LOVE AND DIAMONDS ( EPISODE TEN)

 

RAYMOND

WE were all in Chris house on a certain Thursday night. Nene was resting her head on my shoulders, her palms on her knees. She looked withdrawn tonight. The whole situation was taking its toll on her. She was getting leaner by the day though I had pleaded with her to take it easy. Chris and Preye were sprawled on the floor working on their laptops. Amina and Eedris were also there. I had met the latter on two previous occasions.  Brad was also there scribbling on a notepad. Nene’s meeting had not gone as we had all expected. The atmosphere in the room was dull. Our minds were working very fast, planning, plotting and scheming. A date for the trial had been set. We needed a plan that would exculpate Nene and bring the real perpetrators of that act to justice.Eedris had made a call to a certain person yet to arrive.

 

 

Ademola Esq arrived twenty minutes later. He looked very young, dressed in a t-shirt and black jeans with a baseball cap on his head; he looked nothing like the man I was expecting. After the exchange of pleasantries, he went straight to business.

 

“Eedris had given me a brief description of the situation but I need you Ka-kain-ne, well I am sorry, I am not Igbo”

 

“Miss Meludu.” Nene interjected.

 

“Okay. So I need to speak to you privately so we can begin work immediately. From what I heard from the news, the Mogajis intend having you behind bars for life.”

 

I felt Nene shiver under my arms at the words of the lawyer. “Tell him everything” I said to her as she stood up to follow the learned gentleman to Chris’ study.

 

 

KAINENE

 

Chris and Preye finally got access into the hospital’s CCTV cameras that were installed two months earlier in the pediatrics section. Nobody had thought about that, not even the security men at the hospital. After several hours of carefully studying the tapes, we found a lead. Brad had come with his team and together they went into Chris study to hatch a plan leaving the ladies out. Preye protested, “Guys not funny. Are we not supposed to be involved?” She asked making her way through to stand in front of them.

 

“It is dangerous to be involved.” Brad responded in a brief serious tone.

 

“But this is just the preliminary stage and besides we are all adults here.”

 

“Yes, but then it is safer keeping you guys out for now.” Chris said pulling her to himself. Amina and I exchanged a knowing look. A continuous shake of the head and a contorted face proved that Preye was definitely not heeding to whatever Chris was saying to her.

 

“If you guys are planning to move into the lion’s den, how do you intend to achieve that? There are some plans you need a woman to execute. Do you think you can underestimate the power of a woman in those plans?’

She drawled the last sentence, her hands cupping Chris’ face and tracing her fingers along the length of his face.

 ‘My brother is in for it’ I thought.

 

 

He seemed to think then said, ‘okay.’

Dropping her hands from where they had been some seconds ago, she said “Let’s go”, and made her way to the door.

 

“Geez, you won’t kill me Preye” Chris muttered under his breath.

 

“Someone is falling rea-ally despe-ra-tely. I said to my brother who had a grin on his face. “Why don’t we just stay back here? I think it is preferable than getting muddled up in the study.” I suggested.

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

 

RAYMOND

 

The trial was in sixty-four hours. It was a few minutes past seven pm on a Friday. Nene, Preye, Chris and I were in my car waiting for Brad and his team to arrive. Ten minutes later, he arrived with two of his friends and Friday in a dirty white van that had seen better days but it was equipped with all the gadgets we needed for our plan. Friday was a lanky dark fellow from one of the oil-producing states, a sergeant in the Nigerian Police force who had given us the identity of the man we needed. The CCTV  cameras happened to have a given a clear view of our suspect’s side view which was marred by a deep scar running  from his left temple down to his left chin. Friday had pleaded anonymity after giving Brad the details of the suspect and was reluctant to follow him but after much cajoling and the mention of monetary sum which had his cheeks burning up agreed to take us to Kuje.

 

The drive to Kuje took us approximately one hour since there was less traffic on the road. Friday who had driven my car stopped some yards to an uncompleted building in what looked like an estate.

 

“We go stop here. Na the house be that.” He said turning back. Brad came to the car.

 

 

“I hope we can still remember our roles? We really need to pull this off. These guys are very notorious and have evaded previous attempts to have them brought to justice. We need to be alert and smart if we don’t want to leave this place empty handed. Okay?”

 

 

We nodded. “Are you girls ready?” He turned to Preye and Nene. They affirmed with a nod. They were to play the role of call girls. They were dressed in corsets and short skirts that displayed a voluminous amount of skin, cowboy shoes, purple hair extensions and heavy makeup plastered on their faces. They looked every bit like the characters they we about to portray. I gave Nene a small squeeze on her hand. She returned the squeeze and left the car. We watched as they made their way into the building.

