They were beautiful, every one of them. The youngest one was glued to their eldest sister who was running a soothing hand down her back.

One was scantily dressed and sprawled carelessly on the couch while the one on a wheelchair was assessing me with as much intensity as I was assessing them.

"Is someone going to say something?" The one on the couch spoke up.

"Hi. I'm detective Kaima Wilson, myself and my partner detective Charles Bankole are incharge of your mother's case."

"Have you found anything?" The one in the wheelchair asked in a levelled tone.

"Nothing, for now but we are hoping you girls can help us." Charles said from where he was leaning on the wall, facing me.

"How can we help?" The eldest inquired.

"While we are going through your mother's business records, we'd like to know if there is anyone you girls think could have had a reason to kill your mom, anyone with a grudge, even within this room." Charles told them

"What?" Couch girl sat up.

"It doesn't have to be right now, in fact, not right now."

"Are we suspects now?" The one on the wheels cut me off.

"You are. The truth is hidden somewhere within the high fences of this house and you all are going to help excavate it." They all stared in confusion.

"Charity begins at home, right?" Charles chipped and gave him a warning look.

"I'm sorry to announce but you've all been put under house arrest with 24hours surveillance."

"What does that mean?" Couch girl asked, her face scrunched in irritation.

"It means starting now, no one will be allowed to leave this house except under very necessary circumstances. You will all be interrogated and monitored until the killer is found and I'd advice you exercise one hundred percent cooperation."

"I cannot be put under house arrest, I have a job and my sisters have school." The eldest said, her hand loosening from around her sister who had fallen asleep.

"Your leave begins in a week, you can call and have it moved forward. Vera's school vacated today, Funmi takes online classes and Mara was withdrawn from school six weeks ago." Charles stated with that tone he used when he knew he was going to win the argument.

"You we're thrown out of school?!" She attacked the sister in the sparse clothing who was glaring at Charles. I trusted him to do his homework.

"He said withdrawn." She attempted to argue.
"The same thing! Did mom know?"

"No." She replied, not looking the least bit bothered.

"Well, since we've gotten all the inconveniences taken care off, I hope we can all be good flatmates."

"Flatmates?" They questioned in unison.

"Yes girls, I will be bunking here."

"With the hot man?" Mara eyed Charles suggestively.

"No." I said

"Is this even legal?" Funmi asked.

"It is but it shouldn't be for long, as soon as you girls are cleared, it'll be over. Interrogations start at 11, in the guest's room."

"You are officially dismissed." Charles beamed. His sense of humor was always messed up.

They all dispersed with the eldest carrying Vera. Charles crossed the room to me.

"You find this hilarious?" I asked.

"You know I do, these girls are going to wear you out." He grinned.

"I can handle a few girls." I defended.

"You can't stand girls, Kaima. You don't like them." He accused.

"I never said I don't like girls, stop making me sound like a misogynist. I only said they can be overbearing, annoying and unnecessarily jealous."

He gave me a look like he was expecting me to catch on to something but I already had, as soon as I said it.

"Jealousy." I muttered.

"That's right Kay, jealousy always abides in families and this one is a den of females which means it can only intensify. You can start there."

I nodded.

"I will."

"Mike had the room swept up for prints and DNA, I'm going to head there to see if he found anything."

"She was their mother, they all must have been in her room at some point."

"We can't leave any stone static, Kay. Call if you need anything, I'll see you later." He patted my shoulder and walked out.

**********

   A knock on the door to the visitor's room, my new home and office interrupted my disorganized drafting.

"Come in." I called out and the door opened slightly.

"I brought Vera for her session." The eldest sister said, stepping in with just a foot. The way she said it me feel like a low budget therapist.

She stepped in fully and made way for Vera to do same.

"Good, but you can't stay and you girls can't talk about your interrogations amongst yourselves." I told her.

"That is understandable." She turned to her sister.
"Don't worry, the Miss is just here to help us, tell her everything she wants to know, okay?"

   The little girl stood by the door even after her sister left, weakly glaring at me.

"Sit down." I gestured to the chair on the other side of the table.

She crossed the room and sat, the glare still present.
"What is your name?" I started.

"Veronica. Vera for short." Her voice was scratchy and strained, laced with the arrogance of a spoilt rich kid.

"Okay Vera, I need to record this conversation." She shrugged and leaned back on the seat while I took out the recorder and switched it on.

"Are you ready?" I asked her and she nodded.

"I will need you to use your voice, Vera."

"I am ready."

