Guilty or not V

The days usually went by fast, but since the police discovered Simi’s body, the days wriggled slowly like an earthworm. With every waking hour filled with dread for Phoebe. She counted the seconds each day and felt at any minute she would be hurled out like a criminal. She couldn’t concentrate at work. She was a bag of nerves.
                                                                  ***
The police had taken Simi’s body and kept in their own morgue for the moment. What they had deduced from the death scene was that she probably fell and hit her head. A terrible accident! At least that’s what they thought, they would investigate a little more. But they hadn’t sensed any foul play. Except Sergeant Tiwa. The whole thing was fishy, a brother and an ex husband report a lady missing without knowing where she was, then the brother suddenly remembers her supposed whereabouts and she was found…dead. He had wanted to keep Gbenga for questioning but his superior had told him he could not. Gbenga was the only family she had and he wanted the case closed, he wasn’t pressing charges. Which meant Sergeant Tiwa had to release Cheta.
Two days later, Cheta was home with Ada. He didn’t know how to tell his daughter that her mother had died and the reason he was away for a while was because he was seen as a suspect. He was no longer fond of Simi but he wouldn’t have wished her dead. Sergeant Tiwa had come to him in his cell, to tell him what happened. “We found Simi..” sergeant Tiwa began but was interrupted by Cheta who was happy and mad at the same time. “Great, that means you will release me now”, he had said icily. “We found Simi’s body”, Sergeant Tiwa completed, in the same tone. Cheta stared at the policeman dumbfounded. “I had nothing to do with it”, he said, when he found his voice. “Of course you had nothing to do with it”, Sergeant Tiwa replied sarcastically, “it was an accident!” Something told Cheta that Sergeant Tiwa didn’t believe Simi died by accident and he still suspected him but he didn’t say anything. He listened as Sergeant Tiwa told him what happened and how Gbenga wasn’t pressing charges and he was free. The mystery though was what Simi was doing in that house and why her phone wasn’t found among her possessions. Probably stolen.
Phoebe came to the house to see Cheta and supposedly sympathize with him. “I’m sorry for your loss”, she said, “what are you going to tell Ada?” Cheta was grateful to have Phoebe around but he still hadn’t told his daughter her mother died. “I guess I’ll just tell her her mother died in a car accident instead of a weird accident in a lonely house”, Cheta replied. Phoebe looked away, she saw he didn’t believe the accident story. “At least no one is blaming you for what happened to her” she said. “I guess that’s good then”, Cheta replied absentmindedly.
A week passed and nothing new was found on the case. Cheta had suggested to Gbenga they do an autopsy on her but Gbenga vehemently refused. He had come to terms with the fact that his sister was dead and he would never know where she was going to get the money she promised to come back with. She had an accident, simple! Plus, he didn’t want anyone carving up his sister for anything, let her rest in peace. He also didn’t have money for an autopsy and he wasn’t going to ask Cheta. The police found out the owner of the house also didn’t know why Simi was there. He said she had asked for the house keys because she wanted to stay there. Everyone knew Simi wasn’t always in one place for long. Finally, the police released the body and she was buried unceremoniously.
Ada was too young to understand what was going on but her dad had told her mummy wasn’t coming back…again. “But she always comes back, even if she goes away a long time”, she had told her dad. “Not this time sweetie”, he hugged her. Though she cried sometimes, even at night, at least she had her dad. Her tears broke his heart but he tried to soothe her.
As for Sergeant Tiwa, he still believed Simi’s case was unresolved but it was one in a million unresolved cases in Nigeria. There was nothing he could do.
Phoebe still had nightmares about that night and even though no fingers were pointing at her, she was no longer comfortable in her house, in her relationship or with her job. She was no longer comfortable in Lagos. She took a bold decision to leave and it took all her power to quit her job and even more to break up with Cheta.  She couldn’t look at him without seeing Simi’s face, she couldn’t kiss him without thinking of blood flowing from Simi’s head.
“I’m leaving Cheta, I’m going back to Imo”, she told him. “OK, when are you coming back?” he had asked innocently. “You don’t understand”, she replied, “I’m not coming back. So this has to end, we are over.” Cheta stared at her in disbelief, “you are right, I don’t understand this, any of it. Why you’ll quit your job you are so comfortable with to go back to Imo and be jobless or why you would end our relationship.” “Cheta, don’t make this harder than it already is”, she countered, “my mum needs me and I don’t know when I’ll be back. I can’t hold you down for anything, you deserve the best.” “I need you too for Christ’s sake Phoebe”, Cheta said, taking her hand, “I lost the mother of my child, I can’t loose you too. I love you.” Phoebe took back her hand and let the tears she had been holding fall freely down her cheeks. “I’m sorry Cheta, I really am, but we are over.” She ran away and left him standing, still shocked to his bones.
The next day, she was in Imo. Her mother didn’t understand why she would leave her job and healthy relationship to come stay with her and begin the job hunting process all over again. She knew her daughter had a burden but she wouldn’t push, whenever she was ready, she would help her lift the burden. As for Phoebe, she felt more than lucky she wasn’t reprimanded for her crimes. She had to forget her old life and seek a new one. Whether she was guilty or not, it didn’t matter. What mattered was that she was free and alive and she would probably take her secret to her grave.
Cheta believed that in life, you don’t always get what you want. Having Phoebe would have been a good thing in his life but he was satisfied at the moment. He had the most priceless gift in the world, his daughter.