"Wow, Tola" she exclaimed as she peeped through the door hole, "please come in"
She hugged Tola tightly as she came in, "Long time no see"
"Yes, my friend. It's nice to see you again"
Ini held her hand and led her to the parlour.
"Please make yourself comfortable" she said to Tola, ignoring Amarachi who followed Tola closely. "What would you like to take?"
"No, thanks. I'm okay" she smiled. "I've come for something very important"
"No, you must take something o"
"I'm okay please, just come and sit down, let's talk."
"No, don't worry. I'll just get something for you" Ini said and walked to the kitchen.
As she got into the kitchen, she remembered her promise to the police to provide any information she gets about Amarachi to them. After some seconds of indecision, she took out her phone from her jeans trousers and dialed Inspector Helen's phone number.
"Amarachi!" Uche called the name in a prolonged way.
"For how long did you think you can run away from us?"
"I wasn't running away from you, I never knew I was wanted"
"You never knew you were wanted? But you suddenly disappeared after you committed a crime?"
"I didn't commit any crime"
"Oh! Killing is not a crime?"
"I didn't kill anyone, I didn't kill Frank"
"Young Lady, you can make things easy for the both of us by telling me the whole truth", he said and placed his hand on her cheeks, caressing her face.
"You know you have a very pretty face, I won't love to have it disfigured" he smirked
"I didn't kill Frank" she said, forcefully removing his hand away from her face.
"Hey Uche" Helen greeted as she walked into the interrogation room with another junior officer. "Hope she has confessed?"
"No, she hasn't" he replied, coming down from the table where he sat.
"Why do you want to make things hard for yourself?" Helen asked, facing Amarachi directly as she took the same position Uche was before.
"We already have the knife you used to stab him with us, we found it in your room"
"That's a lie, I didn't stab anyone with a knife"
"Show it to her" Helen commanded the junior office who opened a small box containing the knife that was found in her room.
"You remember that, right?" Helen continued with Amarachi.
"Yes" Amarachi replied after being silent for a while, "but I didn't use that knife to kill anybody"
"What of the blood that was on the knife when we saw it? Was it a goat's blood?" She scorned.
"No, it was from my hand" Amarachi replied, displaying the knife cut on her hand for them to see.
"It seems you're more stubborn that I thought you would be" Helen hopped down from the table and dragged Amarachi by the collar from the chair she was seated. She pushed her violently to the floor.
"You want us to do this the hard way, huh?" She said as she drew Amarachi by her ears.
"Hey you" she turned to the junior officer. "Torture her until she tells you the truth"
She made a signal with her hand to Uche who followed her outside the room immediately.
"If she doesn't confess after enough torture, we'll have to send those exhibits to the lab"
"No, I don't think we have to do that. It's just a waste of time, it is very clear that Amarachi and Kelvin murdered the guy" Uche opposed.
"Huh?" Helen gave him both a bossy and suspicious look.
"Do as I say Man. Is that clear?" She slammed authoritatively
"Yes ma" he replied, standing at attention.
"Very soon, we might also have to look into Chief Olatunbosun's case" she said and walked away.
Dennis spotted his mother and sister waiting for him at the entrance of the house as the taxi driver drove into the compound.
"This way, you'll park here" he directed the driver.
The gateman was already beside the car to help with the load.
"Oga welcome o" he said, smiling as he carried the traveling box on his head and made his way inside the house.
"Welcome Big bro" Janet hugged him tightly.
"How are you Janie?"
"Fine, where's what I asked you to get for me?"
"Won't you even let me get into the house first?"
"No, in case you forgot, you must return in mediate without getting inside"
"Naughty you, I brought all you ask me to" he tapped her nose and walked ahead to greet his mum.
"Welcome son" she replied as she hugged him.
"Thanks mum" he kissed her on the cheek and placed his hand around her as they walked in.
"I've prepared your favourite already, you just need to go and take your bath, we'll be waiting for you at the dining room"
"Alright mum" he responded and walked into his room to freshen up.
He came out about twenty minutes later dressed in a white top and white trousers. He joined his family on the dining table at once.
"Welcome Dennis" his mum complimented as he sat.
"What's up with this your dressing bro?" Janet commented. "You dressed like you going somewhere"
A
"Yes, I actually have to get somewhere immediately we finish eating"
His mother gave him a sharp questioning look, "What? Where are you going to?"
"I was told that one of my staffs have not been at the office for some days now, I need to find out what's wrong"
"So you're going out on official matters without even resting from your long trip?"
"Mum, I can't rest if I don't resolve this first"
"I don't believe this, you just returned from an official trip and you still have to resolve matters that those that sent you should have resolved" Mrs Michaels was amazed.
