EPISODE FIVE - PAGE FIVE CONT'D

so drunk I had no idea what happened what even happened, I mean what really happened, dorothy?” I asked.
She sighed and stood to leave.


“tell him if you must but it will break his heart and make him feel bitter about us, he is in a terrible situation already and I know you won’t tell him but I feel guilty and-“


“you don’t have to, am sure he should expect you to need a man when-“


“he is my fiancé for heaven’s sake!” she protested angrily.


“and that is news?, listen I don’t care about what happened, it happened and that’s it, joseph needs you as much as he needs me, when we get him out then you can decide on what swings your conscience, do you understand?” I said to her.


I was expected her to make a complain about her moral etiquette and all that but she merely nodded in agreement.


“good, I have to get dressed now but you are welcome to stare at me all day long, I want us to go see joseph together, is that okay?” I said.
She gave a thought and nodded again.


“I will make you something,” she said except this time, she had a dull mysterious smile on her face.

“will there be poison in it?” I asked standing up to free up my sleeves.

“Maybe but who knows?”

She walked out of the room dragging her chair along, I stood there for a second or two wondering about what she said and waved something terrible I had imagined in my head; such a mysterious yet sensual character she was, I decided.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hey guys, so what do you think about daniel, do you think he could be threat to williams and what is up with dorothy, what is she thinking?

EPISODE SIX - PAGE ONE


We drove down to the station and I guessed she was a bit tensed not to say anything during our long drive, which I didn’t blame her for.

“Am sorry sir, no one is allowed to see the suspect?” one of the officer announced, much to our surprise.

“no one? Do I look like no one to you?” I asked the officer.

“no sir but you see-“

“my friend, will you get out of my sight before I make your day as terrible as hell!”

I could see his courage shredded into pieces for a moment, but then he got on his phone and I could already tell who he was calling.


“please sir, The ACP will like a word with, alone.” He said.

“you wait here, I will be back,” I reassured Dorothy before I left for fashi’s office.

“willyboy, what the hell are you doing with that woman?”

“relax chief, we are totally fine, I have everything under-“

“no, there is nothing under control here, listen, I don’t know how you did but you succeeded in readjusting the kid’s due date at the court,” fashi seemed worried.


“due date, what is that supposed to mean, the boy isn’t appearing in court for a long, long-“


“wrong willyboy, it seems you made quite an impression on your ex’s boyfriend and so he made some calls and got the case readjusted, the boy is appearing in court in the next two weeks, thanks to you”


I must have skipped the real details when I had daniel was the one calling the shots now; he was the bode’s attorney.

“what?, Daniel is-“


“of course what did you think when you saw him here, anyway that doesn’t matter,” he stopped for a while and looked at him with lingering eyes. “I believe you can get the job done before then?”


“yeah but-“


“no buts, we are not dragging this matter to the court or in the court, I want it settled out, we get the tapes, and then you pull out, is that okay?”
I nodded reluctantly, knowing how good that would make Daniel happy when he knew I turned tail and ran away; this I couldn’t allow.
“with the tape, we could go to court for real,” I said faintly, unsure of fashi’s reaction.


“we? There is no we, there is you and there is me, this is not our fight and besides what do we get when we drag the issue to court, some peanuts for your services – maybe thirty thousand paid in instalments?” he was tempted to laugh as I thought things out.

“we could sue the bode for damage and –“

“enough of that willyboy does that Nigeria jesus strike you as someone who would press charges against his boss,” my face gave him his answer. “exactly, get the tape and walk away, let him carry his cross,”


I could see there was no convincing fashi any more, I decided to take my leave for now.

“does the girl know about what you did to the kid?”

Fashi’s words hit me.

“No,”

He smiled at me mysteriously and then nodded.

“be careful of her willyboy, that girl could string up your life in more than a hundred ways, I have seen my fair share of such women to know she is no good news, I don’t want her with you when you talk to the kid”


I nodded and made my absence felt in his office, I lied to Dorothy about why the both of us couldn’t joseph before I went on to check with my client.


