Novels by Mary-Jane

*SATURDAY | 4:00PM | ELENA’S APARTMENT | IKoyi | PLAYGROUND BY THE SWIMMING POOL*The afternoon sun was melting into gold. Elena’s apartment had this corner nobody used for business. A small playground. White swing set with blue seats. A tiny yellow slide. Rubber mats in bright colors. Hibiscus and bird-of-paradise plants in big white pots. Past the gate, the infinity pool shimmered. You could hear water lapping softly. Nkechi was running in circles. Nkechi: 12 years old. Linda’s baby sister. Pink cotton dress. Bare feet. Two puff balls on her head with pink scrunchies. Missing one front tooth. She stopped in front of Elena and put her hands on her hips. Nkechi said, “Aunty Elena, race me to the slide!” Elena was in white linen pants and a sleeveless top. Hair in a messy bun. No lipstick. She looked younger like this. Elena said, “You think you can beat me, huh?” Nkechi nodded hard. They ran. Nkechi won. She threw her arms up. Nkechi said, “I’m the fastest in the w

The phone was still lit. *Unknown Caller* Elena stared at it for 3 rings. Then her thumb moved. Elena said, “Hello?” Voice on the other end. Male. Formal. Church tone. Caller said, “Good evening, Ms. Carter. This is Father Joseph from St. Albert Catholic Church.” Elena sat up straighter on the couch. She pulled her legs under her. Elena said, “Father. Good evening.” Caller said, “I’m calling regarding the Thanksgiving Mass your PA, Ms. Maya, booked last week.” Elena’s fingers stopped twisting the hem of her silk robe. Caller said, “We can accommodate you this coming Sunday. After the 10:00AM Mass. The two families ahead of you will be done by then.” Elena exhaled. She hadn’t realized she was holding her breath. Elena said, “Thank you, Father.” Caller said, “We will need you to come a bit early. For preparation. And the offering.” Elena nodded, even though he couldn’t see. Elena said, “I’ll be there. God willing.” Caller said, “We’ll see you then, my dau

FRIDAY | 12:12 PM | KIRIKIRI MAXIMUM PRISON | VISITOR’S ROOM*The door scraped open. Victoria stepped in and the smell hit her first. Bleach, sweat, and something sour underneath. She was limping. Her left leg dragged slightly because her ribs felt like they were wrapped in barbed wire. Orange jumpsuit. The right shoulder strap was torn clean off and pinned back with a rusty safety pin that kept digging into her collarbone. Her face was wrecked. Left eye swollen shut, purple bleeding into yellow. Her bottom lip was split and crusted. There was a bruise along her jaw in the exact shape of a hand. Her hair was in a bun but there were bald patches. Chunks missing. She sat. The plastic chair wobbled. Across from her: Adrian Voss. He was already there. Black suit. No tie. Sleeves rolled once. He hadn’t moved when she came in. He just watched her with those dark, unreadable eyes. 20 seconds. Nothing. The light above buzzed. A guard shouted something down the hall. Victor

*Thursday | 12:04pm | Carter Tower | Elena’s Office | 45th Floor*The phone vibrated once on the glass desk. Elena didn’t look down right away. Her pen was still moving. Signature. Loop. Dot. _Adrian Voss._ The name lit up. Her mouth did something before her brain did. The corner of it pulled up. Small. She finished the signature. Set the pen down. Slow. Like if she moved too fast she’d ruin the moment. She picked up the phone. Thumb hovered. Then swiped. Elena said, “You’re calling to critique my posture on the cover?” Her voice was light. But her shoulders dropped half an inch. Like she’d been holding them up all morning. On the other end, a rustle. Leather chair. Then Adrian’s voice. Low. Amused. Adrian said, “Your posture was perfect. It was the eyes that gave you away.” Elena leaned back. The chair creaked. She crossed one leg over the other under the desk. Bare feet. She’d kicked her heels off 20 minutes ago. Elena said, “Gave what away?” Adrian said, “That

*Thursday | 5:12am | Elena’s Apartment | Banana Island* Elena was awake. She’d been awake since 4am. The magazine was on her coffee table. She’d seen the digital draft 3 days ago. "INVISIBLE NO MORE" ELENA CARTER She’d stared at it for 20 minutes then. Now it was on newsstands. She picked it up. Ran her thumb over the cover. Glossy. Her face. Red blazer. No smile. Elena whispered, “Invisible.” She wasn’t surprised. She was tired. Her phone buzzed. Daniel. Daniel: _It’s out. You ready?_ Elena typed back: _I’ve been ready._ She put the phone down. Made coffee. Black. --- *Thursday | 8:55am | Carter Tower | 45th Floor* Elevator doors opened. Clapping. Elena stepped out. Magazine under her arm. She didn’t flinch. Staff: “Ms. Carter!” “Congratulations!” “We’re so proud!” Elena nodded. Once. Elena said, “Thank you. Now back to work.” She walked to her office. Door closed. Daniel was already inside. Daniel said, “You s

*Wednesday | 9:17pm | Ryan’s Apartment | Ikoyi*The apartment was quiet. Too quiet. Sophia was in the guest room. Door closed. TV was on low. Some reality show. Laugh track every 30 seconds. Ryan stood in the kitchen. Barefoot. Joggers. Black t-shirt. He had his phone in his hand. He’d been holding it for 14 minutes. He unlocked it. Locked it. Unlocked it again. Elena’s name was at the top of his recents. "Elena Carter". He exhaled. Ran a hand through his hair. Ryan whispered, “Stupid.” He walked to the balcony. Sliding door. He closed it behind him so the sound wouldn’t travel. Lagos night. Hot. Smelled like rain and suya from the street. He dialed. One ring. Two rings. Three rings. Elena picked up. Voice rough. Like she’d been asleep. Elena said, “Hello?” Ryan’s throat closed. Ryan said, “What?” Pause. Elena said, “Ryan? It’s almost 10.” Ryan leaned against the railing. The metal was cool against his forehead. Ryan said, “I know.” Elena said, “Is everything ok