"You were after your Boss?" Helen asked again.
"Kelvin was mine" Sandra replied in a voice not audible enough as she was still crying.
"Now wipe off your tears and stop crying, let me hear what you're saying" Helen said in a commanding tone. "So, why did you people kill Frank too?"
"No o, we didn't clear frank o" Sandra replied as she tried fruitlessly to dry up her face.
"Don't lie to me"
"I'm not lying , we didn't kill Frank" Sandra insisted. "Bola planned the whole thing so that she could convince Frank to forget Amarachi and have him to herself, so we didn't kill Frank neither did we plan to kill anyone"
"Were you there when Frank and Bola returned to her house after leaving Ini's place that Sunday?"
"No, but Bola called to tell me"
"Did she tell you what happened between them before he left to his salon?"
"She said he was still depressed about the whole thing but she was sure he will come back to her"
"And she didn't tell you if an argument occurred between them that led to her being angry and mistakenly stabbing Frank in the process?"
"No, there was no fight between them. He just left her house depressed"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes"
"Alright"she said and turned to Frank who was watching in silence.
"Order someone to take her back to the cell" she said and walked straight to her office.
Uche joined Helen in her office in ten minutes time, she was sitting on her desk and looking very serious when he entered.
She looked at him and began, "there's more work, I believe that Sandra still has something to hide"
"No, I don't think so. I don't think she has the strength to keep on lying to us after so much torture"
"But we have done fingerprints test for all other suspect and no one is positive"
"What do you mean?"
"I spoke to Dele on phone just now, Ini and Bola's fingerprints are not the one on the knife"
"Hmmm... I think the fingerprints test is even enough for now"
"Why?"
"It's possible that these suspects did not commit the murder themselves. It's possible they sent someone"
"Hmmm, true" Helen shook her head slowly. "I think we still have to look into Ken's matter closely"
"Yes, we'll do that" Uche agreed. "But we need to find this Mark that was sent to drug Amarachi and Kelvin. It is possible that things went wrong between Bola and Frank and she sent Mark to kill him"
"Wow! Yeah, you're making some sense there. That Mark must have been sent to kill Frank by Bola and then use the knife to implicate Amarachi"
"Oh o! We are thinking the same way" Uche commented, "I remember Bola used to speak so ill of Amarachi"
"Yeah, we'll try get more into that before the end of today"
"Yeah, I'll be right back" Uche said and turned to take his leave.
"Okay"
He turned back again on remembering something, "I think there's still one more person we are not taking serious in our investigation, we may still have to do one more fingerprints test"
"Who's the person we're not taking serious?"
"Bode"
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"What do you people want from me again?" Ken barked at Helen and Uche as they walked into his office as he quickly tried to hide something under his desk quickly.
"I don't want you guys in here, please get out"
"Calm down Ken we've only come to ask you some questions" Helen replied boldly, not noticing what Ken tried to hide but also not intimidated by Ken's behaviour.
"Or how would you like it if we decide to take you over to our station and do the questioning there?"
Ken stared deeply at them for a moment before he spoke again, this time in a less harsh manner. "What can I do for you? Be quick about it please"
"Good, all you need to do is answer our questions and don't lie to us"
"I told you everything already, I didn't kill that Bastard not because I wasn't capable of carrying out my threat but because I didn't have the opportunity" Ken blasted. "Stop troubling me"
"Shut up! How dare you talk to the police like that? Ain't you aware of who's standing in your presence?" Uche slammed
"I don't care if its the President of the nation who's in my presence, I know my rights"
"Shut up Ken" Uche commanded
"I won't, you guys should get out of here"
"Shhhh..." Helen placed a finger on her lips, instructing Uche to be quiet.
Ken was also quiet and watched as Helen followed a trace of a whitish substance onhis table. He quickly tried to use his body cover the desk locker, in a bid to stop Helen from opening it.
"What do you want?" He howled at her.
"Give way Ken or I'll apply force" Helen threatened.
"No" Ken refused stubbornly, he opened his locker, scattered it and finally brought out his pistol
He just pointed it at Helen when Uche rendered him unconscious as he hit his gun on Ken's head.
++ Two hours later ++
Ken eyes opened as a bucket of water was poured on his face where he was laid on the floor.
