"How are you Bola?" He waved to his daughter as he entered the living room and sat down.
"I'm not fine Dad" she replied him.
"You're not fine? Don't worry, you'll be fine as soon as you join your mother and brother in the United States"
"I'm not going anywhere Dad, I'm staying right here"
"Sorry, you don't have a choice, you'll have to leave next week. So what we should be discussing here is your preparation for the trip"
"No Dad", she objected. "What we should be discussing here is how my Frank was killed"
"Hahaha" the Chief laughed hysterically. "Don't tell me you're still thinking about that rascal, he's gone already, you should forget about him and stop parading the police office to give them unnecessary information"
"I can't forget about him and I didn't give the police unnecessary information"
"You know what Bola?" The Chief sad as he stood up and walked to the bar.
"Thank your stars that you were recognised to be my daughter that day you went to make that report, my boys would have dropped you if it were somebody else" he said as he poured some quantity of wine into a glass cup.
"You can't do anything to me Dad" Bola protested.
"Of course, I can't do anything to you because you are my daughter. But you should act wisely next time" he said and paused as he took a little portion of the cup's content. "Were you thinking of getting your father arrested? Selling your father to the police because of one little rascal?"
"Dad, I loved that little rascal and wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. But you decided to make me unhappy and I'll do everything to help the police"
"Are you crazy Bola? Do you think the police can punish me in this country? Stop wasting your time dear, its a futile effort. No court of law can ever find me guilty", he scorned.
"But come to think of it, why do you want to help the police against your father?"
"I'm not helping the police against my father, I'm helping them against a murderer"
"Are you sick? How dare you refer to your father as a murderer?" The Chief got visible angry and dashed towards her. He picked her up by the neck and looked directly into her eyes.
"You open your mouth to call me a murderer because of a rascal? Do you know all I'm doing is for your good?" He said, tightening his grip on her neck. His old but very strong hands squeezed out life from her gradually
After some seconds, he dropped her to the floor suddenly. She was already struggling for breath and would have passed on if he did not release her.
"I'm sorry dear, I didn't mean to do that, you provoked me" he said remorsefully, turning his back to her where she sprawled on the floor.
"No Dad, you don't need to be sorry. You could have killed me", she said gasping for breath. She reach out to her handbag on the chair and brought out a pistol. She stood up and pointed it at him, her body shaking as she had not recovered from the pain of the strangling yet.
"Put down that thing Bola" he said as he turned to find a gun pointed at his head. "You're pointing a gun to me because of a boy?"
"You took away my happiness Dad, you took away my life"
"Just put down that thing dear, your finger is getting closer to the trigger" he said, looking terrified.
"I won't, till you give me a good reason why you killed him"
"I didn't kill him Bola nor did I send anyone to kill him."
"Ehn?"
"Yes, I didn't kill him. What would I kill him for? I want your happiness and I already gave you the go ahead to marry him. I don't have anything to gain in killing him"
"That's a lie, you told me that you almost strangled him to death the last time he came here"
"Yes, that was because I was angry with him but I didn't send anyone to kill him later, believe me"
"No, I don't" she said, shaking her head in uttermost disbelief.
"You have to, my boys use guns. They are not butchers, they won't kill anyone with a knife"
Bola shoulders fell immediately, she lost the strength she used to threaten her father immediately she realized truly that her father's thugs would not kill anyone with a knife when they heard several types of guns that could do the job easier and faster. She gradually began to lower the hand with which he used to point the gun at her father.
The Chief, seeing that she was already losing strength decided to use the opportunity to seize the gun from her. He rushed to her and grabbed her hand, struggling to collect it from her.
The gun went off twice, blood oozed out from someone's body. The body guards rushed in on hearing the sound of the gunshots.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ini came down to open the gate and entered into the car again. As she made a move to drive in, one sides the gate started to close back by itself.
She opened the car door in an attempt to go and open the gate properly but she only placed her left leg outside when she saw a guy walk into the gate and helped her open the gate properly.
She entered back and drove in, nodding her head and he smiled in appreciation to the guy. She parked the car properly at the front of her apartment and came out immediately to close the gate but to her surprise, the guy was closing it already.
"Thank you so much" she said as she approached him.
