Philip paced the interrogation room. It was a
cold, dimly lit space shabbily furnished with a rusted metal table and 2
chairs. It looked nothing like the interrogation room in the prison he had been
kept a long time ago. He never thought nemesis would catch up with him so soon.
A woman being one's downfall was the exact situation he found himself in.
“Sit down!” A police officer barked at Philip
“Bloody murderer!!” another one spat
Philip
sat on the available chair in the room.
“Now tell us, how are you connected with the
murders of chief Peremo, Dr Akande and chief Okafor?”
“I don't even know those people
you are talking about” Philip lied
“Oh really?” another brutal looking police
officer asked
“Maybe we should torture it out of you then”
Philip
smiled wickedly, he was used to all of these, and torture won't do anything to
him. “Okay, heat up the forceps let’s
clamp his testicles” one policeman ordered callously
Philip was shaken by the thought of it
“Jesus, no, no, no...” he screamed, “I’ll talk I’ll talk.”
“You no even get liver!” one of the
other policemen replied.
Philip tried to keep his cool, he could
buy some time, and he wasn't going to spill anything. He would buy time by
pretending he had something to say. A female officer entered the room and
motioned the most senior officer in the room.... she said a few things to him
in a low tone and handed him a file and recorder.
“Thank you...” the police man said collecting the
items.
“You have made my job easier,” the man said to Philip...
“What do you mean?” Philip asked confused.
“Well, this file contains all the details your wife has been taking
since you started living together, including your end of several conversations
with a certain Cindy
Philip stiffened
“Now listen...!” the police officer said sternly
Philip listened to the sound of his voice in
several phone conversations with Cindy from the day she had called to say Ralph’s
murder was a success to just before he was arrested. He gasped ….this woman was
smart. Smarter than he thought.
“So now, you could be charged alone for the
murders of your wife and barrister Ralph. That’s enough for the judge to
sentence you to death by hanging.... but you can get a less fatal sentence or
even be exonerated if you speak out”
Philip sighed, there was no way he would go down alone. “Errmmmm
sir,” he addressed no one in particular, “I’ll talk but I need to be safe, they
can reach me here...”
“Well, you will be safe” another police
man replied. “We can take you to one of our safe houses if you cooperate...” he
added
“Okay...” he said then started his
narration, as his mind journeyed back. He spoke of the black ring, their
murders, the woman named Cindy and the kingpin chief Coker.
“And who did you say Tania was
again?” the senior policeman asked
“Speak into the recorder!” another one corrected
“Tania
is the chief's daughter, she was or rather we were both arrested in South
Africa for attempted murder, drug possession and trafficking but we were both
exonerated. When we got back, she introduced me to her father as her fiancee but her father wouldn't accept that. He insisted I work for him, and made me
understand it was he who expunged his child and i from prison abroad”
“How long have you been working for him?”
“Ten years now...”
“And who is Cindy?”
“Someone I met in the line of work. She got
obsessed with me and we have been lovers on and off”
“So
according to your story, Chief Coker is the kingpin but Cindy pulled the
trigger. Ralph sold his father out and you are an accessory to all these
crimes?”
Philip hesitated for a moment before answering...
“Yes but…”
“No, that’s enough” another police officer said,
picking the recorder from the table, they exited the interrogatory room.
Philip punched the wall hard! He knew this
was the end... the end was here for him, for all of them.
***************
Tony smiled at Imade, he had begged her
sister to let him take her home to work on the case together. So he had
claimed. He just wanted to have her attention/company to himself.
“Hello pretty angel!” little Sabrina screamed from the porch
Imade looked to her name sake smiling at her.
There was an older lady rocking her chair on the porch. The dainty table and
chair beside her revealed the porch doubled as the little girl's study.
“Hello young lady” his mother smiled greeting her
“Good afternoon ma” she genuflected
“Good
afternoon dear. Come, come, come,” she signaled Imade
Imade walked cautiously towards her. A help
served them freshly squeezed fruit in quick, discreet movements.
“Thanks...” she smiled at the maid as she took her seat
“What’s your name?” her mum asked
“Imade ma”
Tony
sat beside her and took her hand in his. Something clutched in her stomach.
“Imade, that's an Edo name?” his mother
continued
“Yes ma”
“Where in Edo state are you from?”
“I’m Benin ma...Uselu precisely”
“Wow...that's
close, I’m from Okada”
“Oh...that's great ma...” she replied
smiling revealing her braces as she began to relax.
“I see why he likes you....you look
well suited to him”
Imade smiled a little bit confused. Tony
tried to mouth “stop” to his matchmaking mother
“Oh, oh, oh…. he hasn’t told you yet?” She continued, ignoring his attempts silence
her. “Tony, don’t be lily livered, tell the young woman you love her already”
Tony cleared his throat “Errmmm mum,
please excuse us.” Imade understood the gentle squeeze of her hand… “Alright
ma,” she genuflected standing from her seat
Mrs. Akande watched as they left,
both smiling “Imade!” she called out
“Yes ma….” she replied
“You
are very welcome here....” she said with a smile of her own.
“Thank you ma....” Imade smiled back and
followed Tony into the house.
Tony had become uneasy... he sighed and
rubbed his face, then looked at the cause of his anxiety again.
“Your mum says you have something to
tell me” Imade said widening her smile. She may have experienced so many
emotions lately between kissing Charles and finding she had dated a seasoned criminal;
but she had come to know all she felt for Charles was a mix of attraction and
sympathy. But she liked Tony from the start, she hadn't called him when they
met because she wasn't ready to figure out what it was. After two visits to his
dental clinic and so many calls between them, she had gradually accepted that
the blend of emotions she experienced with Tony was love.
“Go on….” she chuckled
“errmmm
I don’t want to sound off to you but I have liked you from the first day we
met, and have always known I wanted to be with you. Seeing you with Charles the
other day just made me realize I had waited too long to tell you how I feel
and…”
“Hey.....” Imade stepped closer, “Charles is
my boss, and I enjoyed flirting with him. I assumed flirting with guys would
heal my broken heart. I was so hurt a long time ago that it left me shattered
and broken. I never took anyone seriously until Philip came along but he left. I
was trying to return to my old ways and you're not the type. I couldn’t flirt
with you, set dates and stand you up or give you kisses and leave you wanting
more so I stayed away. Charles seemed like a better prey - I’m sorry this is
cliché but whatever you saw isn’t what you thought, I just... got carried away
and I thought....”
He drew her to him and covered her
mouth in a swift move. Her lips parted of their own volition. His warm lips
caressed hers softly. When he deepened the kiss with a move of his tongue, she
opened her mouth with a low moan. They savored the kiss awhile.
“I love you Sabrina” he finally said in
a gasp
“I....” Imade stuttered
“I love us….” he chuckled
She smiled and leaned in for another
kiss
to be continued....
to be continued....
This short thing? welldone
ReplyDeleteAdd yours or you didn't see her Bc? She's writing exams.
DeleteGosh, I can't help it. I'm a hopeless romantic and these kinda endings gives me the goose
ReplyDelete"He drew her to him and covered her mouth in a swift move. Her lips parted of their own volition. His warm lips caressed hers softly. When he deepened the kiss with a move of his tongue, she opened her mouth with a low moan. They savored the kiss awhile."
ReplyDeleteBeckyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!
@Gold that part got me interested in wanting more....Exam success King Becca
ReplyDelete