"What?" he asked, surprised.
"Nothing," I replied.
It's useless to talk about it now. Oh yeah, I guess you want to know who he is? He is the guy I crashed into yesterday at the stairway. The one who…
I touched my lip and rolled my eyes away, looking at my right, but I still saw him adjust a little… He remembers too.
There was silence for a while before he broke it.
"I'm sorry… about that. I didn't see you coming. I apologize for that ki… lip… touch. I know this is not enough, but I will make a proper apology after this."
I looked at him and smiled like a psychotic. He was stuttering a little.
"What will you do? How will you make up for a stolen kiss? Tsk, Men. You always think you can make up for the priceless things you steal." I clenched my fist. "Who on earth do you even think you are?!" I yelled at him.
"I'm not Miller James."
I froze, taken aback. I didn't expect that.
"You will be released after this interrogation but you are suspended for two months without pay. I know I have no right to advise you but for you own good, Find a therapist because; you are a walking time bomb and yesterday was one of your *BOM*s. James Miller was under a heavy dose of ecstasy and Crystal methamphetamine. If you didn't pull that trigger, he would have attacked you and you probably would have lost because the drug would give him monstrous strength. But let's face it," he leaned closer.
"You would have shot him whether he killed her or not".
I looked away.
"Noni, Your heart is bleeding but you don't want to accept it so you act tough, display fake smiles, run from things that remind you about it and When it hits you too hard; You kill. Am I wrong?"
I didn't respond. He stood up.
"I look forward to working with you when you get back. Don't disappoint your chief."
He made for the door, the wood slamming shut.
"Huh!!" I exhaled, my heart beating fast.
'What's happening to me, he leaned forward and I stopped breathing and… I'm so hot right now. What in hell just happened?'
The door opened again, my head was on the table when it did. I wasn't sleeping, just passing time. The person who entered didn't close it, he chose to go to me first. I raised my face to see who it was; John. He smiled at me.
"Come let me take you home. Your clearance papers have been processed."
"Thank you."
"Oh don't thank me, thank the new Chief of Forensics. He gave the order that it be done before 7.00 pm so none of those slackers in the Information Office could apply their laissez-faire attitude to getting it done." he said.
"Really, I guess I owe him. I will make it up to him and you when I get back."
"Well-" he pointed at his cheek, I smiled. He worked so hard so he deserves it. I leaned over, he closed his eyes.
I came closer, leaned in… and slapped him. The sound echoed through the room. He grabbed his cheek immediately.
"Awwu, what was that for?"
"I don't know. You're the one who gave me your cheek. What else were you expecting."
"A peck!" he replied, feigning anger.
I started laughing, he smiled too. I guess he was happy he had succeeded to smoothen my pain or at the very least, take my mind off it.
I stretched out his hand and held mine. Slowly, he led me outside to his personal car parked near his police car.
He opened the back door for me, and I climbed in. He closed it and then took the driver's seat. In just a few minutes, we had left the station and were driving to my house on Verse Street.
It wasn't far, in less than thirty minutes John was parked in front of my flat. He alighted first and then went to open the car door for me but I did it myself, he shut it behind me instead.
"Let's go inside," he said.
"No need, I'm okay from here. Thank you so much. Honestly, you really deserve that peck but I'm not in the mood to give it to you right now," I replied tiredly.
"No need to worry," he patted me on the shoulder.
"As long as it's from you, I, John, can wait a thousand years!!!" he yelled.
"Stop, stop okey, I get it, stop embarrassing me," I gave him a gentle push forward.
"Leave already."
He stumbled a little, pretending to have actually been pushed; Head reversed, he looked at me again before going back into his car.
"See you later."
"You too," I waved at him until his car disappeared.
"Tsk, I guess good things happen in hard times too." I muttered to myself.
I turned around and made for my flat. Walking up the stairs was first; As I did, I ran through my pocket to find my keys.
By the time I had gotten to my flat on the third floor, the key had popped up. I opened the iron gate, then the wooden door and stepped in. I locked it behind me and sighed.
'So I'm going to be home for a while, great'. I took off my shoes and put on a pair of slippers.
'What am I supposed to do with all that time? Should I really go see a therapist?'
I found my way to my sitting room couch and sat down, taking off my shirt. Maybe I should really consi…
*Burrr* my stomach rumbled.
