay floor."
My mind conjured up an image of Doreen's head slamming hard against the ceramic sink. I blinked, willing this bloodcurdling image out of my mind.
"It's weird how you knew the dangers involved in this game and yet you did it anyway," Raheem said.
Doreen's eyes dulled as she extended her lower lip. "I've never been one for that game."
"So why did you do it?" Raheem stole my unasked question.
"All day, our classmates were discussing about Miriam's death and the game. I went to use the toilet, and I found a girl from class there, Bloody Miring, but it didn't work. And she seemed disappointed. Shaking her head, she said it was all crap, and then she left."
"So you tried it," I wrapped up the story.
Doreen looked away. No doubt, she had started to regret her decision to play the game. But game or no game, someone wanted her dead.
"So, about this classmate of yours who was Bloody Miring," Raheem said, "I take it she was the last person to see you before the incident?"
Doreen's stern look sent a warning bell going off in my head. If we didn't slow down, we'd end up scaring her and she wouldn't want us around her anymore. But Raheem didn't seem to understand this. So much for letting him do the talking.
"Yes?" Raheem pressed on.
Doreen cleared her throat. "Yes."
"What is her name?"
She narrowed her eyes at us. "Why are you asking me these questions? Do you think someone tried to kill me?"
"Yes," Raheem said. "Someone tried to kill you." I shot him a warning look. I hadn't expected him to be dead-honest. This could ruin everything.
"Not a human," Doreen said, her voice rising to a near-scream. "A faceless ghost. A freaking ghost."
Shivering, she hugged herself and swept frantic eyes around the classroom. "She could be anywhere. Miriam's ghost came to hurt me because I disturbed it. And here you are trying to point fingers at some girl just because she happened to be at the restroom during that period."
"Please calm down," Raheem said. "We're not pointing fingers at anyone or anything."
"Then do you believe my story?" Doreen asked. She searched my eyes and Raheem's for an answer, but she found no indication of us believing her story. "You think it's all a lie, don't you? You actually believe I'd make up something like this? What do I stand to gain, painting myself as the crazy one? That ghost is freaking real! You can go find out for yourselves if you don't believe me. Seriously."
Just for the benefit of doubt, I could actually pay the crime scene a visit. Who knows what I could find.
"It's not that we don't believe you," Raheem said. His face, just like mine, showed no conviction. I prayed Doreen didn't think much of this. "Why, of course we do."
"Then why are you so interested in finding out the last person who saw me before the incident?" Doreen asked.
"We have some questions for her," Raheem said. I cursed under my breath. The more honest answers he gave, the more untrusting Doreen would be. Didn't he know this?
One moment, Doreen's eyes widened, and the next, she narrowed them to slits. "Why? You think she tried to kill me?"
"Far from it," Raheem said. "Since she was, as you said, Bloody Miring, we want to have a word with her to know if she had any encounter whatsoever with the said ghost."
"That won't be necessary. I already told you hers was unsuccessful." She relaxed her tensed muscles.
Leaning in to her, Raheem stared into her third eye. "There could be other things, Miss Chukwu, tiny details she didn't tell you. But she'll be willing to share with us. And perhaps we can stop this game and all its silliness. Everyone is scared. The whole school is shaken. We just want to end this game before anyone else gets hurt."
Doreen thought about it for a moment. "Annabel Lambert."
Raheem smiled. He leaned away from her. "Thank you. You've been much help."
We turned to leave, but then he whirled around to ask a seemingly urgent question. "You wouldn't happen to own a perfume called Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford, would you?"
I cocked an eye at him. What did a perfume have to do with our crime solving?
"No, I don't," she said. "I u
se Wild Urchid by Tom Ford and White Diamonds by Elizabeth Taylor. Why did you ask?"
Disappointment flitted across Raheem's face but he tried to conceal it. "Nothing really. I just thought maybe you could refer me a place to purchase it."
"No, sorry. You could place an order on Jumia or Konga. I'm sure they'll have it."
Raheem raked his fingers through his hair. He didn't seem satisfied. "So, you don't know anyone who uses this perfume? It opens with rather strong tobacco notes that fade to more vanilla, a hint of spice, and less tobacco. The tobacco note doesn't quite fade. It's still around, lingering somewhere in the middle."
"Isn't that a male perfume?" I wondered aloud.
"I know someone," a girl said from behind us. We turned around to find the girl who'd been in a conversation with Doreen. Walking past us, she placed shortbread and coke on Doreen's desk.
"Thanks," Doreen said. "But really, you didn't have to get me anything. I'm not even hungry."
"Oh, shush." The girl waved off Doreen's comment with a backward flip of her hand. Catching Raheem staring at her, she beamed at him.
"Hi," Raheem said, reaching out for a handshake. "I'm Raheem."
"Nengi." She tried to hide her excitement as their hands met. Typical. Girls-except me-would always be girls. "We already said our hellos."
"Oh, yeah," Raheem said. "So where were we? You really know someone who can direct me to a shop where I can find this particular perfume?"
"Yeah. Tobacco notes, right?" When Raheem nodded, she went on, "There's one girl in our class who's crazy over it. I guess she's the only one using it, so you can always ask her. It's weird though. Considering that it's all masculine and stuff with the tobacco notes and all, and the market is littered with varieties of softer, fruitier perfumes that appeal to us females."
"What is her name?" Raheem asked.
"Annabel Lambert."
