My trust is for sale

Blow the gaff

Detective Hacks gave the receptionist a roguish smile.

“You will be doing us and yourself a great favour if you tell us what we need to know. This is a murder case.”

“She lodged in the room next to his.” She said. “That is what we have on record.”

“Her name, please?”

“Just a moment.”

She rummaged through a large book.

“Miss Rebecca Martins.”

“When did she lodge in?”

“On the 15 th . The same day Jibril came here.”

“Who came in first?”

“He did. Just a few minutes after he did.”

“The room she took, was it the only vacant room?”

“No.”

“Who chose it for her?”

“I did. He took 30, she took 29.”

“Do you think they knew each other before then?”

“I don’t know about that sir. I saw her for the first time that day but Jibril used to lodge here anytime he was around. I saw them together after that time. Jibril was a man of women. I guessed he was going to talk to her if saw her before he did especially with that body she has. He may have met her then, I am not sure.”

“Are you suggesting that they were lovers?”

“Yes. It was obvious.”

“Is she a Nigerian?”

“She looks like one. I did not know much about her but from my point of view, she was a Nigerian.”

“Did she check out of the hotel? If she did, when?”

“She never checked out. We just stopped seeing her. She still had a day to stay before her fee expired but she just left.”

“When was the last time you saw Jibril?”

“The last day I saw her. That was on the 18 th. They left together and that was the last time I saw both of them.”

“That means she left her luggage?”

“They both did. The manager secured the luggage. He said we should hand it over to them when they came”

“What did she leave?”

She was getting tired of the barrages of questions but this was a detective. She had to play along.

“It’s a small bag.”

“I think I need to see it.”

“I think you have to speak with the manager.”

“If he ordered you to give it to them, then it is in your possession. I am not leaving with it. Besides, it is  now an exhibit and we have the right to have it. I identified myself for a reason.  I must remind you that I am on an investigation of the murder of a foreigner and heist.”

She hated this conversation that could be best described as interrogation.

“Come with me.”

She led him to a small room. She produced a small suitcase and a bag.

“The briefcase belonged to him while this is her bag.”

Hacks forced the briefcase open. He saw a few clothes, packets of condom, cigarette lighter, National Passport, shaver, audio taoes. There was nothing out of the ordinary in there. He carefully replaced the items.

He opened the bag. He saw underwear, two pairs of jeans, shorts, tops, cosmetics, a packet of cigarette. Just like Jibril’s suitcase, there was nothing of interest there. As he raised a top, he saw something drop. It was a folded paper. Sprawling it open, he saw a receipt for the p*****t of a computer service. He looked at the name of customer: Jibril. The date was 16 th.

After he left the hotel, he went and located the shop. He met the operator who was a young man with spiky hair and strands of goatee.

“Yes, I remember this. I was the one who attended to them.” He said after checking the receipt. “It was an ID card. Something to do with Niger or Cameroun. Her ID card got missing so we did a new one for her.”

“What kind of ID card?”

“I can’t remember. You know we do a lot of things here. I do not let such things stick with me once you have no balance to pay. But if you got an outstanding p*****t, I remember all the details.” He chuckled.”

“Can I see the work you did for them from the system?”

“The youngman gave Hacks an astonishing sharp glance.

“Hey Sir. With all due respect, there is a word called confidentiality. We don’t operate like that. I am ethical, not hypocritical, even when the condition is critical…..” He laughed. “I am sorry sir. It is just that I am blessed with words. I din’t even know why I am still in this country battling with computer and getting peanuts. I am talented, but rejected. I should be there making dollars. Hehehe!”

I have a character her, Hacks thought.

“You don’t operate like that?”

“No.”

“Even for a grand?”

“Hmmmm?” His eyes widened.

“For one thousand naira?”

“In that case, we operate like that. You look like a good man and I love assisting good men.”

Hacks removed two notes of five hundred naira notes. He did not want to let them know he was a police officer. He may freak out and say he knew nothing about it. A lot of computer operators and printers have gotten into trouble for working on things that turned out to be used for criminal activities.

“Please sit down sir.” The young man said before he began to search the computer.

Hacks sat down and he found himself thinking of Zina. There was no doubt he fell for her from the very first moment he saw her. He was sad that she just left town.

