episode 41
Gabriel
The police officers had alre-ady put him in an interrogation room. I wanted to know why he wasn’t behind bars alre-ady! I knew it wasn’t that easy to l@yan allegation of murder onto someone but we had proof and I heard it from the horse’s mouth, so why the delay.
I was tem-pted to take laws in to my arms and do it the old testament way, ” An eye for an eye” but Andy had no spouse.
” scre-w me – I cursed un-der my breathe and twisted the door handle, i went straight to him and landed a b!ow to his left jaw.
” You bastard, you will pay for this”
” I don’t know whats going on here” he brushed hisl-ips against his shoulder, wiping away any so-re or pain literally . His arms had been cuffed and the his face alre-ady red due to the the room’s high temperature.
I yanked another b!ow but my arm was pu-ll-ed back by a f0rç£. The police officers had rushed into the room, they probably waited until that moment to restrain me from inflicting injury to the heartless man.
” sir ,take it easy” an officer said , he held my fist and ti-ghtly puled it back ” let us do our job”
” well, I’m not seeing any of it ” I replied ” this man nee-ds to be interrogated -”
” I’m not saying anything , until I see my lawyer ” Andy blurted out.
He fixed his gaze at me and I knew he was up to something, and these officers were too dumb to know what he had in mind.
I wanted to slit his throat, cut out his voice box and feed it to the vultures. He disgusted me, and every breathe he took angered me the more.
” you think you can buy your way out ? I’m re-ady to go any length until you are behind bars.”
” I’m not saying a word ” he replied.
Having heard that , I pu-ll-ed away from the officers grip and went outside towards the counter . The officers locked the door and just in that moment of glance, my eyes locked in with Andy’s.
The last time I got a similar stare , I had beat up a young boy who pestered my sister, trying to court her.Many years ago.
Andy’ s eyes radiated fear on his p@rt, and a spark of guilt which was f0rç£d upon him. He wouldn’t get me with that! He was the culprit.
” Fuvk – ” I ban-ged my fist on the counter.
“Oga easy nah, ” A constable said “which one be this , you think this is your parlour?
If only this man had almost lost his wife few hours ago, he ‘d un-derstand my plight. The same moment when Kate was in crisis,Tayo had gone into a shock and the medical team didn’t get to him on time. He kicked the bucket, at last .
The detective in charge of Andy’s case c@m£ out of the D.P.O ‘s office and his face was not promising to yield good news. He fixed his gaze upon me and held me on the shoulder and carefully whispered into my ear.
” Sir, this case would be ha-rd to fight ” he said ” giving the fact that your wife’s friend had agreed to testify, and you have another witness that can prove he masterminded both attacks ” the detective looked me in the eye” we are one step ahead , meanwhile , your wife’s secret should be high priority. ”
This why I loved Nigerian police, pay them money and they will plant evidence where there is none.
” Only my family knows about it” I began calmly ” she is perfectly safe. And our suspect still thinks she is dead”
I had called my entire family at the hospital when Kate was resuscitated and transfered to the critical unit . She was still unconscious and yet to pu-ll throu-gh. I took it upon myself to explain to them and warned them against letting the info leak.
Mimi was the first to get there, She loved Kate so much that the news had left her shattered internally but she was in tears of joy at the vital info I gave her . Their relationsh!pwas more than friends, it went de-ep into the bones and blood as sisters which each never had. I knew I could trust her.
” Tell me its a joke, ” she shook my arms, and sat next to me ” Tayo is dead ? How did it happen?
” He finally let go”
Her voice croaked as tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. She poured out her heart and tears ran down her cheeks.
” Mimi,” I began ” What you just heard is t©p secret, I’m not sure yet who tried to kill Kate or Tayo, so its best we keep it-”
I paused as it dawned on me that it was my fault, if I hadn’t been such a d!¢khead, all this wouldn’t have happened.
Mimi asked if I had any idea who would want her dead? , she had not a single hunch of who it might be.
” Kate mentioned a name , ” I said calmly and paused, this was ha-rd to say ” It was Andy ”
She furrowed her eyebrow and wiped the tears that had gathered at the corners of those big white but pretty eyes, in awestruck she blurted out ” Andrew?”
In the same manner , shocked . she told me how Kate had confided in her about Andy’s demand to ab-ort her unborn baby. It was so horrible to hear.
Having heard that , it bec@m£ so clear that Andy was the prime suspect and Dami had been right all along. First it was Tayo and now he tried Kate.
” Mimi” I broke the silence.” I want you to call him. Tell him Kate is dead . Don’t text , call him”
She brou-ght out her phone and dialed his number, it was not connecting or he didn’t pick.
” Not answering” she took it off her ears ” I can’t believe this, I never knew Andy as this evil.
My phone rang. It was Dami, she consoled me, she was weeping on the phone, but all seemed fake to me. When did she start caring about Katie?. She wanted to come over but it wasnt going to happen. I wouldn’t let her do so. Especially her .
” If you nee-d anything ” she said ” anything at all, just let me know . I’m sorry for your loss, and accept my condolences” she sniffed in tears.
” No nee-d ” I said “and thanks for the concern, Dami. I appreciate.”
I hung up the line , and just then my entire family walked right throu-gh the door down the corridor.
” Mama is here ” I said as I saw my entire family members troop into the hospital corridor from the main entrance ” And so is everyone ” I stood up and hvgged my mom, she cried bitterly on my shoulder and I gave her a bit of comfort.
