THE ROAD AHEAD Chapter 21

(Abike went to see Jide at the station and they are both crying as usual...)

ABIKE : the lawyer, has he come back?
JIDE : not after the second time.
ABIKE : he said I have to get money to do test.
JIDE : which test?
ABIKE : he said they found evidence that will prove that you are innocent but they need to prove it with test and the test will cost hundred thousand abi two hundred thousand.
JIDE : haa! That money is much! Where will we get it.
ABIKE : I don't know, I'm trying to borrow from anywhere. I even went to Mama Anayo's house but every time I go there, the gate man does not allow me to enter.
JIDE : (starts crying more)....we don't have anybody that can borrow us that kind of money.....(Remembers Charles and cleans his eyes)... Carol's Lawyer came here too.
ABIKE : the girl have lawyer?
JIDE : yes. He came to ask me some questions.
ABIKE : (takes a deep breath)....hmmm...my God, when will we get out of this problem?....(Crying)...
JIDE : (crying)...this place is....(His tears couldn't allow the words out)
ABIKE : its okay, please stop crying.


**********************************************************

(Sukanmi and Tade show up at the Silva's residence at exactly a quarter to twelve, demanding to see the Minister for Petroleum and Gas. They were led into the house....)

ANDY : (walking into the sitting room)....how are you young men?
BOTH : (standing up)...good afternoon sir...
ANDY : good afternoon....(Looking at his wristwatch)...I can see your timeliness...please sit down...(Taking a seat too)
BOTH : thank you sir...(Sitting down)
ANDY : please have you been offered anything?....
SK : em....we're okay sir...(Looking at Tade)
TADE : don't bother sir. Actually we're in a hurry that's why we came this early. We have a hearing soon.
ANDY : oh please....(He takes the intercom and calls up the kitchen for something to be served to his guests)....I want you two to be very comfortable.
(The two of them gave each other a fake smile wishing they are not about to be poisoned....)
ANDY : don't worry I'll make it snappy....(He brings out two envelops)...here, have this, one for each of you.
(Sukanmi collects it saw his name written on one of them while Tade's name is written on the other one. He gives it to Tade...)
SK : sir, what...(Looking at the envelope he's holding)
ANDY : (cuts in)...why not open it and see...
(They open it and were surprised to see a cheque in their names,  their mouths are wide open...)
TADE : ten million naira!
SK : (looks at Tade)...but sir...wha...
ANDY : (cuts in)...we're adults and I'd rather talk in clear terms...(Pauses for a while and continues)....I want you two to drop that case.
SK : (looks at Tade)....what case sir?
ANDY : come on...what other case brought you two to my house?....I want the case dead and gone. Already, the girl's parents are thinking of doing the same, so why don't you? I mean, if they decided not to do the case, then nothing will happen. So if you think about it very well, you'll know that I'm doing you two a big favor. Paying you for doing nothing.
SK : (takes a deep breath)..ten million naira...(Looks at Tade)
TADE : (smiles)....sir....(Sitting up)
ANDY : hmm?
TADE : please excuse us for a moment to decide on what to do....(About to stand up)
ANDY : oh wait, you're excused. I will leave for you two to talk...(Standing up)....I'll be back....(Walking out of the sitting room)
TADE : (sits down and turns to SK)....hmm....o boy this na temptation o....
SK : 10 million naira...I may never see this kind of money in my life again o...but what of the girl's lawyer? What if he brings the test to us?
TADE : that's none of our own business nau....the man has paid us to forget the case and that's it.
SK : what if he says we should bring the shoe?
TADE : that's true o...(Thinking about what SK just said)
SK : you know that's the only evidence we have against his son...
TADE : hmm....then we'll tell him its with the other lawyer.
SK : then he may cancel the cheque, because by then he will know the evidence is not in our hand anymore...(Seeing Tade is not really concentrating anymore)...what is wrong with you, man. I thought you should be the one doing all the thinking here....
TADE : ehn....I mean yes, the B.M...
SK : B.M?
TADE : oh sorry....(Smiles)...don't mind me. I'm thinking of the car I'll buy....
SK : you had better let's look for a way to secure the money first.
