THE SERIAL MASK BY MORUFAT AJANI CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

 THE SERIAL MASK BY MORUFAT AJANI

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Badru finally lifts his head, stealing a glance at Hanan, then at Akin. His lips tremble, but he forces himself to talk.

“Where…where did you..did you… take Leila to yesterday? Wh-why did you go and pick her up when you knew I wasn’t there?” Badru stammers. He is obviously anxious and intimidated by Akin.

Akin snaps. “Badru, are you insane? What are you even saying? Who told you I picked her? Did you see me there? Do you have proof that I did so? How dare you show up in my office to accuse me wrongly. Are you mad? You don’t have proof.”

Wait, how come these two are talking like they know each other prior today. Oh no, God please.

“You were…you…are… having an affair with her. So I don't think going to pick…pick…her should be a big deal,” Badru blurts, almost in a whisper and Hanan freezes.

“What?” Hanan says under her breath. Badru continues, trying to steady his voice and sound more confident.

“I saw your chats two days ago. And I saw the two of you doing a video call and her showing you her private part on a video call.”

Hannan's whole body is literally shaking now. Akin is having an affair with Leila? How? How is that even possible and how did it happen? Hanan thinks, feeling the urge to burst into tears.

What am I even thinking? What do I mean by How did it happen? Of course, this curse Akin seduced her just like he did to me. See me now, feeling extraordinarily heartbroken after hearing that he is having an affair with another person and obviously hiding a deadly secret. And above all, the fear I am feeling right now that he may actually be the serial k!ller for real and me hoping he's not with everything in me confirms I am falling in love with him. How did I end up here, God. How can I allow myself to make the same mistake twice. How come I am always giving my heart to bad people? How? How? Tears welld up in Hanan's face as the thought dangles in his mind.

Akin’s mouth parts slightly, shocked. “What are you talking about? Showing me what? I’ve never—”

“Don’t lie! Don’t even think of denying it. I saw it with my own eyes. I saw it!” Badru yells. Seeing Akin wanting to deny what he saw fuels Badru's anger towards Akin and makes him forget fear.

The room falls into eerie silence.

Hanan is watching the scene like her entire reality is melting. Her eyes scan Akin’s face, looking for guilt, something, anything. But he looks genuinely confused.

Is that confused face an act? Oh God, it can't be. If it's acting, then this guy is a big criminal. Hanan thinks.

Salmah suddenly gasps, her hand flying to her mouth. “What… sending private parts? Oh God.” Her voice breaks. Then she realizes that's actually not the reason they are there.

Then, in a split second, she lunges toward Akin, grabbing his shirt collar with both hands, shaking him violently.

“Where is my daughter?! Where is my daughter?! If you didn’t pick her, then who did?! She told me she was going to see you! So where is she?! Where is Leila?!” Her whole body is so worked up as she screams.

Akin tries to pull her hands off him gently. “Ma, please calm down—”

“Don’t tell me to calm down! Return my daughter! Bring her back to me!” she yells, tears rolling down her cheeks.

The therapy center security rushes out to help. Hanan also wish to move towards them but can't, her leg is so rooted to the ground out of shock.

After a while, Salmah slowly backs off, still crying.

“I’m going to the police. Maybe when the police interfere, you will tell them where you take my daughter to or are hiding her.” Salmah says, breathing heavily.

“And also, If anything happens to my daughter, I will burn everywhere down. I swear to God.”

With that, she storms out and Badru, still keeping a safe distance from Akin, follows Salmah quickly.

Akin watches them leave while trying to stretch his wrinkled clothes. Then slowly, his eyes drift to Hanan. She’s staring at him like there's no life in her. Tears have spilled all over her face. She's actually been shedding tears since.

Hanan moves to Akin slowly, her eyes wide, her face pale and confused. Her chest is rising and falling fast.

“Is it true?” she asks, voice shaky.

“Is what they just said true? What on earth is going on?” Her voice rises sharply. Her head feels like it’s about to burst.

Akin turns to her fully and seeing the way her hands are trembling, he moves closer to her, reaches out and gently holds her hand.

“Hanan… calm down. It’s not what you think.”

“What?” she snaps, snatching her hand back. “It’s not what I think? What does that even mean?” She asks and silently takes over for a moment.

Her voice shakes as she continues talking, “So it’s true… It’s true that you actually approached me for a reason. Because if not, then explain to me how…you…and Leila… my ex-husband’s wife…were having an affair? Explain to me like I am six years old how your meeting her and me is a coincidence.” She's staring at him, heart racing violently. She continues when Akin doesn't talk,

“I’m sure you approached her too. Just like you approached me. I am a hundred percent sure that you know Badru. Well, it's obvious. With the way he looked so intimidated by you. Do you have something against him and want to use Leila and I to get back at him? Because at this point, it’s looking like the both of us, me and Leila, are just bait for you to get to Badru.”

Akin starts shaking his head immediately, looking and sounding desperate. “No, no, no. That’s not true. I didn’t approach you for that reason. Your own is different…I swear, it's not…”

Hanan cuts in, eyes full of disbelief.

“Different as how? So you admit you approached Leila for a reason. For a motive. But me, my own is different?” She puts her hands on her head. “Oh my God… I’ve been scammed. I have believed lies. And see me believing and happy that you were actually a God-sent to me. So all those kindness of yours towards me and my daughter are lies? Why? Why? Why?!!” Hanan yells. Her whole body is shaking and her knees feel weak.

