Chapter Seven
‘What do you mean?’ he is insinuating that I stole Olumide’s money. And that is very wrong’ borrowly concluded for her. Jaspa put his hand in his jacket pocket and sat down, he giggled and said: we are all friends aint we?’ ‘So, why treat us like enemies?’ Won’t you give us something to cool down? I could use this brandy here’, he reached out for the brandy, opened it and poured out some into a mug and gave it to Gbesan, ‘you need a drink?
It will do you some good’. ‘How about you’, he asked borrowly, ‘yeah let me have it’, he sipped it, ‘it’s real good’. He said. He gulped it down and put the glass on the table. A very plain look of surprise, was on Elsie’s face, Borrowly’s actions were very strange to her. She wondered what caused the sudden change, and why. ‘Tell me something, will you? Where went you yesterday evening/ I was here by ten thirty and you weren’t here. ‘Should you know where I go? Elsie asked. ‘No more silly questions from you Elsie. A friend mine told me he saw you in a Mercedes Benz with a malnutrition disturbed old man’. Elsie looked at him in bewilderment. She kept silent. ‘Say something to that Elsie’.
He moved closer Elsie who was scared now, he bent his head very close to hers, ‘who was that fat old man I saw you with yesterday at Miguel hotel, you bastard, can you deny it? He echoed out to her. She shivered; he went back and sat on a straight chair, beside the window. The brandy had made Gbesan a bit better, the dizziness left him, he licked is lips in agony. He noticed the two men in the room. He looked from borrowly to Elsie then to Jaspa. They said nothing. ‘What are you two men doing here? They ignored him. Jaspa finished his drink, put the glass on the side board, then looked curiously at Elsie.
‘You must be a very a very powerful young lady. You’ve wounded our dear friend so badly. ‘What do you want from us? Gbesan repeated… Jaspa started pacing up and down the room, he stopped suddenly and turned to Elsie who was sitting on a small stool her hands on her lap, trembling fearfully, ‘you have caused a lot of disorder in this room, ‘I’ am going to cause more than disorder if you don’t just answer two simple questions I am going to ask’. The first one, what is the deal between you and this young man’. ‘You don’t think they were only dramatizing?’ Borowly asked.
By that question, he mean’t that Elsie and Gbesan had only pretended. ‘That is what I am saying. You now know one of the things we’ve come here to do. He paced up to the window and shut it. He came over to the center of the room and switched on the fan, ‘now shall we remind ourselves of some vital things? ‘Some few days ago, you would recall, you asked borrowly to do a job for you, this job is known to all of us here’, ‘What job is that?’ Gbesan asked in bewilderment. Jaspa ignored him and continued. This job he did for you the day before yesterday, it was a very good idea wasn’t it? to dupe a newcomer friend of yours, who was supposed to be relying solely on you. Not bad at all. Elsie stood up in annoyance, if she allowed this cheap crook to spoil her plans; she would be in a real mess.
‘Mister, is that all you have to say? I would say you are out of sorts, how dare you tell me that nonsense. It is not your business, is it? Jaspa smiled and rubbed his hands together, he glanced at Gbesan; he had the greatest shock of his life. He proceeded. ‘You are a peppery individual aren’t you? Is it my business? That is the question. But it does make you thick in the head, doesn’t it? You should have asked yourself that question, you know there’s one problem with him’, he pointed at Borrowly, he never stops thinking of himself, when you are in his shoes, any way you’ll know. It isn’t his fault. Just one slip you made, you know, you told him too much truth. You told him Olumide’s father was a rich farmer, also that he stole money from his fathers safe. Am I making any progress?
He asked. ‘No, except that you’ve wasted a lot of useful saliva’, Elsie replied sternly. ‘Oh! Dear me! you are no better than a dummy, are you? ‘If you cannot get a thing from my explanations, then you can answer questions’. ‘No kidding anybody now, answer the questions’. Borrowly stood up heavily, paced up and down the room, ‘perhaps you know me better, he stopped in the middle of the room and frowned, putting on one of his most horrible looks, he grinned, his semi-black teeth showed, being burnt by unending cigarette smoking, he put his hand in his jacket pocket. ‘Where is the key, Olumide used to open his fathers safe? Gbesan felt a jolt, this was a great surprise to him, everything seemed to be strange, he was utterly confused.
‘What key are you talking about? I don’t know anything about any key’, Gbesan said with a shaky voice.
‘Answer my questions mister’, borrowly barked at him in fury. I don’t know about any key’, Gbesan replied nervously, still keeping his voice stern and loud, ‘what about you young lady?’ What is all this about? Why is all this you are asking for? ‘Because I want to know’. Borrowly, why do you want to put me in trouble? She asked sobbingly. ‘Because you are useless, you are stupid little bitch’, I’ll have to take too much off your body, if you don’t tell me now’, Elsie kept mute. Okay, I’ll have to turn you loose to the police, I have all the evidence to prove that all the evidence to prove that you stole four hundred Pounds from Olumide Ogunbeshin’s apartment last Sunday’ Elsie flinched.
