A Dread in the Spine - Episode 14

 

 Since he was very sure that Raphael was in total control of Joana's case, he decided to go to the churches that were mentioned in the videos. There would be something to help him catch the kidnappers. 
Upon getting to The Bringer of Light Ministries, he swallowed hard at the money that had been spent on the church's building. At this point, he wouldn't blame Nigeria's 'Daddy Freeze' and even Fortunecity's 'Bad belle' for always ridiculing Pastors . The compound was very large, and from where he stood, he might not even get a view of the end of the church. 
After being directed to where he would park his car, he waited for the secretary of the church whom he had called. The protocol of the church was such that he wouldn't see the General Overseer, Dr. Immaculate John, until the secretary had talked to him. A man, who was older than expected, who would be around 60 years, walked towards him smartly like a 39-year-old man.
'Good erm... morning sir', he said as the man acknowledge him and shook his hand. 'So, sir I want to meet the secretary'.
The man chuckled. 'I assumed you expected a cheeky girl. No. I'm the secretary'.
'Oh! I just wanted to confirm

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/a-dread-in-the-spine

. I knew you spoke to me the other time, but I thought'
'Yes, I get that a lot. It's Daddy's way of life'.
'Daddy? Dr. Immaculate?'
From all indications, the man was far older than Dr. Immaculate. If he wouldn't be old enough to be his father, he would be old enough to be his uncle. But the man still accorded him respect. Nosa fused into the piety. 'Oh Daddy!'
'Yes. He doesn't love to be in a situation of great temptation as a young blood, like David. So, he made me his secretary being a man that has served in the vineyard for years'.
'Vineyard? As in wine vineyard? I never knew we had that in Fortunecity'.
The man smiled. 'No. I'm talking about God's vineyard. Do you go to church at all?'
'Oh! Of course'
'Are you saved?'
'EhnI believe in Jesus'.
'Hmmm. You should give God your all. Let him be your savior. Your world would revolve more in peace and tranquility if you give him all'.
Nosa nodded as they moved into a richly painted house, which housed objects that projected affluence. The old secretary led him to small office as he kept lecturing him about Heaven.
'Daddy said I should handle anything you have for us'.
'But I need some questions answered by him'
'I know. I'm his secretary, he shares every detail with me'.
'You don't get'
'Young man, I'm not a fool at my old age. The joy of the Lord is my strength. I have the mind of God. I can do all things through Christ that strengthens'.
'Okay, sir. What was Pastor's reaction to the slanders about his church?'
'Slanders? There have been no slanders.'
Nosa sat back and stroked his chin. 'Do you mean he hasn't heard about the things some people that returned with visions said about him?'
'We heard. But he didn't hear anything'.
'What do you mean?'
'I filter most of his documents. I've told the police all of these before'.
'And as I said, I'm a P.I'.
'Parish Instructor...Oh! Private Investigator'
Nosa chuckled and sat up.
'Old age is telling on me'.
'I get'.
'But there's no way. He wouldn't have heard about it'.
'In what way?'
'There's no way. He has a policy. Whenever you start saying "Daddy, have you heard what this person said"; he would stop you and tell you no, and wouldn't wish to listen to the matter because it might be defaming and could make him sad'.
Nosa admired the Pastor. He should imbibe such character. That would help him a lot.
'Well, he needs to hear about them because according to what I heard, your church is one of the two top churches that were slandered in the messages of those that went to hell'.
'Well, God will continually take the ladies into hiding: He will make their scheme stop. They are devilish, sir', the old secretary said. 'The only problem I have with them is that fear sells'.
The man's face was already wrinkled. His skinned head shone in the light. There was something about this man that compelled Nosa to trust what he was saying about the Pastor.
'But sir do you think anyone from the church would do such thing?
'Are they demonically possessed? Our Daddy has taught us that if anyone slaps us we should present the other cheek. Although I respect myself enough not to allow my face to be smitten'.
Nosa laughed. 'I wish it were true'.
'It is. No one from this church would have such audacity'.
Nosa tried different investigative skills but it was futile. He knew he had to head for the other churches.
As the secretary saw him off, his phone rang. Nosa walked off to his car. However, not before he heard, 'we lost it. To her. This woman is becoming a bone in the throat'.
 The moment he entered his car, Raphael called again. Nosa wished this guy really knew how he felt about him, maybe he wouldn't keep calling. The way Raphael became closer to his wife even after what he tried to do to Moriah still bemused him. He, whom everyone knew was fond of sleeping with anything in a skirt, became closer to his wife than Nosa. He was always angry at Raphael for trying to rape Moriah, and wouldn't have talked to him if not for series of death around him, which compelled Raphael to come around. During those trying periods, Moriah only called and didn't give him the chance to trace the call before she disconnected it.
'What now?'
'I just went to see Joana to show her the edited version of the testimony'
'And you can't wait till after you've seen Chloe'.
'Chloe gave me a specific time'.
Nosa sighed. He was getting worked up, and sweat was already popping out of his skin. 'I should have known. See Raph, she needs to cry or talk. Just make her do one. Perform your magic'.
'Trust me. I'll make her pop out of her miry ground'.