“Its OK, st©p crying. she is still alive”
***
I was brou-ght back to the pres£nt by detective Jethro’s voice when he repeated his question ” I hope you have the resources on ground for the is case?
” Yes, of course ”
” Okay , good and remember , we ain’t suing him yet, we just bait information and allow him fall for it”
“OK” I replied reluctantly , but inside me I wanted something more.
He nodded and invited me along as he opened the interrogation room , the door gave way and de-ep down in me, an internal struggle for retaliation and calmness took a bitter turn.The dark side of my subconscious mind, wanted to gr-ab the detective ‘s gun and despatch two h0t bullets into Andy’s cold heart.
Jethro Kelechi had been a detective in crime and related offences for almost a decade. He was never the smiley type and according to what I gathered, he was reported to have sh0t his own brother in th leg. The said man, had R@p£d a ten year old and when caught in the act, everyone thought his brother would let him go, but instead his first reaction was to shoot his left jamb before cuffing him.. He made sure his wonded leg wasn’t treated until, his brother had confessed his real intentions. He wanted to use the girl’s destiny for wealth. As long as he broke her and use her blood, she ‘d never conceive in her lifetime . Thankfully, it was averted.
” Mr Andrew ” he began ” I know you are an influential man and all the reason why we haven’t la-id a f!nger on you . YET!”
” Im not saying a word, I want my lawyer ” Andrew blurted out .
Jethro smiled, pu-ll-ed out the chair and sat face to face with the criminal ” You did not un-derstand my statement, did you ? There won’t be a lawyer , ” He grinned ” its just me and and you ”
At the sound of that , a smile grew across my cheek and I just couldn’t wait to see this man in action.
Katherine .
I sparingly opened my eyes into oblivion . It was a void and deserted setting, I was alone and afraid. But that waned away when someone walked into the room from a wall to the left . What? did he just work throu-gh that wall?
He c@m£ closer and somehow I felt at ease. I knew who he was .
” Tayo” I called out.
” hi Kate. Its been a while ”
” where am I? Am I – Am I dead? The words were scary.
” You are safe” he smiled and moved towards the door.
I suddenly felt an urgency to ask questions and it choked me to say the words, why did I feel like this was so real to me?
Everything was white and even the environs were celestial but the hospital equipments I saw made it look like I was still on earth, but in a another dimension, where I was the only occu-p@n-t, dressed in a patient’s robe.
” wait ” I tried getting up from the be-d upon which I found myself ” Am I dead ? What happened to my baby? I asked again.
Tayo turned and smiled again ” No Kate. you are not . In fact I’ve been waiting for this moment. You are unconsious and all this is in your head. Your baby ,, it didn’t make it.
Having heard those words , I shook with fear and panic .
” I’m sorry about that , Kate”
Tayo ‘s face was so bright and handsome , and his hair was as dark as coal. It was so well kempt and he waxed with energy and light.
” I knew she’d not make it. ” I said in tears , but the tears didn’t drop. I wondered why?
” Tayo , what you mean by , ” Waiting for this moment? I said after a while.
He c@m£ back and his white shi-ts sparkled with glamour, he was peaceful and happy. He t©uçhed me on the palm and I felt it.
” I took your place. I was aware that this day would come. So I waited untill you were rushed in.”
” I don’t un-derstand ! I said
” No time for explanations Kate, but I want you to forgive him. He has done you a great number of wrongs but you have to forgive him. That way he will be at peace when –”
” When what?
I wanted to know.
” They await you, you have little time to get back . Just know that the fruit of the evil woman is not his. His seed never took p@rt in the reproduction. , he will tell you, but don’t ask him. Even when he eventually does , pretend you are surprised.”
I couldn’t un-derstand what he was saying , all I could think of was his wife, she had been watching over him since he sli-pped into a coma, six months back.
Who is the “He” you are talking about? I asked
Tayo took a seat at the be-dside and put his head forward with a spark of as-surance in his eyes.
” Kate , when the time is right, it will be clear to you. You have to leave , you don’t belong here. And tell Omotola that I still love her.”
” why can’t you stay? come back with me”
” Kate I have been gone for a long time,I was just waiting to tell you all I just did, its not your time yet.”
” You know” he continued and got up from the seat,made it to the door and pushed it open ,then took a last glance at me ” That is all we take along with us , the love in the heart . The true love we have in our hearts, when all is gone and the end is near ”
” wait —” I said before a white light flashed throu-gh my eyes and I felt my heart pace increa-sed. I moved figuratively throu-gh a tunnel and at the end of the tunnel was a door. A f0rç£ pu-ll-ed me forth without any resistance.
” Go on” a voice said’” Your son is praying and waiting for you. ”
I turned but saw no one . I pushed the door open and the rest I felt was a phenomenal state of pain.
***
Machines beeped and an Iv ran down into my arm . A doctor stood beside my be-d, he was blurred or maybe I saw mixed figures. A sharp pain stung the surface of my forehead. I t©uçhed it to feel a bandage. And my abd0m£n burned me internally, like an entire tank of g@soline had erupted .
” Ouch’ I said softly .
I shut my eyes briefly again, it was heavy and painful to open. It felt like the first time for me to use them.
The doctor checked my vitals and I noticed he sounded happy, as he called out to the nurses, he was confused on what to do, I had no idea what was on his mind.
” Get the chief neurosurgeon in here ,now” the doctor’s voice commanded.
“It hurts ” I blurted out in pain. ” where is my husband? Where is my boy, where am I?
TBc