Zina had planned a chicanery before she left. She planned planed a fake attack on herself. The police offered protection but she said she was done with the whole thing and she was leaving. She left and destroyed her SIM card.

When Hacks discovered this, he felt bad. He may never see her again. Then Dora fell on his mind. He hoped she came up with a nice result from her investigation. He was missing her. They have been forced to work apart for a few days and he had come to be used to her. Only if she would agree to be his girl, he would forget about Zina. Zina did not even look friendly enough to accept him. Dora was pretty. He needed a steady relationship. He wanted a woman that would be there for him.

He was not sure if Dora would let him go out with her. She had been avoiding his moves.

“Damn!” The operator’s voice brought him out of his thoughts. “Suzan! Suzan!”

A very thin girl with very flat chest appeared.

“Why do you have to call me in that manner?”

“What did you do to my file?”

“I deleted it as usual.”

“What?”

“Why the grumble? Is it not normal for us to delete past works after three months? Do you want the hard disc to crash?”

The man took in a deep breath of anger.

“Yes, it is normal….but this time it is abnormal. Go back to your work. Thank you.”

“You have not given me the money for the work you did for Mr Ampitom. Boss asked for it”

“I said go back to work. Boss asked for it? Boss, boss, boss…every three days, the chicken man will bring three frozen chickens for him and he would take it home. I can count how many time I cooked chicken from last Christmas. Boss drives a 230, he wore a St  Lauren yesterday. Three hundred naira that I used a back hand to collect, you are grumbling. Okay, I used the money to service the generator. Part of miscellaneous logistics. Tell him that if it bothers you.”

She pouted.

“You are not honest.”

“I am not a robot either. You just let me lose another one K. Lepa! If you had agreed to cooperate with me, we would have gathered enough money to enable you get an as* implant.”

She walked away angrily.

“Don’t mind her Sir. She said she is born-again. When some girls lack beauty, they give their lives to Christ so when solid boys don’t go after her, she claims it is the Christ in her that prompts chastity. They will be filling the House of the Lord with flat…..”

“Brother you are blaspheming. God does not look at the outer beauty but the inner.”

He sneered at Hacks.

“Sir Reverend Father, Bishop John Mathias The 6 th, well-done. You just intended to bribe me to show you what does not belong to you. From your lips, it seems you smoke but you want to preach. I beg meet me at Mama Chizoba’s beer pub later let us shayo , chop pepper-soup and catch some chikatos.”

Hacks realized that a further minute spent here was a waste of time. He left while the man kept grumbling. It seemed the loss of the opportunity to make one thousand naira had spoilt his day.

Hacks met Dora in their small office. She sat on a chair and he smugly studied the outlines of her body.

“Here you are.” She said, “what’s cooking?”

“Mama is cooking stone.”

“With patience, it will get cooked.”

Hacks sat on the edge of a table and looked up at the ceiling fan that producing a loud squeaking noise.

“If this fan is lubricated, won’t this noise reduce?”

“You have said that a million times. It needs a change.”

“Protocols calls then. Barrages of letters to appropriate authorities.”

“How has it been?”

“I missed you.”

“Be serious boy.”

“I did miss you.”

“Thank you. What did you get?”

“I went round…..” he told her how far he had gone.

“I had fun at the refinery. “ she said. “To get information, those stupid men wanted to be my friend. Well I got what I wanted…”

“At the cost of….”

“shut up! I did not sleep with anyone but I sat with them and got chicken, drinks, money and information. Those guys spend like crazy.”

Hacks felt a subcutaneous wave of jealousy.

“What did you get?”

“Nothing much. A lot of people saw her with him. She is of moderate height, swarthy, chubby, wears a pig-tail. She claimed to be his assistant. I got the most interesting thing from a very fat man called Alhaji Mu’azu. He said he saw her and one young man taking Jibril away in a Sports car. Incidentally, he saw them at Radu Street. This was not far from where the body was found. He said on the day the goods were loaded, A man known as Alhaji Babawo of Bawo Gas and Oil Nigerian Limited bought one hundred and fifty trucks of goods. If those goods were the Niger goods, then we have a lead.”

“Damn! That is something. Some people could be negatively smart. They swindled PPMC, and Niger Republic at once. Got the money for the goods, got the goods and sold the goods. Phew! They ate their cake and had it back.”

