Yemisi

The next morning, I sat across from my mother, mustering my most innocent, responsible expression. It was a fine line to walk, considering I was technically grounded.

“Mom, I need to see Ireti” I started, aiming for a neutral tone. “We'll be at her house the whole time, her mum invited me and this home is soo boring.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Ireti's mum invited you? Last I checked, you were on lockdown. And if I remember correctly, I didn’t see any message from her requesting your presence.”

I shifted in my seat. “Check now she probably might have sent the message” I insisted. I already planned with Ireti to use her mum's phone to convince my mum.

When she looked at it, she was surprised. I wanted to say I told you so.

Mom sighed, cutting me off. “You have until six p.m. If you’re one minute late…” She didn’t finish the sentence, but I knew the threat hanging in the air.

“I’ll be back on time, I promise!” I gave her a quick hug, hoping she wouldn’t see through my excitement as I darted toward the door. Phase one complete.

---

As soon as I climbed into the backseat of Ireti’s car, I felt a mix of excitement and dread bubble up in my chest. We were really doing this. Heading straight to Epe to track down a lead that might blow open the mystery surrounding Alessia’s murder—and my brother’s involvement.

“Buckle up,” Ireti’s driver muttered, clearly less than thrilled. “Epe isn’t exactly a quick trip. What exactly are you two investigating?”

I bit my lip, glancing at Ireti, who offered an answer without missing a beat. “Historical research,” she said, giving him an overly innocent smile. “I'm helping her with History. We have to look into the… significance of local figures.”

He shook his head, muttering something about “young girls and their strange projects,” but he started the engine, and we were on our way.

The trip was longer than I expected, and the silence stretched as we left the city’s hustle and bustle behind, the cityscape giving way to greenery and quieter roads. Ireti was glued to her phone, trying to pull up anything useful on Mr. Austin, while I stared out the window, wondering what we’d find.

---

We arrived in Epe, where the houses were quieter, older, and seemed to carry stories in their walls. The street address from the personnel file led us to a small, modest home tucked behind a grove of trees. But as we approached, something felt off.

The front door was ajar, the wood splintered around the lock. I caught Ireti’s gaze, and we both instinctively fell into a low crouch, inching forward.

“Is it supposed to look like this?” I whispered.

“Probably not,” Ireti whispered back, giving me a wary glance.

Inside, it was a disaster. Broken furniture, papers strewn across the floor, a curtain barely hanging by a thread—Mr. Austin’s house looked like it had been ransacked. In the middle of the room, a woman sat on a small chair, clutching a wrinkled handkerchief.

I took a breath and stepped forward. “Excuse me… ma’am?” She looked up, startled, and wiped her eyes with a shaky hand.

“Are you here for him too?” she asked, her voice thick with tears. “All these people, coming and going… and for what?”

“Do you mean Mr. Austin?” I asked, moving closer. “Has he… disappeared?”

She gave a hollow laugh. “He vanished without a word. One day he’s here, the next… gone. Just like him, always so dramatic.”

I glanced at Ireti, unsure just what to say. “Did he mention anything before he left? Maybe a big discovery?”

The woman snorted, folding her arms. “Big discovery… More like big trouble! Always sneaking around, talking about knowing something dangerous.” Her gaze grew sharper. “And now his house is torn apart, my curtains ruined. You young girls shouldn’t go digging around in dangerous places.”

Her words left a chill in the air. But I was too far into this to stop now. If Mr. Austin was somehow involved in everything, I had to know more.

---

Kayode

I was slouched on a hard bench in the detention center, trying to keep my frustration in check. My sister, in all her curiosity, had probably dug herself into another mess. And I was stuck here, useless.

Then I heard the guards. Looking up, I froze. There, in the middle of a group of officers, was Mr. Austin, his face bruised but unmistakably alive. My mind spun. So that was it—he’d been brought in too. This could only mean one thing: Yemisi and Ireti had likely gone poking around, and they wouldn’t stop until they found something dangerous.

I glanced around, spotting the crumpled napkin from my lunch, the only thing remotely resembling paper. I tore off a piece and scribbled a quick message with the pencil stub I’d managed to keep.

Yemisi—don’t dig deeper. Trust me. This is dangerous, and you’ll get hurt. Also, tell Mom I miss her cooking and I an sorry. This food is the worst. I hesitated, then added, Please, just stop investigating.

I folded the napkin, scanning the room. Across from me, Musa, a guy I’d talked to a few times, was eyeing me with mild interest. I waved him over.

“Musa,” I whispered, nodding to the note. “I need you to get this to my sister.”

He looked at the napkin and grinned. “For a favor, right?”

“Anything. Just… make sure she gets it.”

He took it, giving me a thumbs-up before sidling over to one of the guards, flashing a cocky smile as he started chatting about nothing in particular. With any luck, Yemisi would read the note and—please—listen to it.

But knowing my sister, I had a sinking feeling that napkin wouldn’t be enough to stop her.