The Deathlike Mission - Episode 16

 

"What!" Kari exclaimed as Jide huffed. "Was she ill?"

"Could have been better. She was found dead by the gate this morning," the lady began to snivel with her face downwards.

"Oh no. This can't have happened," Jide gasped looking at Kari who now leaned on the counter weakened by the news. "Ma'am please calm down . What's your name?" he asked the young woman. 

"Mary." She replied, choking back the tears.

"Miss Mary, was she abducted at any point in time before her death?" he asked trying to maintain eye contact with her.

"No she wasn't," her eyes evaded his.

"Did she go out or keep late nights out?" he still tried.

"Inika never went out often, when she did she never stayed beyond 7pm. But she had a visitor yesterday evening at about 8pm which appeared rather strange. It was a young man. I saw them both go out a little later after he came. I don't know if it had anything to with that man, but Inika never returned here."

"Was that the first time you saw him?"

"Yes. Inika never had any visitors, save for only a man in his late fifties who comes here on very rare occasions."

Kari and Jide exchanged glances then Jide asked her quietly, "Do you have any photograph of your father here with you?"

Without saying a word, she pulled out her pocketbook, removed a passport photograph of her late dad and handed it to him.

"Could this be he who visited her here rarely?"

"No," Mary answered abruptly upon seeing his face. "I have never seen that face here before," she added looking away, obviously shaken

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/the-deathlike-mission-pt-1

.  Then like an afterthought, "Please as you can see, I'm not in a good state to speak to detectives right now."

"I don't think we ever introduced ourselves to you as detectives Miss Mary, but we are detectives in fact."

"Is that so? Tell me, will you be in charge of the investigation?" she asked innocently this time. 

"No. That's why I haven't asked to see your principal yet. Like we said earlier, we are friends of hers. She only asked us to meet with her today for some urgent business, we honestly did not know how badly she had met her death."

"Really?"

"Yes. It's most unfortunate that she ended that way. Has the case been reported to the authorities?"

"No. Yes I mean, the police."

"Not sure?" Jide taunted.

"But I really don't think there's much they can do considering the fact that no one knows anything about the visitor." she quickly covered up.

"I think you should leave that for the police to handle. We will be leaving now, if anything comes up do let police know."

"I will," she replied hastily. "Inika was more like a mother to me, it will be my greatest desire to help in every way I can to apprehend her killers."

"Nice to hear." Then he brought out a piece of paper. "But if the police seems too far, you can reach me through this number I will be waiting for your call." he said without smiling. "And be careful," he added before turning to leave. "Whoever might have killed Inika is still out there."

Mary stared at him white-eyed with a streak of tear breaking through and running down her left cheek as Jide gave her a goodbye pat on the shoulder.

Kari was already leading the way speedily in anger towards their car before Jide could make it out of the building.

"Hey! Slow down." He rush to meet up with her stopping her as she was going to open the car.

"I warned you didn't I?" she turned to face him. "I sensed this wouldn't turn out too good but you wouldn't believe me." Kari said in a frustrating voice. 

"Ok-ok. I admit it turned out badly than we expected, but don't you think it was best we tried?"

"No!" Kari barked. "What is best right now is getting involved in finding out who killed my father and not chasing shadows by coming here."

"Calm down Kari. We can't get at anything by you being worked up this way. This whole thing is leading us somewhere even though everything seems ambiguous right now, don't you see?"

"It isn't! we are rather getting more lost in a maze. It all began with Malik's case, then my dad's murder and both cases are still unsolved till this minute. Here we are again with another puzzle to put together all this isn't making sense at all, we are deviating."

"It will. Let me remind you again, have you thought of why your father was killed or the reason why he had us come here to fulfill his dying wish? And now the lady he sent us to has been reported to have died mysteriously on the day we are to see her. My dear this is too deep to let lying, all of these are interrelated, it will be worth it in the end."

"I doubt that with everything I have."

"Now just incase you were too disturbed to notice the lady was lying, Inika isn't dead at least not yet."

"And that was why you dropped your number? You almost scarred her to death with your interrogation."

"I had a reason. Look at your surroundings, does it look to you like one that lost someone?"

"Definitely not, every activity could have been on a standstill. But those are kids playing as usual, and the other workers going about their normal activities. And how did she even know we are detectives?"

"My point exactly."

"But why would she lie about something so grave?"

"Maybe they are being blackmailed or conditioned to do so."

"We need to speak to other people, maybe the principal we might get something."

"Not yet, every one here might just sound the same. Plus we need to appear as though we are fine with what we were just being told because we may be under watch right now. This is a serious mess we have to solve, I'll follow the Mary girl steadily and she will open up to me soon."

"This sounds deathly. I'm surprised how everything turned out this way."

"The information about our meeting got out before we came here and for all I know there's a serious secret Inika needs to tell us, but it's quite unfortunate that she may be in the enemy's claws as we speak."

