Tamara Coker looked bored and frustrated like she had been forced to watch the late night news with her parents. Her legs were on the table and in the spirit of cooperation, I let her have her comfort.

"The murder weapon was found in Sade's room." My statement was presumptuous because without the M.E's report, the case remained inconclusive.

"It's okay detective, I know you had expected to find it stuffed in my pillow."

"It's nice to see you still have your sense of humor."

"Give me back my phone and I promise to make it go away."

"You are not in the clear yet, Tamara."

Exasperation was written all over her.

"You found the murder weapon, that's usually case close."

"Why would Sade do it?"

"I have no freaking idea but it's not like she wouldn't have gained anything from it, she's our big sister aka next of kin."

Funmi had made the same point when I spoke to her a couple minutes before. The notion was plausible but I felt it was too easy, too straightforward. Sade wasn't dumb, why would she leave the weapon in the house? She had a lot of time to dispose of it.

"You really think Sade would kill your mom for your inheritance?"

"Honestly? I don't. Sister Sade can be tough but she isn't a murderer, she saves lives plus she never seemed interested in the wealth, she has this whole independent woman thing going."

Tamara had a way of setting me off but I appreciated her for her open-mouthed.

"Was there any friction between herself and your mom?"
She laughed.

"Those two were sisters, I don't think sis. Sade has any friends, she spends most of her time with mom except the few times she's with Theo."

My ears perked at the pronouncement of a new name.

"Theo?"

"Her fiancee."

"I didn't notice any ring."

"She flushed it down the toilet some months ago when they had a disagreement."

"It was that serious?"

She shrugged and leaned back on the chair.

"Uh huh, I think he cheated on her or something."

"But you called him her fiancee."

She hissed and shaped her mouth to resemble that of a parrot. Whatever she was about to say, I knew she didn't approve of it.

"Yes." She drawled. "She forgave his stinking ass. God knows I will never take that shit from any maga, dey no born am well."

The door opened and Charles walked in.

"Detective Banky, nice of you to join us." There was no trace of annoyance in her voice as she looked Charles over.

"Isn't it? But he's a little late to the party. Thank you Tamara, you may leave." She rolled her eyes but complied. Charles watched her until she pulled the door shut then turned to me.

"Isn't she lovely?"

"Pedophilia is a crime in Nigeria, Banky. She's eighteen."

"She's legal." My stare was deadpan.

He took the recently vacated seat.

"Sade has been isolated in her room with an officer stationed outside as per COD's orders."

I nodded slowly.

"This could be it, Kaima."

"It doesn't feel like it."

He cocked his head to the left and scrunched his brows.

"What are you thinking?"

I leaned forward and placed my hands on the table.

"Isn't it convenient that the weapon was just lying there in her toilet, waiting to be found?"

"That seems like a pretty good hiding place to me."

"It's the most obvious place, haven't you been watching murder mysteries? That is where the bad guys hide their guns."

She chuckled a bit.

"Let's say we go with your TV series method, Sade hid her weapon there, Sade is the bad guy." He demonstrated with his hands but I wasn't done.

"Except she didn't have to hide it. She could have just cleaned it up and returned it to her first aid kit if getting rid of it was too much of a chore. Everything just seems recklessly neat."

He stared at me thoughtfully.

"You think she was framed."

"I'm not ruling out the possibility. What do your men out there have?"

"Asuquo says he has a new lead he is following and will get back to me." Charles had a few guys trailing Mrs. Coker's out of home life.

"But we have a lead down the hall. What do you say we go chat with nurse Sade?" He gave me a half smile.

"Come on, Charlie. Buy me food first."

"What, the Coker girls don't cook?" We got up at the same time.

"I don't eat in crime scenes."

"Mike does." I laughed.

"They are his home Charles, his home."

He held the door open for me but I stopped in front of him as I got a thought.

"And Charlie? Have someone look into Sade's fiancee will you? Some Theo guy."

**********

   The officer at the door saluted as I approached him. He was young, mid twenties.

"How's it going bud?" I inquired.

"She's been quiet, I heard the shower running earlier but after that, nothing."

I considered the possibility of her planning her escape but the odds weren't in her favor. The compound was surrounded and the fence was too high.

"Open it."

Sade Coker was sprawled on her bed, face to the ceiling, hands on her abdomen with her knees arched to form two near perfect angles. She sat up as I walked in. I pulled out a chair and sat facing her. She was more relaxed now but her eyes were eager.

"Okay Sade. Why did you do it?" The tapes were running in my pocket.

"I didn't do it." She said firmly, looking me in the eyes.

"We have evidence to the contrary."

She sighed and massaged her temples.

"The knife is yours right?"

"Yes it is but I haven't seen that teufel blade in ages." She lamented.

"Why do you even own it? Is it part of the job requirement?"

"No. My dad gave them to me when I graduated from school of midwifery but they were old and useless, I only used them to open tins."

"Your dad was a doctor?"

"No, his dad was. Worked as a medic during the civil war. He was just happy someone was going into the medical line again even as I told him amputation blades had since advanced. Look inspector, I'd never kill the woman that birthed me or anyone else, I told her everything, she was my best friend."

"Maybe you told her something you shouldn't have." She scoffed.

"You have a mom, detective? Can you picture yourself plunging a knife into her chest? Repeatedly?"

I immediately expelled the thought from my mind.

"For a trust fund like yours, I can understand how it'd be appealing to some."

She gave me an incredulous look.

"Money, really? It might not be obvious officer but I am a salary earner. I have all I need."

She did. A job, a family, a high roof over her head and a relationship she was willing to preserve.

"Who else knows about the blades?"

"My sisters all know, except maybe Vera. They had made fun of it the day dad gave it to me." She pushed a little forward.

"Look at it this way inspector. There are varieties of knives in the kitchen, why would I abandon them all and decide to use a blade that will definitely be traced back to me?"

My thoughts exactly.

*************************************
Alright. What do you think??
See you next Tuesday.