How to get away with murder 3

"Oh, my God Jo what have you done?!" Margret yelled staring at Francis's motionless body on the floor. 

Joana dropped the remainder of the broken vase in her hand.

"I-I don't know, I panicked." She stammered. "I thought were going to be caught... I can't go to prison." 

She started pacing back and forth a few steps, trying to catch her breath. Just then she remembered the front door was still open. She quickly closed it shut, turning the key in its mouth to make sure it stays closed. 

They all went silent. She might have saved them there, but it was only momentarily. And it could go worse from there. 

"Is he dead?" June asked sending Joana into action as Margret and her watch. 

She bent down towards Francis, reach for his upper neck with two fingers, looking to feel a pulse. While she did she held her breath in a short prayer as the story of her life flashed before her eyes. Lord knows how she did her best to stay away from trouble. She only wanted to be happy, grow up to be a fulfilled doctor, and get a chance to repay her parent's efforts towards her. But now she was in a mess, a mess that wasn't hers, to begin with. 

She was lost in her thoughts for a while but became fully aware of everything else immediately she felt a pulse.

"He is alive." She said sighing and they all followed. 

Joana also touched the back of Francis's head to see if the hit had resulted in any injury. She felt a small cut that was hidden by the layer of black hair on Francis' head. There wasn't much blood safe for the one that was already coating on the wound. 

"He is alright." She finally added and got to her feet. 

"Thank God!" Margret said. 

"But we have to do something about him. I mean we can't just let him leave." June pointed. 

Joanna nodded in agreement.

"Yes, not until we find out what he knows."

"Okay, let's put him on the couch."

*      *       *

Veronica's room was quite spacious, had a wide bed, a wardrobe, a dressing mirror, a small drawer, and filled with unpacked boxes. A huge art poster that spelled 'ROYALTY' hung on the wall. It wasn't as Grace expected before she walked in with Veronica.

"Why are you here? You are not planning on running away, are you?" Grace glared.

Veronica laughed.

"No, I just haven't found the time." 

She said as she went to the wardrobe. She searched around for a while and brought out a skirt. She turned to Grace. 

"What do you think about this?" 

Grace had something else in her mind. 'How could she be so calm?' She thought. 

She didn't reply and Veronica took her silence as a no. 

"You're right, we're going to bury a body, I need trousers," Veronica said tossing the skirt on the bed and turning back to the wardrobe. 

Grace felt she couldn't let her thoughts linger anymore.

"Why are you doing this?"

Veronica returned her attention to her.

"What?"

"Why are you helping us? Why did you invite us to your party? How is it that you are calm during all of this?"

Veronica sighed. 

"Where do I start?... I am not calm. I am actually panicking inside, but I know it is not what you guys need right now and so I have to be strong and you have to be too. For Margret."

Grace nodded. 

"I am helping because this feels like a way to seek redemption for what I did."

"And so you think that because of this you can make us forget how you lied to us?"

"No no." Veronica paused. "Look, am sorry for lying to you guys before. I was just looking to hang out and have fun and when I noticed that you guys saw me as a big girl, I just went along with it."

"If you were looking to have fun then there was no need for making all the elaborate lies."

"Yeah, but when you start, it just keeps rolling like a snowball and here we are..." She could tell Grace wasn't pleased. "Look am sorry okay?" She gesticulated. 

Grace shrugged. Whatever happened, the damage has been done. What only mattered now was to help Margret.

"Fine." She nodded.

"Yay!" Veronica exclaimed in excitement. "So, what do you want to wear?"

*      *       *

It had taken Francis about twenty minutes to regain consciousness. Enough time for June, Joana, and Margret to finish the cleaning while they took turns watching for when he would wake up. 

Now they were all in the living room. Joana was pacing back and forth, staring at the shabby clock on the wall as she passed, wondering why everything was slow. June sat on a wooden chair, resting elbows on her lap, and her fingers still in her mouth. 

Margret simply stood. She had dropped baby Stanley back at the room with his teddy and he wouldn't care about her being gone for a while. She watched Francis closely and stiffened as soon as he moved. 

Joana opped moving and June sat up. 

Francis rose feeling like he just got hungover. He wanted to touch the throb he felt like the back of his neck but just then realized his hands were tied behind his back. 

"What the hell." He said and for a moment not knowing where he was. He squinted his eyes at the figure that stood in front of him until Margret's face came into focus.

"Margret what the--" He stopped as he looked down at his feet to see his legs were tied together too. His mind was clear now but the pain didn't subside.

