STOLEN – Gathering Facts

Episode 4

Calm down Mr Toye,” Incognito relaxed his back “I am not convicting Qazeem of anything, at least not yet. We have nothing tangible enough to nail him at the moment. I am only saying that…ehm you know, as a profiler and detective, we look beynds words into the heart, countenance, emotions and gestures; so for Qazeem, his countenance at some points gave no alignment with the words he spoke.
“Hmm” Charles heaved.
“Please, can I get a cup of water?”
“Oh, sure, yes. I am sorry, that should have been the first thing I should have offered you. I was so bothered.”
“No problem, just let me have something liquid.”
As Charles stood up, Incognito took time to study the details of the sitting room. When he first met with Charles, they did at Ogbomoso, where Charles went to meet a lawyer friend. And there, they had talked about the incidence. But getting to Charles’ apartment wasn’t a problem, since Charles had told him he stayed on the Wole Adegbite Avenue, off the Express road, and he told him his house number; all Incognito did was to feed the screen navigator on his dashboard his destination. Based on the car system’s connection to Google map, he was shown directions till he reached. And there he was, in Charles’ abode.
The high walled sitting room was painted green with a shade of seafoam, at the centre of the ceiling, a chandelier dropped, its light glitters all around and from the fraction through the glasses. There was a small glass shelf upon which the television sat and in the lower compartment, a DVD player sat with a DStv decoder on it. The home theatre speakers, each took point at the hexagonal angles of the sitting room, the song they sounded with the most minimal volume is the great Wacko-Jacko’s hit “Heal the world”. Beside the television was a little picture frame of Charles and Temmy, the shot was most likely taken before the marriage. On the left side of the shelf whose wall faced the exit from the sitting room to the dining room and the other parts of the house was a giant fan with a large round base; the Smart fan was blowing powerfully at its utmost capacity. From its neck through a spiral tube, cold steam was blowing and cooling everywhere and giving the fan a boost. Incognito already knew, you couldn’t have owned this fan and bother about having an air conditioner. He had skimmed and crammed the stuff his eyes could see in less than thirty seconds.
Charles returned with a chilled bottle of a carrot drink and a glass cup. He used his right leg to push a stool closer to Incognito, he then placed the drink and cup on them.
“Thanks Sir”
“Oh, I would be more comfortable with Charles. You are welcomed”
“Alright, so I intended asking you if any of your friends would object talking with a detective”
“No, they shouldn’t. But they might delay or refer your call if they are busy”
“Okay. Or is there someone yet, whom you think could still be responsible for the kidnap?” He raised his brows as he swallowed gulps of liquefied coldness from the glass cup.
“Well, nobody really, but maybe because of my promotion over a rival, my friends shouldn’t be the ones responsible for these, our friendship stretches beyond words, we love one another and nothing can separate us. They’ve been waiting for me over months to fulfil a requirement to meet a dream.”
“Hmm” the detective took another sip, “What is it if I may ask?”
“Oh, it’s a secret only friends can talk about.”
“Hmm I see. But I can still discuss with the others right? I mean about other things apart from this ‘secret’ ” he winked.
“Sure, no problem”
“Yea…a bad news made my day, I was going to ask you if you knew anything about it.”
“And what could that be?”
“Does the name Adeola Adeoye, ring a bell?”
“How do you mean, ring a bell? Was he not the one I was telling you about that he is a fine tradesman in Asokoro extension in Abuja? Oga, have you forgotten so soon?”
“Well, not really. I just want to be sure. When last did you hear from him?”
He thought for a while,  “I think two days before my bride was stolen. Or better put, two days before my wedding day”
“Why tag him with the bride? Do you think he is responsible? That means he wasn’t present at  your wedding” he said rhetorically, but expecting an answer.
“No oh. Just saying, that is what kept coming to my mind at the thought of that mocking day. Yeah, he said he was away and wont be able to make it. Anyway, what’s up with him?”
“You’ll need a stomach for this; he..” he swallowed his saliva for a pause, took a deep breath “he was found dead this morning at Kuje”
Charles’ eyeballs got huge as the lids pulled back over them; the pupil appeared to get smaller. His mouth agape, and his throat dried of saliva, he got held as if he were in an airtight container, he was already at the edge of the chair without him knowing, his elbows pivoted on each knees.
Incognito sank back into his chair and relaxed his right and left arms on the arm rest and back rest respectively. He knew what shock that could be like, he let the news sank, and didn’t utter a word.
“Do you mean that?” Charles asked in confused disbelief. “How did that happen? What really happened?”
