The interrogation room was sterile, cold,just like every other room Annah had been in for the past few years. But today, there was no hospital bed to lie in, no doctor to comfort her, no familiar voice whispering that everything would be okay.
Today, it was just her. And Detective Stella Njoroge.
Annah sat across from Stella at the table, arms folded, her posture stiff. She had done this many times before ,sat in front of people who asked questions they thought would unravel her. But nothing could.
She had been through too much. Had seen too much. And her resolve was stronger than anything they could throw at her.
"Annah Mwende," Detective Stella said, the sound of her voice oddly harsh in the quiet room. "You're under investigation for the murders of Kevin Langat, Pastor John, and Wendo Munge and Mr Mbithi. We need answers."
Annah didn't flinch. She didn't even blink. Instead, she locked eyes with the detective, her gaze sharp but distant.
"I'm sure you do," she replied, her voice low but steady. "But I don't think I can help you with that."
Stella leaned forward, her gaze never leaving Annah's face. "You think this is a game?" she asked, her tone cold. "You think we don't know what's been happening?"
Annah shifted slightly, her lips curling into a faint, almost imperceptible smile. "I don't know what you think you know, Detective. But if you think I'm going to confess to something I didn't do, you're wasting your time."
Stella's jaw tightened, but she didn't break eye contact. "You've been connected to all of them Mbithi,Kevin, John, Wendo. The victims all knew you, Annah. They all had ties to you. You can't pretend it's just coincidence."
Annah's smile remained, but it was colder now, more dangerous. "I never said it was coincidence."
Stella let out a breath, trying to maintain control. "Then why, Annah? Why kill them?"
Annah's expression remained blank, her eyes cool. "Because I had to. Or they would've kept hurting me."
Stella frowned, her fingers tapping the table, a small sign of the pressure mounting within her. "And now they're gone. What does that make you, Annah? A survivor? Or a killer?"
Annah's eyes flickered for a moment, something unreadable passing through them. But she didn't respond. Instead, she studied Stella, her face like a mask.
"I'm not the one who should be in here, Detective," Annah said quietly, her voice suddenly soft. "You're wasting your time on me. You should be focusing on the ones who made me this way."
Stella frowned, confused. "Who?"
Annah's gaze darkened, but she didn't answer.
The silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating. Stella couldn't read her. Annah wasn't nervous. She wasn't scared. She wasn't even defiant. She was... distant. Detached.
"Do you think this is over?" Stella asked, her voice sharp, trying to provoke a reaction. "Do you think killing them will bring you peace?"
Annah didn't move. "Peace," she repeated slowly. "Maybe I don't want peace. Maybe what I want is justice."
"Justice?" Stella leaned in. "You don't get to decide what justice is, Annah. You don't get to play judge, jury, and executioner."
Annah's eyes narrowed just slightly, but the rest of her remained still. "Maybe someone has to. Because the people who were supposed to do that..." Her voice dropped, barely above a whisper, "...failed."
Stella's heart clenched, but she refused to let it show. "What are you talking about?"
"Dr. Kariuki," Annah said, her voice quiet but cutting. "He knew. He saw it all, and he did nothing. He watched them hurt me. He knew what they did to Lucy, and he didn't stop it."
Stella's breath caught. She knew about Kariuki ,she had suspected his involvement. But hearing Annah say it like that... It was a confirmation she hadn't expected.
"I know what you think about him," Annah continued, her voice soft, almost sad. "You think he's just a doctor. A man who helps people. But sometimes... the people who should protect you are the ones who hurt you the most."
Stella's hands clenched into fists under the table. "And that's why you killed them. Because they hurt you."
Annah's eyes flickered to her. "Because they deserved to die."
Stella leaned back, studying Annah, her mind racing. This wasn't what she had expected. She had been prepared for resistance, for deflection, but Annah wasn't resisting her. She wasn't even deflecting. She was just... cold. Detached.
Annah continued, as if speaking to herself more than to Stella. "Wendo. Kevin. John. They were all part of something much bigger than me. I didn't have a choice. But you... you'll never understand."
Stella's stomach twisted. "I understand more than you think."
Annah's gaze flickered. For the first time, there was a hint of something...doubt? Fear?...in her eyes. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared. She straightened in her seat, pulling the mask back into place.
"I don't care what you think, Detective," Annah said, her voice steady once more. "I didn't do this for you. I didn't do it for anyone but myself."
The words hung in the air like a final warning, a challenge that Stella couldn't ignore.
"I'll be back, Annah," Stella said quietly, her voice hard. "And when I come back, I won't be asking you questions anymore. I'll be charging you."
Annah didn't respond. She just watched Stella leave, her expression unreadable.
As Stella stepped out of the room, she felt the weight of the encounter settle in. She hadn't gotten what she needed. Annah had said nothing to incriminate herself. Nothing that could tie her to the murders beyond suspicion.
But Stella knew this wasn't over. Not by a long shot.