(The lawyer left and sometime later all the staff and Proprietress of Atlantic College who had come to the Archibong's residence also left. As the teachers are going in the staff bus, they discuss the issue....)
CHRIS : what happened is still a surprise to me.
MISS BARBARA : I don't believe that Jide could have done such a thing.
CHRIS : I believe something went wrong in the whole thing.
MRS HAASTRUB : something is wrong somewhere. Those that told Bukola said they found Jide lying on the ground beside the body.
CHRIS : oh then how can you rape someone finish, kill her then sleep there, abi? This people are not thinking.
MISS BARBABA : Jide's has always being a good boy. I don't know how he get mixed up in all of this.
MRS HAASTRUB : some of the students even said they last saw Carol with Andrew but at the end of the day Andrew was nowhere to be found.
CHRIS : hmm those boys...I don't trust them. Especially that Andrew...if only you know what happened at the competition we went for.
MISS BARBARA : Fola told us.
MRS HAASTRUB : that's why I don't trust those boys....hmm...I'm happy I didn't allow my daughter to go.
MISS BARBARA : its good you didn't allow her go o.
CHRIS : now I heard that Jide is at the police station, poor boy...
MRS HAASTRUP : what a pity...only God can help him out of this.
*************************************************************
(Lawyer Sunkanmi came back from the police station and he met up with Tade who had gone with a client to checkout a property earlier on....)
SK : guy, wahala dey o...
TADE : wetin happen?
SK : if you see the case wey one woman bring come meet me today ehn...
TADE : tell me...
SK : hmm...if only you know those involved....(He narrates Jide's story)
TADE : Omo! That guy is in for some smelly shit mehn!
SK : real smelly shit, I tell you....I'm still trying to find out if its really the Chief Justice's son or not, because the other boy's name is Omajuyi.
TADE : hmm....look, this could be a big hit for us o.
SK : big hit indeed! E be like say you no hear me abi? I say the woman no get money, na cook she be for that house.
TADE : look at it from the other side jare....
SK : I still don't get....
TADE : okay, let's start this way. As the boy's lawyer, we have the right to conduct an investigation isn't it?
SK : of course.
TADE : good! Then let's start from there.
SK : haha because of how much nau?
TADE : I know what I'm saying o....come, was the crime not committed at the rich man's house?
SK : it was.
TADE : fine let's go there. We should be able to find something that will prove that, that boy is innocent.
SK : you think so?
TADE : let's just go there.
SK : okay.
*************************************************************
(After giving the whole incident a deep thought, Silvia and Andy call Musa to their sitting room for a chat...)
ANDY : what exactly happened?
MUSA : sir, when the driver told me he's looking for the girl, I went to make an announcement at the party that we are looking for the girl. When I made the announcement, one boy raised up his hand and said the last time he saw the girl, she was with Andrew. Although, immediately, Ken said he just saw Andrew going to sleep and that the girl was not with him. So we started searching for her. When we got to that room, we saw the girl on the ground, dead, she had being raped and stabbed. Beside her was Jide, the cook's son, he was unconscious. We had to wake him up with some water sir.
ANDY : (thinks for a while)...how many people saw all that? I mean, that the boy was unconscious?
MUSA : all those who were with us. I really can't say who and who.
ANDY : (stands up, pacing)...you did a very unprofessional job! You were looking for a girl around the house, couldn't you have done the search yourself? You and your team. Why asking everyone to start searching, doing your job for you?
MUSA : em...sir. The driver was really desperate...he had called....
ANDY : (cuts in)....no matter what he has done, you were suppose to do the search, not asking total strangers to be searching my house.
MUSA : sorry about that sir.
ANDY : so what did the policemen say?
MUSA : they just took the boy to the station with the murder weapon and they asked me to come and make a report.
ANDY : and have you gone?
MUSA : no sir.
ANDY : good. Don't go and make any report...
MUSA : (surprised)...but sir...
ANDY : (cuts in)...no buts. What will you go and write there? The same thing you just told me? Do you want them to take my son as a suspect?
MUSA : no sir.
ANDY : good. So you're not going to make any report. I'm sure the girl's father will also make his report, we can't let them notice any irregularities in the reports.
MUSA : okay sir.
ANDY : and the place?
MUSA : its still there, untouched.
ANDY : tell some of the cleaners to clean it up thoroughly.