"Mum, I don't really think he's going out on official issues" Janet cut in, looking at Dennis who concentrated on the meal. "I think its for something personal"
"Even if it's for something personal, can't it wait till tomorrow?"
++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Welcome Inspector, thanks for coming" Bode greeted as he led Helen into the living room.
"Okay, I was surprised when I got your call last night, so I decided to come here straight after Church service"
"Yea, thank you for coming. Its really sunny, what would you like to take?"
"No, thanks" she smiled. "Just go ahead and tell me what you wanted to tell me"
"It's about the case" Bode started, "you were not in the office yesterday, I would have told you when I came"
"Yes, I was away in the morning. But Inspector Uche was available, why didn't you tell him?"
"I told him already but I want to relate it to you myself"
"You shouldn't have bothered, I work with Uche and he would discuss everything with me"
"No, I don't trust that guy, that's why I asked to see you alone"
"Okay, just go on? What did you tell him?"
"I told him of Chief Olatunbosun's threat to Frank", Bode began to explain in details. "Frank was at Chief Olatunbosun's house the day before his death and he came home thoroughly battered that day, he even told us that he wasn't killed because Chief Olatunbosun didn't want to kill him in his residence"
"Hmm, what was the cause of the threats?"
"Chief Olatunbosun's daughter" Bode replied and went on to narrate how Frank had decided to opt out of the marriage that was being planned.
Helen listened attentively to Bode as he explained in details, she took note of every single point he made but was slightly distracted towards the end of his narration.
Her distraction started when she looked into his eyeballs, it didn't only show honesty but was also attractive. His face was fairly dark and neat in colour. Her eyes navigated to his chest region, the tight shirt he wore revealed his abs.
"Hello" he said, noticing that she wasn't paying attention anymore but staring at him.
"Yea, sorry. We'll start our investigation and very soon we'll apprehend the Chief"
"Good, please" he pleaded softly. "Be careful of that other inspector"
Dennis was received warmly by his colleagues at work, he was greeted nicely by everyone starting from the security guard at the gate as he drove into the office.
He tried to put a on a smile as he walked into the accounts departmental block.
"Good morning sir" The secretary greeted with smiles.
"Good morning, how are you?"
"I'm fine sir and how was your trip?"
"Awesome" he answered back.
"Is Amarachi in her office?" He asked resting his hands on the secretary's table and looking towards the direction of Ama's office.
"No sir, she didn't come through out last week"
"She didn't come?" He asked with a worried look on his face.
"Yes, we heard that she has been accused of murder and that she was arrested by the police on Saturday"
"Murder? Amarachi accused of murder? How can that be?" He repeated quietly to himself.
"The Chairman sent a message that you should meet him by 9.30am ", she said to Dennis who wasn't paying attention.
"Sir", she repeated, trying to get his attention. "The Chairman asked for you to meet him by 9.30am"
"Murder? Murder?" He reechoed softly as he walked away without responding to the secretary.
He made his way to the public relations department, he missed the road at a point but was led to the right place by one of the cleaners.
Ini was the first he met as he entered the departmental room.
"Good morning Ini" he greeted, trying to calm himself.
"Dennis, Good morning" she said and continued her walk to where she was headed.
Dennis followed after her. "I was at your house last night, I didn't meet you or Amarachi at home"
"Yes, I wasn't around. I went to visit a relation" she replied without waiting, she continued to walk.
"What about Amarachi? She was the one I came looking for"
"Amarachi doesn't stay with me anymore"
"Then, where can I find her?"
Ini stopped at a door, which was the entrance to her office. She placed her hand on the knob and looked at Dennis without saying anything.
"Please, say something. Is it true that she was accused and arrested for murder?"
"Yes, it is" she opened the door and walked in , she went straight to her seat and opened up her laptop.
Dennis walked in with her, "Please, will you take me to where she is?"
She gave him another sharp absurd look,
"No, I won't take you there" she snapped. "The police officers in charge of the case are at the Saro division, you can go check there if you really want to see her"
"What's the matter with you? Why you so cold?" Dennis slammed. "Is it not your friend I'm asking you about?"
"Don't call that betrayal my friend anymore" she slammed back. "If you know who she is, you would not be chasing after her like your life depended on it"
"What do you mean? Did she really murder someone?"
Ini was at first tempted to tell him how she found Ama and her boyfriend on the bed but she changed her mind, not willing to add more problems to the big one Amarachi had already nor add to the number of friends who may turn away from her.
"Please Mr Dennis, I would appreciate it if you kindly excuse me now, I've got lot of things to do this morning" she replied without looking at him, she busied herself with the laptop on her table.
After some moment of silence, Dennis left the office quietly, thinking deeply about all he had heard that morning.
Ini raised her head as soon as she heard him close the door, she heaved a deep sigh of relief and rested her body well in the chair.
TBC....