“Wait… is it to k!ll us? Is that it? Are you really the serial k!ller? Have I been sitting, laughing, and taking help from a cold-blooded serial k!ller?” She starts crying. She covers her face, her voice cracking. “Oh God…”

“No, Hanan. I swear, I am not the k!ller. Please believe me. I swear, I can’t even hurt a fly. I can’t even k!ll a cockroach. I’m not who they think I am. Please, believe me.”

Akin reaches for her hand again, but Hanan pulls away, harder this time.

“Don’t touch me.” Her voice is harsh, like she doesn’t even recognize him anymore.

“Let me guess… Badru is your next victim, right? And I’m just your way to reach him? Am I wrong?”

Akin doesn’t answer. He’s staring at her, looking sad.

“That silence is loud, Akin. It’s very loud. And don't even act sad, your acting will no longer convince me. Never again. So does that mean I’m the next after Badru and Leila. Or am I even the first on your list?” Then a sudden realization dawns on her and steps back from him immediately.

“Oh my God… what am I doing here with you?! Alone.!!!” Her eyes widened.

“The security is not here anymore. Only me and you.”

She’s panicking now. Her back hits the wall. Her heart is be-ating so fast it feels like it’s punching through her chest.

“Please, Hanan. Please believe me. Of all people… I need you to believe me.” Akin whispers.

“Me? Why me? Why not the whole world? Why am I the only one you’re begging?” Hanna fires back.

She stares at him with disgust and disbelief. “No, I won’t let you manipulate me again. I won’t let you make me doubt the truth. I won’t allow it.”

She grabs her packed bag from the floor and walks towards the door, still breathing hard. When she reaches the entrance, she looks back and says,

“Hear this, from now on, I’ll do what I should do. I will investigate you thoroughly and trust me, I will find out the truth. And if it turns out you’re the k!ller… I swear, Akin, I will hunt you down myself.”

She doesn’t wait for his response. She storms out of the therapy center without looking back. She's literally running with all her might.

Akin is frozen, staring at the door. His mouth opens slightly, but no words come out.

A few seconds later, he steps out of his office.

***

Hanan doesn’t leave the therapy center premises. Her legs carry her outside, but her detective mind stays locked around.

She's hiding in the space beneath the staircase. Then the moment she sees Akin step out through the side entrance.

The moment he’s gone, Hanan rushes back into the building. She's supposed to drop the therapy center’s key after packing her belongings but since she's no longer working there, she intentionally takes it with her.

Her palms are sweating, heart be-ating like it’s punching her ribs. The entire center is quiet. Just her breathing and the low hum of the AC.

She walks straight to Akin’s office, slowly opens the door, and enters.

She shuts the door quietly and turns on the light. Then she begins searching.

Her hands are trembling so badly and she's looking at the entrance every minute. She's so scared but determined to search for any evidence at all.

She checks the bookshelf, opens the drawers, flips through files but she finds nothing unusual or anything that screams “serial k!ller.” Until she opens the second drawer.

The drawer is always locked so she doesn't bother to try to open it at first. She just thinks she should open it today and here it is, unlocked. She opens it and continues searching.

Then her hand touches a black hardback notebook tucked under a stack of folders. No label on it. Just a plain dark cover.

She opens it and the first page slaps her heart cold.

She sees the clear, printed headshots of the murdered women and men. She used to be in charge of the serial k!ller case so she recognizes the people well.

And also, their names, date and age written beneath each photo.

This is the confirmation that she's been scared to have. This is the confirmation that for sure, Akin is the serial k!ller.

So it’s true. Akin is the serial k!ller. Her mind is reeling with a lot of thoughts.

As Hanan slides the book, her throat tightens and her body is shivering.

Then she sees the last victim that died recently. After that one is herself, Hanan.

Hanan’s legs almost give way. The room spins in her eyes and her head feels light.

What…what is this?

Her lips part but no sound comes out.

My own face? My name? My age. Me??? I am also among the next victims.

She’s shaking now, her head spinning, and her hands cold.

“Oh my God,” she whispers, backing away like the book is on fire.

“Oh my God…” She says again, forcing herself to breathe.

Her legs give her away and she falls on the floor. Fear mixes with shock in her mind and she's feeling so out of her mind. After a few while, she gets back to her senses and stands up.

She flips the book to the last picture and sitting on the headshot book is Leila.

Seeing Leila's face, Hanan gasp and widens her eyes.

The fact that Leila is after her on the list and not after the guy who died recently baffles her. She is thinking, so she will actually be the next after Leila since he skipped her this time around? Was it on purpose?

And also with what she heard earlier that Akin went to pick Leila at her mother's house yesterday. Hanan’s panic increases,

“Oh God, Leila and I are in danger. She's definitely in danger at the moment. She's been kidnapped. She's the next on the list and I am probably the next after Leila. I need to hurry and go report at our station. Oh God.”

She pulls out her phone with the intention of snapping and recording the evidence and everywhere but as she's about to do it, the door office creaks open and Akin enters.

Hanan's heartbe-at stops and her phone drops to the ground from her hand.

Akin stops walking and his eyes move from Hanan's face to the book in her hand. Then back to her face. Seeing the book she's holding, Akin clenches his fist so hard to the point that he's in pain.

His facial expression changes immediately and he says