Jasper called me. “Sorry about all that happened?”“What?” I asked.“About her asking for the car and about being so forward. That’s the way she is. She is just a forward person.”“Right!” I said.“It’s my fault. I should have told you about her before you met.”“Okay. So how long have you known her?”“Just about a week ago,” he said. “We just clicked, and then we became friends.”A week ago, was about the time I gave him the Toyota. That figures!“I will bring the car as soon as possible,” he said. “She went to tell her sister we are going out.”“Okay,” I said. “But be careful with all these gold diggers.”There was a silence.“She is not a gold digger,” Jasper said. “She is not like that. She is just an outgoing person who doesn’t know her how to control her relationship with others. But she is not a gold digger.”“Okay,” I said. “If you say so. I don’t have any problem with that.”Another silence followed and I was sure, he was thinking of the reply to give me because he didn’t not
The next day, the phone rang by seven in the morning and cut short the dream I was having. Esther was in the dream and I was happy. I picked the call with reluctance and answered.“Hello,” I said.“Isaac, here boss. Good morning.”“Good morning,” I said, making a mental note to tell him not to call me before nine in the morning again.“We found him, boss,” he said. “We found Assistant Superintendent Dangin. He is no longer an inspector.”I sat up in bed, my heart beating fast, and wondering how he was able to get to Lagos so fast.Maybe he took a night bus, I thought.“How did you find him so soon?” I asked.“I paid a policeman three hundred thousand to find him,” Isaac said. “And he did, boss. I also know where he stays. He has a house in Ajah.”“What? That’s close to Eric’s house.”“Whose is Eric, boss?”“Never mind,” I said. “So, you have the location of his house?”“Yes, boss. But I have not gone to see it yet.”“Okay. Go and see it and then rent a car and pick me up at the airpo
I called Esther from the airport and told her I was going to Lagos.“Okay; have a safe trip,” she said. “When are you coming back?”“I will stay a day or two,” I said. “Do you want me to get anything for you in Lagos?”“No,” she said.“Nothing?”She was silent.“What do you want?” I asked.“If it’s not too much trouble, can you get me Dandion Spice? And on the condition that I will pay you back.”“Okay, no problem,” I said.“Do you agree with the condition?” she asked.“I guess so. Do I have a choice?”She laughed. “No, you don’t. if I am not paying for it, please don’t get it.”“Noted.”“See you when you get back,” she said. “And be careful.”“Why?”“I don’t know,” she said. “I am just feeling kind of funny. Just be careful. You know how Lagos is.”“I will be,” I said, thinking about what is really taking me to Lagos. “See you soon.”“Bye.”“Bye,” I said, and wanted to add, ‘I will miss you.’”The flight was fifty minutes precisely to Lagos and I found Isaac waiting for me at the air
We picked the two guys at the Ajah Market, and Isaac drove toward the Epe Road. I was wearing a mask by this time and the two guys could not see my face. They greeted me and talked with Isaac, talking about how they would surprise and disarm S.P Dangin.“You have to be careful,” I said. “He is a policeman and he is likely to be armed. So, you have to be careful.”“Do not worry,” one of the boys said. “We will disarm him; he is not strong against us.”“We catch him quickly,” said the other boy. “Before he know what happened. We catch him fast!”And thought Isaac’s command of English was bad!We reached Ilyja Street and Isaac stopped the car.“The house is at the end of the street,” Isaac said. “I will park the car on the street and pretend I am fixing the tire. The two of you will hide in the gutters. Once he comes and is forced to stopped, I will ask him for help and once he comes down, the two of you would rush him and throw him to the ground. I will tie him up and we will take him w
“Find a place and stop,” I said.“Please, let me go,” Dangin cried. “My daughter is only ten years old and is sick. I am the bread winner; my wife’s small business won’t support them. Please—”A slap from one of the guys cut off his sentence.“Keep quiet,” the guy said. “Do you listen when others beg? Do you ever show mercy when a youth begs you not to take him to the police station”“Heartless people,” the second guy said. “You will meet your papa in hell today!”Dangin soft cry grew louder. “Consider my daughter, please.”“We considered her,” Isaac said. “If not, she would have been the one kidnapped.” He flashed the torchlight in his hand and I saw that we were closed to a beach.The place was deserted.“Look for a tree and tie him there,” I said.“Please, don’t kill me. Think about my daughter, please.”The guys at the back brought him out and then Dangin shoved the one on his left and knocked the one to his right with his head. The two guys fell to the ground, and Dangin began to
I boarded a plane to Abuja the next morning, and I sent Isaac Ibadan to still cool off. If ASP Dangin decides to look for me, let him do a little work before he gets to me in Jos.I bought a Toyota Rav4 in Abuja and drove to Jos.I drove to Esther’s house as soon as I arrived. I went into the house, but she was not in the house.“She went to church,” the house maid told me.“Where?”“In Rayfield.”“Which church?”“The Excellent People’s Church.”I thank her and drove to the church. I got there and found the service was still going on. I stayed in the carpark until they came out of the church.I came out of the car and stood by, looking out for her. I called her phone but it rang through. Probably in a silence mode.People were everywhere, and I became afraid that we might miss each other.“Paul?” I heard a voice said behind me. I turned around and found Esther looking at me. “What are you doing here?”A white woman and a black man stood behind her.“Good evening, ma; good evening, sir
Talatu call came as I reached the hotel.“You didn’t call me,” she said, as soon as I picked the call. “What’s going on?”“Sorry,” I said, and all the excitement I was feeling a minute ago left me like air leaving a deflated balloon. “I have been busy. I had a lot to do in Lagos.”“Are you telling me you are back?”“Yes,” I said. “I came back this evening. I am just getting to the hotel.”“I want to see you,” she said. “Can you come over?”“Where are you?” I asked, thinking fast for a reason to give so as not to go out.“I am at home; dad was discharged this morning. They said he would be going for physiotherapy every two days.”“That’s some good news,” I said, taking the elevator. “I hope he gets better fast. I think you would need some money, right?”“I still have some money,” she said. “That’s not why I want to see you.”I came out of the elevator and entered the room.“So, why do you want to see me?”She was silent for a long moment. “If you want us to discuss it over the phone, n
I called Isaac the next morning.“Come back to Jos,” I said. “The doctor is not going to make any fuse. I think we put an eternal fear in his heart. He is not likely to report us to the police.”“Alright, boss,” he said. “I will be on my way today.”“Take a flight; not a bus.”“Alright, boss. I will see you in about four hours.”“Okay. And please buy Dandion Spice for me. Buy as many as you can hold.”“Alright, boss.”I took breakfast downstairs and was on my way to see mom when Talatu’s call came.“Are you coming now?” she asked.“No. I am going to see my mom. I will come after I am done.”“Don’t stay too long,” she said.“Okay,” I said.“He called,” she said. “He called from the airport. He is on his way back to the UK. He said I was going to regret my decision. He said he wished both of us were dead, killed by some gunmen.”I made no reply, knowing that the more Talatu stayed apart from Dr. Agaba, the closer she draws to me. For the umpteenth time, I blamed myself for intervening i