MISSING PIECE (25)
Tessy entered the house, worried. “Friday, something is wrong. I’ve not gotten report from those that went to the house. Even Odeme’s number is not going through. I think we’ve been compromised.”
“Baby, relax. What makes you think so?”
“My intuition is always right. We need to leave.”
“What about that man, and Kanga?”, he asked. “We have to finish them off.”
“Better to live and fight another day”,she said, pacing and biting her nails.
How he wanted to deal with that fool! But her intuition was always right, at least, he knew that.
“Fine. We’ll leave first thing tomorrow morning. Go get your things ready.”
*******
Why was he delaying this, nau? She tried his number for the umpteenth time. Switched off. Has he been nabbed? No, it can’t be, she thought.
“Yes?”, she asked, when she heard a knock on the door.
“Aunty, na me.” Bassey. What is he doing here?
“Come in.” The door creaked opened. A young boy of about fifteen years entered.
“Good morning, ma. Oga Friday say make I give you”, Bassey said, handing her a letter.
“Where hin dey?”, she asked in pidgin.
“Me nor know. But this morning I see am with one bag, he say he wan reach somewhere.” He must have been waiting for her. But why didn’t he call?
“Okay, thank you. Take this one”, she said, handing him two hundred naria.
“Ahh Aunty! Thank you ooo. Bye bye”, he said and left excitedly.
She opened the letter:
Tessy or is it Arike?
By the time you’d be receiving this letter, I should be on my way out of this country like we planned. You thought I was going to take you along? Well, I was…..until I found out that you used to be called Arike, that you were married before and had a child, that you poisoned them for your own selfish reasons all of which you never told me. I found out myself. You thought you could fool me, right?
By this time, Tessy’s hands were already shaking vigorously. She tried to calm herself down to read the rest.
..…..I used to wonder why you kept taking drugs, why you kept having nightmares about blood or someone pursuing you, but it’s clear to me now. Truth be told? I cannot marry a murderer. You could end up killing me one day and our children. I’ll marry a white woman there so I can get permanent residence. As for you, I left you some jewels, it’s under your bed. I wish you the best, if you even get one.
Bye forever,
Friday.
She screamed. How could he do this to me? After all I went through to get that money and jewels? How did he find that out all my secrets?, she kept asking herself tons of questions with no answers to give. Nothing was indeed safe in this world.
She looked under the bed and saw the box. She drew it out and opened them. Stones. He’d taken everything and filled it up with stones. She broke down and wept.
*********
“Hello? Is this Mrs Jacinta Coker, wife to one Mr Armstrong?……Okay, your attention is needed at Saint John’s Hospital. Your husband is here……nothing much, just come over……Do you know where it is?…….Okay, we’d be expecting you.”
“Sir! I’ve just called her, she’s on her way”, Inspector Hassan said.
“That’s good. Now, you must not speak about this to anybody. You and your boys, I mean. I want it as discreet as possible.
“I’ll be going to the office now, but I’ll stop by at home to freshen up first. Make sure his ward is guarded and watch whatever is been administered to him. I’ve spoken to the doctors though”, DPO Akpofure continued, reeling out instructions.
“Yes sir!” He walked out, happy that the mission was successful. Thank God he hadn’t backed out at the last minute. He’d been able to catch the man’s kidnappers and drug peddlers, all at once. That information was timely. He wondered who the man was.
(To Be Continued)
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