Short story: It Must Be Love If it Bleeds Part 3 of 2

Continuation of Part II
1:47AM

At the Police Station, it was made very clear to Koyin that he wasn’t under arrest. But it was also made clear his visit wasn’t a friendly one by locking him up in the only interrogation room with a faulty A/C. For an hour, he sat alone sweating - fearing for what else his very bad night had to offer.
By his second hour of stewing in his own sweat, Koyin was feeling supremely pessimistic.
The interrogation room’s door suddenly opened and a lady walked in. Judging by the badge and gun on her hip, she was clearly part of the force. But Koyin was more interested in the huge paper cup of water in her hand with ice cubes glittering in it like jewels.

He licked his lips hopefully as the lady sat in the chair opposite him and placed the cup just out of his reach.
“Good morning Mr Koyin. My name is Detective Casey, Head of Homicide Division.” She paused briefly to study the man in front of her as he digested the possible implication of her words. When she was satisfied with the fresh sheen of sweat on his forehead and nose, she continued, “You don’t seem surprised that I’m from Homicide.”
Koyin’s lips moved, but he managed to choke his words back and swallowed them with the huge invincible rock that had mysteriously lodged itself in his throat. He eyed the cup of water and remained silent. After all, she hadn’t asked him a question yet, but gosh was his mouth dry.
“Tough guy.” The detective commented in a whisper as she moved the cup of ice choked water to the side to make room for her cigarette pack and a lighter. She sluggishly went through the process of releasing a cigarette, placing it to her lips and lighting up. With a speculative look in her eyes, she took her time taking a drag.
Koyin could feel his intestines tying themselves into knots as the detective continued to smoke with excruciating slowness. The cigarette smoke wasn’t helping with the heat or his dry mouth. Koyin wanted to end the game. He wanted out. Most importantly, he wanted that water. But he couldn’t risk saying anything especially since he didn’t know what the police already knew – or didn’t know.
Detective Casey suddenly drowned what was left of her cigarette in the cup of water as she asked, “Where’s the murder weapon?”
Koyin forgot about the water and his thirst. In fact, for a whole ten seconds, he seemingly forgot how to breathe after hearing the question. When he remembered how, the air rushed out of him with the words, “What murder weapon? What’s going on and why are you asking me about a murder knife?”
One of his interrogator’s eyebrows shot up in amusement as she tried to stifle a chuckle with a grunt. “Who said anything about a knife and who do you know got murdered?”
Koyin felt like smashing his head repeatedly into the interrogation table.
Before he could make an attempt to redeem his faux pas, Detective Casey was already speaking again.
“’Cos according to the detective who brought you in, you claim you’ve been home all night. Correct?”
“Yes.” Koyin answered.
“…uhnuhn…” The detective assented as she reached into the folder she came in with and pulled out a transparent evidence bag. She raised the bag to Koyin’s eye level so he could get a good look at the blood-stained boxers within, “By the way, is this yours?”
This new twist in tonight’s events was more than Koyin could bear as a stray tear escaped his eyes as he stared at the familiar briefs in the bag.
“Guess where we found them.” Casey continued with her eyes closely shadowing her suspect. “Right next to your stabbed, sexually assaulted, mutilated girlfriend’s body. She is… was your girlfriend, yes? Ezeoma Wilkey. After all, her number is stored on your phone as ‘Babe’.
Anything you wanna tell me Koyin? I’ll appreciate your honesty.”
Koyin’s temperature went from uncomfortably warm to sickly cold. The cold of fear. His mind raced like a cockroach suddenly caught in the light. And like the doomed roach he believed he was, there seemed to be no escape from the looming boot.
“Nothing to say to me?” Casey asked after some time had passed. “Okay then, I’ll tell you what I know. I know you were at the victim’s place tonight around the time of the murder. Traffic cam and your phone’s GPS confirms that.
We know the DNA on these boxers, asides from the victim’s blood, matches the DNA sample you so generously splattered in your car. I mean when we put a UV light in there, your car’s interior lit up like Christmas.”
Koyin stammered out his first words since making the acquaintance of Detective Casey. “You…you had… have no right to search my car without a warrant.”
“He finally speaks! Not the brightest first words but we’ll make do.
And you’re right about that warrant. Except, Detective Akeem who you gave permission to remain in your residence thought he heard rats in your garage. So he helped you check it out. Car and all. Good news! No rats. Bad news! So much evidence.”
“What evidence? You haven’t charged me with anything…”
“Shh… We’re still talking about dead girlfriends.” Detective Casey interrupted, “We’ll get to charges in a bit.
You see, what I don’t understand firstly is, where’s your murder weapon? Secondly -and this is more about my personal curiosity than anything else- while you killed and raped your girlfriend -or whichever came first- did you have on a rubber, put on your pants in a hurry and forget your boxers, then rush back to your car, pulled off the condom, then rubbed one out in an attempt to impregnate your car? ‘Cos if that’s what happened, you should take the insanity plea.”
On hearing the detective’s version of events, Koyin immediately felt relief wash over him. Now that he knew what the police knew, he could tell them what he knew. The truth – Starting with how he hadn’t killed Ezi, followed by him being at the scene of her death long enough to see her killer, albeit not clear enough to give a definitive description.
