Read The Faintest Dawn (Story) Episode 23

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 23

Victoria tried to find the words to back up her claims of finding the card on the floor but, they were just coming forth.

Idowu: If you needed money, you should have asked.

That was what, Idowu thought. He thought, she wanted to take money.

Victoria felt her heartbeat return to normal.

Victoria: I wasn’t trying to steal your money.

Idowu: It’s okay, you don’t have to admit it. I understand.

Victoria: Understand what?

Idowu: Anyways, in the morning, we’ll discuss about your daughter.

He left Victoria in the living room. His accusation was outrageous but, Victoria was glad. He didn’t find out her main reason.

Victoria lay on the chair. She had made up her mind not to sleep but, nature took its course.

The inspector and other officers arrived at the compound that morning.

He packed his Toyota previa by the fence of the compound. He refused to take the police mini van as he did before, when he first came to Tina’s house, to prevent catching the attention of people around the neighborhood.

Inspector: We are arresting lemme say, three or four people today and we’d be taking a dead body to the mortuary too.

Officer 1: From this house Alone?

Inspector: Yes and we’d probably find drugs too.

Officer 3: Who even lives here?

Inspector: Let’s go in. I just informed you of what you’d be doing. All of you must make sure you follow my orders.

All: Yes sir.

One of the officers banged the gate with his palm like he was angry at it.

Inspector: Be careful. We are officers. Not terrorists.. Leave the gate.

He knocked by himself, not too loud but, loud enough for the inhabitants of the house to hear.

Victoria slept through out the night and was awoken by the loud bang on the gate the next morning at 9:30am.

Tina, also awoken by the loud bang on the gate, came to the living room. She took a peek through the window facing the gate. She saw five officers in uniform and a man in Casual attire.

Tina was extremely vexed. Not just vexed at the way the gateman guffawed stupidly with the officers, she was also vexed at Idowu.

Tina: Idowu! Idowu!

She yelled.

Idowu ran into the living room like a kid hearing his mother’s call.

Victoria sat on the sofa watching Tina rant. It’d only be a matter of time, before the cops would knock on the door.

Idowu: What?

Why are you yelling that way?

Tina: Shey, I warned you, if I go down, I will take you down too.

Idowu was obviously confused.

Idowu: I don’t understand. What do you mean?

Then, there came the abrupt rapping sound on the metal door. Tina had to bring down her voice.

Tina: (softly) I asked you not to call the cops yet, till after noon.

Idowu: The cops?

Tina: why did you call them?

She pointed towards the direction of the door.

Idowu: I swear I didn’t.

Tina: Then, who did? You’re the one with the card.

That was when Victoria’s action flashed back to Idowu’s mind, maybe it wasn’t his wallet but, the card afterall. Yet, he couldn’t really make sense if why she would call the cops when, she could also be implicated.

Tina: If they eventually conduct a search, I promise you. I’d tag you Laura’s murderer. Besides, you’ve forgotten we have drugs in here, right?

The knock on the door was becoming louder by the second. Victoria went to the door.

Victoria: Hey, Tina. I’m opening it. It’s best we open it now.

Tina: Victoria wait! Don’t.

Idowu: Victoria, you called the cops didn’t you?

Tina: Wait, what? You did what?

Victoria: I had to.

Tina: I let you stay in my…..

Victoria opened the door before she could complete her speech.

James had fallen asleep on the floor. His eyes were boggy from the ceaseless tears he shed the previous night.

He also heard the bang on the gate but, it had stopped when he heard the gate open.

He got up from the floor weakly in order to pee, when he heard unfamiliar voices in the living room. He decided to check what was going on.

Idowu looked at Victoria. He wanted to strangle here right there and then. The questions from the cops were lethal and he would die from them as he didn’t have subtle answers to them.

Inspector: So, how are you related to Tina?

The inspector took a sit and crossed his legs. The other officers stood, so did Victoria, Tina and Idowu.

Inspector: No, sit down, sit down, you all should have a sit.

As he finished his statement, he saw James come into the living room staggering like a drunkard, well not exactly like a drunkard but, he was off balance.

Inspector: Well well. Who is this?

The sight of James was irky. He had been on that shirt and jeans for days. It was evidently raunchy.

Tina: That’s James.

Inspector: And who is James?

Victoria: My husband.

Inspector: And, who are you?

Victoria: I’m Victoria.

Inspector: Hmmm, the Victoria that called last night?

You look more beautiful than the sound of your voice.

James thought he heard wrong. He was not even angry that she called the cops. He was angry that another man complimented his wife.