“you seem heavy with thoughts barrister, is there anything I can help you with,”

EPISODE SIX - PAGE TWO


“listen up Joseph, I am going to make this quick, where is the tape, there is not enough time on our hands, the court-“


“the court hearing has been shifted forward – two weeks from now,”


I was surprised to know he knew this as well.

“how did you know this, did you dream it up?”


He laughed. “of course no, I have a few friends here, in the cell and outside, good men who are just here to help as best as they can,”

“well too bad, they can’t help you inside a court room, we need the tape, we have got no evidence-“

“I will write my statement now,”


He was quick to break in, with steady eyes on me.

“its about time right?”


“I am pleading guilty to the charges, Mr. barrister!”


In the little time I had dawned the famous black robe, I had seen very odd characters, maybe even crazy ones but I would lie if joseph hadn’t struck me as the oddest in the bunch.


“what, what do you mean you want to plead guilty, I thought you didn’t do it, I thought you wanted your freedom back-“


“no man is capable of touching my freedom, Jesus the son of God-“


“so you would prefer to worship your jesus behind bar, is that it? You don’t care about anyone else but you, isn’t it, Dorothy means shit to you as well right?”


He regarded with a smile and scoffed.

“she is going to be alright and I will be fine,”


“what about your name, are you going to let akpin string this whole thing on you just like that, you know people are going to say that you are that ungrateful son of bitch who decided to pay his boss with his elements deep inside his daughter in a forceful and disgraceful manner, you won’t have anywhere or anything to do, no one would look at you any more when you are out – if you are out, is that what you want?”
I could see my words bounce off his shell and right unto the floor, the boy had said everything he needed to say.



“I will write my statement now,”


“you egoistic son of a-“


“i can assure you that ego has no play in this, I am merely following a predestined path likewise you, Mr. barrister,”


I stood there, angry, frustrated and irritated all of a sudden, fashi was going to have to grow an extra pair of nuts to know the kid was going in for the crime and we would have nothing to feed off on and Dorothy, how on earth would she take it, definitely she wouldn’t let him go through with his decision.



“Fine, I will arrange for a paper and a pen for you and-“


“Mr. Barrister, if you want, you could take yourself off the case as well, there is no need defending someone who wants to plead guilty, is there?”


This isn’t about you, I imagined screaming at him with my hands on his neck once more but no good would come out of it so I walked away, I joined Dorothy and explained his fiancé’s decision.


“is that what he said to you?”


“do I need to repeat myself?” my patience fizzled out drastically.

“we can’t let that happen, can we?”

“there wouldn’t be much I can do once he writes a statement on that, its like a nail to his coffin, go and talk to him if that doesn’t work then he is on his own,” I said.


She went for Joseph and I prepared myself for Fashi.


Fashi slammed his hands on the desk angrily after I had told him and went for his pack of Benson to which I refused when he offered me.

EPISODE SIX - PAGE THREE


“he isn’t serious about this, we must get that tape somehow, it’s the key, I will not let such an opportunity slip by just like that,” Fashi grumbled.


“so what are we gonna do?”


“I don’t know yet willyboy but that kid better watch it now or else he won’t make it to the court,”


When fashi made a threat, he was bound to follow it through and I could only imagine how terrible life would be for the kid.


“he is proving stubborn but I deal with far worse criminals like him, he thinks he can play rough with the police, I will show him,” fashi ranted in frustration as I watched.


“again, why don’t we pull up an investigation and see what we can find out, the guy who got you in on the details of the tape, why don’t you call him, maybe he knows someone or-“


“or I can have my boys beat the living hell out of the kid until he confesses to worse crimes than rape,” fashi said.


“you can’t do that,” my voice held doubts.


“you don't know what i can do - I want to be left alone willy boy, go and take your new girlfriend along, I am getting sick and tired of all this nonsense,”


I had never seen fashi so frustrated before for he was the king of cool and calm even in ugly situations and even when he was upset, it wasn’t such that I was worried about but leaving his office like that was a terrible nod to what was to come.


I arrived at the courter and met Dorothy quite upset; my guess was that joseph gave a similar monologue as he did to me.
She said nothing until we were in the car.


