The Picnic - Episode 19

 

Rukky stood up to leave and Duro begged, "At least, one minute of your time"

"You don't even deserve even a second of it" she retorted picking up her handbag from the table then Duro knelt down before her and people started staring. 
"Jesus! Duro, what are you doing?" She asked, "What in the name of God are you doing? Stand up this instant" she demanded and he shook his head. 
"I've wronged you and I'm so sorry"
"Please stand up, you're embarrassing me" she took her seat bowing her head in shame.
"I didn't have any choice but to arrest you. "Who could have thought Caroline was the culprit; I mean I still don't believe it" "Yes but it was easy to believe I killed Bolaji" "That wasn't what I meant"
"I saw it in your eyes Duro . I saw the way you looked at me. Like I was a monster"
"What did you expect? A gun was found with you and the phone, it was too much of a coincidence"
 "You could have at least given me a benefit of the doubt. But the last time I checked, your assistants thought I was innocent"
"I also did but I didn't want to show favoritism"
"You couldn't even get me a lawyer knowing fully well my parents would not be able to afford one"
"It wasn't in my shoe to....." He paused controlling his tears. "Rukky I'm sorry"
"I'm sorry too but the bank has recoursed to taking dad's building

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/the-picnic

. We'll check whatever it is we can sell in the village and..." She paused blinking back her tears. She didn't even know why she was telling him then she stood up again walking past him.
 "Rukky" he called out bringing out a ring case then opened it. People around started bringing out their phones to capture the moment in order to post it on various social media platforms.
Rukky turned back, shocked to see what was in his hands. "I know I've been a major jerk and I've been unfair to you and I've doubted you but I hope you'll forgive me and be mine forever. Please marry me Rukky" he proposed and she walked towards him then laughed throwing her head backwards. 
"You think because you're in public and you've apologized, and oh you can waved that magical ring in the air and everything would be alright" she ceased laughing immediately. "You're a big joke. My answer is a big flat no!" she replied then walked away.

The next day, Efe laughed while he watched the video, "It's not funny" Dunni said trying not to laugh and he raised his brow then gave her that "Really?" Look and she laughed. "Maybe a little bit. Rukky is really angry"

Cynthia walked into Rukky and Omo folding clothes into bags. The two sisters Immediately glared at her as if on a cue. 
"Haven't we warned you not to come here again?" "I won't stop coming until you hear me out? Which one sef? Na only you get stubborn head?"
"What do you have to say?" Rukky snapped, "Maybe she wants to implant another evidence in this room" Omo answered and Cynthia laughed sarcastically. "Very funny Omo, very funny. All this thing don dey make even Omo wey I senior con dey talk to me anyhow"
"Respect is the reciprocated and you haven't earned one" Omo snapped and Rukky glared at her. "She's right, she's still older than the both of us." 
"She's only two months older than you"
" Leave us alone"
"Are you serious?" She asked then she left. "You have five minutes"
"Una dey pack?" She asked and Rukky rolled her eyes, "You have less than five minutes"
"Shuu? You serious for the five minutes o"
"Tik-tok, tik-tok, time is of the essence"
"I'm sorry for what i did. No bleaching cream fit erased wetin I do. I did it for the money. I know it was selfish but for what it was worth, I didn't know there was a gun in that thing"
"What were you actually hoping would happen when I get caught with Bola's phone" "That they would question you. The truth was that i was driven by money, I wasn't thinking. If you see person give you 250,000 naira as we take poor so, you know go sell your womb give the person?"
"I won't, Jesus Cynthia! I'm not driven by money."
There was a brief silence in the room. "I did it cause I was jealous of you" Cynthia confessed.
"Why would you be jealous of me"
"Because no matter your struggle, you still have the life I've always wanted. The family I wanted, the mom I wanted. I was selfish" she cried cleaning her tears. "No amount of tears can justify what i did. I sold my own cousin out because of money"  She added.
 "Unfortunately, we don't choose our family" Rukky answered then pressed a hug against her. 
Cynthia pulled away then opened her bag showing her the money in it. Then she poured it on the bed. "That's 250,000 naira. My conscience would not even allow me use it to buy the human hair I wanted. Use it to pay back the debt"
"I can't accept it"
"Please let me just clear my conscience. Please."

"The video has gone viral" Victor said to Dare who saw Duro approach  from behind Victor "Ahem!" He cleared his  throat to signal to Victor to stop watching but he was rather lost in it. 
Duro sneaked up on him then asked, "What's that?" He took a glance at it and Victor scrolled backwards.
 "How did you get the video?"
"On social media. It's been trending since last night" Victor answered then his phone rang. "Thank God" he mumbled to himself then walked away to pick up the call.