MUSA : sir, they forgot to take the girl's shoes.
ANDY : then keep it with you. If they come for it, just give it to them. Don't let them into that room. If anyone asks to see the place, just tell them I've asked you to lock it and the key is with me or Madam...just tell them something.
MUSA : okay sir.
ANDY : and in case someone asks you any kind of question, be very careful with the way you'll answer them, okay?
MUSA : okay sir.
ANDY : good. I'll give you all some bonuses this month.
MUSA : (smiling)...thank you sir.
ANDY : you can go back to your post.
MUSA : yes sir...(He leaves)
ANDY : (turning to his wife who has being quiet all this while)...Musa's part is settled.
SILVIA : I hope he doesn't mess up.
ANDY : he won't.....he dares not.
*************************************************************
(Some days later, Jide is still in the police cell. He decided to resign to fate, waiting for what next will happen to him. The lawyer has not come back since the last time. His mother has been coming daily to bring him food.
Jide later got talking to some of the detainees who seem interested in his case. He explains what happened to them....)
EBOH : hmm...if you ask me, those boys are devil incarnates.
MENSAH : if they can torture them well they will talk.
JIDE : who will do that? Andrew's father is a Minister. Ken's father is a Judge...
EBOH : huh! O boy, your own don done finish.
MENSAH : you got mixed up with the wrong set of people.
SESAN : I doubt if you will get out of this o.
JIDE : (almost crying again)...something I know nothing about...(Sobbing)
SESAN : crying will not solve your problem now o. You better be praying for a miracle. Those involved are children of powerful men in this Nigeria, you'll need God's intervention to get out of this.
MENSAH : you don't have money. If you can get a good lawyer now, it will be better for you.
JIDE : we don't have money for an expensive lawyer.
SESAN : that is how poor man is being deprived in this country o.
MENSAH : if only a thorough investigation can be carried out, the truth will come out.
JIDE : I wish so....(Cleaning the tears in his eyes)....
*************************************************************
(Jacobs and his Lawyer visit the Silva's house. They were met by the security men....)
MUSA : good afternoon sir?
JACOBS : good afternoon, do you remember me?
MUSA : yes sir.
JACOBS : good. This is my lawyer. We came to check the room for some of my daughter's things.
MUSA : that's true. Her shoe is here with us....I'll just check where the cleaners left it...(Going to check for it)
JACOBS : hold on...let's check the room first.
MUSA : (coming back) sir? Actually, oga said we should bring the shoe to your place, he just hasn't given us the address.
JACOBS : I said we want to see the place.
MUSA : em...ha, they have locked up the place o. And the key is with Madam...I mean oga.
CHARLES : so we can't see the place?
MUSA : em....Madam is not at home right now, and oga is in Abuja. May be I'll tell them, then you people can come back.
JACOBS : hmm....(Wondering why)....but...locking up the room....okay....but in case we have to come back it will be my lawyer that will come okay?
MUSA : yes sir.
JACOBS : (forgetting about the shoe, he turns to the Lawyer)..let's go.
MUSA : bye sir.
(Jacobs and Charles leave the Silva's residence.
The Security personnel, could not but notice what's going on...)
MEKO : Musa, I hope this people won't suspect we're hiding something o...
MUSA : what do you mean? What are we hiding?
MEKO : you and I know that....(Looks around)....that crime was not committed by Jide.
MUSA : ehn, so who will say it? Will you?
MEKO : hmm...na so person dey suffer for thing wey him no do for this counrty be that o....
MUSA : well.....wetin we wan do? Na only God fit save that boy from this problem o. Because I know Madam, she no go gree make her only son go to jail.
MEKO : for where, her only son? Lailai....
MUSA : God abeg no let me fall rich man hand o...
MEKO : me too o....
MUSA : abeg if the lawyer should come back, the man said he will come back, give him the girl's shoes.
MEKO : Okay
MUSA : in case I'm not around. If we keep making them come back over and over, they will suspect something.
MEKO : hmm...I'll tell the others.
*************************************************************
(The following day, Sunkanmi and Tade shows up at the Silva's residence, Musa and Meko had gone for lunch since a new cook had not being hired, neither did Abike come back to the house.
SK and Tade met some other security personnel Zubar and Aloma. They approached them...)
SK : good afternoon...
