I walk back into the safe house, and the smell of fried yam and eggs hits me like a physical weight. My stomach growls, loud and sharp, reminding me that I am still human, even if I don't feel like one. Leo doesn't look up from his monitors as I close the heavy door and bolt it. The blue light of his screens makes his skin look pale, almost ghostly. I pull a chair up to the small wooden table and start to eat. The food is warm, but I barely taste it. My mind is still back at the bridge, watching the white lilies tremble in the wind.
"You're back". Leo finally says, his voice flat.
He finally turns his chair around.
"I saw the news. They found Victor. The police are calling it a botched robbery.
"They say he was a known drunk who wandered into the wrong alley. You got lucky, Xander. The rain washed away your footprints". He adds immediately.
I swallow a piece of yam and look at him.
"It wasn't luck. It was a plan. Now, tell me about Miller". I say eagerly.
Leo sighs and turns back to his keyboard. He types a few commands, and a new window pops up on the center screen. It is a digital folder labeled 2012 CASE FILE – REDACTED.
He clicks it open, and a grainy photo of a man in a police uniform fills the screen. The man has a thick neck, a buzz cut, and eyes that look like they've seen too much and cared too little.
"Sergeant Joseph Miller". Leo begins, his voice dropping an octave.
"He's fifty-four now. Back in 2012, he was the lead traffic officer for the district where the bridge is located. He was the first person to arrive at the scene after your parents' car went over. He was the one who wrote the initial report. He was the one who told the school, the media, and the lawyers that it was a solo accident caused by poor visibility and high speed". Leo says calmly.
I stop eating. The fork feels very heavy in my hand.
"What else do we have on him now? Where is he?" I ask firmly.
"He didn't stay a sergeant for long. Six months after your parents died, Miller resigned from the force. He claimed he had 'post-traumatic stress' from seeing too many accidents. But here is the interesting part, Xander. Two weeks after he turned in his badge, he bought a house in an upscale gated community in Lekki. Cash. No mortgage. No loans. A man on a sergeant's salary doesn't just wake up and buy a mansion with cash". Leo says, scrolling through a list of public records.
I feel the heat rising in my neck.
"The payout." I say, nodding.
"Exactly". Leo nods too.
"I dug into his private bank accounts. It took me all night to bypass the encryption, but I found a series of deposits made in October 2012. They came from a shell company called Horizon Logistics. That company doesn't exist anymore, but it was a front for the people who wanted that contract. Miller didn't just walk away, he was paid to go away. Since then, he's been living the quiet life. He owns a small fleet of private security vans now. He's rich, he's comfortable, and he thinks the world has forgotten about Joseph Miller". Leo says confidently.
I push the plate of food away. I am not hungry anymore.
"What was his actual position in the murder, Leo? I know he lied about the report. But was he there? Did he see the bike?" I ask out of curiosity.
Leo hesitates. He bites his lip and looks at the screen, then back at me.
"He wasn't just the guy who lied, Xander. He was the coordinator. According to the decrypted emails I found from the Horizon servers, Miller was the one who gave the dispatch rider the 'all clear'. He was sitting in his patrol car at the other end of the bridge. He blocked the traffic for three minutes, just long enough for Victor to hit your parents' car five times without anyone else seeing it. He watched the whole thing through his rearview mirror". Leo says, trying to avoid my gaze.
The room feels like it's spinning. I can see it now. My father trying to steer, my mother screaming, and a few yards away, a police car with its lights off, sitting in the dark, making sure no one came to save them. A man who was paid to protect my family stood by and timed their death with a stopwatch.
"He watched them drow". I whisper.
"He did more than watch, there's a voice memo in the archive. It's a recording of a radio call Miller made to the rider right after the splash. Do you want to hear it?" Leo says, his voice trembling slightly.
I nod. I don't trust my voice to speak.
Leo hits a button. The audio is scratchy, filled with the sound of heavy rain and wind. Then, a man's voice comes through. It is deep and calm, like he is ordering a cup of coffee.
"Target is submerged, Clean hit. Move out, Victor. I'm calling it in as a solo accident now. Send the rest of the payment to the usual spot". The voice says.
I grip the edge of the table so hard my knuckles turn white. That voice. I remember that voice from the night at the hospital. He was the one who patted me on the head and told me everything was going to be okay. He was the one who handed me a bottle of water while my parents were being pulled out of the lagoon in body bags.
"Where is he right now?" I ask.
My voice is different now. It is a blade.
"He is at his office in Victoria Island". Leo says.