“so are you ready to call off the engagement and all that?”

“you would like that, won’t you?”

“well I would like to think I didn’t string a guy’s fiancé, girlfriends, wives, sister-in-laws even mothers, if she is well built, I am okay with those but not fiancées,” I said.


“we can’t let him have his way, there has to be something we can do,”

“I highly doubt it, the police won’t investigate Akpin or –“

“Akpin, akpin has nothing to do with this!”


My eyes widened.


“Akpin has nothing to do with this, what do you mean, what do you know?”


“I don’t know anything but Akpin couldn’t have been involved in this, he is not the one trying to frame Joseph up, bode’s wife is the real culprit here,”

Now a few questions that had hunted for a little while when I read the witnesses statement began to resurface.

The report had read that Joseph was caught inside the private room of bode’s wife where Sophia was alone.


About eleven servants had heard her scream for help and when they came to her rescue they had found Joseph perpetuating the crime.
Now I even realized that Akpin was not one of those who had written down a statement perhaps he was in fact a puppy just following orders.
“did he tell you then what really happened that day?” I asked calmly, somewhere hidden in her eyes was the truth. “you need to tell me, joseph is going nowhere without a story to back up his claim, do you know something that can help?” I urged her.


“yes I do,” she sighed terribly. “yes I do, he told me not to say anything but this was not part of the-“ she hesitated and then looked away from me. “it was true that joseph went to the private room of Mrs. Bode, yeah and Sophia was there on the bed, naked –“


“so it was a frame up?”


“No, it was never intended to be,” she stopped and thought of something which I hoped had nothing to do with her story but I was too unfortunate; she was done talking.


“am sorry, I lied, that’s all bullshit, I don’t know what I am saying anymore, I need a drink or something,” she gave a cynical laughter and alighted down my car.

EPISODE SIX - PAGE FOUR


“what the hell!” I was furious and my steering wheel felt my madness with the force of my fists.


Then I had gotten a message; it was sweet Annette.

CAN WE TALK? TONIGHT 8:00 PM AT THE USUAL


Just when my life couldn’t get any more complicated she just had to send a text, I couldn’t say no even in my worst moment, I was always going to make time for her.


Dorothy was right about something because even i needed a drink to clear up my thoughts.


I drove out of the station quickly.


Even though I had expected Dorothy to call at some point I never got her call and as I rode into the fast taste eatery’s car park, I wondered what was going on with her.


I arrived a few minutes early this time, it was the least I could do sensing things could be volatile sooner or later once we got to the real deal.
Annette wore a topless light yellow gown and for a moment I wished I could screw all thoughts of morality and decency and string her right on the table there, I composed myself as best as I could knowing I was slightly drunk and joined her at the table.


She stared at me calmly and gave a faint smile I couldn’t tell its significance.


“you are drunk, aren’t you?”


“does it matter besides I only had a few bottles,” I said.


“and the cigarettes, you are smoking again-“


“listen, what do you want from me, really why are you going behind your boyfriend’s back to see me,” I pushed.


“because I still care about you will and even though-“


“if you cared you should have-“


“stayed? And watch you have your way all the time, you still blame me, don’t you?”


“No, I don’t-“

“you are lying, deep down you still think I ditched you-“


“but you did, you did it and got back with that coward, I mean really, of all the men out there you decided to string with Daniel, that-“


“enough already! I didn’t come here to discuss that with you, I just wanted to see if you were-“


“am okay as you can see, I have never looked and felt better in fact maybe you, ditching me was the best thing that ever happened to me,” I lied horribly and hoped she didn’t see it.


“Will, I am leaving the country by next week,”


I felt a bone snap in my ribs, my anger had suddenly disappeared and something I hadn’t felt in a long while crept in, fear.


“what, why? Where are you going to, I mean what is this about?” I asked anxiously.

“Daniel and I are putting some distance between us-“

“so that bastard dumped you?”

“is that all you really care about?”

I became silent with guilt written all over my face.

“he wanted to propose and I told him I wasn’t ready yet and he decided we couldn’t we were better off apart for now – figure things out I guess,”


Right there I could still see it, I could still feel the call of her body for mine, right there I knew Annette was still mine.