His truth might be a messy one but it was nonetheless truth. Provable truth that might just get him off the list of murder suspects. And being the sole witness to the murder, he could be invaluable to the police solving this case. What he’d seen of the murderer could give him some serious leverage.
Detective Casey was eagerly awaiting her key suspect’s next words and Koyin was about to give them to her. But the interrogation room’s door suddenly flew open and Koyin’s best friend walked in with all the confidence of a lawyer who truly didn't give a rat's ass about police authourity.
Niyi Raimi wasn’t just Koyin’s best friend, he was also a top shot lawyer at one of the biggest firms in the state. Being best friends for so long, Niyi knew everything about Koyin’s life, including his previously ongoing drama with Ezi. And while Koyin was happy to see Niyi, he couldn’t for the life of him fathom how Niyi had known he was in trouble with the police.
“Officer, I’d like a word with my client in private.” Niyi snarled as he strode to Koyin's side.
“That’s detective to you … Mr… Who the fuck are you and why are you interfering with …” that’s as far as Casey got.
“…Detective!? Oh dear Lord! For a minute there I thought you were his lawyer. Which would be odd because I’m his lawyer, which would mean you’ve been badgering my client without giving him access to legal counsel. Oh shit, isn’t that an infringement of my client’s legal rights?”
“Your client is here of his own free will to help us with our investigation, isn’t that right Mr Koyin?” Detective Casey said with a polite smile directed at Koyin
Niyi cut in, “If he’s here of his own free will then I speaking as his lawyer freely ask you to go discuss freely with your Commanding Officer what undue advantages you’ve so freely taken of my client. And be sure to start with how you’re denying him access to private legal counsel right now which I believe is grounds for a civil suit against this entire precinct…”
“Alright, alright…I’ll be outside.” Casey folded and packed up her folder. “Fucking lawyers.” She mumbled as she left.
“Fucking cops.” Niyi good-humouredly yelled after her before slamming shut the interrogation room door. “Bro, what the fuck?” He asked rushing over to Koyin.
Koyin’s fragile fortitude broke and he bursts into tears in his friend’s arms.
“Hey, no. No. Don’t do that. Not here.” Niyi consoled, “Don’t let these fuckers see you cry. It’s okay, I’m here now. Just tell me what happened.”
Koyin told him the truth. All of it.
“Woaah!” was Niyi’s response at the end. “Sounds like someone did you a favour then gave you a pile of shit to celebrate. What do the cops have on you?”
“The detective mentioned my phone and something about being caught on traffic cam leaving her place. They had my boxers covered in her blood. How’d her blood end up on those shorts? I don’t know! I think I’m losing my mind Niyi.” Koyin’s eyes begged his friend to believe. “You know I’d never hurt Ezi right? You know me.”
“It’s okay. I got you.” Niyi chewed on a fingernail for a bit as his mind did some quick strategizing. “Alright. Whatever happens next just play along ‘cos you’re going home buddy. As far as I can tell, they don’t have enough to keep you here.” Taking a hold of Koyin’s hand, he pulled him to his feet and led him out the door of the interrogation room.
Before they’d taken more than a few paces out the door, a voice paused them.
“What do you think you’re doing?” It was Detective Casey, and Detective Nick was hot on her heels with a hand resting on the butt of her holstered pistol. “I’m not done talking with Mr Koyin.”
“That’s okay because he’s done talking to you,” Niyi confidently replied holding firmly on to Koyin’s arm. “My client has been gracious enough to tolerate the filth of your station over the past hours. Now he would like to go home and mourn his loss of a loved one.”
“Like hell you are. Not till we’re done questioning him.” Detective Nick snapped.
“My client came here of his own free will and now he’s leaving of his own free will…”
“Not if he’s under arrest, he isn’t.” Casey smirked.
“On what charge?” Niyi yawned.
“Murder. Can you spell it?”
“Oh, you mean the murder with no murder weapon. Or you want to charge him for murder because of phone records of calls to his actual girlfriend? I don’t follow.”
“We have a picture of him on traffic cam leaving the vicinity of the murder and DNA on boxers retrieved from the scene matches his.” Casey insisted.
Niyi laughed long and sarcastic like. “I didn’t know it was now illegal to drive round town at night even around murder scenes. Do you also have the hundreds of people who drove through that area within your time frame in lock up? Also, who are you kidding!? DNA testing doesn’t work that fast, especially not at this ungodly hour. So quit bluffing and here’s my card.
Next time you want to talk to my client, you call me. Now, go get some sleep detective before you make any more bad decisions tonight. Till then, deuces. C’mon Koyin, we’re leaving.”
“Wait!” Detective Nick snarled as she planted herself in Koyin’s path, “I’ve gone through the evidence and I’ve got some ideas. But something… feels off.” She took a step closer till she was in Koyin’s personal space, “My point is, if you feel like you’ve got something to share with us - something that can exonerate you before next time we come for you…”
“Which we will…” interjected Casey
“…call me. Here’s my card.” Nick jammed her card into Koyin’s sweaty palm and stalked away without another word.
“Drama queen.” Niyi mumbled as he watched her walk away. “But fuck she’s hot! Hope she does call me.”
Click here for Part II
Click here for Part I