TADE : that's true...what were you saying again?
SK : that what if he asks for the shoe what do we say?
TADE : oh yes, the shoe...
SK : remember its with that girl's lawyer.
TADE : em...yes, we'll just tell him...we will burn it. Or....
SK : burn it? I don't think he'll buy that idea...
TADE : that's true...(Thinks for a while)...let's just tell him that we'll dispose of it or something...look, he may even not ask, the deal is that we should drop the case. So why are we bothering ourselves?
SK : you think he will give us the money without collecting the only evidence we have?
TADE : hmm....(Thinking)....he hasn't said anything, so let's play on...in fact you know what? Leave everything to me, let me do the talking.
SK : okay.
(They sat down there looking at the cheque. Some few minutes later, Andy walks back into the room...)
ANDY : can I?
TADE : yes sir.
ANDY : (going back to his seat)...so what's your decision?
TADE : no problem sir.
ANDY : (smiles)...good. So can I have the whole evidences with you? Like the shoe for example...
(Sk looks at Tade...)
TADE : sir, you want to have the shoe?
ANDY : but of course.
TADE : if that's the case then you can do better than this, sir.
SK : (he looks at Tade shockingly)...huh..
TADE : (cuts in and hold him from saying anything)....sir...(Adjusting on his seat)...we're adults like you said, and we all know the law. If the girl's family decides not to do the case, it means they're letting our client go...then even you don't have to bribe us. Now, we have spoken to the girl's lawyer and in fact he's asking for the shoes badly. If we give him, he's ready to do his job squarely, but you know we can cover up for you somehow...remember, we know your son has a wound on his left shoulder and he's traveling to the US soon...
(Andy was shocked at what Tade said but he tries not to show it.)
ANDY : (takes a deep breath)....so you're saying?
TADE : you're the petroleum Minister sir, you should be able to do better than a flimsy ten million naira...I mean, this is really flimsy....(Throwing the envelope on the stool.)
ANDY : I'll triple it for you....
(Both of them look at each other, shocked)
ANDY : but on one condition...that you bring the shoe back here.
TADE : how are we sure we'll be safe sir? I mean, what if you do something to us after bringing the shoe...
ANDY : (laughs)....if I wanted to do that, don't you think I would have done it long before now?
TADE : without getting what you want from us sir? Don't think so....
ANDY : I could have you kidnapped, tortured and threatened...but I'm not a kidnapper neither am I a killer, so I won't subscribe to that.
TADE : hmm....(Smiles)....
ANDY : do we have a deal?
TADE : sir, let's do it this way....
ANDY : tell me...
TADE : you give us the ten million now and the remaining after bringing the shoe...because, you may end up canceling the transaction after bringing the shoe.
SK : better still, you can send the money to our account right here before we deliver the shoes to you.
TADE : yes, online transaction, that's true.
ANDY : okay, fine. We have a deal....(Stands up to shake them)....when should I be expecting you?
(SK looks at Tade...)
TADE : like we said sir, we have a hearing now.....(Sits up)..we were able to get the girl's blood somehow to prove its not hers. We also got our client's blood to prove its not his. Meaning there's a third party....I don't have to bore you with the details...anyway, we have already given the shoe to a friend to help us do the test
ANDY : a friend?
TADE : yes sir. But I can assure you he doesn't know anything about it. He's just someone who works at a lab. He wants to help us do the test free and that will be when his Boss is not around.
ANDY : what makes you think he hasn't pampered with it?
TADE : no he hasn't. His Boss is traveling sometime next month. Why don't we call you up when we've gotten the shoe sir?
ANDY : (thinks about it)....alright then. Hope you people won't play any games with me?
TADE : at all sir.
ANDY : alright. Call me on this number...(He gets a pen from one of them and writes down a number on a piece of paper)....I'll be in lagos for the next few days and I'll like if we can get it over with, before I leave.
TADE : okay sir.


**********************************************************


(After SK and Tade left the Silva's residence, they went to Tade's place...)

