PART 8
” RECKLESS REKKY”
©️Opeyemi O.Akintunde
” What are you saying?” Mayor asked
” After you left, I wanted to prepare her for the auction. However as I was at it, I met a Spiritual roadblock again. On more enquiry, I realized the man who wanted to use her for rituals was actually her boyfriend, not her husband.”
” Why didn’t you check your Spiritual search engine well!” Mayor replied with so much controlled anger.
” This is not the time to start pushing blames on me, I know I messed up, in fact you were the one who pushed it at me, that it was the husband!”
” That’s because I assumed it was her husband that would actually wish her evil because of her ways…”
“MAYOR!!!stop this! You have have about 6 hours to track down the man! Do you know who the boyfriend is?”
” Joan! How on earth am I suppose to know her boyfriend. I just picked up this woman randomly this morning…”
” But you were able to trace her husband!” Joan the Prietess replied
” That was different, I had the address of the house, but I don’t have the address of…!” Mayor stopped in between his sentence. A flash of the house he picked Rekky from flashed through his mind.
” Or could that be his house?” Mayor reasoned quickly.
” Joan, I think I know where he lives!”
” Good, I will pretend everything is fine till you get him. Moko must not find out. Don’t bother bringing the man here. Just ki|| him.”
Mayor shut his eyes tightly. He could not believe another life was going to be lost that day, courtesy of him.
” Mayor, it’s either them or your son!” He chided himself.
He got into the car and drove out immediately.
MIRABEL who was already preparing the table for him was surprised at the sound of his car engine. She rushed out to meet the car reversing out of the compound.
” What is wrong?” Mirabel could tell something was not right. Mirabel couldn’t stand the secrecy anymore. She needed to find out what was happening with her husband.
Mirabel rushed into the house, picking up her car key. She picked up Austin and dashed off into her car. She strapped him into his car seat. As she got out, she followed the track of his car tyres on the sandy road leading out of their home in the outskirts.
Mayor was lost in his thoughts on how he was going to know who the woman’s boyfriend was, that he didn’t notice MIRABEL trailing him.
An idea dropped in his heart. He knew just how he was going to know who the boyfriend was.
Mayor brought out his work phone. He dialled Joan’s number.
” Hello Joan, take a picture of the woman and send it to me ASAP!”
*******
Osmond was already at the hotel, he was looking for his wallet; He wanted to use his card to make payment.
” Oh Sh..t!” Osmond cursed. In the process of keeping some of the facts about him hidden from Rekky, he had hid the wallet that had his confidential bank credit card.
” Is there a problem sir?” The receptionist asked
” I left my card at the former apartment I was staying.”
” Sorry about that. We have a cab service that can take you there and back here.”
” That would be great! Can we go there immediately?”
” Definitely sir, give me few minutes to make the necessary calls.”
*******
The police got to the house and met Martins’ absence. They called the number Chioma gave them but it was unreachable.
” I hope they didn’t reach him before us.” the senior officer said
About the time he was ending his statement, Tams walked in.
******
Mayor arrived in front of Osmond’s apartment. Simultaneously, the cab driver halted in front of the house. Mayor waited for whoever was in the car to alight. Osmond alighted and rushed in.
On getting to his apartment. He climbed up to get the wallet where he had hidden it in the roof. While trying to get the wallet, his eyes caught Mayor’s car. He noticed the person in the car was looking suspiciously at the house. He took his wallet and walked out of the house.
Mirabel parked at a distance watching her husband. She had not noticed any foul play.
Osmond walked out of the gate to meet Mayor standing on his way.
” Hello Sir, how are you sir? Can I have a word with you?” Mayor said
“I am sorry, my mother is sick and I need to see her in Enugu. She sent for me.” Osmond said in a rush while
Mayor brought out his phone.
Mayor showed him Rekky’s picture. Joan had taken a picture of Rekky lying on ground and sent it to Mayor.
” This is about your girlfriend!” Mayor said
” My Girlfriend? This is not my girlfriend. I think this is the case of mistaken identity. This is Mr Osmond’s girlfriend. He lives at the second flat upstairs. ” Osmond said.
Mayor looked at the man standing in front of him not sure if he should believe him.
” We are four tenants in the house. Doctor Azu, Osmond, Miss Chineye and I.” Osmond said further
” Is he at home?” Mayor asked
“He should be.His girlfriend left this morning, and I don’t think he has been out of the house all morning. Unless maybe after I left. You can check him. Sir, I am afraid I will have to leave you to your job. I wouldn’t want to miss receiving my Mother’s last blessings.” Osmond said
” Sure!” Mayor said walking into the compound.
Osmond entered into the car with his heart in his mouth.
” You can move driver!.” Osmond managed to say calmly.
Mirabel saw all that happened.
” So Mayor is really a detective?” She smiled to herself as she started her car engine.
” Dada! Dada!”
” Yes Austin! Dada is a good man, my doubts are clear. Let’s be on our way home. Daddy has some bad men to catch.” Mirabel said laughing
*****
The loud sound of the crash drew everyone out of their houses. By that time, Mayor was rushing out of the house to catch up with Osmond. The Doctor had told him Osmond was the man he met at the gate.
On getting out with the intention of rushing to his car. He saw the cause of the loud sound. It was an accident. A truck had collided into a parked vehicle.
Something was familiar about the car.
Mayor walked closer to the car, the car looked like his wife’s vehicle.
” Let’s bring them out! It is a woman and a child!” A woman was screaming…
With every step Mayor took,he hoped what his reasoning was telling him was not right. The woman and child could not be his wife and son. Never!