The Devil Wears Okrika

Chapter 28

It took Osi just some seconds to determine that the spot behind the bush had been used as the hiding spot by the attacker.
He couldn't believe it! The very same spot he had waited for Steve while hiding had been used as an ambush. He couldn't help but feel guilty about it. Maybe Steve had seen him that day and decided the spot was a good one to keep watch on the house while waiting for the sisters to pass by.
He shivered at the thought and moved around observeing the path behind the bush, he checked the tree branches for any torn piece of cloth (okrika) but he found nothing.
He spent about 30 minutes walking around aimlessly because he didn't find any clue, nothing at all.
He remembered seeing an empty bottle of alcohol sometime last week and he looked round but there was no such luck this time around.
Maybe the killer hadn't made a mistake after all. No, he shook his head.It was his fault: he had brought attention to the hiding spot and Osi cursed himself for not thinking ahead earlier.
He was filled with guilt as he recalled hiding in this exact same spot waiting for Steve to show up. Maybe the man had seen him; maybe the man had gotten the idea to strike after seeing him hide in this location. Maybe...
He stopped his thoughts and movements suddenly and fell to his knees observing the ground intently.
He removed the leaves gently until he could see the print clearly.
It was a shoe print.
Judging by the markings on the sand it looked like the print had been left by sports footwear. Probably from a trainers or sneakers. He wasn't really knowledgeable on footwears and didn't really know the difference but it was hard to imagine a normal or coporate shoe would have markings like this.
He suddenly remembered back in Steve's house, when he had broken in and Steve had dropped his footwear in shock. He had gone jogging and Osi had noticed it was some kind of trainers. Could it be the very same?
He studied the ground some more but then he became less convinced. If he could recall perfectly Steve was a giant of a man with massive feet but the print he was looking at was left by a medium sized shoe.
Or maybe the print was left by someone else, maybe a farmer?
He shook his head. He couldn't allow his conviction of Steve's guilt allow him make excuses.
Osi was so deep in thought he didn't know when he sat on the floor.
He was really confused.

.·.·.·.·.·
When Joy woke up Amara had dozed off on her father's shoulder.
Dé Nwachukwu returned not too long ago and had told her to go home and get some rest and eat. But she had refused. She wasn't going to leave her sister's side.

But she was tired and dozed off not long after and her father stroked her hair gently as she slept.
Dé Nwachukwu was filled with a powerful emotion and he felt protective. He loved his daughters and he had promised his wife on her dying bed that he was going to look after them.
He couldn't believe he had almost broken that promise.
He was filled with joy when Joy woke up and he patted Amara gently. "Shhhh...Joy is awake, Joy has woken up"
Hey eyes fluttered open immediately. She stood up and hurried to her younger sister's side.
"Joy how are you feeling?"
"Amara, what happened?" Joy looked at her surroundings then she seemed to remember it all of a sudden. "My head is soo heavy" she complained
"Its okay, do you want anything? Should I get the doctor?" Amara asked placing the back of her hand on her sister's neck to feel the temperature.
"Joy did you see who attacked you last night?" Dé Nwachukwu asked.
Joy was quiet as she tried to recall the unpleasant event.
"I didn't see his face...he grabbed me from behind..." A single tear rolled down her cheeks as she seemed to envision the attack.
"Joy its okay you don't need to talk about it" Amara assured her
"Actually she does.....you, what are you doing here?" her father said
Amara turned and saw the question had been directed at Osi.
The pastor had returned and since it was visitation hour, he had walked undisturbed straight to the room.
"Sir I came to see your daughter. I'm sorry about what happened"
Dé Nwachukwu nodded. If it were someone else he wouldn't hesitate to send him away but he liked this tall man and besides he could remember him warning him that Okudili was not the killer and the warning had fallen on deaf ears.
"How is she?" Osi asked Amara. He gave her a nylon bag "I bought some fruits for her"
"Thank you, that was really thoughtful"
Dé Nwachukwu also appreciated the gesture. He hadn't even thought about it.
"I'm fine...I wish I can sit up, I'm tired of lying down" Joy complained.
"You need to rest, the doctor would come and remove the needle very soon" Dé Nwachukwu assured her. "But please try and answer my question can you remember anything that would make us recognize the attacker?"
Osi held his breath and prayed for a miracle as Joy closed her eyes deep in thought.
"No, I remember he said something and I know I have heard that voice before, but everything happened too fast"
Osi spoke up this time "So you can't remember anything at all...maybe you glanced at his skin colour?"
Dé Nwachukwu looked at him. For him to mention skin colour meant he was definitely thinking of the European. After all he was the only one with a different skin colour in the village.
"No, it happened really fast and before I knew it he had pushed me to the tree and I fainted" Joy replied apologetically.
"Its alright...the most important thing is that you're safe"
"Wait...I remember he smelled nice...like a very strong aftershave or strong body spray the scent was really sharp and when he held my mouth it almost choked me"
"Hmmm..." Osi thought about this new piece of information. It really didn't feel like a clue.
He didn't see any need to mention the shoe print, maybe he would tell Amara later and mention the hiding spot and also the fact that he might be guilty of unknowingly showing the killer the hiding spot.
One thing was certain, he had to expose this killer before he returned to his church duties. And he was on duty this coming Sunday. So he had three more days.
He bade them goodbye and assured Dé Nwachukwu he would come by the house later when the man requested to see him.
Amara said she wanted to escort Osi and her father nodded. The doctor had come in and he was focused on the scary looking woman as she attended to his daughter.

.·.·.·.·.·
"So what are you going to do now?" Amara asked Osi as they descended the stairs.
"You mean what are we going to do...we're a team remember?" He corrected her with a smile. He seemed to forget every worry whenever he was with her and right now he was aware of only her presence, the killer could go to hell!
"You're right...what are we going to do?" Amara asked
"I found a shoe print that possibly belongs to the killer somewhere in the woods where he must have been hiding"
"Shoe print?" She sounded excited "Did you discover anything else?"
He shook his head. "Sadly no...but I took a picture of the pattern and if I have to go round the village looking at the sole of peoples feet then so be it" although he had a particular shoe sole in mind.
"Hmm..." Amara held his hand stopping him till he looked at her.
They were face to face and he suddenly had a powerful urge to kiss her.
What kind of pastor am I? I'm backsliding terribly! He thought to himself as he stared at her mouth. He was sure she would have the softest lips.
But Amara seemed to have other ideas. Something her sister said had caught her attention.
"I can point you in a good direction to start"
"Really, where?"
"I remember Paul used to have this very strong deodorant and it almost choked me the day I hugged him and the other day he grabbed me"
"Hmmm" Osi scratched his jaw. He hadn't shaved in days the stubble was increasing rapidly by the day.
"Do you have an idea the size of shoe he wears?"
"Errrm...I'd say average"
"Hmm...He's a prime suspect then, but does he wear okrika?"
She shook her head. "Not that I know of, right from time he used to love wearing designer clothes. But everyone at one point or another must have worn okrika"
"Okay...stay with your father and sister and please don't go anywhere alone, I need to pay the man another visit"

"Okay" She held his hand when he wanted to turn and he looked at her.
She decided to go for it, she had never kissed any man by making the first move before but she had a feeling she could grow white hair waiting for Osi to make a move.
She gave him a quick kiss on the lips and Osi blinked trying to clear his scrambled vision. His brain was spinning like planet Earth but without any axis.
"What...what was that for?" He asked. It felt nice and he wouldn't mind another one. He could tell it was going to hunt his memory. It had already started.
Amara smiled at him shyly "that was for good luck, please be careful.