SK : Tade, what the hell did we just do there? Knowing we don't have the shoe.
TADE : SK, I ain't gonna miss Ten million naira just because you were careless!
SK : how was I careless? Did I know that the Minister was going to make such a proposal to us?
TADE : oh well...
SK : how do we get the shoe back now?
TADE : we call the guy of course, telling him to bring it.
SK : and you think he will?
TADE : if he doesn't, then that's fine. We just get another shoe, stain it with blood and give it to the man...
SK : (cuts in)...what!
TADE : of course! That's what we'll do.
SK : where the hell do you think we'll get that kind of shoe? Can you even remember how it looks?
TADE : I looked at it well, remember? And we have money now, We'll just search every store here and buy it or buy something close to it and bring it to the man.
SK : and you think he won't find out?
TADE : (laughs)how will he?...come on, I don't think the man knows what the shoe looks like, he's a minister for God's sake, so how do you think he'll find out?
SK : what if he shows it to the Security personnel?..... Or.... his son, yes his son?
TADE : come on, those guys can't have the perfect picture of the shoe in their head. It was in a polythene bag remember. And the boy, are you even sure he hasn't traveled yet?
SK : okay o....less I forget, did you record our conversation?
TADE : of course.
SK : good.


**********************************************************

(When they got to their place, they called up Charles....)

SK : hello?
RECEIVER : hello? SK right?
SK : yes. Em please can we get the shoe back now?
RECEIVER : the shoe? Why?
SK : because....because....we want to do the test ourselves.
RECEIVER : but....em....I've already taken it to the Lab with the girl's blood.
SK : already?
RECEIVER : yes.
SK : huh....em...okay.
RECEIVER : I thought we agreed, I'll do it? Since you guys don't have all it takes.
SK : yes, its just that we can now do it.
RECEIVER : you'll have to wait for them to finish, then I'll bring it to you.
SK : em..okay....(He hangs up and looks at Tade)....
TADE : he doesn't have it abi?
SK : he doesn't.
TADE : shit!

(They didn't like the sound of that so they decided to go in search of a shoe themselves. Alas, they found something very close to it and three days later, they decided to call up the Minister who asks them to come over the following day.)

SK : so what do we do now? How do we do the blood thing?
TADE : I can just stain it with some blood tonic.
SK : blood tonic! If they smell it, they will know its blood tonic.
TADE : why will they smell it? Haha! Okay, then use your blood.
SK : you must be dreaming! I won't use my blood. Use yours!
TADE : what's the big deal? After all they're going to burn the shoe or something like that...
SK : more reason why you should use your blood...
TADE : haha..what's my own? Were you not the one that gave the shoe out? After all, you didn't want to collect the shoe in the first place, I was the one that insisted.
SK : but its my case, remember, and its bringing you the money...
TADE : whatever...we'll get an animal's blood and put it on it.
SK : better do so.


**********************************************************


(They got a chicken, killed it and put a little of its blood on the shoe....)

TADE : now that this is done...we have to think of how to go there....(Looking at the ways he painted the heel with the chicken blood.)
SK : we need this thing to be very dry o.
TADE : don't worry, it will dry up now.
SK : so you were talking about how we'll go there...?
TADE : yes, what if we go together and they kill us both there?
SK : that's true o...what should we do?
TADE : one of us will go while the other waits behind. Once the money enters both our accounts that's all.
SK : hmm....so, who will go?
TADE : let me go. I don't think I can entrust something like that to you. I'll go in, while you wait outside. Once I don't call to tell you all is well in twenty minutes, call the police straight.
SK : okay.
TADE : and then, you'll tell me once you've gotten the credit alert.
SK : okay.
TADE : don't forget to send me your account numbers, I'm not sure I still have it.
SK : okay.


**********************************************************

(Sukanmi waits outside on the street, while Tade takes the shoe and goes inside to see the Minister. He puts his phone recorder on again.

He was allowed to see Andy immediately....)