She thought that a lit, they did the job together. ‘stop bluffing, we are in this thing together and you know it’. ‘Is that it, well they wouldn’t believe that, it’s me they’ll listen to, your theory doesn’t stand, you knew very well if you took the boy to a disco party, you overfed him, you made him drink too much then you went off to bed with him, it was perfect, wasn’t it?’ But you collected the money, how about that?’ she asked sobbingly. ‘Yes, you still remember that, don’t you?’ But I can still pin it on you and you’ll be in that strong room for some couple of years. That was the box you used in collecting the money. When you saw he was asleep, you took the money, you locked it up in the box and you kept it at the back of the drums at the back of the house, you know nobody would think of those places. Here, look at this a picture that shows the box behind the drums shortly before daybreak. It stands perfectly.
They’ll believe it. answer my question now or you’ll be in the station in another 15 minutes. ‘It is the sideboard between his books’. ‘No, it’s not good enough’, ‘That’s the truth, please borrowly leave me alone, I suppose you’ve never heard that breaking up is not easy’. ‘Do you see any green in my eye’, get dressed, will you? He said in a horse voice. He started moving to her, she barked away, she got a skirt and quickly put it on. She got a blouse, removed her night dress and turned to the wall she quickly put it on.
‘That’s fine, come on out’, Gbesan went out flowed by jasper then borrowly came out, Elsie in front of him. ‘stop’, borrowly commanded, both Elsie and Gbesan stopped. Jasper turned back, ‘all right, turn back’, Jasper ordered Gbesan and Elsie obeyed. They were facing a .35 automatic pistol.’ It doesn’t make any noise, make any silly move and you’ll be sorry for yourself. ‘Okay? Jasper asked, ‘Okay’, replied borrowly.
As Jaspa started the engine, he started discussing something with borrowly, the purr of the car did not allow Elsie and Gbesan hear anything being said by the two of them (Borrowly and Jaspa). Gbesan was not going to allow him to be taken away so easily, he thought there should be a way of escaping. Opening the door and jumping out would be too dangerous, he might get badly hurt, he might not be able to get up from one place and they’ll pick him up again. Suddenly he remembered that the heel of his shoes was made of steel, it was a strong black boot, his father bought him two years ago from England. He gently removed the boots from his legs, he gave one to Elsie, she was surprised, not knowing what to do with the steel boot, he motioned her to hit borrowly with it, she was scared but when she saw that Gbesan mean’t it, she summed and adjusted herself so that she was facing borrowly seat directly.
Gbesan too was ready to hit, he raised his hand slowly and the two hands descended on both borrowly and Jaspa, Jaspa slammed his feet on the break, it made a crunching ripping noise, the car swerved sideways and stopped short with a jolt. Again the steel boot came down on them, Gbesan opened the door quickly, ‘Come on; he shouted he didn’t wait to see what happened to the two men, Elsie came out and ran after Gbesan, who was already on his heels.
The pain was felt very badly by both of them, but Jaspa was quick to recover. His head ached him, he looked at borrowly, he was recovering. Jaspa held his shoulder and shook him vigorously; the dullness seemed to leave him. ‘They’ve got out, we’ve got to give them a chase, they must not get away’, he started. Silence of the night, she raced down the narrow bumpy road. It took the only ten minutes to get shaki’s office. The time was twelve forty a.m. Shaki was waiting for them. Gbesan could walk on his legs. He had to be carried into shaki’s office. Most of the customers in the hotel had left. The ones who were still there were drunk men and women taking care of themselves.
The ones who weren’t looking after women were at the disco session or in the gambling room. They were all too busy to pay any attention to what happened in and around the building. Under the bright fluorescent light in shaki’s office, the three men, Shaki borrowly and Jaspa were able to see how much injury on Gbesan and Elsie was, they would have to put them in the strong room beside shaki’s office, but as their condition was a bit critical, Shaki phoned his private doctor. The doctor said, he would be there in half an hour.
‘What happened to him’, Shaki asked. The goddamn idiots they tried to escape?’ replied Borowly, sweat running down his back in little streams; his moustache was wet all through. ‘I am pretty tired, the little wrought is a case’, (wrought is a word he often used for a virulent person) ‘Shaki I am hungry please’, Borrowly revealed, Shaki ordered dinner for two, together with two bottles of lager beer. The dinner was brought; Borrowly and Jaspa ate hungrily without taking or looking elsewhere. Jaspa was first t finish his dinner.
