SHATTERED

╣TWENTY-ONE╠

       The chirping of birds was only what Ethel could hear as she brusquely trekked down the street leading to Cambridge police department, it was exactly 7am when she left her self-contained apartment. She wasn't an early riser but she had to succumb to it, if she wanted to keep her job. The chilling morning breeze, blew on her hair as she walked. She listened to the chirping of the birds, using her imagination to turn the chirping to a lovely rhythm. She let her mind wander to the last Interrogative section she had with the victim–the victim of the rape case she was working on for over four months now.

“Have you ever seen the man before, before he kidnapped you and sexually assaulted you?” Ethel asked Adelaide Miller, the rape victim.
“No…I don't know him, I don't even know his name. All what I know about him is, he has a brown hair and a tatoo of a  little girl holding a red rose, dripping with blood on his thigh.” Adelaide lips trembled as she spoke, she was still suffering from the trauma of the rape.
“Tatoo? A little girl holding a red rose, dripping with blood?”
“Yes, he told me to touch it.”
“Can you describe how the tattoo looks like? I will call an artist to draw as you describe.”
“The girl has a golden blonde hair, a sea blue eyes, pointed nose, she is light skinned, she wore a blue pyjamas with a cartoon character– Elsa from Frozen. The girl looks sad, she held the rose tightly to her chest and the petals of the rose was falling down and blood was dripping from it too. The tattoo looks creepy.” Adelaide scrunched her face as she described the disturbing image of the tattoo, the rapist had told her to touch it and lick it. She shuddered from the horrid thought, tears stung her eyes as she looked at Detective Ethel.
“You are going to be okay, Detective Moore and I  will not rest until we find the perpetrator. I assure you.” Ethel said, reassuringly
“Okay.” the girl sobbed.

That interrogation had taken place three months ago, she promised Adelaide, she will find the perpetrator and now, She and Detective Moore hasn't come out yet with any possible conclusion on the case. The dangerous criminal is still on the run and here she is doing nothing about it? The fact is that she has done her best on this case but her best isn't enough, she mustn't betray the little girl's trust. She said a short prayer in her heart to God for him to help her on the case. God had answered most of all her prayer request, so she quite trusted him that he will work this one out too. Is there anything difficult for God to do? Absolutely, Nothing… Nothing at all.

                   ➰➿➰

“No one is as confused as I am, Miss Clifford…I am damn confused especially with the description of the tattoo mark the girl described, how are we going to find such person? Are we going to be telling all the male in England to remove their clothes so we can see if they have the tattoo on their thigh or not?”
Ethel laughed, “I don't know…God will help us. We've tried our best, we left no table unturned or is there?”
“No, we've interrogated everyone who is connected with the case. Ha, what have we not done?” he sighed deeply, loosening his tie, around his neck.
“Hey, Honourable detective Moore, Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD– Psalm31:24,  Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong– 1 Corinthians16:13, Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things– 1 Corinthians 13:7 and lastly, with men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible–Matthew 19:26b” Ethel said and folded her arms across her chest, reclining on her chair.
“Wow! You are a bible genius! You quoted over three verses of the bible, that's splendorous!” Detective Moore clapped his hands.
“Thanks to my High school English teacher, Mrs Okoye who taught me how to read my Bible and pray everyday.” Ethel grinned proudly.
“Hmm, she must be very dear to you.”
“So dear.” she touched her chest and closed her eyes, smiling.
“You've really motivated me to read my Bible everyday, so I could be a bible genuis like you.” Detective Moore said and winked at her, laughing.
“Good,… oh, please sorry I need to answer this call.” Ethel said as soon as her phone rang, she picked it up from the table, placing it on her ear. “Hello, Mr Okoye, how are you? How is Belinda?” she asked him, concerned.
“Hey, dear, calm down. We are fine. Don't get yourself all worked up because of us,we are doing fine. See, I have good news for you.”
“Am all ears.”
“Belinda has put to bed.”
“Really?! When?”
“Early this morning, around…um, 3am.”
“My God!” Ethel gaped, she was so excited.
“It is a healthy, cute little baby boy.”
“God is good!” she looked up to the ceiling, thanking God.
“He is. She's here, do you want to speak with her?”
“Of course, why not?”
“Hello, God's princess, how are you?”
“I am good, congratulations!”
“Thanks dear, hope you are not missing me too much?”
“You know I am.” Ethel laughed.
“How's your job?”
“Stressful but I love my job.”
“That's good.”
“Guess what?”
“Um…you got promoted?”
“Nah…” she laughed. “I met an old friend from Edenville High school, yesterday.”
“Who? Sylvia?”
“Not at all, Sylvia is still in America, remember?”
“Oh yeah, that's true.”
“I met Brian, the clumsy handsome dark skinned boy. Do you remember him?”
“I guess so.”
“He is pretty muscled up now and still handsome with  those cute dimples.” Ethel laughed.
“How is he doing?”
“He is a bit fine, ’cause he is suffering from depression.”
“Ow, what happened to him?”
“I can't start telling you in details because I am at work presently, later in the evening, I'll call back to chat with you some more. My boss is already frowning at me.” she arched an eyebrow, smiling slyly at Detective Moore who was scowling at her.
“I am sorry, I forgot, bye. Take care.”
“You too. Congrats once again.” she said and hung up.
“I am sorry for the…” she tried apologizing to Detective Moore.
“It's nothing. Uh,…by the way, who was that?”
“Mr and Mrs Okoye.”
“No wonder you were happy talking on the phone.”
“Mhm.” she nodded, blushing. “I just can't wait for the  arrival of Christmas.”
“Me too, I am already perceiving the sweet fragrance of Christmas, especially with the cold weather of today. Did you notice?”
“Yes, I did.” Ethel giggled.
“Merry Christmas!”
“Merry Christmas!”
They laughed their anxiety out. They needed to do that, they need to rejoice in the Lord to suppress the anxiety they had concerning the rape case.

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
🍁 Philippians 4:4🍁