Roses and Thorns – Episode 16 – 17

Roses and Thorns – Episode 16
Joel got to the eatery and strutted in,side like he owned it, it didn’t take him long before he sighted the detective at the extreme where he seated. He walked slowly to where he was and Sat down after saying his greetings.
“Detective, you said you have an update for me?” he said supporting his jaw with his hand.
“Yes captain, for the past few days after our meeting at the forensic department, i have been searching for the parents of the victims, that is the dead ladies before your ex fiance, but i only succeeded in finding one” he calmly explained.
“Okay, did they tell you anything that could help us nab the killer?” Joel asked impatiently.
“Well nothing much, the mother said before the death of their daughter, that she complained about a particular young man that was always showing up at her work place and other places she went to, but they didn’t take it serious because they thought it was nothing until she died” he shrugged.
“Sometimes we need to pay attention to the little things we see as nothing” Joel said shaking his head.
“And again, I met a young man, who told me that he has a suspect who he thinks is the killer, that he has a brother who is in an asylum. He said he worked for their father before the old man died” the detective said after a brief silence.
“Wait a minute, the killer’s brother is in an asylum? like he is mad?” Joel asked raising his brows in surprise.
“The young man said he started having mental problem some months ago according to what his brother told them”
“Let the young man take us to the killer then so that we can arrest him” Joel said almost immediately.
“Calm down captain, the young man is not even sure about what he told me, and moreover, you can’t arrest someone without an evidence” the detective said with a smile.
“That reminds me, the lady i mentioned the last time we met, she is with me now and she is fine” he said scratching his eye brows
“Yes, i wanted to ask about the lady too, who is she?”
“She is the killer’s next victim, i met her at the funeral and she told me about a stalker who had been following her” he said without stopping to take a breath.
“So how did you know she was the next victim?”
“She has the same physical attributes with the other dead ladies which attracts the killer” Joel shrugged.
“Well perfect then, we can use the lady as a bait to catch the killer, what do you think?” the detective said with a smile flashing across his face.
“No way, i won’t let any harm come to Melody, we are not using her as any bait” Joel shouted.
“That is the only option we have Captain” the detective sighed.
“We will surely find another way to catch the killer. there is no way am putting my Melody in a harm’s way” Joel said stumping out of the eatery.
Joel got home late in the night, he had gone over to Ebube’s apartment right after his meeting with the detective. He met Melody seated in the sitting room watching TV, his heart started beating fast again, he placed his hand on his chest and muttered “You will soon be the end of me, how can you not know when to beat fast?” he sighed and just then, Melody looked towards his direction and smiled.
“Hey sir, you are back” she said shifting her gaze from the television.
“Yea, am back, why are you still up?” he asked sitting beside her on the sofa.
“I felt like seeing a movie actually and again, am not feeling sleepy yet” she replied.
“Like seriously? zee world? of all the channels here it was only this particular channel with zero percent acting that you chose” Joel rolled his eyes.
“What happened to it? i hear people talk about it often and sometimes, when i go to work, i partly see a little in people’s house” she replied with a shrug.
“why would you wait till you go to people’s house before you see it? don’t you have a TV back at home?”
“Who has money for that one when i have an important problem i need to solve, i don’t have TV jare” Melody chuckled.
“What do you work?” Joel asked raising his brows.
“I run errands for people, i do house chores and some minor outdoor chores and i get paid” she replied casually.
“I don’t understand, is there any job like that” Joel asked looking at her even though her gaze were fixed on the TV.
“Yes, there is, but rich people like you don’t know. There are other menial jobs aside that” she laughed while turning to look at Joel.
“Don’t you have a boyfriend, or a husband or a fiance? like do you have any man in your life” he asked daring her to say otherwise. she was too beautiful not to have any.
“I don’t have any, if i do, i wouldn’t be with you in this house” she smiled.
“But you are beautiful, are they not seeing you?”
“who would see or notice me kwanu? me that i don’t even wear designers, i only make my hair when the holy spirit whispers to me” she chuckled looking back at the TV.
“Listen to me Melody” Joel said holding her hands “you are beautiful, you don’t need designers and expensive hair to look attractive, the first time i saw you, i didn’t see any designers but i saw your beauty from afar and any man that has eyes would still see the same thing too” he said looking directly into her eyes. They stared at each other in silence, their hearts beating fast and their heads got closer, their l-ips few inches apart, just then, Joel shook his head and let out a full breath.
“I need to go to bed now, am tired” he said standing up.
“Okay sir” Melody replied, shame flashing across her cheeks.
“And get ready, we are going to get you new clothes and a new phone tomorrow” He said already climbing up the stairs.
“No problem at all” Melody said.
He got to his room and hit his chest, he didn’t know what he was feeling, he nearly took advantage of that innocent girl, so he thought.