"How old are you?" I saw it best to ease her into the process.

"Eight."

"What class?"

"Primary 3. Mom said she'll send me to secondary school next year, a boarding school." She said with an air of pride.

"You are a big girl, mommy must love you a lot." I didn't feel comfortable talking in past tense about her mother with this little girl.

"She said I'm her princess, she even got me a crown for my birthday."

"Can you tell me everything you saw yesterday?"
She nodded slowly, like she was conjuring up the images in her head.

"My alarm went off, mom always set it every night when she tucks me in. I brushed my teeth and went to the kitchen for breakfast but my mommy wasn't there so I went to her room to call her and... " She paused and looked at me with tired eyes.

"What happened then?"

"I slipped and fell. I shouted but mommy was still sleeping, it was sister Sade that ran in and put on the lights. She began screaming and hugging me. When I looked at the bed, mommy's cloth had blood everywhere. Sister Sade said she has left us, is that true?"

Her confused innocent eyes were pleading with me to tell her something else, assure her that her mother had not left her and for a split second, I considered doing it. Then I remembered my grandmother's advice; sugarcoating things doesn't make it easier, it only amplifies the bitterness when the sugar wears off.

"Anything your sister said must be true." I resorted to saying.

Her eyes turned cloudy.

"You can go now, tell Sade to send in the next person." I quickly said, not wanting to watch her cry.

**********

   Her fair exposed thighs stared back at me as I looked up to the closing door.

"You have to knock before coming in here." I said, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice.

"You were expecting me." She stated with nonchalance as she took the seat her sister had vacated a minute ago.

Quickly, I began a new record.

"What is your name?"

"Tamara. It's a little aggressive, I prefer to be called Mara." She raised a leg and placed it on the almost empty table.

"I think Tamara suits you just fine." I said, pushing her leg off. She chuckled.

"So, how does this work, detective? I never knew we had those in Nigeria. You know, this country is kinda outdated."

"That's two points for patriotism, Tamara."
She laughed evilly.

"Of course, an officer of the law. Let's not forget the tape is on."

"Where were you two nights ago?" I was pleased at the normalcy of my voice.

"It depends."

"I want all the instances."

"I was home till eight, then I hit the club with my girls."
"What club?"

"Jasper."

The club was pretty popular amongst teenagers. It was the right destination if you were a hyped up teen looking to get laid, high or wasted.

"Please, give me all the gory details."

She smiled as if to say it was her pleasure.

"The place was crowdier than usual, I heard someone was hosting a birthday party there but I couldn't care, the number of hot guys had increased, what more could a girl ask for?"

"Basically, we just partied, had a few drinks, few kisses, no.." She formed a hole with her left hand and stuck her right index finger in and out of it, repeatedly.

"Exchanged numbers with some cuties but sister Sade kept blowing up my phone so I got back around midnight."

"Don't slow down. Every gory detail." I urged.

"Certainly. The gate was open as was the front door. Big Sis always sits guard until I get back so she could ensure the door was locked but she wasn't in the living room. I dragged my partially drunk ass to bed until I heard her scream in the morning."

She was trying to be passive but I noticed that her voice dropped a note at the end. Whether she was truly affected by her mother's demise or just faking it, I couldn't tell.

"What did you do?"

"I was a bit hungover and decided to ignore her but she kept screaming so I forced myself to get up.  Sister Sade is not someone that shouts, not even when she scolds us, her voice alone go fear you so it was a bit unusual."

"What did you see when you got there?"

"I was the last person there. Funmi was by the door and I think I saw tears in her eyes. Sister Sade was on the floor holding Vera and crying. When I looked at the bed, the first thing I noticed was the blood, it stood out against the background of the room. I wanted going in but Funmi asked me to call 112."

She looked different from the person who walked into the room a few minutes ago. She was the kind of person my neighbor's kid would call bipolar, I don't know where she heard the word but she abused it, a lot.

"Tamara. Is that all you remember?"

She nodded.

"I wanted to ask. The press, they were here yesterday. What happened today?"

It was unbelievable.

"Were you hoping to become famous?" She guffawed, back to her initial demeanor.

"I was just wondering why they got bored so fast."

"This is a closed investigation and the authorities want it away from public eye."

She nodded with a smile of one at the cinema.

"Are we done?"

"Yes, you can leave."

She flashed me a smile when she got to the door.
"Goodluck, detective Kaima."

Luck wasn't what I needed, I was quickly realizing that my anchor would be patience.