“It is complicated but we will get them.”

^^^^^^

Do not be unduly anxious, Layla cautioned herself. Zina’s expression may just a perfect charade. She was good at her game. But this time, she would not let her kill him. She did not care what happened. She had been thinking of him since the day she saw him, and scared of getting closer to him because of Zina. It was enough. She could not let the fear of Zina keep her from the love of her life. She had to make a move, fight for what she wanted no matter the reprisal.

Layla excused herself and left the girls she was hanging with and walked towards them.

Zina saw her and felt cold. She had completely forgotten that Layla had a crush on Devon. Now, it was going to look like a betrayal. How would she explain that? How could she tell her that she had not planned to fall in love with him? It just happened and she could not stop it.

“I called you.” Layla said. “Your phone was switched off.”

“I did switch it off.” Zina said, aware that she felt so uneasy. What’s up?”

“I am good.” Layla replied, and gave Devon a sexy glance. “ Hey.”

“Hey, Layla. You look good.”

She smiled and rolled her eyes coquettishly. Zina did not miss that.

“Thank you. You don’t look bad yourself.”

“Thanks. Where is he?”

“Who?”

“Your man. He almost scared me away that day. He acted like I was coming to snatch you away.” He chuckled.

Layla sneered.

“Don’t mind him. He behaves like that as if there is something really serious going on between us.”

Zina got the subliminals. Layla was denying him alresdy and that meant she still wanted Devon. Layla was a very pretty girl. She was not as tall as Zina but she had beautiful features and attractive structure. She was more experienced with men that Zina. Devon was a womanizer and just planning to turn a new leaf. She hoped Layla would not seduce him because she did not think she could face a challenge with her.

“Really?  I thought you guys were deeply in love.”

“We just met on camp. There is someone who owns the heart.”

“That is great. I think I have to get on court. I can see the coach eyeing me.”

Making sure they were left alone, Layla said, “Zina, I need to tell you something.”

“Go on.”

I have been expecting a corpse member’s obituary but I did not. Since he is still alive to this point, please you have to have a change of heart. I can’t just watch him die. I don’t know if you understand. He saved us, remember?“

“Did I say I was going to kill him since we came on camp?”

“Not verbally but through body language.”

“Well, there is a development. I regret all we did in the past. If I could turn back the hands of time, I would engage in such evil acts. But it has been done already and cannot be undone. All I can do- we can do is to repent.”

Layla gave her a look of astonishment.

“That is news. But why are you still hanging with him then. I was told you guys have been together a couple of times.”

“A pang of retrospective compensation for myself via involuntary actions.”

“English. Explain that.”

“You know I never had a date….”

“You never wanted a date.” Layla cut in.

“Because I never felt anything to attract me to one. Out of my control, somehow along the line….I fell in love with him.” She dropped the nickel.

Layla felt as if Zina just pinned her down and load her stomach with iced water. What?

“You mean this is not an act?”

“I went after him with the intention of killing him. He was drunk and had an accident. He was at the point of death….” She told her about the accident scene. “I don’t how but I was ready to die for him or die with him. That was the last moment I had control over myself. We….fell in love. We are in love.”

Layla was short of words.

“But you knew, Zina! You knew I loved him and I still do.” She said bitterly, making an effort not to raise her voice. “You knew I was ready to leave any man for him. Why? I thought you my best friend. I thought you would protect my heart but you broke it. I trusted you. You said you hated him. You detested him and wanted him dead. I cried for him, loved him right from the start.”

Zina felt guilty. She was right but she never planned to do this to her. She never dreamt of falling in love with him. Could someone let her understand that sometimes you fall in love when you did not plan to, capitulate to the overpowering force of love?

“I am sorry but it is not what you think it is….”

“Hold back that kidology. I am not your baby. You just shattered my heart.” Her eyes were filled with tears now. “But don’t think I will let him go without a fight. I don’t care what it takes. The friendship between us just got vanished. I don’t care. You can come after me for all I care. You are good at that but I am not scared of you anymore. You just drew a battle line. I will not let you have him, I swear to God! I will prove to you that I have an ace up my sleeve. I don’t want to have anything to do with you again, ever!”

She turned and walked away angrily.

********