Raheem and I glanced at each other. Annabel's being the last person to see Doreen before the incident made her our number one lead. But what did a perfume have to do with anything?
"Dory dear," Nengi said. "You're forgetting Sir Amadi asked you to come over once the bell rung for break."
"Ugh!" Doreen groaned.
"Just go see what he wants."
"I know he only wants to question me about yesterday's event. How many times am I going to tell them I was attacked by a ghost! The school is haunted. But the adults don't seem to believe me. They think I've lost my mind. But you believe me, don't you, Nengi? I mean, even if the whole world doesn't, you'll always believe me, won't you?"
Nengi placed a hand on Doreen's shoulder, but she didn't express her support in words. Once again, Raheem and I exchanged knowing stares. Nengi had a hard time believing her friend's story.
Perhaps we could have a word with her. Since she probably didn't believe the ghost story, interrogating her would be more rewarding that the session we'd conducted with Doreen. We could ask her some questions we could never be able to ask Doreen based on her stand on the matter.
"Maxwell also has faith in your story," Nengi said with a smile.
Doreen grimaced at the mention of Maxwell's name. "Will you come with me?"
"I have to stay back and complete your Biology note," Nengi said. "Break is almost over, and you know Madam Pamela will mark notes today."
"Oh, right." Securing her biscuit and coke in her locker, she said, "I won't take long."
"Okay."
Doreen turned to leave, but then she grimaced at Nengi. "Where's one of your earrings?"
Nengi's hand flew to her left ear. She felt around for her earring and found it. Slowly, she moved her hand to her other ear. Finding nothing, she gasped.
"Just take off the other one and find yourself new earrings," Doreen suggested. Without waiting for Nengi's response, she walked out of the class.
Raheem engaged Nengi in a conversation. "It must be really hard for her."
"Pardon?" Her face looked like someone had just died.
Why would someone grieve over a missing earring? Probably, it must have cost a lot. But whatever. She needed to get over her loss, find herself some new earrings and move on. How hard could that be?
"I mean, after yesterday's incident, the whole school must feel really creepy," Raheem explained. "But she's managed to pull herself together and be around all the same."
Nengi sighed. "Yeah. I'm creeped out too. It was all so unexpected. Once the bell rang for break, she went to have lunch, and a few minutes later, news reached me. We're bestfriends, we're always together. And just this once we weren't, look what happened. I should have gone with her, but I had to remain in class to do my technical drawing assignment. Perhaps if I were there with her, none of this would have happened. I feel so guilty right now."
"I understand how you feel, but don't blame yourself so much. There's nothing you can do about it now. It's happened, and no amount of pity-party can change that. You do well to keep that in mind. Besides, I doubt you'd have been able to fight the ghost if you'd been there."
"Faceless ghost?" Nengi scoffed. She looked around, and although everyone else had vacated the class, she dropped her voice to a whisper, "Just between us, I don't believe in the so-called ghost. I mean, Miriam's been dead for what, twenty-one years, and this game has been played ever since, but not even once has she hurt anyone or even been seen. So why should now be any different?"
"Valid question," Raheem said, perching on the desk. "So you think someone attacked her? Someone from our school?"
"That's the only logical explanation, isn't it?" Nengi held a stiff smile.
"I believe so," Raheem said.
"But who would want to do this? Dory is a very innocent soul. She never offends anyone. She stays away from fights and every trace of trouble. I don't see her having an enemy. Why would anyone want to kill her?"
"That's why we need your help," I said. "You're her best friend. You should know one or two things that could point us in the right direction."
Nengi nodded, seeming to understand my point.
"Has anyone made any threats to harm her?" Raheem asked.
"None that I know of," Nengi said.
Searching her eyes, Raheem willed her to think deeply about his question. "Are you sure?"
Perhaps I could make this easier. "You mentioned Maxwell. Were you referring to the guy in my class?"
Nengi looked from Raheem to me. "That's the one."
Raheem nodded, willing me to go on. Although the next question sank down into privacy, I had to ask. I hoped Nengi understood. I doubted Doreen would like it one bit if she heard of this conversation. But who said she had to know? What you never know can't hurt you. And besides, we did this for her.
"Is he in a relationship with her?" I asked.
It took a moment for an answer to come. "No. Dory's single, at least for the most part."
"Care to clarify your last words?" Raheem asked. "Single for the most part? What does that imply?"
"Maxwell's been showing some kind of interest in her. I don't know what it is, but they're getting pretty close. The texts, small talks and all. If he didn't have a girlfriend I'd say he's got a thing for my friend."
"This girlfriend of his, who is she?" Although I'd seen Max with a certain junior on more than one occasion, I had to ask. I didn't want to reach my own conclusion.
"Annabel Lambert," she said. Once the words left her lips, she gasped. She clapped her hands over her lips and gulped as though to swallow back her words. "Oh my God! Do you mean Annabel has a hand in whatever happened to Dory?"
"Please calm down," Raheem said. "We haven't reached any conclusions yet. We are just trying to connect the dots and see where it leads us."
"Will you find the culprit?" she asked.
"Of course." The look in Raheem's eyes told me we were done questioning Nengi. But then, another question popped up in his head. "Uhm, Nengi?"
"Yeah?"
"Did you ever visit the restroom yesterday?"
"No,
" she said. "I told you I stayed back in class to do my technical drawing assignment. And even if I had plans to visit it later, what happened to Dory ruined it all."
CHAPTER NINE
Suspect
"All we have now is a suspect and a motive, and this just won't do."