The Deathlike Mission - Episode 5

 

The days that followed the murder of John Malik was activity-filled. There were series of meetings with various representatives from the government and the press. Locks to all the cells were changed and checked again. New security gadgets were being reinstalled. Often, Chief Ajayi's voice was heard basking out orders to any officer he comes across. He was tensed, angry, frustrated . It was understood because he had superiors to answer to. Never had anything like this happened before, not now that he has been newly appointed as head of the Criminal Investigation Unit. He was been so irascible in his relations with his subordinates lately, he needed answers to the puzzling death of the suspect. That was why as Kari walked to his office that afternoon, she was uneasy because neither her nor her team had gathered enough evidences to explain how the SIB cells was invaded undiscovered and also who the brains behind the murdered suspect are. It was all so frustrating. Night and day she worked, not only that nothing was making sense to her, she always found herself back in the same spot where she had started. Inspite of all this, she was'nt giving up yet. The dots would connect soon she was sure. All she needed was time to continue investigating. The Chief would yell out his impatience, but there was little to be done now

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

. She knocked twice on the door and the Chief's brusque voice permitted her in.

"Good day Chief," greeted Kari not expecting an answer from him.

"Detective Kari," he called without looking up from the papers he was studying on his table. "What are your findings?"

Her heart beat fast, he didn't even ask her to seat. "Nothing new sir, we just..."

"You just what?" he cut her short

"We need more time to decipher all of this Chief, everything has gone really out of line. We have no leads, finger prints or traces, we have been relying just on our intelligence to crack this up," she ended throwing her hands on the air.

"We do not have time Kari, we need to answer to the public and to the government, you and your team are being too slow about this. Your intelligence ought to be sufficient for this task, it's all you require. I mean It's been almost a week and we do not even have a concrete report about anything."

"This isn't easy chief, we have..."

"Do you realize that a man who was a lead in a major investigation was killed in this building by someone who went unnoticed?"

"Which is a direct pointer that the whole charade is a little chunk of something big and sinister. The more reason you should allow us a little of your patience to go through with this investigation, perhaps Chief we might be closer than you think to answers." Kari added confidently.

"Perhaps not," he said standing up. "You will not investigate this case further."

"Excuse me chief?"

"I should have refused assigning the case to you when Paul suggested. But judging from your previous activities I felt you would be up to it"

"But I am chief, we are doing our very best here and you know it."

"At this point my dear, I don't care about what I know anymore. All I want is to get to the root of all this and you obviously are incompetent to take me there!" he ended pounding his fist in the table.

"So, what are you saying?"

"I'm reassigning the case to someone more adept to handle".

"What! You can't be serious Chief."

"You bet I am, and you are to stay off the case completely."

What! The exclamation repeated within her. Her tongue was stuck. Kari knew the Chief was growing athirst and irritable, but to the extent of relieving her of an assignment she took so personal was out of her imagination.

"You can't do this sir," said Kari dryly.

"Your delay leaves me no choice," Chief Ajayi replied without feeling. "And let me say again that you are to stay completely off the case else you might face the penalty of being desk-bound indefinitely. Prepare the necessary files, now you may leave."

This did not just happen. It was more than humiliation on Kari's part. She stood rooted to the spot as the Chief's last words stung her. No, she did not just feel hot tears burning behind her eyes. This did not just happen. She had put in her all into this, if there was anything to find out that easily she would have done so. She was the best person for this assignment. No. She can't cry and would never cry because of this. Regaining her composure, she threw one last glance at the Chief who was now sitting, casting her a hard "you are excused" look, turned around and stormed out of his office.                        *                  *                *

"Come on Kari, you don't have to keep up like this. You are acting as though you just lost your job." Laura told her friend for the umpteenth time that evening. Kari had been downcast the whole afternoon, she even refused lunch. It was difficult not to attract the attention of most colleagues whose desks were close to hers.

"I feel like it Laura. You needed to see the way my ineptitude was magnified by the Chief," Kari replied sadly with a hand under her chin.

"It can't be that bad, you are an extremely proficient detective and everyone knows that. Come to think of it, you never even wanted to take up the case in the first place,"

"But i still took it up and got disgraced out of it."

"Oh dear, don't be like this. Just forget this case ever existed or that you were even part of it. There are so many other cases that need your attention."

"Yea, it doesn't look like I have a choice, unless I don't want to go out the field anymore and you know what that means."

"You would be like me right? But really if you want to look at it staying on the desk is fun you know," Added Laura as she chuckled.

"Well, we have different tastebuds when it comes to having fun, remember that."

"Right, miss."

Just then, her desk phone rang and she picked up the receiver.

"Miss Kari," it was the reception.

"Yes Oge?"

"Someone's here to see you, a gentleman." she could note the light tone with which Oge's described her waiting visitor.

"Really? Please what's his name?"

"Uhm, Mr Jide Cooker, that's his name."

"Ok, I'll be at the reception in time"

She dropped the receiver with a confused expression on her face.

"Who was that?" questioned Laura without giving her time to think.

"A man called Jide waits at the reception to see me."

"Who is he?"

"I won't look this confused if i remembered him, though the name does sound quite familiar."

"Why not go find out?"

"Yeah" she agreed, standing from her desk. "I won't be long."

Kari took the elevator, and in no time she was on the ground floor. As she walked towards the reception area, there was no strange person other than the young man Oge was engrossed in a chat with, unless that was her visitor..."Oh" she exclaimed softly, as he turned towards her. It's him, how could she forget the name that soon, the man that saved her barely a week ago...

"Hello there," Jide greeted when she was just few feet away from him.

"Oh hi, it's you. For one moment I couldn't place the name."

"You could forget your big defender this soon," he said jokingly.

"Not like that. Actually I've been stressed a little too much lately and I tend to forget names when I am."

"Oh, It's no problem though, so how have you been?" reaching his hands to shake hers

"I've been well," she reciprocated the gesture. "So what brings you to the SIB?"

"This," he said showing her a small pocketbook.

"That's mine!" exclaimed Kari reaching for it. "Where did you find it?"

"Same spot you were attacked on that night right after you left. It could have dropped during the struggle."

"I thought so. But how did I not notice?"

"Maybe if you hadn't been in such a hurry, you could have." replied Jide putting both hands in his pockets.

"Oh well, thank you and I appreciate you taking the pains down here to give this back."

"It was no stress at all really," he said with a wink that made Kari smile. "It's past 5:pm, aren't you finished for the day yet?"

"Not exactly, why?"

"You said something about being stressed, and you obviously look it. Mind if we talk about it over dinner or a drink?"

Kari gave a soft laugh. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

"Sounds funny?" asked Jide boyishly.

"No, sounds impossible."

"Nothing's impossible dear Kari, that I have learnt."

"You know what Jide, I was having a hectic day before you came around. Mind if I return?"

"Really, just like that?"

"No, not without thanking you once again for bringing back my stuff, that was super nice of you." Said Kari as she turned around to leave.

"Ok, but could you just wait a minute?"

"No. And don't come here looking for me again," she added with finality as she headed towards the stairs.

Jide stared at her disappearing form go up the building with a slight satisfying smile, then he turned his gaze on Oge.

"That wasn't a bad try was it?" he asked. Oge shook her head, implying a 'no' answer.

He laughed as he strode out of the reception to the exit door, leaving oge a very generous tip.