The detective released Kelvin and for what seemed like forever, she finally stood up from her office chair and left the room; the cold dark room of interrogation. An armed police officer stood in front of the door, guarding and protecting her. His shoulders stretched out and back as he stood in sovereign devotion to his country and work. He was decorated with patches of light green and a darker green; the Nigerian Army colour and a black boot. He was armed in a school filled with unarmed students. The gun alone sent chills to every student clustered at the Principal's reception hall, like he would fire it at anyone, at anytime.

The detective in a professional strut, opened the door and all the students turned her way, awaiting their fates. She exchanged an examining look their way. The mixture of red and blue blazers were scattered evenly about the entire reception. She was looking for something or someone, Martins, but he wasn't there. The office with the short glass card on which the word Principal was screwed to it, was slightly open and so she walked into it, with the police officer still following her every step.

Principal May looked up. Her wrinkles deepened and created an apparent depth on her forehead. She looked from above the gold framed glasses and noticed the withdrawn expression on the detective's face.

"Something is wrong Principal, Mary was raped by Martins Adenuga. He was probably the last to see her before she disappeared."

"What?!" The Principal asked, shocked.

"There is something else though," the detective handed over the pen cam to the Principal and as she observed her confused expression, she added, "there is a camera in the pen and it belonged to him as well. I believe the memory card has implicating pictures and videos and I'll need to find it. I'd still ask him to defend this claim else there's a large probability that he'll go to jail." Her voice was as unwavering as her confidence, without a single dent.

*****

Mary had stayed behind at class, mouthing some unintelligible words to herself while using her right hand to get the words into paper. This time around, she hadn't been with Kelvin. The bell for lunch tripped off, but she had been too engrossed to eat. She had been so used to days without food to feel hungry. Back at home, her every error was seemingly awarded with a retracted meal or watery meal. She could still vividly recall when she ate the remains of their dog's food after missing an errand. It was the sad lifestyle she had gotten used to.

One person had stepped in and was followed by a trail of others in one common harmony. The shuffling of feet had increased in one monotonous repeated activity. The lockers were being closed and opened and there had been few minutes free for the murmurings before the prep prefect would step in in her astute nature and demand silence.

Ashley had walked in too, dazzling in her checked pink day wear. The keys she held jingled in their bunch and she made for her seat at the far end in front. She noticed Mary's absorption into the pages of her book and looked away but then looked back again as though she missed something.

"Mary, have you been here all through? Did you go for lunch?" Ashley asked, seemingly concerned.

"No, I didn't go for lunch why?" Mary replied from her seat, locked in by the wooden table.

Ashley smiled and muttered, "Nothing. Goodluck with the competition."

Mary knew she needed that luck more than Ashley would but she replied, "you too."

A slight tap on her shoulder sent her neck turning backwards to respond to the caller. A fresh scented cologne had been swept into her nostrils and she could feel it close enough.

"Hi, I don't think we've talked to each other before. I'm Martins," he said and a smirk that was stained with mischief but yet soothing popped up. He stretched out his hand to be locked into a handshake by her. It had a silver plated ring at the last finger. She placed her hand into his and felt the coolness of his palm, seeping out in droplets into hers.

"I'm Mary."

*****

The whole school had been gathered into the general hall for a brief announcement and soon a crowd of students hurried in with their chairs and filled it, wondering the cause for the stir. They didn't need to wonder much seeing that the whole week had been filled with the investigative process regarding Mary's disappearance and having the detective walk in alongside Principal May and King's college Principal, Father Joseph, they confirmed that thought.

"I can't believe all of you! I'm highly disappointed! We came in as visitors and yet I've heard all sorts of malicious things from your end. Martins Adenuga? Rape?" Father Joseph had asked when he mounted the podium like he did during the mass celebrations everyday and soon everyone looked backwards to the last seat where Martins was seated. The murmurings persisted but was died down by the hush from Principal May.