Uche held his collar and shook him violently, he dragged him up to a sitting position and left him again, Ken fell back with his back on the floor. It took Ken some few seconds before he could remember what happened last to him.
Four faces surrounded him, three men and a lady. The only faces he could recognise with his blurred vision were Helen's and Uche. He sat up and folded his legs, a gun was pointed at him by one of the officers surrounding him.
"Welcome back Ken" Uche scorned, he squatted to Ken's position and laid a light slap on his mouth. "What were you trying to do? Kill two police officers in your office?"
Ken looked at them quietly with rage in his eyes, his breathing was loud in the quiet room.
"So you deal with cocaine? That's interesting to find out, it makes us confident that you really know about the murder"
"I didn't kill the bastard" Ken replied loudly, gnashing his teeth.
"Well, we have other questions to ask you. Someone else will deal with your case" Uche continued, "do you know Mark?"
"Mark? Mark?" Ken barked as he clenched his fist, he began to speak loudly to himself.
"I should have known that Mark is a big coward, I should have killed the fool when I discovered his cowardice" he turned to Uche again. "He told you about me right ? He told you that I buy my stuffs from him?"
"Good, you know him very well" Uche continued, ignoring his question. "You'll take us to him tomorrow"
"Hi Ini" Bode greeted with a smile as he walked into her house with Dennis. "How are you?"
"I'm fine, what about you?"
"Fine too"
"Good, so what do I owe this visit?" She asked, returning Dennis' greeting with a forced smile. "I hope you've not come to discuss about Amarachi and Kelvin"
"We have to discuss about them, don't we?"
"See Bode, I only allowed you in because I respect you, I wouldn't have if it was ..." She stopped and made a movement with her eyes balls, passing the message that she wouldn't have allowed Dennis in.
"But please, I want to plead with you. Stop pestering me about this matter, I'm tired of it" she said still standing up and looking straight at Bode who sat beside Dennis on the three sitter sofa.
"You're tired of it? Don't you love Kelvin anymore?"
"I don't"
"That's a lie, you do. You're only trying to pretend"
"No I don't, I'm tired of Kelvin, I'm tired of the relationship, I can't even be rest assured that I have a faithful partner"
"But he never cheated on you or don't you believe it was all a set up?"
"But they have been going out together prior to that day"
"What do you mean? Kelvin loves you and he never cheated on you with anybody, not even Amarachi"
"Just a minute" Ini picked her phone on the table and scrolled through to the picture gallery. "Here's it"
Bode eagerly took the phone from her and studied the picture, Dennis also moved closer to peep.
"That was the Saturday before that day, they went shopping"
"Yeah, they went shopping" Bode replied with a bold smile. "They went to shop for a befitting birthday gift for you"
"Birthday gift for me? Oh! Both of them went to get a birthday gift for me?" Ini laughed loudly, disbelief clearly written on her face.
"Yes, Kelvin asked for Amarachi's help because he was unsure of the best gift to pick for you"
"Oh! And where's the gift? The only birthday gift I met when I got back home was both of them on the bed"
"Come on ... How did you get the picture?"
"It was sent to me" she answered, as she took her phone from him and dipped it into her jean shorts pocket.
"Who sent it to you?"
"Sandra did and she's someone who knows him very well"
"Sandra? Which Sandra?"
"Listen" she cut in, " I don't want to talk about this anymore, I don't want anything to keep reminding me of Amarachi, she's bad luck to me. I don't want to remember this incident either, so Kelvin has to go with it"
"But why are you doing this to yourself? You still love Kelvin, why don't you fight for what you love? You're trying hard to lie to yourself that you don't love him"
"I don't love him anymore, period!" She said and stormed out of the living room.
*Thirty minutes later *
"Turn to the right" Bode gave the directions to Dennis who drove in his car.
"Okay, how many minutes more before we get to your house?"
"We'll get there in less than ten minutes"
"Okay" Dennis responded and kept quiet for sometime before he spoke again.
"Bode" he called calmly, "I want to ask a question"
"Yes, go ahead please"
"Okay, ermm. Did Kelvin and Amarachi really go shopping to get a gift for Amarachi?"
"Huh?" Bode looked at him with surprise in his eyes. "You doubt Amarachi too?