“Do you love me that much?” I asked her but she said nothing. “do you?”


“I don’t know, I don’t really know what it is about you, I don’t really –“


Again like a curse from the devil himself my phone began to ring, on my phone clearly displayed was dorothy’s name, I tried to take it up quickly but she had seen it and then that little glimmer of hope I had seen faded away.


“its not what you-“


“have you strung her?”

EPISODE SIX - PAGE FIVE


“what?”

“will, look into my eyes and tell me you haven’t strung her yet, tell me that the very moment I walked out of your house you didn’t string anyone, tell me!” her words went the way of her tears, painful and true.


“you didn’t leave me with a –“ I ran out of excuses this time I sat there like the wretch I was, deep in my heart I could feel so much pain and regret such I could point no one to be responsible for; I was responsible.



I said nothing and watched her take her leave.


There was no anger in me just hopelessness so I ordered for a bottle of whiskey knowing I was going to have one terrible and shitty night.

I started the next morning with a visit to my bathroom, vomiting and cleaning up after myself.

I was back to square one and this time, I had no one to scream at, just the cold bitter realization that I deserved what I got.

I laid back in bed and switched off my phone this time; that little devil had wrecked me for far too long, I reckoned.


I opened my eyes only when I had heard my door creak open and saw the intruder; Dorothy.


“when you are going out, tell Pete to park out his things and go with you as well,” I said.


I thought I would be extra mad at her after her phone call had messed things up for me but somehow I was glad she came around.

“you don’t have to be so hard on-“


“I don’t want to talk with anybody right now,” I lied.


“I doubt it but if you want I can go and deliver your message to pete,” she replied.

“No stay, just don’t talk, I am in a bad state-“

“are you going to help him or what? I know he doesn’t want your help any longer but please I need you to-“


“I want to but I don’t know where to start,”


“you don’t need to, silvia is around, she went to speak with him this morning, I don’t know what they said but joseph has tendered a not guilty sentence, I think she convinced him not to,”



My mind flashed back to the name and remembered she was the first daughter of chief bode who joseph seemed to be great friends with, her presence had already changed joseph’s decision to plead guilty perhaps she could be helpful.


“still, I need the full story, you tell me what you know right now or you can go get yourself another lawyer,”

She became quiet and then she explained how joseph had walked in on Sophia and Florence in bed.

“what?”

“you see where the whole thing gets messy, it could wreck the entire family as you can see,”

Suddenly it made sense why joseph had held out on me.

“I can’t believe this?”


“well it is what it is, akpin is florence’s boytoy, he does whatever she tells him to do and the others wouldn’t say anything except they want to lose their jobs and get a hefty damage suit on their laps, for joseph, there are no winners here, he tells the truth the bode family crumbles if he tells a lie, his life goes for it, I didn’t want to say anything because he made me promise but string it! I love him and If I have to be greedy about something, then its about fate,” she said.


“what about the tape, they say there might be a tape that could hold visual evidence which in fact could be joseph’s trump card here, we need that tape,”


She thought of my words for a while.


“I don’t know anything about that but there is a woman who could help us with that, if its true then she can confirm this for us,”
My mind flashed back to someone.

EPISODE SIX - PAGE FIVE CONTD



“Mrs. Cordelia Eze?”

“how did you know that?”

“never mind, is she the one we need to see?”

“yeah, she is – are you ready to drive and not think about swerving into the lagoon?”

Had I been thinking of suicide, I wondered in my dejectedness.

“yeah I can drive,”

“good, get dressed, I will make you something,”


She caught me smiling dully.

“don’t think its becoming a thing, I just like cooking and it’s the least I can do for the man who wants to free my fiancé,”

“is he still your-“

“go get dressed now!” she said impatiently.

She left me alone to sort myself and I was surprised I could manage to do just that.

EPISODE SEVEN - PAGE ONE.


“so I have been wondering, how is it that the holiest of thou is planning to get entangled with you?” I asked after my boredom became offensive while I drove.