"We are looking for a memory card as well as other contrabands in everyone's possession. I'll need the Head girl, her assistant and the hostel prefects to assist with this search," Principal May said.

They had walked out again in the same format as they had come, with the detective at the front but this time, they had been accompanied by the prefects. The hall was disorganized again in no time as the whole idea of rape sounded foreign, unheard of and uncalled for. Many people knew for sure he'd end up in jail while some others countered, saying he was from a wealthy home and his bail would be granted immediately should he be jailed. Martins had other thoughts rummaging his own brain though.

He walked towards Stella and Ashley who were at the middle row, seated and grabbing Ashley by the wrist, he pulled her forcefully towards the exit.

The multipurpose hall which was the venue for every event including the holy mass, was built beside the Sister's convent. A similar structured yet smaller building which was due for proper erecting and furnishing and would serve as the chapel only was built beside it. The whole environ had a corn field, widely spaced at the back covering a whole lot of land and from which the cooks could pluck corns which would be processed for Saturday pap; a gelatinous thick but sometimes watery pale yellow meal with akara balls.

He had dragged her towards the field where he was sure no one could hear. They stood on the top of a hump filled with dried corn stalks to talk.

"Where is it?" He asked.

"Where is what?" She asked in a false attempt to play dumb. Her arms were locked in a fold. The sun had risen, but yet the harmattan chills withered her skin and whitened them in small cracks whilst sending the gentle waves of coolness to settle on it.

"The memory card," he whispered. He could still vividly remember how he had handed over the small chip into her ready fingers when she offered him advice as to what to say before the detective. The delivery was quick and accurate. It was almost impossible to have known anything was transferred.

She had promised him that everything would be fine and they would get through it together. Her assurance was starting to weaken in strength because that chip determined the possibility of him ending up in jail. He believed her and chose to cling unto those words of hers despite the odds. She was still calm and relaxed and a smile propped up on her cheeks even, accumulating a mass of skin under her eye bags. It was the smile of victory. The smile of a plan.

"Relax, I have it in my bag," she said, flashing her small purse with a long strap towards him. "You're this agitated because of a memory card? All you have to do is deny all claims."

"That's not how the system works Ashley. I could deny and still end up in jail. Did you not hear the Principal? If I have the card, I might be able to end this," he said. His confidence started to wear off and in its place was fear, the fear of the unknown. The products of some bad decisions clustering up as one big epic fail. His eyes turned watery and red. He had tried to be strong but he felt weak, helpless and desperate for a solution.

"You shouldn't have raped Mary and caught it on tape," Ashley said.

He locked his hands above his head and slowly released light sobs. He looked up towards her in disappointment and said, "I didn't rape her at all! I can't believe you think I did. Please believe me," he said, looking pleadingly into her eyes.

She wanted to believe him, but the scars on her neck and face proved to her that he could be a monster. That monster was being tamed now by a claim and only time could tell if he was guilty or not. Ashley said nothing and again, he vigorously shook her. Her internal organs shook too she was sure of that. He had demanded for the card again.

"OK! I'll give it to you," she said and pushing his firm hands off her shoulder, she slid her hands into her purse and searched for the black chip, but couldn't find it. Her eyes accompanied the search later and soon enough, she had poured out all the contents of her bag on the floor. A pen and about three note books with a comb and a lip gloss settled on the floor. She searched between book pages and looked into the hidden compartment but saw nothing.

Fear engulfed her face and she could see the slight red blush of anger rising in Martins. His fingers were starting to curl up to a fist and that was never a good sign. Her skin was starting to feel numb and she feared she would fall sick.

"Where is the memory card?" He barked.

"I don't know," she replied.

Stella had been leaning on the sharp edge of the building, listening to their conversation and she slowly opened her mouth, revealing her pink tongue which bore the small black card, having the golden side of the chip facing upwards. She quickly recoiled it back in and locked in her lips, a smile clamouring in her face.