Nosa nodded. 'Okay later'.
'NoNo, not later. Joana said she remembers the names she heard and has written it for me'.
'Give me'.
'Over this phone?'
'Text it'.
'No. Everything about you is bugged. You're another experiment that would soon turn to a bottle of urine'.
Nosa hissed and thought for a while. 'Okay, let's meet at the first place the two us met'.
'Ahhh! Bad child. Bad guy. Okay', Raphael said excitedly.
'By four?'
'Four like foursome'.
'Raph You're a dog', Nosa said and chuckled.
'Learning from the master. Just try to come early. We really need to talk'.
'Hope all is well?'
'Yes. It's nothing much. It's about Fela Durotoye'.
'What's about him? I like him. The man would make sense as our President, Nigerian President'.
'That's why when we meet, we need to talk about volunteering for him, and I need you to help me talk to Chloe as regarding money. You know what I mean. We need this man in this country'.
'When we meet'.
'Yes. Meanwhile, you should come to our tree house one day. I've placed both of our pictures. I need Moriah's recent picture and Chloe is refusing to have hers there'.
'Raph, when we meet'
'Foursome'.
'Argh!!!'
That was one thing about Raphael, you would have a reason to laugh. He decided to go to the other churches, but he got the same outcome as the first. The case was still at a standstill. Mr. Johnson's call came in and went off immediately. The man was surely an idiot. He wanted the case to end immediately and give all the praise to his Eagle Eyes Security.
                  ***
Shayla had never imagined that pregnancy could make her heavy. Despite her complaint about the pregnancy, it wasn't protruding, maybe because it was in its third month.
She wore a blue polo, a pair of blue Jeans trousers, and a blue cap to match. Despite her being in the car, she regularly glanced at different places because she wouldn't want any of her colleagues to see her. 
She tapped the steering wheel, and continually shook her head. If Joana hadn't poked her nose, she would have lured out the women's kidnapper and would have still cured the spread of rumors about those men of God. Now, she would use her as the bait, and she would do anything it required to get the kidnapper.
Bringing her out of her deep thought, Segun knocked her side of the car. He looked away and she gestured for him to enter the passenger's seat. He walked briskly, entered and faced her.
'Someone beat us to it. I think it's the kidnapper'.
'How will the kidnapper know about the paper?'
'I don't know'
'Don't tell me you don't know. I made a fool of myself with Nosa so you can find it. Instead, you refused to pick up my call. Were you with Katrina?'
He looked away.
'I knew it. You were now calling me when he caught the person you sent'.
'Almost caught. That's okay. I'll find that fat prostitute'.
'Do, and don't mess up this time. I hope it's not your name she heard at all'.
'I hope too. If I catch that Victoria. Her big mouth'.
'Get away. This kidnapper has links and a lot of people helping them. You need to be careful'.
'Okay boss', he said as he stepped out of the car.
'If you die before we end this case, I'll come after you in the grave and kill you again'.
He slammed the door and she drove off. He had always had a desire to know the safe house she hid the ladies, but she refused to tell him the location. Although she trusted him, she didn't trust the fact that he might say something to someone. Who knows, he might tell the police something to save Katrina from the prison?
Katrina was their new recruit, and the two of them were supposed to be on a mission in Fortunecity, but the two of them diverted and stole. He was lucky to be saved by a mysterious woman, whom he refused to name, but Katrina didn't get the same fate as he. She had been in the police custody ever since. Nevertheless, she still sensed Katrina's stay at the prison as something fishy because Rachael and the whole of F.A.L.T (Fortunecity Association of Life Takers) would have ensured that she was released.
 When she got to the compound and honked, the gateman opened the gate instantly. They didn't exchange pleasantries. The compound was buried in the suburb of Fortunecity. The fence around it couldn't easily be climbed. F.A.L.T built such houses at different places in Fortunecity and Nigeria as a whole.
 She got out of the car, strapped her weapon bag around her, and marched into the house. She nodded to acknowledge the two hefty guards at the entrance of the sitting room.
When she entered the sitting room, two of the missing ladies- Victoria Akachi Amadi and Lila Uzo- were seated on the cushions, waiting for her. They must have been waiting for her since they called her that morning because Lila pouted like she did whenever she was angry. Shayla dropped into one of the green seats across them, and waited for them to talk. However, after waiting and glancing at their silent frowning faces, which seemed lightened by the cream coloured paint of the house, she decided to trigger the conversation.
 'I got your message'.
'That's why you're here, of course now', Lila hissed and looked away.
'See, Shayla, when I'm released from this place, I want to go back to my old life. As in, when I got here everything about my former life just got a boner and the desires rushed back. That stupid life was boring. Me? Living like a real church girl?' Victoria said, groaned, snapped her fingers, and looked away.
'Me too. I wasn't born to live a dull life. Look at me, I'm like a ghost. No. Vampire. Drab. Ah. Yuck', Lila said and began to turn her arms as if she was inspecting them. Just like the first time she met her, Lila was wearing a black fishnet leggings and a pink spaghetti, with no aim to cover anything on her body.
Shayla eyed them as she headed for the other side of the house. 'You two are crazy.