“its non of your business plus I am the one who does the asking; it's my job to ask the questions,”
“as it's mine as well, so let’s say from a lawyer to a journalist, who did it happen, certainly not in a bar where he was getting drunk, does he even drink?”


“you would like that, won’t you?”

“everyone has balls not everyone knows how to use them,” I said.

She seemed to be relaxed and I could only imagine how I would have fared, locked up in my room moaning over Annette and how I had managed to string up my chances for real.


“it was at a party at some grand hotel, Mr. Michael Bode was there and joseph was with him, of course, none of us were allowed closed to the V.V.I.P’s but the small fishes were for us to gather around and bite at and yeah that was it, i don’t know what I liked about him but I guess it was the same for him, we exchanged contacts and the rest is a beautiful story I don’t feel like talking about,” she smiled cynically at me.



“hmm, interesting I always thought you guys meant in the choir stand or maybe one of his evangelism trips to save a soul,” I said.

But she wasn’t smiling anymore, it was that serious face any professional would make when they came at you.

“What is your deal with religion anyway, I mean don’t get me started, I may not be any- in fact, I ain't perfect, I drink and I-“ she paused and stared deeply at me. “and I do other things that I shouldn’t but I don’t go offensive or yapping about religion the way you do, what is your deal?”


“that’s it, I have no deal with religion, you can choose to live your life as though everything is a miracle or not – famous words by Albert Einstein, I choose to live my life just the way it is, no spiritual or religious conflicts to string my conscience or shits like that, I live my life the way I want to,”


“and how is living your life the way you want to, been so far?”


Sucker punched to a corner so that my face turned pale by her question , I decided she was one smart cookie with the questions.
“Have you seen her before?” I wanted to discuss something else all of a sudden.


“Mrs. Cordelia?”

“No, Silvia, have you see her before?”

“No, I haven’t,”

“Seems to me that joseph is-“

“There is nothing between them if that’s where you are heading to,” she was quick to read my thoughts.
“It just beats me that his fiancée couldn’t change his decision and this girl flies all the way from abroad to see him and now he wants to go straight, even miracles take a bit of effort, don’t you think?” I asked her.


“he is not what you think he is, he is good, maybe naïve, but he is a good guy,” she beamed with smiled filled with her satisfaction.


The rest of the journey was done in silence and we got to Mrs Cordelia’s house.

It was a self contain painted in peach, red and white colours that satisfied my curious house; a perfect little home I couldn’t complain about If I was to build such.

It’s fence was such that allowed us to see through our receiver; a short dark elderly woman who would fit perfectly the role of a hospital matron, her glasses stood steady on her nose and she regarded us with some suspicion when she eventually came out once we knocked.


“who are you two looking for,” her voice gave us the hint she was not old enough to be easily outsmarted by anyone.

“I am Mr. –“

“I am Dorothy, joseph’s fiancée, mummy Kehinde!” Dorothy brushed my intro aside but it had worked, she beamed with a smile and eagerly welcomed us all inside.

EPISODE SEVEN - PAGE TWO



When we got inside we had found an young man, slim, fair, hairy eye brows and pink lips with well shaven head; this guy could take over ninety-nine percent of the girls in the country without raising a finger if he so desired.


This was kehinde and he was in a wheel chair, strangely quiet and almost ignorant of our present so that when we walked in, he paid us no attention; just a blank stare at the floor.


“am sorry, he is always that, the doctors say he is-“

“suffering from some sort of anosognosia?” I said.

Dorothy and her stared at me in a way I hated; I had to open my mouth realizing his behavior was similar to doctor ehichoya’s patient, my mother.

“how did you-“

“I read it up online one time,” I lied even though Dorothy kept her eyes on me.

“oh I see,” her eyes threatened tears but she was quick to avert her impending emotional crisis and force a smile.

“so what can I do for you two?”

“its about joseph, ma, he has been –“

“I know, its happening again, isn’t it?” she replied Dorothy who gave her a piece of my reaction; startled.

“again, what is that supposed to mean?” I asked


She sighed. “I heard the story – joseph is innocent, I knew she would eventually try to gut him for what he did to her,”

“what did he do to her?”

