Vicky appeared in class later, feeling quite distressed. She was worried about what she prophesied to Wayne’s professor and more, about what was going on with Wayne.
But, she dared not tell anyone. Not even Emeka though, sitting next to her in the lecture hall, he realized that, something was wrong.
She recalled Mr. Hurts’ instruction of keeping the incident under wraps.
As her class waited bluntly for the next lecturer to walk in, Vicky noticed Kyle, making his way through the occupied benches to her side.
“Oh my God.” She found herself murmuring. She just hoped that, it was no terrible news.
Emeka glanced at her and remained silent, wondering what she was worried about.
“Excuse me?” Kyle sounded at the third desk from Vicky.
She waited patiently till he arrived.
“Hallo? Hi?” Kyle greeted Vicky and Emeka.
“Hallo.” Vicky said.
“Hey.” Emeka replied with a short wave of hand.
Kyle turned to Vicky. “Hey amh, tomorrow we’ll be meeting with the record company. You, Deborah and the rest of the band.”
She nodded though, the information had not yet sunk into her mind. “And Wayne?”
“Oh. He’s leaving to Ohio. Didn’t he tell you that? I haven’t seen him since this morning, though.”
“Me neither.” She sighed.
“But, don’t worry. We already have his beats in an iPad. It will be the task of our usual producer to put them in the song.”
She nodded.
“Okay. So, nine pm sharp,” Kyle added about to leave. “We’ll meet at the usual place. The Derby.”
“Alright. Thank you.”
“Sure.” He said and turned around, leaving.
“You’re going to record Salvation tomorrow?” Emeka asked Vicky after Kyle left.
Vicky turned to him. “Yes.”
“I can’t wait to have your CD.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
“Okay. And you should think about sending it to Africa. You will be the only African in the group.”
Her face lightened. “Yeah. I never thought of that. Thank you Emeka.”
He just smiled and turned back to his work.
#
A couple of miles away, Mr. Hurts reported to the hospital where Mike was hospitalized. He was asked by the doctors to wait outside in the lobby while they operated on Mike, to remove the bullet from his shoulder.
The police had already arrived, soon enough because, the hospital refused to treat Mike without a police file.
They interrogated Mr. Hurts with the security guards and the medical personnel who took Mike to the hospital and administered First Aid to him, to prevent further bleeding.
Mr. Hurts provided little information in order to protect his students. He already thought that Astrophe shot Mike and despite this, he wanted to protect him.
Some of the policemen left in search for Wayne; being that, he was the one who gave the information that his friend was shot.
As time lapsed, Mr. Hurts grew more and more anxious. Suddenly, he saw Astrophe and Gregory rush into the hospital in blue and dark suits.
NB: For the professor, Wayne was either Mr. Harts or Astrophe. For the rest of us, we just call him Wayne.
“Mr. Hurts.” Wayne called, approaching the professor in front of a red coach.
A policeman, who was keeping watch for either Wayne or Gregory from the reception desk, drew closer to the three and greeted the boys. “Which of you is Astrophe Harts?”
“They are with me.” Mr. Hurts said quickly, to Wayne’s amazement, and took their side.
The officer narrowed his eyes at the professor and nodded, leaving.
Mr. Hurts sighed with relief after the officer was out of earshot. He turned back to the boys, and drew them to a hidden corner, between huge flower pots of the hospital lobby.
“Mr. Hurts.” Wayne called again.
“Who shot Mike?” Was his response.
“Alexandra Georgia.” Wayne replied, referring to Posh.
Mr. Hurts glanced at him. “Who is she? Is she in our class?”
“She always sits in the back seats. She has purple hair.” Gregory described.
“She and Annie Earl are the only girls in our group.” Wayne added.
“Okay.” Mr. Hurts said. “How did the gun end up in Mike’s hand without any prints of the shooter?”
Wayne explained to the professor the theory of Mike’s fake suicide attempt which he guessed, Mike made in order to protect Posh. That and the video evidence.
“Where is it?” Mr. Hurts asked.
“Here.” Wayne replied, taking Mike’s phone from his pocket and giving it to the professor.
Mr. Hurts went through the gallery first and then checked out the latest video. He played it at a low voice and skipped some parts.
“Where is this girl now?” He asked afterward.
“In her apartment,” Wayne replied.
“Is she psychologically fine?” Mr. Hurts asked again.
“Yes. We left her with Miley.” Gregory answered.
Mr. Hurts turned to him and said. “Okay. I will have to talk to her but,” he turned to Wayne. “We cannot avoid submitting this to the police. Otherwise, you will be held responsible for covering for assault and for concealing critical evidence which could interfere with police investigation.”
Wayne looked down. “I had more concern for Posh, Alexandra.”
“I understand that but, you can’t do anything now.” He waved the phone in his hand. “This has to go to the police and you have to go to Ohio. I will take care of defending your friend. And don’t you worry, she will not go to jail.”
Wayne furrowed his eyebrows in queer. He thought that, he didn’t hear something right. “You’re letting me go home?”
Mr. Hurts nodded.
