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LAYLA THE BOOK OF DEATH
The woman who just stepped out of the bookstore squinted her face as the water fell in a torrent from the sky. After putting the novel in her hand inside her clothing, she raced towards the black Jeep parked in the parking space far off, jerked the door open and hopped inside immediately."Welcome mummy! You are drenched with water.""Yes, babe. Mommy is drenched because of her addiction to reading," the middle age woman in a blue backless top and blue jean trousers turned toward the scowling man on the seat beside her, offered a weak smile and let out, "am sorry, honey. I will be bored through the journey if I don't have a novel with me.""What if we missed our train? Your mother will be mad at us if we failed to meet up today. We had promised to spend the new year with her."The lady sighed, peered at the golden wristwatch in her hand and announced, "we still have some hours before the departure time," she paused her speech, picked up the towel on top of the car dashboard and wipe t
LAYLA THE SAFEST PLACE ON EARTH
The gloomy-looking tall man walked with a lack of alacrity towards the blue and white painted office. In truth, a delighted soul makes a happy face.Dressed in a black striped shirt, black trousers and leather shoes, he was unaware of the bowing of his comrades as he sauntered into the elevator, and his mind rioted till he reached the front of an office, dipped his hand inside his pocket and brought out a bunches of key, inserted it in the keyhole and then yanked the door opened.The office he merged into was painted white and blue, clean, and adorned with a few pieces of furniture, a laptop, and some other electronic devices. And the sturdy man walked into his chair, sighed and sat with a growl, and promptly opened one of the files in his front.The anger on his face became more threatening as he flipped through the pages, and the knocking on his door made him grumble louder and asked, "who is there? Am busy right now." The door was pushed open and a pretty woman in a short black gow
LAYLA RANDOM DEATH
The first house visited by officer Zuma and her assistant is a magnificent duplex, and they were welcome into a large parlour with beautiful furniture and gadget that were meant for the rich alone. A tall and elderly man with fluffy grey hair stood up to welcome them, then let out, "today is the saddest day of my life.""How did it happen?""She woke up early while I was still in bed, prepared my breakfast and went to read in the library upstairs. Hours later, after calling her name without any response, I climbed the stairs up and found her in her puddle of blood.""Where is she?""Come with.""I hope you haven't tampered with the crime scene?""No. I called you instantly and was downstairs waiting till you come. Have called all my children to inform them of their mother's death, and I am sure they were still shocked by the news."The two police officers followed the aged man up the stairs, arrived inside the first room that served as the inhabitant's library, and were welcomed into
LAYLA FIND THE MISSING PUZZLE
According to Zuma's assumption, the next crime scene visited by him and Isabella was the most horrific of all and the sight of the suicide victim lingered in his mind for a very long time after.She was a newly married lady, full of life and plans for the future, and this was the reason why her death was the greatest shock to her community. He squirmed at the sight of her slashed throat, and the puddle of blood around her seemed to form eerie shapes. And just like the previous suicide victims with sick smiles on their lips and glint of happiness on their faces, she had enjoyed the insane action with pleasure. Like before, all efforts to trace the reason for the startling suicide proved abortive. And after the promise to get to the root of the matter, Zuma and his deputy stepped out of the deceased house and were back in their patrol car a moment later. "This is getting more confusing," Isabella who had been glaring at the moving images as the car raced back to the police headquart
LAYLA THE THIRD SUICIDE SCENE
"One thing is common with almost all the suicide victims that we had visited today," Zuma announced as he stepped into the library, gawked at the dead students, and resumed his speech, "they all die in the library and... Oh my goodness!" "What is it, boss." "I have seen this book at almost all the crime scenes," he paused his speech, stooped down and picked one of the blue cover novels with a picture of a weird girl, stare at it for a while, and then let out, 'it was your suggestions to look for something supernatural that makes me realized this. I think this book has to do with the death on this island." "Where is the librarian?" "Over, here. Mam," the red-eyed lady wobbled into sight, glanced at the dead students arranged in a line and then burst into tears. "I swear before all the gods, I know nothing of their deaths, and the cake given to them did not contain any drug or poison... Let me eat this unfinished one to prove my innocence." "Never mind," Zuma answered back, peered a
LAYLA THE NEW MOON KILLER
The locked door gave way after two shoulder thrusts, and the four people raced inside, then stood horrified at the sight in their front. As naked as a newborn baby, the aged man laid his back on the table, slashed his stomach with a razor and arranged some of his intestines around himself. And as usual, his last smile was that of contentment and not of fear. "Ahh!" "Holy Cross!" One of the teachers raised her two arms and placed them on her chest, then vomited immediately. While the other lady shook and fainted. "He is dead. There is nothing we can do for him, but we need to wake her up." "We need some water. She is still breathing." "Get her out of this room and lock the door. I need to make some calls." "Help me, I can't carry her alone." "Ask her colleagues to help." "She is still in shock and needed help as well." "Oh... Shit!" After minutes of waking the lady up, and another hour that it takes to return sanity to the school, Zuma and his partner sneaked out through t
LAYLA A SHADOW OF ITSELF
The journey takes the whole daytime and the travellers reached their destination when the stars were about to resume their duty for the night.The address leads them to a bungalow on the outskirts of the townlet. And after parking in the parking lot, both officers hopped down the car and walked into the weather-beaten house.""I don't think there is anyone here. Look at the overgrown grasses and the dirty environment.""Let's go inside... Anyone here!""Hello!"The front door was unlocked, and the two officers stepped inside and peered all around. "Anyone here!"The sound of scurrying feet became audible, and an old man with a toothless grin peeked out of one of the rooms, stare at the two intruders and asked, "what did you want?""We are looking for the publisher of this book," Zuma brought out the copy of LAYLA in his hand, walked toward their host, and then stopped when the man screamed out."Take that cursed book off my sight.""Apology," Zuma answered back, put the novel in his
LAYLA TWENTIETH DISTRESS CALL
Beware of your thought, you don't know when an angel will say amen to them. The first telephone call was from the state deputy governor, and Zuma's heart left his chest when he heard the sad news. "The governor is dead and you are the last visitor he welcomes into his office. Come right now, please." Although this is the twentieth distress call from the family of the bereaved, Zuma knew the call from the state secretariat is more important than the rest. After his oral dismissal from service, he drove to his house, picked up a few clothings and drove into the police headquarters to drop his letter of resignation. And he was in his office to park his few belongings when the telephone calls commenced. The first call was from a mother who lost her two twins to the hand cold of death. According to her, the two boys left their house some minutes earlier and were later found inside the lagoon some kilometres away. The second call was from a man, and he was at the point of hysterical wh