Incognito expected the questions before the prior reaction. He explained what his team had reported to him, he only gave important details. He said they had not really confirmed the DNA, since Nigeria isn’t yet built to have a database for all medical records. (Although he knew they had confirmed the fingerprint, but he wanted to leave him with a hope; that he could hope otherwise and sleep at peace for the night.)
In a depressed tone, Charles asked “Do you still think of the possibility of finding Temmy?”
“Well, if you believe in prayers, don’t stop investing in it. I will talk to your friends, some more of your colleagues too. And we will invite Qazeem over for a hypnotic session to know or confirm what he was saying. Based on my evaluation yet, it is possible that he would pass the sodium serum truth test. We’ll just work on the information we have and will get back to you.
“Thank you detective.” He sighed, it seemed his heavy burden was lessen, he looked relived. “Where will you spend the night at? It is late already; I have a spare room here if you don’t mind. Or do you want to get to Lagos tonight?”
Incognito wiped his forefinger over his moustache, “Well, no. Thanks for the offer, I really appreciate. I have a friend who manages a hotel at Alakia, he’d be pleased to see me again since the last time I promised him.
En route Alakia, Incognito called Osire; a long time friend who manages a hotel right at Alakia, Ibadan. He was to prepare him a place and dinner. At his arrival, they hugged and talked about old times, while Incognito hungrily but courteously fed on the pounded yam and egusi (melon) soup in front of him. In another plate beside him lay a gone-by catfish which was unable to swim in the steaming pool of pepper soup.
Osire had grown bigger, Incognito noticed. He thought hotel is a cool business if you’ve got the capital and capable of managing it. He said “I think you are getting too fat, let us swap jobs so you step down a bit.”
Osire laughed, “You think this is what I eat everyday? My friend, food is not a luxury to rely on, it doesn’t determine wellness, the right mentality does.” He spoke, picking each words slowly as his lifestyle was.
“That is true” with both hands up in appraisal, Incognito said with a raised voice, “Osire the wise One”. They both laughed.
In the jacuzzi, Incognito took deep breath, he relaxed his body and mind as if he was doing soul detachment; he didn’t believe in it anyway but clearing his head and mind worked for him. With the warmth of the water soothing his body, he analyzed the situation so far:
Last week Saturday, a bride was kidnapped right after the reception and nobody knows her whereabout, no one knows the motive behind the ‘stolen’ act, no ransom has been demanded so far. And today, the death of one of Charles’ (groom) friend is found dead a week later, but he had died about two weeks ago, probably a week before the bride was stolen. He stepped out of the tub at this point, he left fitting the pieces together for some other time. He wore his pyjamas; fell headlong on the king-size bed, shot his eyelids tight and let the cushioning bed and pillows lead him through the brief abyss into an awakening reality of the beyond.
Before leaving the hotel, Incognito dialled Ben number and the rest of the BLACK caucus to speak with them and what they knew about the situation Ben had said “well it was a pity that Charles’ bride got lost, but I advise that he continues his business and if he still does not hear from her after a while, he can re-marry.”
“Do you mean that?” Incognito asked
“Yes, no…. I mean, there’s really no probability that he would see her again. The hell is stirred at the coming of one; probably, Temmy is just meant to be”
“Sir Ben, what do you mean by the statement: ‘hell is stirred at the coming of one?’ what is ‘hell’, who is ‘one’? Incognito asked in a calmed tone as he overlooked the swimming the pool behind his window into the straw hut where some people were discussing.
“Oh” Ben was saying “that place is somewhere in the scriptures, but I can’t remember where, besides, who is the hell meant for apart from the devil? And in my own terms, ladies are devils. Hell is meant for them?”
“Uhm, really? The last time I attended bible study, I can’t remember the pastor calling the devil a lady. It is only he who is patient enough to see a lady with her qualities that can get the best of her. Ladies are a wonderful specie, Ben. Are you married?
“Uhm your words are deep Detective. Yeah… I am married, there is a mutual benefit for the BLACK who get married”
“What does your latter statement mean?”
“Oh that’s personal don’t worry. Now I have to attend to business, if you don’t mind. And it seems you have a knowing about women. I would love discussing them with you over a bowl of pepper soup sometimes.
“No problem. Any time you want. Thanks for the time.”

What happened next?
The Next Episode,
Meet each of the King’s Forensics guru, they will stun you. You don’t want to miss it.
March 31!!!
Watch out!

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