The murder cabinet-2

THE MURDER CABINET

Rony Brown

Episode two- Mass murder.

I hate the way all this feels familiar; the musty hostel room, the overcrowded lecture theatres, and the one-meal diets (and for me, that’s always noodles). I do not miss this at all. But finding Freda’s killer has come down to this so I better stop sulking and get to it.

 DIARY ENTRY FIVE

I’m sooo glad I decided not to miss HIV 101 today. There was this hot argument between D and the HIV lecturer today. You should have seen him, the way he asked what the HIV course was really about. He was like, is this course really for the students or for the school. Of course we all knew that the funding of most projects on campus was by HIV lobbyist. But the lecturer was not budging and was rather getting angry. Before long, there was a heated argument between the students in that theatre versus the lecturers. Wow! He's definitely something else.

***

For this past week I have been sitting in HIV lectures non-stop. Sometimes, I feel like choking on the thick silence in the theatre. Other times, I just give up and take a nap. I don’t know if the lecturers have a personal vendetta against us. How can one spend two credit hours reading slides?

But I just had a break. One of the lecturers almost threw a tantrum  at seeing some guy enter the theatre. This is probably the guy in Freda’s diary. But I cannot know for sure. So I slide over to my sitting partner and ask, “What’s with that guy?”

“O, you don’t know?”

“Uhmmm, nope!”

“He’s called Derrell.” She said in a conspirator’s tone, “He said that this course is useless. I don’t blame him. He’s hot and he knows it, so he can get away with a lot of things.”

I second the uselessness of this course. If the lecturers are just going to read slides, then they better give the students pamphlets so they can go over them during orientation or something.

I sneak out of the lecture theatre and catch up with Derrell.

(Darn these heels for calling all that attention.)

He sits quietly in a cafeteria close to the lecture theatre. Darn! The girl was right. This guy is hot. His features even more perfect as he sits there looking morose.

“Hi, I’m Karen.”

“Yea, any problem?” He replies curtly.

Ouch! I know I might be a little out of the game. But really? How rude! Even if he was not interested in a conversation, this is no way to treat a lady. I better get out of his hair.

“Sorry to bother you.” I could not keep the hurt out of my voice; wounding my pride even further. But it did the magic.

“I’m sorry. Karen right? I just…” He stops and starts over, “I am Derrell.  Once again, I’m sorry. I’m just having a bad day. In fact, I am having a bad semester. Sorry, please sit down.”

He pulls a chair for me.

“Thank you.” Thankfully the cafeteria is full; making this lie easier. “I needed a seat badly. And I think yours is the only one left. I am really sorry for bothering you.”

***Silence; awkward silence***

“I, erhm, also saw what happened at the lecture theatre. What was all that about?”

He scoffs at my question.

“The school does not offer this course for the benefit of the students. They are doing it for their pockets. Now the students have to bear the brunt of their boring slides.”

“You know right.” I said.

“That is why I am running for SRC president.”

“You are?” I ask in disbelief, “Can a level hundred student vie for that position?”

“No, I’m in level two hundred. The lecturers do not want me in such a position so they failed me.I am taking this course again. But if they are not going to make this easy for me, neither am I.”

I’m still not convinced.

“How can this school’s policies allow you to run for president if you can afford to fail courses you don’t like?”

“This guy here is a straight A student.” He smiles cockily and continues, “I would be having a GPA of 4.0 if not for the fact that these HIV lecturers hate me.”

I laughed.

“You have a nice laugh.”

Oh, if I wasn’t black, I would have blushed!

“But I am not kidding,” he chides, “they hate me.”

“Fine!” I raise my hands but I still insist, “I just don’t think lecturers have the time to hate you.”

“Not if I was tampering with their livelihood.”

I finally surrender. “Good point made!” I slide over teasingly and in a conspirator’s tone I whisper, “I will vote for you just because of your looks.”

He laughs.

“You have a nice laugh!” I say.

He looks at me as though he was seeing me for the first time.

“I like you.” He concedes.

“I like you too.” I lie.

If nothing at all I can tell he’s full of himself. (Also, I am still reeling from his earlier rebuff.)

“Maybe tonight you’d be my date for the drama.”

“The one on the Hayford field?” Why am I suddenly excited about this date? I feel like I am eighteen again. We exchange numbers and he looks in my eyes.

"It's a date." , he says.

***

What in the heaven’s name is that? My alarm? Darn! It is a call. A call at such an ungodly hour? It’s three am! Who would do this to anyone who just has such a long, but lovely night?

It’s Derrell.

“Karen, someone is dead.” He gasps as though surprised.

“O No! People are dead!” Another incoming call. It’s Jim.

“Hold for a moment, Derrell.” I switch to the other call. “Jim?”

“I didn’t even think you’d answer your phone. Anyway I am sorry to bother you. There has been five bodies discovered on one of the school parks.”

“Which one?” I ask.

“The one with the halls name on it, I think.” I hear him flipping through some pages. “One moment, let me check.”

“Hayford field?” I ask.

“Erhm, yes!” Jim sounds surprised.

“The school grows on you, Jim.”

“Well, I will not know.” He mopes.         

“I will be there soon.” I ignore his comment and end the call. But Derrell did not hold.

In about ten minutes I get to the field. A wave of nausea hits me at the sight of five women scattered on the field. Wait a minute. All these women look like Stella and they look like me.

Now I am mad. Whose sick idea is this? Is Derrell involved?

“Jim, this time you better get me the autopsy reports on time!”

I look at the bodies that are now being bagged up. What have I got myself into?

FOOTNOTE- *** This sign indicates a break.