"How can that be? I told just Paul about it. Unless you mean to say Paul is behind it which you know is impossible."

"Nothing is impossible where humans are concerned."

"You really are trying to say something."

"I think there's something you must know, get in the car."

*                    *                    *

Kari sat on double settee couch in her sitting room sobbing and wishing secretly that the new information given her by Jide should be a mere suspicion and not the truth. But the more she tried the more obvious the possibility became. She took a very deep breath as tears ran down her both cheeks.

"How could he?" she asked the ever protective Jide who sat on the glass center table opposite her, holding her both hands. "I thought he was a brother, or maybe he really isn't."

"You need to stop feeling this way, if we are right he doesn't deserve your tears."

"I can't help it. To think the person I spent the last four years in friendship with could conceive hurting me this way is worst than pain." She sobbed on.

"Be easy on yourself, I never wanted to mention it to you because I wanted to be fully certain. But with what happened today, I'm sorry I had to. I know how you guys have come a long way and I hate to be the deal breaker but we have to do what's necessary first."

"I don't want this to be true."

"I pray everyday to be wrong myself, but the pointers become more clearer."

Just then, the doorbell rang and Laura burst in without waiting for an answer.

"What's going on here? Kari you sounded scary over the phone are you ok?"

"Yes-I very much am,  Just exhausted." she lied cleaning her tears.

"Hi Laura," Jide greeted.

"Hi." She replied passively.  So is she really dead?"

"We aren't certain, something is definitely not right somewhere." Jide replied standing up.

"And what does that mean?" Laura asked looking squarely at Jide.

"It means someone has been selling us off the whole time," Kari responded defiantly, standing up too.

"Huh? You guys aren't pointing fingers at me are you?"

"Unless otherwise, I don't see why we should. Now I need to know, when last did you hear from Paul?"

"Oh," Laura chuckled. "I get it now. So Mr hero here has began feeding you with his grotesque detection, don't tell me you are beginning to take it in."

"Yes, fortunately she has a rational mind to look beyond sentiments for life's sake." Replied Jide almost victoriously.

"What! Have you completely lost your mind Kari? How could you even believe Paul's capable of hurting you?"

"Because he's human amongst many other reasons. Yes, It's painful to admit but I see reasons with Jide. Paul's behavior this past weeks have been rather too strange. He's being the only one we spoke to about all of our moves, if anything only he could have betrayed us this much."

"You disappoint me dear friend, can't you see what this Jide is about? He always wants to be the hero and everyone else the villain."

"It's more than being a hero, I just wish you can stop and think." Jide said again.

"This is so unbelievable. So you will throw away all our years of friendship just because of a jealous suspicion from a mere stranger? Remember Paul's always been there."

"Jide isn't a stranger, not anymore. Though it's a short time we have known each other but he's proven to be a true friend and a succour a thousand times more than Paul ever did in all our years of friendship. He even put his life on the line to save dad can't you remember?"

"Oh I do. But you know what? I would never choose a few hours of pleasure from a someone I barely know over many years of loyalty from a friend."

"It's too bad Laura that up until now you haven't found me loyal enough to be friends with." Replied Jide. "But I will not rest until Paul is exposed for what he really is."

"Whatever you say, I still know where my loyalty lies. Kari, Paul will be so heartbroken. You did not only turn down his proposal in the meanest way ever but you betrayed him. You both can do what you want, I can't keep arguing this. I'm out of here."

"Laura," Kari's voice stopped her midway. "You are entitled to your beliefs, you and Paul can go ahead and think the worst of me it won't stop me from getting justice for my father. And if Paul knows something about it, then he will pay dearly."

"You will be disappointed Kari, I assure you." With that note of finality, Laura stalked off while Kari broke down to tears in Jide's arms.

"Hush now, you did the right thing." He assured her as he held her firmly and soothingly.

"I pray our suspicion is wrong, if not I won't be able to bring myself to forgive him."

"It's ok. Now listen, before we finally make certain our findings there's one last thing to do."

"Which is?" she asked breaking free from his embrace.

"The assailant's blood sample from the stab wound was gotten from the scene and my contact from your office tells me that a test was carried out and the results are ready."

"We also need Paul's result to get it right."

"Yes, and I'm wondering if you can help us accomplish that."

"How possible? Ok, I think I have an idea, I'll hack into our data base and then into his personal statistics. Will that do?"

"Perfect!"

"But then it's going to be tedious. I'll just try, I hope it doesn't match."

"I hope so too, but in the meantime we must be on our guard and also keep an eye on Laura no matter what."

"You are right, thank you for everything. I'll go get changed so I can fix us something to eat I'm kind of hungry, make yourself comfortable I'll be right back." She said picking her bag and shawl from the settee and made for her bedroom.

Jide just nodded with a smile as he settled into the sofa re-strategizing in his mind how to get all he needs to know from Mary.