James: Sorry, my wife called you?

James made a more responsible entrance into the living room fully.

The inspector observing their stance, asked all of them to sit down because, they had a lot of standing to do at the station.

Inspector: You all should sit down.

Victoria had been wanting to sit down. She just didn’t want to be seen as rude, considering that Idowu, Tina and her husband stood. She sat opposite the inspector.

Idowu did the same thing.

James and Tina still stood.

The smile on the inspector’s face had turned into a squeeze.

Inspector: I said, take a sit. You are gonna need it. This is a very wonderful opportunity to sit down.

James and Tina reluctantly obeyed, joining Victoria and Idowu on the sofa. Victoria grunted as they sat, the chair had become tighter. Everyone refused to the sit on the same sofa as the inspector. The arm chairs were there but, at the edges of the walls and they all wanted to stare at the inspector’s face while he interrogated them.

The inspector observed their reticent behaviour, hence, he brought down the tone of his voice and had a broad smile. A broad smile which caused their hearts to sink deeper.

Ola wore his a nice trouser, a well ironed shirt and leather Jacket, Richard’s leather jacket, Richard had forgotten it at his house, one of the days he came to visit. He resembled a perfect gentleman but for the gun in his jacket’s inner pocket. He’s would go Tina’s house and end things. If truly, he found everyone as Victoria said, then, he’s be sure that, Tina had a hand in Richard’s death.

Gbenga laughed out loudly with some of the bodyguards at the balcony of the house that now belonged to him.

He was exceptionally glad. The day where he’d kill Idowu had come. He couldn’t wait for nightfall.

Gbenga: I hope you all are ready for tonight?

Bodyguard 1: Yes sir, all bodyguards have been assigned to strategic positions.

Gbenga: Very good, Idwou would never expect this.

Bodyguard 5: what of that fellow that he signed in one time?

Gbenga: Which fellow?

Bodyguard 5: That really handsome tall guy, very skinny too.

Gbenga: Oh, James? He’s probably dead by now. I don’t think, he survived that shoot out in Richard’s house. Why did you ask?

Bodyguard 5: Nothing really.

Gbenga: Anyways, make sure you do everything as planned tonight. By six pm, you know what to do. There meeting proceeds 8:00pm. I just don’t want any Mistakes. This may be the only chance to kill Idowu.

Bodyguard 2: If Idowu comes tonight, he’d never escape..

Inspector: So, judging from your conflicting replies, I hope you know, we are all going to the station.

Idowu: Station for what?

Inspector: You, for being a drug dealer.

James, for working for you. Tina for the murder of her boyfriend and Tina, well for not reporting to the police early enough.

Victoria could swear, she heard Tina growl at her. If those cops left her with Tina and Idowu, she wasn’t sure, they’d spare her life.

Tina: and you know all this how?

Inspector: As I said, thanks to Victoria.

Tina chuckled.

James stared blankly.

Idowu was sweating profusely.

The officers had a pose with their guns, that entailed they were ready for action.

The inspector had a smirk on his face.

For the second time, since the beginning of the investigation, James spoke.

James: Do you have proof?

Inspector: Yes, more than enough proof. Considering the fact that, you and Idwou are into drugs, we should find some drugs here and of course. We’d have taken it out of here, in fact, we would have all gone to the station a long time ago but, we are waiting for ehn..

He tapped his head.

Inspector: What did you say his name was again?

Victoria: (nearly inaudibly) Ola.

James was shocked. Not just James. Tina and Idowu were shocked.

If Victoria had told him Ola, it meant, he knew about Laura.

Inspector: Yes Ola.

James: You know of Ola?

Inspector: Yes, I know, he’s the one responsible for your daughter’s body in that room. The guest room right?

Victoria gazed at the ceiling to avoid their penetrative stares. If looks could kill, Victoria would have died a million times.

They were all mad at her. She was the reason they’d all go to jail. They knew, the inspector would just take her to the station and release her later on since, she had done nothing wrong, except killing Felix which the inspector already knew about. She told him, it was self defense and his body had been carried away from their compound very early that morning so, Victoria had everything properly planned.

Tina: When are we going to the station?

Inspector: Just chill, we are all waiting for Errrrm’……. I keep forgetting that guy’s name… Uhm’….. Olu or whatever his name is.

As he completed, his statement, Felix’s phone rang. Victoria had slept on the chair the inspector sat on so, the phone was there, very close to him, ringing ridiculously loudly. He picked it up and looked at the screen.

Inspector: Isn’t this just perfect? It’s Ola, now, whose phone is this?