Saint Patrick's College

Chapter Twenty Five

 It was Segun's idea to talk to a teacher. More specifically Mrs. Anita their Civic Education teacher. She was the one who was always filling them in on the details of the Nwafor case when she came across it. She was involved in this and she was most likely going to be the only person that could help them file the case to the police.

They found her easily in Veritas Hall in a staffroom grading papers. She was the only one in the room at the moment.

Perfect. Adaeze thought as she pushed the door open wider. She and her friends filed into the room, approaching the woman's desk.

She looked up at them. She cleared her throat. "Adaeze, Segun and Ayomide." She acknowledged. "How can I help you?"

The room was tense. Or perhaps it was all in Adaeze's head. Nevertheless, she could feel her shoulders touching her ears.

"Mrs. Anita, we need to talk to you about something important," Segun began. He was standing behind Adaeze with his hands buried in his pockets.

"Of course, what's on your mind?" The woman adjusted her glasses.

Adaeze took a deep breath. "It's about Ogechi Nwafor's death." Adaeze hoped the woman wouldn't turn them away. She was the only person they could think of to help. They needed her.

Mrs. Anita's expression shifted, more serious. "Go on." Her eyebrows furrowed.

Ayomide continued, "We've been doing our own investigation, and we believe there's more to Ogechi's death than what's out there."

The woman opened her mouth to say something.

Segun interjected, "We've spoken to Mr. and Mrs. Nwafor, and they shared some concerning information about Ogechi's health and the possibility of foul play."

Mrs. Anita leaned back in her chair, her eyes narrowing. "What kind of information?"

Adaeze summarized the details they had gathered, including Ogechi's frequent injuries, visits to the hospital, and Mr. Nwafor's suspicion that someone might have been causing harm to his daughter.

"We think Femi might be involved," Segun added. "And we need your help to take this to the police."

Please... Adaeze thought mentally crossing her finger.

Mrs. Anita sighed, her gaze fixed on the three of them. "I understand your concerns, I do." She said and Adaeze's shoulders fell. "And I appreciate your dedication to seeking the truth. However, you shouldn't have involved yourselves in a matter like this. A girl died, I understand that must be difficult to deal with but you're kids you're supposed to focus on being kids and let the grown-ups handle the case."

"But we were able to find—" Segun started, desperation tinged in his voice.

"I don't care what you found." She shook her head. "And besides involving the police in a case like this is a serious step." She explained. "You'll need concrete evidence, witnesses, and a strong case to present."

Ayomide spoke up, "But we have witnesses. Mr. and Mrs. Nwafor are willing to testify." That was a stretch. Adaeze knew they could count on Mr. Nwafor to come forward if need be but his wife was going to be harder to convince.

Mrs. Anita hesitated, her fingers tapping on the desk. "This is a delicate matter, and we must tread carefully. Accusing someone without substantial proof can have serious consequences. It's not as simple as it seems." She paused. "I'm sorry, I can't help you. And I don't want to hear that you kids went any further with this. Okay?"

Biscuits! Now what? She was the only one they could think of to count on, the only one who would be willing to take the case to the police.

Was that it? Was Ogechi never going to get the justice that she deserved?