*** The next week ***
In court, while the court session began, the prosecuting attorney stood up to talk to the Jury. "Your honour, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the defendant has been charged with murder of Bolaji Daniels. Mr Bolaji was shot dead at the pool house in a picnic  he organized, the police reached a conclusion that it was caused by a stray bullet until Detective Durodola took up the case and reached a true conclusion that Miss Caroline Badmus is indeed the murderer. The evidence that would be presented to you would prove that the defendant is guilty as charged."

The defending attorney stood up to address the court, "Your honour and ladies and gentlemen of the jury. As we all know, my client is presumed innocent until found guilty. In the course of this trial, we'll come to see that my client is innocent of this charges and is only a victim of unfair transfer of blame because the detective in question only wanted to shift the blame away from the true murderer, his girlfriend Rukerwe Johnson" the defending attorney announced then took his seat.

"The prosecutor may call his first witness" the judge, Janet Falani announced and the baliff took the Cynthia to the witness stand. Her eyes scattered everywhere till it met with Caroline who glared at her. She looked away quickly.
The clerk moved towards her, "Are you a Christian or a Muslim?" He asked, "Christian" she answered and he placed a Bible before her. "Do you promise that any testimony you shall give in this case before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? So help you God"
"I do" she replied and the prosecuting attorney moved closer to her. 
"Where do you work?" She asked, "I work at the daffodils pool house"
"As what?" "As a maid"
"Where were you at the time of the shooting at the Pool house?"
"I was hiding in the laundry room" "And.." he paused expecting more from her. "My friend walked in, she told me she saw Miss Caroline shoot Bola out of jealousy"
"Your honour and member of the jury, we all know Miss Rukerwe Johnson was arrested for the murder of Bolaji daniels because the murder weapon was found with her, Miss Cynthia, tell the whole room who paid you to implant the evidence there"
"Miss Caroline Badmus. She paid me a sum of 250,000 naira" she replied and a document was passed to the judge and members of the jury. 
"As your can see Your honour and the menbers of the jury, that's an account details that states the date and time, that money was transferred into her account and the name on that slip is no other than Caroline Badmus" he concluded and the Judge nodded and Caroline whispered to her lawyer.
"That'll be all your honour" The prosecuting attorney added.
Then the defense attorney stood up, "Your Honour, I'll like to cross-examine the witness" he proposed and the Judge agreed. 
"Cynthia right?" He asked and Cynthia nods slowly. "You said your friend said she saw Miss Caroline shoot Bolaji" "Yes" "So technically, she might be wrong" 
"Andra saw it!"
"Your honour, this lady here didn't see a thing happen, she could have been feed with lies or she may as well be lying"
"Excuse you?" Cynthia snapped, "Did you or did you not report Rukerwe Johnson to the police"
"I did, only because I was paid to do so by Miss Caroline"
"How would you explain the murderer weapon found in her room"
"Have you not been listening? She paid me to put it in"
"What about Bolaji's phone, did she also pay you to put it in?"  He asked and Cynthia kept quiet. "No"
"How come Miss Rukerwe has a murder weapon and the victim's phone in her possession if she wasn't the one who truly killed Mr. Bolaji Daniels."
 "That's a lie"
"Your Honour, I want to bring to your notice that the witness here is infact Miss Rukerwe's cousin." Then he walked up to her. "Convince us Ma, how sure are you that you're not trying to cover up for your cousin's crime" he asked and Cynthia kept mute shaking her head. 
"You're unbelievable!"

The next witness was the arresting Officer, Durodola whom the defense attorney cross-examined afterwards. "What's your relationship with Miss Rukerwe Johnson"
"She ....she was my girlfriend"
"Do you still love her"
"That's irrelevant" He replied shaking his head. "Just answer the question detective"
Duro turned to Rukky, "I still do" "So there's a possibility you're trying to shift the blame away to Caroline so she can free" "I and my teams conducted a fair investigation and as you very well know i arrested Rukky personally not wanting to be partial before Cynthia came in with her confession"
"To save her cousin which is only logical"
Duro had to restrain himself from punching him. He didn't understand why lawyers would wholely support a client they know is guilty of the criminal charges.
 He had to admit the defense attorney was representing Caroline well causing a diversion of opinions among members of the Jury.