“But, you haven’t received my presentation.” He said, in amazement.
“You’re wrong because I did. And although I didn’t check it, I’ve seen your progress now with your presumption of the suicide fake of Mike Reeds in order to cover up for attempted murder during a romantic quarrel.”
Wayne was very amused. Though he was in sorrow, he found a reason to grin.
“In fact,” Mr. Hurts added, turning to Gregory. “You all did your assignment well. Mike, knowing the key evidences to incriminate his girlfriend, picked up her gun and wiped her prints. He locked himself inside his house so at least, though the wound on his shoulder would not have verified a suicide attempt, it would have left the jury in the dark of the true criminal.” He explained. “It’s like, you indirectly collaborated in this case. Astrophe, you came to collect the last evidence and notified your friend first. Together, you and Gregory agreed to keep the proof until you met your client, Alexandra. Though, that isn’t recommended ethically, you did something.”
Greg found himself smiling.
“Thank you sir. Do you know how Annie and professor Earl are?” Wayne said and asked. The mention of his group made him recall Annie.
“Oh.” Mr. Hurts sighed. “I didn’t talk to professor Earl directly but, I know that, she asked for a leave for more than three weeks after losing her husband.”
Wayne was silent. He thought that, he skipped a heartbeat. He was shocked.
“Oh Jesus. So, Annie’s father, died?” Gregory asked, after having digested Mr. Hurts’ statement.
Mr. Hurts nodded somberly. “I’m afraid, yes.”
Wayne drew a deep sigh. “I don’t understand. She was so cheerful when she left. She came to see me in the clinic when I injured my leg a couple of weeks ago.” He shook his head. “I just don’t believe it. She must be so sad.”
“I think that, she was not aware of what her father was suffering from. From what I know, Mr. Earl was terribly ill. Professor Bard told me that, the man was clinically dead about that time when professor Earl left with Annie to New Mexico.” Mr. Hurts went on.
“This is terrible.” Gregory said.
“I don’t know. I feel so sad right now. For Annie.” Wayne confessed.
“It has been a series of tragedies for the Law department. Once this issue of Mike is calm, we’ll let the class know about what happened to Annie.” Mr. Hurts said.
Gregory nodded.
Wayne was silent. He wondered what would meet him after returning home and facing his family. He just did not want to find his mother dead. Not now when he already wanted to spend more time with her and the rest of his family. Not now when his heart had already changed. Not now when he already met Jesus.
“Wayne?” Mr. Hurts called him.
He turned to the professor. “Yes sir?”
“You have to go home and check out the situation there.”
Wayne nodded and sighed.
“When would you like to leave?” The professor inquired.
“Tomorrow. I’ll check first how the situation goes with Mike’s health and perhaps, give a defensive statement for Posh.”
“Yes. You will have to provide a statement but, leave out collecting the evidence.” Mr. Hurts instructed.
“Yes sir.” Wayne agreed.
“I also will give a statement. Perhaps, assessing Posh’s character. In aid to the case.” Greg offered.
“Yes. Thank you.” Mr. Hurts said and glanced behind them.
The boys turned around and steeled themselves to face a couple of police men.
They walked directly to them from the entrance.
The head of them, a black officer, fixed his gaze on the two boys. “Which of you is Astrophe Hurts?”
“I am.” Wayne replied, confidently.
The officer turned to him, about to add. “You have to escort us-“
“It’s okay, Officer.” Mr. Hurts interrupted. “These boys only confided to me the person who shot Mike Reeds.” Mr. Hurts said. “Her name is Alexandra Georgia. She is their friend, my student and my client.”
The officer took sometime debating that. “What evidence do you have to support such an accusation?”
The professor waved Mike’s phone in his hand. “This belongs to the victim. It contains the video of thirty minute duration, verifying that, Alexandra Georgia did shoot Mike Reeds.”
“I will have that.” The other officer, with gloves in his hand, said, grasping the phone from Mr. Hurts.
He stored it in a transparent bag.
“We will check that out but, Mr. Astrophe will still have to accompany us to the station.” The head officer said to him and paused to add, “We have to take his statement.”
Wayne nodded.
“I’ll go with you.” Greg offered.
“And you are…?” the head policeman asked.
“Gregory Bale. Wayne is my classmate and friend.”
The officer nodded. “Alright. We also need your statement.”
“That’s right. I am willing to cooperate.” Gregory said.
“I will go with you,” Mr. Hurts offered the boys, when the policemen begun to leave ahead of them.
“It is not necessary Mr. Hurts. We can take care of everything on our own.” Wayne assured him. “When Mike wakes up, someone has to be there to talk to him.” he added, assuming that Mike was sedated to facilitate his recovery.
Mr. Hurts nodded and sighed. “Alright. May God take care of you.”
Wayne smiled to hear the word ‘God’ from the tyrant professor for the first time ever.
The boys left and Mr. Hurts retired to the waiting couch, reconnecting with God in prayers for the recovery of his student and the welfare of the rest of his class.
#
stay tuned for more to come in the #twoweeksstory
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