CHAPTER TWO
"Why did you call me into your office?" Doctor Stones asked impatiently as he lowered himself into the nearest chair. His voice was sharp, betraying both irritation and curiosity.
Professor Clement stood by the window, hands clasped behind his back, gazing out thoughtfully. "To tell you what I've noticed — and what I know," he said evenly, his tone calm yet deliberate.
Doctor Stones frowned. "What you've noticed and what you know?" he repeated, incredulous. "Clement, don't you realise what's happening outside? A student just fell from the roof! And you're here playing riddles?" He turned abruptly towards the woman seated across the table. "Professor Camila, are we really going to sit here and listen to something so trivial when a girl might be dying out there?"
Professor Camila, who had been quietly reviewing a video on the iPad resting before her, paused the clip and turned to face him. "Doctor Stones, I think we should at least hear what he has to say. There's no point rushing out to a scene that's already being handled. The authorities are there now. Let's hear him out first."
Doctor Stones exhaled heavily, clearly unconvinced. Camila's finger hovered briefly over the iPad screen. The frozen image showed the same grim video circulating among the students — Mariam's bloodied body being lifted into the ambulance.
"An unsettled case?" Stones muttered bitterly. "That's why we're law professors — to settle cases, not to sit and watch them unfold."
Professor Clement turned slightly from the window, his face composed. "And what I'm about to say may actually help settle this case," he replied firmly.
Doctor Stones' frown deepened. Professor Camila, sensing the tension rising, turned off the iPad and gave Clement her full attention.
"Well then," said Stones, adjusting himself in his chair and folding his arms. His tone had softened, though scepticism lingered. "Expatiate."
Professor Clement moved from the window to a chair opposite them, crossing one leg over the other. After ensuring his comfort, he leaned forward slightly. "It concerns your son," he began calmly. "Your son is connected to the incident."
Doctor Stones froze. "My… son?" he repeated, his voice dropping a pitch. Professor Camila glanced quickly between the two men, sensing where this might lead.
"What do you mean by that?" Stones demanded. "My son was in class at the time. I know his schedule."
"That's what you think," Clement said steadily, gesturing with one hand. "But in reality, he wasn't where he was supposed to be."
"You're confusing me, Clement," Stones snapped, his patience wearing thin. "Are you saying my son was involved in that poor girl's fall?"
"I didn't say involved," Clement clarified, his tone precise. "I said related."
Doctor Stones' eyes narrowed. "Related? What in God's name does that mean? Are you implying my command of the English language is lacking?"
Camila raised her hand, hoping to diffuse the brewing argument. "Please, gentlemen," she interjected. "Professor Clement, kindly break it down. We're all on edge — clarity will help."
"Fine," Clement said with a sigh. "When I say related, I mean your son was somehow linked to what happened. Not directly part of the act itself, but in some way connected to the chain of events leading up to it."
Doctor Stones groaned and buried his face in his hands. "Good heavens, Clement. You always speak in riddles. Can you for once be straightforward?"
"Doctor Stones," Camila said patiently, "please allow him to finish. We all want to understand."
Stones lowered his hands, visibly irritated. "I'm listening, but if this turns out to be baseless, I swear—"
He was abruptly cut off by a series of sharp knocks on the door.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
All three turned towards the sound, startled.
"Are you expecting anyone?" Camila asked, glancing at Clement with a raised eyebrow.
"No," Clement replied slowly, stepping towards the door. "Come in."
The door opened, revealing a neatly dressed student in crisp, well-ironed corporate attire. He closed the door behind him and stood smartly before the professors, hands clasped.
"Doctor Janet requests your presence in the meeting room," the student announced clearly, his accent polished and his diction precise.
Doctor Janet — the Vice Chancellor of Truth and Justice College.
The professors exchanged quick, uncertain glances. It wasn't common for the Vice Chancellor to summon them this abruptly.
"Thank you, Caleb," Clement said with a polite nod.
The student nodded in return and quietly exited the room, closing the door behind him.
For a moment, the room was still.
"Meeting?" Stones muttered after a few seconds, clearly puzzled.
"I'm just as surprised as you are," Clement admitted, slipping into his suit jacket. "And it's only twenty-five minutes past six in the evening."
Camila straightened her skirt and rose from her chair. "It must be about the incident. The entire school is in chaos — she'll want answers."
Stones rose too, his face dark with suspicion. "Before we go anywhere, you'll explain exactly what you meant about my son. You said he's connected — how?" He jabbed a finger in Clement's direction.
Clement met his gaze calmly. "And I will explain, Doctor Stones. But not here — not yet. When we're in the meeting, you'll hear everything." He adjusted his tie, slipped his hands into his pockets, and added coolly, "And perhaps, for now, it's best you forget I mentioned it."
With that, he turned and left the office.
Doctor Stones stood motionless, staring after him. "You heard that?" he said finally, turning to Camila.
"I did," she replied, her tone low. "Let's follow his advice for now. Act oblivious until we know what's truly going on."
She walked past him and exited the room, leaving the door to swing softly shut behind her.
Stones remained there, alone in the office, the ticking of the wall clock suddenly loud in his ears. He ran a hand through his greying hair, confusion and anger wrestling across his face.
"What on earth is happening?" he muttered under his breath. "My son? Connected to this?"
He sank back into his chair, staring blankly at the empty doorway.
Outside, faint murmurs from the campus drifted in through the half-open window — anxious voices, footsteps, the distant hum of the city. The events of the evening hung over the college like a storm cloud.
Doctor Stones leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "If Clement's dragging my family into this circus," he said quietly, "then he'd better have proof."
The office fell silent again, heavy with unease, as the dim glow of evening deepened across the campus.