Caroline took a seat in the witness stand while the defense attorney questioned her. "How do you explain the money you sent to her" "It's a known fact that I'm a generous giver. That's how I get blessed. I follow the Luke 6:38 principle, i'm a good christian and a cheerful  giver. I give more for less occasion, 250,00 was given to her out of pity. I didn't kill my fiance" she cried cleaning her tears with an handkerchief. 
"I was the second person to see him dead. How could I have killed him. If anyone should be pointed at it should be Toke who I found there but the investigation already proved Rukky did it. Suddenly it becomes convenient for Durodola to shift the blame away from her to me all because she's his girlfriend. It's unfair!" She continued still cleaning her tears.
 The defense requested to question Rukky and he was granted the chance to despite the prosecutor's objection.
He concluded that Rukky be arrested since there's no clear proof that Caroline murdered Bolaji. 
Andra was brought in afterwards, "Andra or Bisola"
"Please call me Andra" "Can you tell the court room what happened that day, everything you saw" The prosecuting attorney requested and she nodded. 
"That day ehn, look at what happened. Even before that day, Madam Caro requested that I trail her boyfriend since he.. everybody knows that Bola was a Casanova... She was jealous and all"
"That's a lie!" Caroline yelled and the judge glared at her. "So that third day, Bolaji was with Muna, one babe like that," she paused looking at Muna.
"I told her they were having sex and then I caught him again with another girl and I also reported to her."
"Which is enough to make any girl get jealous" the prosecuting attorney turned to the member of the Jury. "Mr Bolaji planned on meeting a lady at the pool a lady with cap so I told Madam Caroline and she met Mr. Bolaji at the pool. Because of the shootings, I hid somewhere but because of the spirit of amebo in me, I watched them. They argued for a while and then she shot him dead"
"That's preposterous!" Caroline yelled and the juged hit the gavel on the block. "Miss Badmus comport yourself" she warned and she complied whispering to her lawyer.
"Your honour, she killed him. I saw her with my two koro-koro eyes like this"

The defense attorney cross examined her. "Are you being paid to say this things about my client"
"Paid ke? God forbid! I will not say something I didn't see, after I have sworn with Bible" "My client denies ever sending you on such errands and she remembers having no discussion of a sort with you"
"She killed Bolaji"
"What proof do you have"
"I'm a witness to the whole thing"
"Your honour, Miss Bisola here, has her own dirty laundry with the police and I think detective Duro is holding it against her"
"Objection my lord, those accusations are without proof and are based on assumption"
"Objection sustained."
"Bisola, did you take a picture of Miss Caroline taking the shot?" "I didn't have  a good phone" "What's the possibility that the lady in cap didn't do it?" he asked and she scoffed. "I'm just wasting my spit" 

Shortly after, Taye was brought in by the defense attorney to speak on behalf of Caroline. The shock on Duro's face was immeasurable. As she stepped into the witness stand she saw him plead, he didn't need to say it, it was written all over his face.
"Tell the whole room what happened that day"
Taye paused then turned over to Caroline who had that look that made her scared about the well-being of her kids.  "Was there any suspicious movement that could have led to Bolaji's death?" He asked and she kept mute once again. "Miss Macaulay you have to answer" he whispered then laughed nervously. 
"Was there anyone that could have been held as a suspect for the crime"
"Yes... The lady with the cap. Rukerwe Johnson" she answered and Caroline grinned.

Read " Palm lines 2 " by the same author ( Essien Eno )

. "Caroline couldn't have killed Bolaji, this is definitely plotted by Duro to save his girlfriend" she replied and Duro shut his eyes in disappointment.
"Why are you so confident that it wasn't Caroline?" He asked and tears trickled down her cheeks. "Before i say anymore thing, I want the court to know that I'm not telling the truth, actually, I speak under duress cause Caroline threatened to kill my two children if I tell the truth." " No!" Caroline lied, "You lying bitch! That wasn't our plan!" She yelled slamming her hands on the table before her. 
Duro grinned then looked at the prosecuting attorney who also smiled. "So let it be known to everyone that if anything happens to my children, Caroline caused it"
"You're supposed to talk about Rukky" the defense whispered to her. "Whether this Rukerwe was there or not is none of my business. That day, Caroline walked into my office complaining about how jealous she was how she wanted to teach this girl in cap lesson. She took the company gun. The gun was register under late Mr. Daniels. She found the gun, threatened me then left with it. Caroline killed Bola with that gun and implanted it in that poor girl's house to incriminate her"
"You didn't see her kill Bola" 
"I didn't but she confessed it to me and together we tried to cover the whole thing up. We paid the police to keep it hidden"
"That's would be all Your Honour" The defense answered then walked back to his seat in shame.

Anticipate the final episode....