Sunday 10:30 am
"Is that all?" Mr. Ademola inquired.
"That is all sir" Saleem answered as they moved out of the police station.
"Learn to defend yourself in situations like this", He advised. "Why didn't you defend yourself and explain things the way you just did to me now?"
"Sir, it was something I never expected. I couldn't even find my voice."
"Alright, I will talk to my wife. Have you explained yourself to your girl?"
"Not yet, sir." He replied.
"The earlier, the better. Don't give my daughter heartaches. She is going through a tough time already." Mr. Ade smiled at him.
"Will do that right away sir. Thanks for understanding."
"You are always welcome. I am happy to have you as a prospective son-in-law. I trust you with my daughter, please don't break that trust." He patted Saleem's shoulder.
He entered his car as Saleem stood aside waving his hand at him as he zoomed off.
*****
"How are you doing my darling?" Raliat's mother asked the silent girl.
Raliat kept mute as she stared at her mother who watched her closely, dabbing at her wet eyes with a handkerchief.
"I don't know why you are doing this Raliat but I want you to know that I love you so much. Despite the numerous fights, I love you wholeheartedly and unconditionally. You are my child and you came out of me, loving you is inevitable. Even when I pretend not to care, I truly do" her mother continued and sobbed.
Raliat blinked without a word.
"I just came to inform you about something. I know this is not the right time for this but as my first child, you need to know." She said and peered at her again before she continued. "Your father and I have not been on good terms since you went missing and he is accusing me of murdering your fiance." The statement caught Raliat's attention and her mother noticed a flicker of hurt in her daughter's eyes.
"I plan to move out tomorrow", her mother completed and broke down into tears.
It took a while before Raliat could comprehend what her mother meant. She opened her clasped lips and exclaimed "What?", with a grimace.
Her mother raised her head in joy, finally hearing her daughter's voice.
"Your father has lost interest and trust in me. He treats me like trash and enjoys humiliating me in public. I need space. I want to move out. He still doesn't believe that I have no hand in Ayoade's death." She explained.
"Why would he do that? I know you have no hand in this." Raliat responded softly.
"I can never do such a thing. I know how much you loved him." Her mother added.
"I know, mum. I know you didn't kill him."
"You know? I thought you already discussed with your father and that's why you refused to talk to me", Raliat shook her head in response.
"Do you know who is responsible then?" She asked and Raliat went silent again.
"Raliat, you need to say something so we can get you out of here."
"Mummy, don't leave", she pleaded with her mother as a tear dropped from her eyes.
"You need to talk, please. Or are you the guilty one?" Her mother continued, ignoring her plea.
"No mum. I loved him with every fiber in me. I would never hurt him. I can't bear to see him hurt. Mum, a part of me is gone with him, I miss him." She cried.
"I know you do. But are you sure you are innocent? I will support you whatever the case may be."
"No, mum", she half-yelled. " I didn't kill Ayoade. I can't do that."
"Then who did?" Raliat went silent again
"Do you know who did?" Her mother questioned calmly, shaking her, thus jerking her back to reality.
"My baby, do you know who did?" She glanced at her mother as a tear rolled down her eyes. She nodded as another tear followed and she whimpered and wailed in pain.
The pain she had been holding in, the pain of losing her beloved, the pain of not seeing his cute smiling face, his pink lips and the smell of his cologne, and finally the pain of missing someone you know you will never see again, till the end of time.
*****
"You need to believe me, darling. We went to Nihari to get ice cream and we departed. Going to Nihari was even her idea. I just played along to make her feel better and I haven't seen her since then, not until she called me on Monday." Saleem explained.
"Why did she call you?" Salamat inquired.
"She said she was in the hospital and you were in the police station."
"Bimpe is indeed a devil." She muttered.
"I just realized all of these was a trap. She wanted me to trust her and then she can come in between us."
"I'm sorry for misunderstanding your silence" she apologized.
"I'm sorry too for not picking your calls that day and for not defending myself when I ought to."
"It's ok ".
"Who is that guy?" He demanded.
"The one you met here earlier?"
"Yes."
"Habib." She replied.
"Habib? What is he doing here?"
"Salamat smiled. "Do you know the Habib I am talking about?"
"Isn't he the one in Abeokuta?"
"Yes."
"If only I had known, I would have greeted him with a slap for hurting my girl."
Salamat chuckled. "That is all in the past. He came to ask for my forgiveness and it was with his help that Raliat got arrested." She defended.
"Hmm. Hope he is not here to woo you again?" Salamat laughed. "Didn't you tell him you are taken? This is a no-go area for him, the king of the thrown has claimed his property already."
"I smell jealousy."
"Jealousy? I am not jealous. Just tell him to stay away from my girl if he doesn't want me to show him my true color."
"Saleem, it is just a harmless visit" she whispered.
"Harmless my feet. I can decide to kiss you now and still call it a harmless kiss", he moved his lips towards her.
Salamat gasped and hit him on the shoulder. "Don't be silly", and he grinned mischievously.
*****
Monday 2:00 pm
"Bode, we are taking this case to court by Wednesday. It's obvious Raliat and Salamat are the culprits. Raliat has refused to say anything just like Salamat did too."
"Don't you think we should give it more time? I have the belief that something tangible will come up soon." Bode suggested.
"Bode", the D.P.O began when he got interrupted by Detective Sam.
"Good afternoon, sir", Sam greeted. "The camera is now working."
"Really?" Bode and the D.P.O chorused.
"Yes sir. Here it is" Sam stretched it to him, putting the camera on.
The sight of a naked woman straddling a man whom he identified as Ayoade first greeted him. He played the video but the face of the lady was hidden and there was no sound.
Her body was well-structured and beautiful, he noticed.
"The face is hidden", he told Sam.
"Yes sir", Sam said moving closer. Then he paused the video and brought out his phone. He took the picture of the paused video and zoomed it as Bode and the D.P.O gaped at him in confusion.
Then he gave the phone to the D.P.O.
"The face is still unrecognizable", the D.P.O complained after looking at the picture for a while.
"Not the face sir, there is a birthmark at the back of the lady."
The D.P.O stared at it and saw the big black spot at the back of the lady. "This is a clue", the D.P.O almost screamed in excitement.
"Yes sir." Sam grinned.
"Ask Lamide to take the girls to her office and undress them. Give her this picture and tell her to bring any of the girls with this spot to my office immediately." The D.P.O instructed.
"Right away, sir", Sam saluted and collected the phone from him before sauntering away to attend to the order.
Sam almost got hit as Uche opened the door and entered the office in a hurry.
"Sir", Uche said, ignoring the scowl on Sam's face and without apologizing.
"Yes, Uche?" The D.P.O raised his head with a smile on his face.
"Raliat is ready to confess all that happened", Uche announced.
"Really?"
"Yes sir."
"Great. Let's go", the D.P.O stood up and walked out of the office with the others trailing behind him.