"Ah." I grabbed my stomach; I was so caught up in all this I forgot to eat.
Standing weakly, I went to the fridge, the kitchen cupboard and even my emergency treat supply.
'Empty. Dammit'
I went to the phone and ordered some take out, then called the little boy at the nearby supermarket requesting my usual grocery fix.
"All right Mam, we are a little busy at the moment so I might be late, very late." he responded in his exotic British accent.
"No problem, I can wait." I replied.
"Splendid, see you then, Mam," he hung up.
I dropped the phone beside me and closed my eyes, attempting to lie down; I sat instantly.
Something just hit me.
'Chief?'
Does that mean he is the man the D.P.O requested to replace Late KalDir, who died a month ago. So this means; I'm working directly under him.
I blushed, covering face to hide it. His looks, his body; they were both becoming clear in my head. His nose wasn't pointed but it wasn't flat either, somewhere in-between. He had thick tall firm legs that caused his suit to grip so tightly. His broad chest and those eight packs he couldn't hide when he sweat and his clothes clasped to his body. The way he looked at me at the interrogation room with his watery black eyes and… those big faded red lips, did he touch me with that?
"Oh" I buried my head into my knees, blushing so hard.
'Noni get a hold of yourself, at this rate you will end up spending your first day off suspension on his office couch'
'But It's not that bad, I mean, I am an adult now'
"Ahhh!!"
I screamed into my knees.
"Stop it. Stop thinking nonsense. You are an adult, really? Because if I remember correctly adults wait till he puts a ring on it. Listen to Beyonce for once"
I puffed and straightened on the couch, eyes up to the ceiling.
'But I can at least kiss him right? Emm, so frustrating'
*beep* *beep* *beep* *beep*
My phone is ringing. I sat back up and looked at the screen. No name. I accepted the call and put it on a loud speaker, Her voice came through.
"Aunty Drew!!!!"
I gasped.
'Hannah!'
"Aunty Drew! are you there?!"
"Yes, yes, yes, I'm right here, quite shouting already."
"But I can't help it, I missed you so very very very much."
"I missed you more, my dear," I said.
"NO YOU DON'T. YOU DON'T CALL, YOU DON'T TEXT, YOU DON'T CHAT ME so how can you say you miss me."
"But I do. I've just been so busy," I replied, nervously.
"Huh" she scoffed, upset.
"I'm sorry, okay, I will try harder this time."
"You said that last year."
'Opps'
"Em, I Will try harder next time."
"You said that a month ago."
'Dammit, this girl has such a good memory'
"But Aunty has been really busy."
"Okay, I understand."
"How was school today?" I asked, changing the topic.
"I did not go to school today. We are closed for the section."
"Oh." I realized.
"Yeah I am at grandma's place. She is so nice to me but… I MISS MUMMY."
'Oh God' I covered my mouth… mummy? How could I have forgotten something so important. Hannah is Udom's six year old daughter.
Tears trickled on my trousers. I was crying. Hannah was still on the phone but I couldn't hear her, I couldn't hear anything anymore. It was like the world was muted but only my sobbing made a sound. I crumbled to the floor and screamed.
"Ahhh!! Ha ha, No!!! I hugged my knees and rocked myself like a cradle.
'This can't be happening, this can't be. I don't want to believe it… I don't want to'
I lay there crying for so long, my tears stopped flowing and my sobs were left. Tiredly, I got up and headed to the bathtub. I twisted the knob and left the water running. Walking to the small cupboard in the bathroom where I kept my toothbrush, I took out a bottle of sleeping pills, opened the lid and poured the whole thing into my mouth.
By the time I got back to the tub, the bathroom had been flooded and the drugs had taken effect. I staggered, slipped and fell on the floor. I struggled to my feet.
'I'm going to keep you company, okay. Just wait for me. I will never leave you alone, I promise. After all, you are all I've had ever since my family died in that fire'
I climbed into the tub.
'I was just a dirty orphan but you took me in. Everyone was against it but you fought to get me to stay. Your father threw you out and yet you never blamed me for one day. You are the reason I've come this far, only you can make me go on…'
My body began to sink into the water. In my sub-consciousness, that Sunday bible verse kept ringing in my head.
'…but lay your treasure where neither moth nor rust find it or Thieves come and steal it. FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE YOUR HEART WILL BE ALSO'.