Read " Grabbing The Hot Gate " by the same author ( Akíntayo Akinjide )

. Is it because we didn't allow the kidnapper have his way with you?'
She was recruited to be the middleman between the churches and the prostitutes. After 'Desire Greatness Ministry' saw that people were getting visions about heaven, they decided to raise fake visionaries. She was given the duty of prepping them. In retaliation, some rich loyal men from Bringer of Life Ministries also paid Chief Suberu, and she was also given the job to prep them, and to guide them all. In order to have time for it, Rachael ordered her to do something that would make her suspended from the police force, where she was acting as the inside man, and she did more than that: when she saw a member of Gragus Team, she expelled all her anger on him.
In the other part of the house were the prostitutes meant to work for Bringer of Life Ministries. The contract was such that they couldn't tell any other person, not even their fellow prostitutes. And they adhered to their part of the contract until someone killed two of the plants, and she had to start bringing them together into hiding; yet, she still separated those from different churches, and had refused to let them meet one another. 
Her main concern was how to save the other fake women in the trap of the kidnapper, and how to catch the kidnapper. Whenever she caught the kidnapper, she would ensure she broke his leg, and make him go through pain for causing the death of innocent struggling women.
'If you say so', Victoria said, curled on the chair, wearing a dark-blue bum short and a silver blouse. 'Then, ten million per year is not enough. Increase it'.
'Why not ask for your pictures to be posted on the church's bulletin. Fools', she said and slammed the door behind her.