Episode 16
THE UNDERCOVER
“Sir, you..?”. Celina asked, almost in a whisper, tears welling up in her eyes, reflecting the dim light of the dashboard.
“Oh you think I didn’t know?. You think I didn’t know you have had series of ab0rtions?. I had to exaggerate to increase her heartbeat.
“No, oh. She pleaded. I felt her body tremble as her breathing increased with muffled sobbing sounds.
….it was only once. Sir please. I did it just once”. She cried.
Please, uncle, don’t let anyone know about it”. She pleaded.
I felt guilty. I shouldn’t be blackmãiling a child that was placed under my custody, but . I thought as I watched her pleading.
…Sir, please, don’t let anyone know about this. Please, my dad will k¡ll me”. She continued.
“You don’t want anyone to know, right?. It’s fine. No one is going to find out. But then, you’re going to tell me the truth I need to know”. I said.
She sniffed.
“Tell me everything. Who are you working for?”. I asked in a calm voice.
“Sir, I am not working for anybody. I don’t know what you’re talking about”. She cried.
“You’re still proving stubborn?”. I asked, my voice raised a bit.
“No sir. I do not know anything about this. I swêar to God almighty. I don’t know what you’re talking about”. She insisted.
“Celina, for the last time. Who are you working for?”. I calmly asked again.
“Sir, please, you have to believe me. I’m not working for anyone.”. She said, shaking her head, her words barely audible between sobs.This story belongs to Joy Ifunanya
…I think someone is trying to set me up. I didn’t do anything, I’m innocent”. She continued.
“So what about the nose mask?. What do you do with them?.”. I further interrogated.
“Nose masks?. I don’t have a single nose mask. I don’t have a nose mask”. She replied.
Her desperation seemed genuine. A seed of doubt crept into my mind. Am I pushing too hard? Is she truly innocent? But Samuel assured me she was the one. Could he be lying?. No. I shook my head.
Samuel could not be lying against his own blood. What would he achieve by doing that?.
With that thought, I grasped her on both arms, and gave her the same treatment I have given to Samuel.
“Who is the undercover?”. I howled at her. Her body began to vibrate instantly.
“Sir, I don’t know. I swear to God, I don’t know”. She cried, struggling to be free.
My grip on her arm tightened.
“Don’t lie to me, Celina. You know exactly what I am talking about” I breathe..
“Please, believe me. I don’t know”. She continued crying.
After some minutes of intense questioning, Celina remained resolute in her denial. I had no choice but to release her, despite my conviction that she was hiding something.
I allowed her to settle down before I spoke.
“Remember this, Do not think you’ve slipped under the radar. I’ve got my eyes on you. As for your secret, it’s safe with me… for now.”I said.
No more words were said, so I started the engine and headed for the station to file an official report.
As I drive, Celina’s silence is deafening. Her secrets are like a palpable weight in the cruiser. I’ve seen guilt before, but this is different. This is desperation.
My mind shifts to the issue at hand. Madam Mary, Where could she be? Why did she vanish? The report I’m about to file feels inadequate.. a mere formality. Celina could be lying. It’s possible she is aware of everything. She knows where madam Mary is. She is aware of the missing bank staff, but just playing ignorant with me. I felt an urgent urge to grab her and thr0ttle her once more, but I waved the thought aside.
As I drove into the station, I told her to stay back in the vehicle while I quickly attended to something inside. Walking down the passage, I dialed Sunday’s number repeatedly, but it remained unavailable. When I got into the reception, the others sympathized with me over the missing person. And when I inquired about Sunday, they claimed they hadn’t seen him either.
“He left earlier in the evening”. One said.
Something felt off. Sunday couldn’t have just left my house without a word. I hoped he hadn’t disappeared like the others.
But wait ohh…this Celina of a girl. How could I be certain she wasn’t aware of Sunday. They all saw him enter the compound. This girl knows more than she is letting out.
Or what if the culprit isn’t at home as I have been made to believe? What if she is here in this office? I glanced around the station, sensing eyes on me.
My mind replayed my last phone conversation with Sunday…his cryptic warnings,
“Meet me at Dino’s hotel tonight at 9pm”.
I checked my phone, and the time was twenty minutes before 9pm.
I picked a paper, jotted down a hasty note on it, left it on the counter, and rushed out to the garage. Celina was still waiting silently in the car. I got in, and started the engine.
Another silent drive home. I dropped her off at the gate, and hurried to Dino’s Hotel.
By the time I got there, it was a few minutes past 9pm.
The receptionist scanned the records,
“I’m afraid he hasn’t checked in, sir.”. She said, shaking her head.
Disappointed and worried, I drove back home.
Judith and Stella were talking in the living room by the time I returned. As I entered, they stopped talking and looked up from their conversation.
“Hey, honey!” Judith said, concern etched on her face.
“Did you hear anything about madam Mary?.”. Stella added, still avoiding eye contact with me.
I shook my head.
“The police have commenced a search”. I said.
“And Celina? Is she okay?. She just entered and went straight to her room without talking to anyone”. Judith asked.
“She should be fine. Maybe it’s just stress. What about the children?”. I asked, trying to wave away the topic.
“We have finally succeeded in putting them to bed. It’s not easy though”. She said, shaking her head.
“It’s fine. You two have to go to bed too. Madam Mary would be found in no distant time?”. I tried to assure them.
As I headed to my room, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Who was I becoming?. I have never had a rest since that night I witnessed that mμrder.
Should I just go ahead and hand myself over to authorities? Or should I expose the widow?. I still have her tape with me?.
No. I cannot do that. I’m going to lose a lot of things. And if care is not taken, I may even get into jãil if not wisely handled.
As I was still contemplating, my phone buzzed. It was a message from an unknown number.
“YOUR WIFE IS NOT WHO YOU THINK SHE IS”
Typing 17….
