Murder On Christmas Eve

Chapter 8

"What are they doing now?" Chioma asked from where she stood behind her door, while Kachi was watching Michael and Sochima from the stairway, giving Chioma update.

"Nothing, they are just mixing in with friends and your mother is going to talk to them...Wow! They look like a nice couple," Kachi said smiling as she watched from above, Sochima was resting her head on Michael shoulders while laughing.

"Who cares what they look like?! Why are they even here— not 'they', Michael. He is meant to be working on the case, not going to parties with girls. I am the one meant to be relaxing. And... do you think this was planned? I mean... how is it possible that the only guy Sochima happens to bring here is my annoying partner?" She turned around and walked to her bed, falling face flat on it, she pressed her head into her pillow.

"Why don't you go say hi," Kachi suggested, walking back into the room.

"Noooo! Puffcont hu wah hi are yousb frexy!"

"You might want to raise your head and talk, you are speaking in the mumble jumble language." She walked over to Chioma sitting down beside her.

"I said..." She turned around, facing the ceiling. "I can't go say hi, are you crazy?"

"Why can't you?"

"Because, I don't think Michael knows where he is, he and Sochima might have met somewhere, and he had no idea she was my cousin, this is just one big, stupid, coincidence and..." She jumped up immediately, and ran to her bag. "I have an idea."

"Ok, what's that?"

"I am going to call him," She said, scrolling through contacts, searching for Michael's own. She found it, just under a contact she didn't know

I have a friend named Mimi?

She shrugged and dialled Michael's number.

"Why? I don't think that's a good id-"

"Shhhh." She said putting her left index finger on her mouth, "it's ringing." She whispered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michael felt his phone vibrating in his chest pocket, he was going to ignore, but suspected it to be Chioma.
"Excuse me ladies, I am going to go take this."

He freed his hand from Sochima, gave a small smile to the elderly woman who was the host of the event and walked away to an area where the music wasn't so loud. Bringing the phone out from his pocket, it showed ‘Chioma’ on the screen. Sighing, he swiped to the right, answering the call.

"Hey partner!" Her voice came through the phone cheerily.

"Chioma?" It was her voice he heard, it was her name he had seen, but the tone she spoke with wasn't one he was used to.

"Yes, it's me Michael. So any update?"

"Uh...yeah! Yeah, I was going to talk to you about it tomorr-"

"Is that music I hear?"

"Music?"

"Yes music."

"Maybe...look, can we meet tomorrow?" Michael sighted Sochima approaching with what seems like a couple behind her, "talk to you later." He ended the call. He watched as Sochima walked towards him in a strutted manner.

"Michael, let me introduce you to my cousin Somto and his fiancée, Jennifer." She said as she halted, standing beside Michael.

"Hey, nice to meet you." He said, plastering the fake smile he has been giving to the couples who had approached them since he got here.