ZUBAR : good afternoon...
SK : please I'm Sunkanmi Alder, the lawyer...
ZUBAR : (cuts in)...oh..you're the lawyer. Please oga hasn't given us the key to the room yet. He said nobody should come to the room.
SK : but as the lawyer we should be allowed to see the place. It will help the case...
ZUBAR : Oga lawyer, you may have to come and see the minister yourself. May be he will allow you. But for now the room is locked. I'll bring the girls shoe...(Turns to go)
SK : haha.....(Tade holds him from talking)
ZUBAR : what's that?
TADE : nothing please bring it.
ZUBAR : okay...(He goes inside to bring the shoes)
SK : (turns to Tade)...haha... Why did...
TADE : (cuts in)...what's wrong with you? From the way he talked now, can't you smell fowl play somewhere...let's collect the shoe.
SK : haha... Of what relevance is the shoe to us?
TADE : it will give us an access to the girl's lawyer. If we collect it now, the girl's lawyer will get in touch with us and it will give us an insight to the case somehow.
SK : you think so?....
TADE : yes.
SK : okay, if you say so...(Not sure of what Tade is getting at or bringing out of this but kept quiet anyway.
Zubar gives SK and Tade Carol's shoes and they leave saying they will come back to see the room. On their way...)
TADE : wait is it that you're deaf or not?
SK : what?
TADE : didn't you hear the guy saying the minister?
SK : the minister?
TADE : yes. That means the so-called Andrew's father is one of the ministers...
SK : wait, his surname is Silva....could that be the Minister for Petroleum and Gas?
TADE : but of course....
SK : yeee! Are you sure we're not treading on dangerous zones?
TADE : even if we are, then we'll tread softly...
SK : hmm....(Shaking his head)
(Tade collects the shoe and checks it out)
TADE : all these girls sef, how was she able to wear this kind of shoe, its too long, see the heels....(He looks at the heels and notice the blood stain on it)....blood stain is even there sef....
SK : on the shoe?
TADE : yes.
SK : it must have been her blood stain.
TADE : yes...(Putting the shoe back into the bag......(Then something occur to him)....wait o Sk...
SK : what?
TADE : the place where the blood stained the heels is weird nau.
SK : how...(Takes a look at it)...I don't understand...
TADE : see, the blood stain is at the back of the shoe heel....and it goes from the bottom to like almost an inch...
SK : I still don't get...
TADE : don't you understand? How do you think the stain got there?
SK : it must have fallen on the ground inside the girl's blood or something nau...
TADE : (he places the shoe on his file)....look, the shoe is a pencil heel, it can only fall sideways inside blood. Its not possible for it to fall backwards and get stained like this. We can try it and see)
SK : (thinking about what he just said)...so are you saying the girl may have used the shoe to hit her rapist?
TADE : exactly.
SK : But how can we prove that?
TADE : hmm....it can only be proven by a blood test o.
SK : (laughs)...where's the money to do that?
TADE : another thing is, if we can see the Minister's son and we notice any kind of wound...
SK : we'll still have to prove its his blood.
TADE : you know what..I think its a good thing we got this shoe....
SK : I think so too...but wait let's get to the office and try seeing if the heel can or cannot fall backwards and get stained....
TADE : I'm sure it can't. Except someone decides to deep the backside inside the blood intentionally.
SK : hmm....
(SK and Tade got to their place and pour some water on the ground pushing the second leg of carol's shoe over the water. Their suspicion was proven right)
TADE : SK we should really go back to demand for an investigation of the room.
SK : hmm....
*************************************************************
(Meanwhile, when Musa got back, Zubar told him that the lawyer had come to collect the shoe and he promised to come back and see the Minister. Musa decided he has to tell the Minister's wife about it since the minister is not around.
Immediately Silvia came back, he goes to inform her...)
MUSA : ma, the lawyer has come to collect the girl's shoe but he said he still needs to inspect the place.
SILVIA : hmm mm...
MUSA : and he may come back next time ma.
SILVIA : hmm mm....
MUSA : so what should we do ma?
SILVA : have they cleaned the whole place?
MUSA : yes ma.
SILVIA : very well?
MUSA : yes ma.
SILVIA : let me talk to my husband, I'll get back to you. But until I do, don't let them see the place.
MUSA : yes ma...(He leaves for his post)
To be continued....
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