 

 

KAINENE

 

 

I could not believe I was acting as a call girl. Having only acted once in primary school, this was a whole new and exciting adventure. I had been anticipating this moment since the day Brad said we were going to play the roles. Preye and I sauntered slowly to the house carefully observing our surroundings and at the same time mentally rehearsing our roles. We were stopped by two men holding bottles of Brandy when we got to the house.

 

“Did Madam Booty send you?” the taller of the two asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

 

Preye understood what he meant while I was still wondering who goes by the name madam booty. ‘Quite an unusual name.’ I thought.

 

“Yea baby.” She purred moving towards him, battling her eyelashes flirtatiously. She placed her hands on his shoulders, stooped down and went up and then twirled around him. He was fascinated by her antics. She wrapped her arms around him and then they walked into the building.

 

I put on my best sultry look, sensually swaying my hips rhythmically, I walked towards the other man and copying Preye’s actions, we entered into the building. we got to a sparsely furnished room poorly lit occupied already by a handsome young man save for the large scar running from his temple down to his chin clutching a bottle of unfinished brandy. He was sitting on a chair in front of a table that accommodated  different bottles of alcohol and cigarettes. I could recognize him from the video clip I had seen so many times in the last fourty-eight hours. Jaiye jaiye by wizkid was playing from a music box at theright corner of the room. We were in the right place and if we played our cards right, we would be out of here in less than thirty minutes.

 

“See these babes wey Madam Booty come arrange for us, na confirm babes be this o.” the taller man whose name was Drew said in excitement as he rubbed his chin, undressing us with his eyes.

 

The man sitting down nodded his head in approval. “Turn around girls.” We obeyed. He nodded again.

 

“Dance for me.”  He said relaxing back on his seat to watch us. We danced moving our bodies provocatively to the rhythm of the music. Halfway into the second song, the shorter man Sektor joined us on the makeshift dance floor. We continued dancing this time to a much faster song. Five minutes later, Preye walked out of the room with Sektor. I was left with Drew and Tarzan, the man who was sitting some minutes ago, joined us on the dance floor still clutching the bottle of brandy and gulping the contents at intervals. Preye came in three minutes later alone, her eyes dancing mischievously.  The dancing became frenzy. We paired ourselves. I was dancing with Tarzan who had his hands on my rear with one hand in an attempt to mould us together. Preye showcased her innate talent which was dancing as she moved with Drew. Her partner was enchanted but he was able to keep up with her speed.

 

 

We knew the men were very much drunk. We did not want our plans to flop so we danced for some five minutes and then launched our plan.  Drawing out syringe containing diazepam from our shoes and gathering much courage, we injected the whole shot on their neck. It was a matter of seconds before Tarzan became limp on my arms, the bottle of brandy shattering into pieces as it hit the floor.

 

As if on cue, Brad and his men entered the building. Preye and I were relieved of the men. The men had their hand and feet bound and carried into the van where they were going to be interrogated. Chris and Raymond were waiting for us when we got to the car.

 

“That was so cool.” Preye exclaimed as soon as Friday drove out the area.

 

I snorted. “Was not cool at all Preye. Those guys were oozing out atomic weapons capable of mass destruction. The whole place was nauseating. I am just happy at the end, we achieved something.”

 

“At least, I exercised my body.”

 

“Exactly, as you were busy planting yourself on him exhibiting your dancing skills.”

 

“Still, I didn’t lose focus mademoiselle.”

 

“Yea right.” I replied.

 

“Anyways, you guys shouldn’t pull of your clothes when we get to the house. I need to put your pictures on my BBM. You chicks are looking so …”

 

“Pervert.” We shouted not allowing him to finish his sentence as Preye went for his head while I hit him on his shoulders.”

 

“Girls take it easy now. Is a bad thing to admire nature? A guy got to appreciate good things.”

 

“Tell me about it Chris.” Preye said.

 

“Yes now, good thing good for man naw.” Friday concurred with Chris.

 

“Who is this one? biko, face the road jare.” I said to him.

 

“Hey, take your eyes off my girlfriend.” Raymond said and then turning to me, “Babe, I wouldn’t mind a picture too.”

 

“Senior pervert. I can’t believe you just said that Raymond.” I said shaking my head in disbelief even though I knew he didn’t mean what he said.

 

He shrugged and unexpectedly hauled me onto his lap pulling me close to him.Preye and Chris seemed to be in their own little world. The remaining drive back to the house was spent in silence except for the occasional whistling by Friday.

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