ANDY : (entering into the sitting room)...I love it when a person is timely. I can see you have come.
TADE : yes sir...(Standing up)
ANDY : have you brought it?
TADE : yes I have.
ANDY : what of your friend?
TADE : he waited behind to make sure things don't go wrong.
ANDY : (smiles)....so he can get help in case....
TADE : well...sir, who knows....
ANDY : (chuckles)....anyway, can I see the shoe?
TADE : yes sir....but sir, remember our agreement, we give you the shoe when the money enters into our account...(Bringing out the shoe)
ANDY : that's no problem....(He brings out his phone)...I'll call my banker to do the transaction for me immediately.
TADE : (searching his phone for the numbers)....and we'll get the alert now?
ANDY : but of course....(Dialing his phone)....hello, Badru...
RECEIVER : hello sir
ANDY : I need you to do a transaction for me. I'll send you two account numbers now. Make sure you credit those accounts with 20million naira each immediately.
RECEIVER : (shocked)....sir hope there's no problem?
ANDY : at all.
RECEIVER : I can alert the police from here.
ANDY : hey Badru, I wasn't kidnapped so don't worry, its business as usual.
RECEIVER : (skeptical)...okay sir. You can send them.
ANDY : I want the money transferred to them in less than 15mins.
RECEIVER : 15mins! sir, I hope there's really no problem?
ANDY : let your mind be at rest, there's no problem.
RECEIVER : alright then.
ANDY : alright...(He hangs up and looks at Tade)..... send the details to my phone....
TADE : okay sir.
(The transaction was made and immediately after Tade received his alert, he calls up Sukanmi to confirm. Sukanmi also got the money.)
ANDY : so.....?
TADE : thank you very much sir....(Giving him the shoe)
ANDY : (smiles, while collecting the shoe)...you're welcome....(He brings it out from the polythene bag and examines it)...hmm. Alright you can go now.
TADE : thank you sir....(Standing up to leave)
ANDY : now we can return the Achibiong's shoes...
TADE : (he remembers that must not happen and he turns back)....sir, I really won't advise that.
ANDY : (laughs)...come on, I'm not dumb, I'll clean off the blood first.
TADE : even at that sir...
ANDY : why?
TADE : (he comes back, knowing that returning the shoe to the Achibongs will expose them)...I'll show you something...(He gets the shoe)...the blood on this shoe, is definitely not the girl's blood. Its the rapist's blood.
ANDY : how would you know?
TADE : (he smiles and sits down)... Sir....(He explains to him how they believe the stain got there, putting the shoe on the ground and pushing it off)...the shoe can't fall backwards.
ANDY : hmm...I see...
TADE : Moreover, you won't be giving us this money if I'm wrong....and Jide has no wound on him, your son has. Even if you clean it, the girl's lawyer already have a clue because he approached us, he only didn't get to lay his hands on it. If he doesn't see the blood on it again, it will arouse suspicion. He may conduct a test on the semen found in the girl. So my advice to you is to get rid of the shoe.
ANDY : so, what if he ask you about it?
TADE : we'll just tell him we've done the test and we can see its our client's.
ANDY : so then what happens if the girl's family insists on getting the shoe.
TADE : why not leave that to us sir. They think the shoe is with us right? We'll know what to tell them.
ANDY : I want to know what you'll do...
TADE : well, we can just buy another shoe for them. After all, only we the lawyers know that the shoe is got a blood stain. We can use our client's blood on the one we'll get, remember we already took his blood sample once...(he lied)
ANDY : (smiles)...hmm....good.
TADE : I'll take my leave now sir.
ANDY : alright.

(Tade leaves Andy's house wit utmost happiness, thinking of how to spend the money already. While Andy is glad he has gotten rid of the only evidence that can be used to nail his son.)


**********************************************************



(Tade is so excited about the cash that had just entered into this account, all he wants to do is celebrate. He meets up with Sukanmi...)

TADE : I can't believe the transaction went so well!....
SK : when I got the alert, it was like a dream.
TADE : yes! Finally, mission accomplished, despite your foolishness.
SK : you can say that again!....wait...you just said mission accomplished? You sounded like you've planned this all along?
TADE : yes nau. Wait, why do you think I was telling the minister all those things the first day we saw him?
SK : (surprised)...no wonder, I was wondering why you were letting the cat out of the bag.
TADE : but of course I wanted him to know that we have a good case against his son. That way he can settle us.
SK : bad guy!
TADE : look, people like that have a name and an image to protect, not just that, he also has a son to protect from jail also. I had to let him know that we know our job. Wait, you really think I wanted to see the room? Oh come on, all those were baits used to make him try to pay us off.
SK : Tade!
TADE : that's the truth. Look, cases like this are jackpots for people like us. But that's if you know how to play your cards well. If not, if you decide to start being the human right activist like Bro Leks, omo, you will just die poor, nothing to show for it.
SK : God forbid I become like Bro Lekan.
TADE : I know you're not that slow.
SK : but seriously, I didn't see the case the way you saw it.
TADE : look at you. I'm not slow nau. The moment I heard the names of those involved, I knew the case was a good catch.
SK : and it really is.
TADE : let's just get the hell out of this country before the guy gets to find out that the shoe is fake o.
SK : that's true o. He may end up finding out.
TADE : may? He will, once the hearing starts.
SK : what do we do now?
TADE : start working on visa right away.
SK : that's true...


To be continued....