"What the hell is all this Margret?"

Margret had written off all expression on her face. 

"Why did you come here."

"Eh, na wetin you wan talk be that?"(1) Francis burst. "After you tie me like a goat for your parlor?"(2)

It was Joana's idea to tie him with a cord. She figured they had to do something to keep him from running away once he woke up. She decided to reciprocate Francis's anger with hers. 

"Oga, see we no get time for all this one oh. (3) Better answer the question."

"Eh, see this one oh. E be like sey those small boys for your class don dey turn your head abi?"(4)

"You no well." (5)Joana hissed.

"You wan beat me? You forget sey I will be your senior for secondary school."(6)

Joana was about to give another reply but Margret cut her off. Sometimes she wondered who got angry more between Grace and her. They were both like ticking bombs a click away from exploding.

"Jo calm down." She said pulling her back. 

She turned to Francis.

"Abeg no vex." She pleaded. "We just want to know wetin you find come here."(7)

Francis shook his head. 

"I am not answering any question until you release me."

Margret threw glances at June and Joana, weighing the probability of him staying or running off. Soon, she made her decision and said the knife off the center table in front of her and started towards Francis.

"Maggy, you sure?" June asked with fear in her voice. Joana had the same level of concern on her face. 

Margret nodded. 

She walked up to him, cutting loose Francis's hands and legs, without breaking the connection with his eyes. Something told her that he was going to stay. She went back to her former position with an assurance that June and Joana didn't feel at all. 

"Oya talk." She said folding her arms. (8)

"Na your mama call me sey make I come to check you, sey you no dey pick her call." (9) Francis said as he massaged the back of his head with his left palm. 

His words shock Margret as she remembered her mother. She was currently working as a private nurse for a rich old man, Mr. Rilwan who was recovering from a stroke and she had told Margret she would be spending the night there.

Her heart started racing as she glanced at the clock. 3'o'clock. She didn't realize how much time had flown by with the whole ordeal. Since she hasn't heard from her or Baby Stanley for hours, Margret figured she would be worried sick. And worst of all, she could walk at any moment. 

"Why, wetin she talks?"(10)

"She sey Mr. Rilwan get wan emergency so they rush am go the hospital, na why she never come house since."(11)

"Oh," Margret said as she calmed her nerves.

 June and Joana seemed relaxed too. 

"But why were you guys acting weird before? Did you guys kill someone?" Francis asked still in awe of what they did to him. "And why is there blood?" He added as soon as he noticed the dry blood on her. 

This time his question didn't spike anything as Margret was quick to answer. 

"I'm on my period." She said touching her neck but regretted it as soon as she did. 

"Eh!" 

Francis and the twins had exclaimed at her words. She eyed June and Joana to keep quiet. She had to go along with it. 

"Yes, and I didn't know early and everything was messy. That was why we were acting weird."

Francis looked at June and Joana who replied with a nod. 

"Chai!" He shouted in disgust and started making his way to the door. "Make I dey go abeg... And please call your mama oh." (12)

"Yes, I will. Thank you, Francis." Margret replied and the three girls watched as he left after which June closed the door behind them. 

"Phew! That was close!" June had said before they heard another knock on the door. 

"God! Will this ever end?" She cried. Margret and Joana were frozen at their spot. 

Slowly, she leaned towards the door to take a peek at who it could be but got relieved after seeing Veronica and Grace. 

"Guys, it's them." She said then jerked the door open, ushered them in, and closed the door again. 

Veronica had changed from her uniform into black singlet jeans, sneakers, and a long-sleeved shirt that she wrapped around her waist. Grace had kept her skirt but changed into a blacktop. 

"Did you guys get the car?" Joanna asked. 

"It's right outside," Veronica answered. "Are you guys done here?"

They nodded. 

"Alright then, we still got one more thing to do... The dead don't bury themselves."

__________

Translations:

(1) That is what you're going to say?

(2) After you tied me up in your parlor?

(3) Sir, we don't have time for all these.

(4) Look who's talking. You're misbehaving because some small boys in your class are wooing you right?

(5) You're mad.

(6) Do you want to beat me? Have you forgotten that I'm your senior in secondary school?

(7) Please don't be angry. We just want to know why you came here.

(8) Now talk.

(9) Your mother called me to come to check on you. She said you haven't been picking her calls.

(10) What did she say.

(11) She said Mr. Rilwan had an emergency and they had to rush him to the hospital. That's why she hasn't been home since.

(12) Let me go now. And please call your mother.