He poured his beer in one of the two apple shaped glasses brought with the Dinner. He took a long full gulp of the iced beer. Some color came back to his eyes; he took another sip of it and refilled it. Borrowly pushed aside the empty plate, his mouth full of meat, he filled his glasses and emptied it, he refilled it and took out a packet of cigarette, and he could find no match. Jaspa produced a lighter from his pocket, and lit it for him. Jaspa lifted another cigarette for himself, just then a knock came on the door, ‘come in’, replied borrowly, Dr. Palmer came in carrying a first aid kit, he cordially and briefly greeted the man, before asking what he could do for them.
‘There‘s a patient here for you’, Shaki said, a broken arm, some bruise on his face and leg. And maybe a pain relieving tablet or injection, you know what to do’. The treatment included a bandage round Gbesan’s left arm, a plaster somewhere on the right arm. He gave the two of them some pain relieving tablets and sleeping pills. The doctor stood up and closed his aid kit, he re-adjusted his tie. ‘Mr. Shaki’, he called, things are getting more and more difficult. I believe this is the first set in your kidnaps; I’ve got to tell you that you should be more careful. The police, if you don’t know, are waiting patiently for you to make any false move and they’ll pounce on you’, he placed his hand on the table. ‘That’s a crime I’ve just committed, telling you the police secret’.
‘Maybe it’s your own way of life, I’ve been with you for a considerable amount of time, I’ve seen you make big success’s in stealing, I must say it is abnormal. Jaspa stood up in fury, ‘what’s his business here?’ he shouted. ‘Medical treatment that’s all, not all this ranting and raving’. ‘Sit down and be quiet’, Shaki ordered. ‘I don’t understand you palmer, what’s all this?’ ‘I’m sorry to cause you any embarrassment, I know it’s none of my business, but maybe you didn’t put one fact into consideration.
A guy like you who is old in the business, he thinks he is very safe now, because of his many achiements in the past. But just when he thinks he should start relaxing, he suddenly realizes he is very much exposed and before he thinks of what to do, wham; and he is gone for life’. He turned to go, he stopped at the door, ‘and just in case you might need another medical help, don’t call me, call someone else, I am sure there are many other ones who will like to work for you, without my type of grumbling. And forget about my balance you may need it.
Jaspa sprang up, look you are my boss but I don’t like all that stuff, why should you just sit there and stare at him, ‘calm down Jaspa’, ‘Oh yes, but you know he is the most dangerous man we have now’. Jaspa replied hotly. I understand him, he is only scared’, Shaki said, not showing his shock at what Palmer just divulged. ‘Yeah, you’ll understand him more when he is no more’, Jaspa sneered under his breath. Shaki paid no attention, he checked his watch, it was fifteen minutes to two a.m. ‘I’ll be on now, meet you tomorrow’, Shaki said and left the room. Borrowly picked up the phone and called the garage man, Mr. Mathias was an old staff of the company and he knew Borrowly very well and nothing against him. So, he accepted lending a car to Borrowly. Borrowly left the office too, leaving Jaspa with the same words as Shaki did ‘I’ll meet you in the morning’. Borrowly picked the phone and called the garage man, Mr. Mathias was an old staff of the company and he knew Borrowly very well and had nothing against him, So he accepted lending a car to borrowly.
Borrowly left the office too, leaving Jaspa with the same words as Shaki did ‘I’ll meet you in the morning’. Jaspa was left alone with his own thought, after he had locked up both Gbesan and Elsie; he came back to the office. He couldn’t help thinking that Shaki was giving too much liberty to Palmer; he thought this was a danger, and Shaki wasn’t aware of it, then it crawled into his mind, the intention was to get rid of him. He glanced at his watch he had three hours before five a.m. It was only 15minutes drive to the doctor’s hours. He tiptoed to his room, took a .35 automatic pistol, balanced it in his hand, then he turned it into his hip pocket. He closed the door gently, so nobody can hear him among the other boys sleeping. He went down stairs to the garage. The door was not locked, he pushed it in and went inside, Mr. Mathias met him as he got in, ‘Yes Mr. Jaspa, can I help you? It’s very late’.
‘I have a watch Matthias, it’s early in the morning, Mr. Shaki has just left five minutes ago, he gave me a job to do, it is urgent, can I have a car?’ Matthias hesitated. ‘Let me have a car, I haven’t got time to waste Mathias’, Jaspa asked sternly. ‘Okay, you’ll have it, here it is’. Mr. Mathias said respectfully, handing him the key to a Mazda saloon. Meanwhile Shaki was on his way home at the back seat of 504 saloons. He had got the shock of his life. He found himself accepting everything Dr, palmer said. Maybe it’s your own way of life……………….he had said, he remembered his father who was a devoted Christian and a person who could be described as Simon –pure.