"You're welcome mam, I've been waiting for you outside your gate for about twenty minutes"
"Waiting for me? I don't think I... " she paused unsure of where she had met him. "Sorry, it looks like we've met somewhere before"
"Yeah, we've met. I'm bode, Kelvin and Frank's friend"
"Oh, you're welcome" she greeted, recalling that he was the silent guy amongst the guys the day they met at Erinsic.
"Yeah, thanks" he smiled. "I'm sorry for visiting without notifying you, I have something important to discuss with you"
"Something important?" I hope there's no problem?" She asked as she opened the car once again to bring out her handbag after which she led him inside.
"Please have your seat" she said to Bode, as she draw the curtains to allow light through the window into the dark room. "I think i have to put on the generator, you might not be able to bear the heat"
"Thanks but don't bother, I don't plan to stay long"
"I have to, else the discomfort within your short stay will be unbearable" she said and walked away from the living room, taking her bag along. She dropped the bag in her room and passed the kitchen entrance to the backyard where the gen was kept.
As she turned on the generator and walked back into the house, she wondered why she put herself into so much trouble accommodating a visitor which she wasn't supposed to welcome.
The truth was that a part of her wanted nothing to do with Kelvin anymore, but another part of her was glad when Bode announced that he was Kelvin's friend, at least she could get some information about Kelvin's wellbeing.
She returned with a pack of fruit juice and a glass cup.
"Please, it's not too cold but you can manage it" she dropped it on the table and went ahead to switch on the air conditioners.
"Thanks" he said and poured part of the juice into the cup without planning to drink from it. "How can you help ? We need to make sure Kelvin and Amarachi are set free"
"How am I supposed to help? I'm not a police officer and I've even decided not to have anything to do with those two again"
"No, you can't do that. Amarachi is your friend, you can leave her just at this time she needs you the most"
"She's not my friend and she doesn't need me, I don't have anything to do with her"
"She is your friend, you lived together, played together and shared things"
"Yes, we lived together but I never knew I was living with an enemy"
"Don't say that, don't call her your enemy"
"What else should I call someone who always wants to have anything I have? What else should I call a backstabber , a betrayal?" She raised her voice slightly.
"Calm down Ini, I believe that there's still something fishy about the whole incident"
"That's what you'll say, you'll defend your Friend Kelvin or what's there that's fishy about two adults deciding to cheat"
"I'm not trying to defend Kelvin but established the truth, he claimed that they were drugged"
"Hehehe" Ini gave a short laugh, "do you really believe that yourself?"
"Ermm, the truth is... " he stammered, trying to find words to say, he himself had not gotten to believe the tale of the two adults being drugged to have sex but he only trusted that his friend, Kelvin could not kill anyone.
"One thing I know is Kelvin loves you, I mean he's obsessed with your name, he mentions it every time. He cannot just decide to hurt you..."
"Please, save the stories" she cut in, "I thought you said you wanted to discuss something important"
"Yes" he replied calmly, "I came to discuss how we can help them get out"
"I'm not a policewoman" she repeated
"Yes, I know. But you can help with any information you've got"
"I've got no information to help with and I don't even want to have anything to do with them, don't you get it?"
"I don't get it"
"Amarachi and Kelvin got into this problem when they decided to do the wrong thing, why didn't they just date themselves without getting me involved in all this? Why did Kelvin have to come to me if he wanted Amarachi?" She paused and looked at him as if she was expecting an answer. "Let them face whatever they brought upon themselves, it's not my business"
"So just because you have a clash with your friend you want her to go to jail for a crime she knows nothing about? They could even be sentenced to death by the court, is that what you want?"
"Huh?" A sudden fear gripped her heart, she suddenly remembered the gravity of the crime they were charged of.
"Yes, you want them to get killed for what they know nothing about?"
"No, of course I don't but there's nothing I can do" she replied, this time in a low and sorry tone.
"You can do something but it first starts with your willingness to help" he continued, adjusting his sitting position, glad that he was having the desired effect on her. "You may be able to stand as a witness when the case finally gets to the court"
"Witness? What am I going to witness about? I wasn't at the scene of the murder"
"Yes, but you are aware that Amarachi does not know so many places in this city, she has never been to the salon where the murder took place, you can testify to that" he stopped and waited for a response but got none.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Kelvin sat up straight in the interrogation room, he was being interrogated by the two inspectors in charge of the case, Inspectors Helen and Uche.