"No, but I'm confused. I wonder why Ini who has known Amarachi for several years still doubts her"
"Well, you don't know how their friendship has been all along. I believe Ini is suffering emotionally and the way I see it; I think some other events may have happened in the past that's making Ini not trust in Amarachi"
"So what could that be?" Dennis asked thoughtfully.
"I don't know, but with the way things are the love shared between the both of them might soon become hatred"
"Hmmm" Dennis sighed, "But I still believe that she has something to do with the murder"
"No, I don't think so, I don't think she's capable of killing"
"You can never tell, it may be out of anger, she might be trying to pay Amarachi back"
"Hmmm, I just hope we find out very soon"
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Hi" a whatsapp message popped up on Bode's phone.
He was ironing his clothes but didn't ignore the message, he picked up his phone, he replied quickly and dropped it back to continue his work.
"Hi Helen, how are you doing? How about the owner of the sim? Have you apprehended the person? Have you found any other thing that's helpful to the case?" He bombarded with several questions
He just hung one of the shirts when another message came in, he switched off the wall socket and picked up his phone.
"Haba! I told you we are doing our jobs and you shouldn't bother"
"I just want to know the progress of your investigation"
"The real owner of the sim is Sandra Benjamin, Kelvin's secretary and Ini's friend"
"Kelvin's secretary? Sandra?"
"Yes"
"How come?"
"Don't bother, I told you we'll handle the case properly, just make sure that you provide us with any useful information you have"
"Would I be allowed to see this Sandra? I need to ask her some questions"
"Don't bother, the police Will ask her or the necessary questions"
"Mtchew... Can't you just stop mentioning the police every time?"
"Lol, I can't. The police are the ones responsible for criminal cases. Just calm down and trust us"
"Alright"
"Yeah, so how are you doing?"
"I'm fine, you?"
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
**Friday Morning **
"Here's the place " Ken pointed at a gate from where the police cars were parked at a far distance. "That's where Mark and some of his other guys operate from"
"Okay, is the gate the only entrance?" Helen asked.
"I don't know of any other"
"Alright" Helen replied as she open the car door. "Uche, I'll go in first with a team of five men, you'll surround the place with the other guys to prevent escape from the gate. Let two officers stay with Ken and make his legs are cuffed too"
She got out of the car and walked towards the car at the back. She gave some commands and five junior officers followed her across the road.
"Bring the cars to the gate" she commanded Uche before they crossed the road.
The officers walked tactically towards the gate, they walked tactically towards the gate, it was opened. Helen peeped in carefully, the small space in the compound was dirty and empty.
She brought out her gun and walked into the compound, summoning the others to follow her with her hand. She gave directions to them and three officers dispersed to different sides of the building. The others followed out to the entrance.
She noticed that the iron door was opened as she stepped on the balcony. An officer bent below the window level and squatted. She placed her back on the wall and tried to listen but no sound was coming from the house. She pushed the door open with her right leg from where she hid and was about to turn into the house when two gunshots came towards the door. She quickly returned to her position and adjusted her gun.
The other officer who bent by the window at the opposite side shot back at the attacker as the door was now opened wide. The gunshot sparked off more gunshots from the house, now continuous.
"It will be better you surrender yourself, you can't escape this. The police has surrounded the whole place"
The gunshots from inside ceased but no one came outside. After some seconds of silence, Helen peeped into the house again. The room was dark but she could still see that there was no one around, the shooter had left or was in hiding.
She made a signal to the other officers before she rushed in shooting furiously around the room but no one was there. She was followed closely by two officers.
The closest door to the first room was also opened but was darker, she opened the door and was about shooting but saw a Lady who was on the bed, she was only on bra and pants and was behaving like a mentally deranged person. There was cocaine power all over her body as she sniffed in some from a paper on hand.
Helen walked closer pointing a gun at her but the Lady wasn't moved.
"Where are the others?" Helen shouted pointing a gun to her head, noticing that the lady was only a teenager.
"They're gone" was the girl's reply.
**Two Hours Later **
"We should have tried to find out if there was any escape route before we attacked that place" Uche commented
"The house is a small one and no one who have thought they had another way. All we should do now is follow the girl's direction"
"Can we really follow her direction? She's just a young girl who's already addicted to drugs and being taken advantage of by those guys"
"We have no other option for now, she already told us where we can get one of the guys, that's where we'll go immediately"
TBC....