The words sounded back to him as if the speaker was around ……………don’t join them my son, they’ll soon become criminals. God doesn’t like criminals, criminal don’t like peace of mind, they don’t have rest…………..it was like a dream and just as if he was being woken up from sleep he sat up with a start, he suddenly realized that what he wanted to do was not right. He could not pray for protection from god, who could not possibly like him because of his bad deeds. He felt weak and tired; the confusion of his mind did not allow him to know when he got into his own compound. Until his driver asked if nothing was wrong. Oh! There’s nothing, I was just trying to figure out something. After the driver had gone, he looked at the window of his wife’s room, the light wasn’t on. He remembered palmer’s words ……….But I must say it’s not normal, ————————–, he took out his own spare key and unlocked the door. He went into his room gently and lay on his bed awake. Meanwhile Jaspa was on the last bend of the road that led to Dr. Palmers House, he came into full view of the Hose, he slowed down and parked under an enormous tree five kilometers to the house. The time showed eighteen minutes past two.
He went to the boot and carried a gallon of petrol, then he started walking down to the house. he touched his pocket the gun was there, he watched every where with alertness. Anything that came his way then would be taken off in a matter of seconds. He finally reached the front of the house and nothing happened.
He tiptoed gently along the side of the building, the doctors flat was on the left, on the first floor. It was possible for him to climb the wall up to the window, but he didn’t want to alert anyone. So he decided he would climb the staircase inside the house. The staircase led to both the first floor and the second; He climbed up to the first floor and stopped.
He listened for a moment, he heard nothing, he brought out a small flashlight, he flicked it on the door leading to Dr. Palmer’s sitting room, still keeping his feet soundless, he moved closer to the door.
He produced a portable non-electric drill from his rear pocket. He put the gallon down and he was about to start putting a hole in the door, he heard footsteps from inside, he barked away into the darkness carrying the gallon. He heard a door open, he heard someone urinating, then he assumed it’s the toiled door he heard being opened, but he waited until after about five minutes, when the door had been closed and the steps back to where it came from.
It took him ten long minutes to put a descending hole in the door; he wiped off the sweat on his face with the back of his hand. He lifted the gallon so that it began to pour into the sitting room. He brought out a match box, took a double stick and struck the box body and quickly threw it into the hole, then taking the gallon he dashed down the stairs he almost fell, but steadied himself as he ran out of the house into the major road. He flung off the gallon. He reversed the car with great haste and sped off with crunching wild noise…
Inspector Clive of the special squared, sat patiently in the police Datsun 120K bearing the N.P.F number and watched one particular house.13 Akande Street. After his newly found laborer job that Wednesday evening, waited for some time, for by chance Gbesan or Elsie might be on their way to him. But when his patience ran out might, he asked a neighbor down stairs, for the bus he could to Hajibadu round about. Unknown to him a traffic policeman spotted him and followed him, his assistant also at the round about reported the local station, and the information had been immediately passed over to inspector Latman who handled the case.
He instructed that the boy should not be arrested but all his whereabouts should be known and he sent his special man Inspector Clive. Gbesan had traced out Elsie’s house and had found the door opened with the whole uncleaned and unkempt. His believe was that Elsie scattered the whole house in bitterness of his own loss and had walked off the house in misery. These believe was reinstated in him when a neighbor of Elsie told Gbesan that Elsie had not been seen at home in the past three days.
A sign of satisfaction showed on inspector Clive’s face, it had been hectic doing this particular Job, Because of the hustling he and Inspector Latman got from the Deputy State police commissioner. He had been given the job of finding the son of Mr. Ogunbeshin. The report had been made personally by the secretary to the state government direct to the deputy state commissioner for police. There was not supposed to be any publicity about the investigation, which was to be between then and the next seven days. It was a pride to him to be at the helm of affairs, investigation of the missing boy to be complete in a week, but he would get the needed result in four days.
He thought ‘this’ day should be memorable day for him. Some few minutes ago he had put a call through to the inspector. More plain clothes men were to be sent to him. Another police car came up behind him; a plain clothes man came out and joined him in his car. ‘How is ti? He asked closing the door. ‘Not bad’, Clive replied. ‘No sign of him yet’. ‘You are to report back to headquarters’, the other Inspector told Clive. ‘Okay’, Clive agreed. ‘You are to report any further developments to Inspector Latman’. ‘I know my Job’, the other retorted.
‘I was only reminding you; anyway I’ll be on my way now’. He got out of the car and walked back to his car. Clive turned the ignition key and started driving towards the end of the street. The driver of the other car moved over to the position of Clive’s car. Right at this moment the police deputy state commissioner was holding a meeting with some top members of the homicide squad.