This time he noticed they used another approach, they tried to cajole him.
"We already know the truth Kelvin, we want to stop your suffering. What we need is to hear it from you and you'll be set free" Uche continued.
"I told you everything already, I have nothing to hide"
"You have something to hide man, remember we've found the Knife Amarachi used on the deceased"
"I don't know what she used that knife for, but I know it wasn't for murder"
"Kelvin, Kelvin" Helen joined, she walked closer to him and sat on the table at his front, leaning very close to him as if she wanted to kiss him. "Why are you doing this to yourself? Why are you so loyal to Amarachi even after she have confessed that you are the real murderer? She told us of how you forced her to stab Frank, threatening to kill her if she does not comply, she told us of how you planned it and bought the knife when both of you went shopping together on that Saturday"
Kelvin was at first distraught on hearing what she said, he wondered why Amarachi would say all that. He watched as she got up and walked slowly to another angle of the room before she spoke again. "With the way things are, we may have to let her go and charge you to court, and you know what? You might be given life imprisonment or death sentence"
She stopped again and looked at him, waiting for his response. Uche's eyes was also fixed on him. Kelvin sudden response surprise them.
"Hahaahaha", Kelvin laughed uncontrollably.
"Wait, what are you guys trying to do?" He asked, discovering the game Helen was trying to play on him. "Well, I can't confess to what I know nothing about. I've told you guys everything already"
"Sergeant Okon"Helen called out to a Junior officer who rushed in immediately.
"Take this man back to the cell" she said, and left the room immediately with Uche following her closely.
"I don't think that guy knows anything about the murder" she said as she settled into her office seat. "From his response to that trick, it shows he doesn't or what do you think?"
"Yes, his response shows he doesn't" Uche replied, both fatigue and sadness showing on his face. "We just have to wait for the report before we decide our next move"
"Yes, I believe we'll get it anytime soon, Dele is on his way here"
"Hmm"
A knock sounded on her door, Uche stood up to get it.
Dennis came in looking worried, "Good evening officers"
"Good evening Mr Dennis" they replied in unison.
"Amarachi just told me that you said the guy, Kelvin told you that she was the one who carried out the murder, that he warned her not to go after which she refused adamantly" he continued as he sat
"Yes, that's exactly what he said." Helen replied.
"That guy is a criminal" Dennis snapped angrily, hitting his hands on the table. "How can he tell such a lie?"
"Calm down mister, you're in the police station" Helen scolded him. "I told you before, what you need to do is advise her to tell us the whole truth and you can just tell us whatever she has told you"
"She's told you everything already"
"No, dhe hasn't" Helen continued, her attention wad diverted as her phone rang.
"Yes, Dele. Meet me right in my office right away" She answered the call and took a look at Uche. "He's on his way here already"
"Okay" Uche replied, his faced showed anxiety. "Ma, doesn't he need to excuse us?"
"No just leave him" Helen answered.
In less than one minute, a young slim man walked into the office.
"Here's the report" he announced after greeting them, he placed a paper on the table. "The blood sample on the knife is the same is the same as the blood of the deceased"
The whole city woke up to the news of Chief Olatunbosun's death, it occupied every newspaper headline and TV breaking report. By the last night when it was first reported, it was unconfirmed because the media houses had only been hinted by a source who lived in the mansion but the news was confirmed that morning from several sources especially the police who testified that the Chief was shot by his daughter during an argument, he died instantly. The daughter who also shot herself did not die but was under intensive care in the hospital. The CID team was currently concluding their investigation based on the recorded conversation they found on Bola's phone.
Bode did not believe his eyes when he first red the breaking news on Nairaland's front page, an online forum for citizens of the country, he only believed after he heard the same on the TV and radio.
He wondered why Bola had to shoot the father, what went wrong? Their deal was only to make him admit to killing Frank and provide the recording for police investigations.
Just the last night, he had been thinking of calling Bola to stop the move after thinking deeply about the plan. He concluded that am ordinary phone recording would not be enough to implicate the Chief, it might even complicate the matter. But now that the conversation recorded had been found by the police in the Chief's house and it was already confirmed that it was a recorded conversation between the man and his daughter, the information recorded might just be useful.
He tucked his shirt properly and put on the suit jacket and headed straight for work, hoping to continue his private investigation when he resumes from work.
TBC.....