She stared at her son for a moment and then turned to us again.


“Kehinde was joseph’s friend they met while I was a cleaner at the mansion, tight friends so that when they left school they were always in touch, I was getting old so I left the job, I liked joseph because he was and is a special boy, anyway kehinde with all his looks and all couldn’t keep a job so when joseph convinced kehinde to join him at the mansion as a personal gym instructor of Sophia , he didn’t object, he liked such things and for three months he seemed to be doing fine and then he started spending more, getting fancy stuff and staying longer hours, joseph reported it to me,” she hesitated and only got a reaction from us that urged her to continue. “she was having an affair with Florence,”


“what, can this be proven, I mean is there evidence?”


“you are his lawyer right?”

I nodded anxiously .


“I had a lawyer as well when kehinde got beaten so badly he got into a coma,”


“how did that happen?” Dorothy asked.


“well, you see, joseph told me he was pulling kehinde out of the job, he deserved it, kehinde couldn’t controlled and the affair was becoming a problem I bet but then kehinde turned straight, he stopped the affair and did his job but Florence wouldn’t leave him alone, Florence wanted him and when he refused her severally, she wanted him sacked but joseph convinced his boss not to do such, I guessed Florence must have known joseph was behind kehinde’s decisions – that woman never liked joseph, joseph tells me all about her anyway kehinde goes to work that weekend as usual but he never comes back, I called joseph and he was surprised because the head of security had been asked to drop kehinde home any way,”


Her voice began to crack under teary eyes.


“anyway, it takes almost a whole day before kehinde is found in a gutter somewhere beaten to a state of stupor and his legs crushed, joseph was very mad at what happened, he investigated it all and found akpin had fixed kehinde up under florence’s command, joseph reported her to her husband – you should have seen the big fight between them and the man threatened a divorce but joseph didn’t want it to be on his account so he helped begged and bury the issue, kehinde was flown to abroad for three surgeries, I was built this house by joseph’s boss and given some money which I use to take care of my boy, that woman is the devil herself, she cheats and lies around and joseph has to cover most of her mess so that there is always peace and now she has him hooked,” she said bitterly.


“I see, madam will you be willing to testify in court about the boss’s wife randy behavior in court if joseph wants you to?”

EPISODE SEVEN - PAGE THREE



“of course I would, joseph is family to us, he comes around to visit every week, he is the only one who seems to be able to get a word or two from him, without joseph’s visit, my son has been extra hard to deal with,” she said.


Now I believed him and maybe if I had done this sooner I would have felt different about the way I treated the boy but now I really wanted to help him and also because I had given up on the thought of losing a court case to Daniel; never!


She gave a few more details to us and bid us fare well and by the time we were back in the car.

“I need to talk to joseph, the police won’t do anything so we have to investigate this whole thing ourselves, I am going to get you a file containing the witnesses and their testimonies, its all false and I need to know why or how they were forced to string joseph up, is that okay?”


“now you need my skills,” she said with wholehearted approval.

I put feet to the pedal and hit the road, my mind buzzed with facts and ideas never once sticking to give me some clue on my next move but one thing was clear, fashi was going to be one hard nut to burst, he was the type who was only interested in business; if there was no money involved, he kept his nose off it.



Now I felt the urge, the restlessness, the adrenaline, I once cherished when I worked on a case for real, it was all there and how I had missed it!

I swerved into a corner.

“stay here, I will take photos and send to you, once you get them, get out and go work, we cool?”

She nodded and saluted in a teasing manner.

“sure officer man,”

I ignored her and walked into the station; I made a pause at his door and prepared for the worst once I walked into his office.

“willy boy, what are you doing here, I thought I told you to-“

“we have to talk,”

He saw those eyes that meant I was serious and agreed, waving me to the chair after which I explained the whole setup to even though I had excluded dorothy’s part totally; he seemed glad I did, and I was ready for the next big task.


“we need to go court!”


He looked at me dully. “we still can’t win this, those suckers got a lot on the boy,”


“what a lot? You mean a bunch of stupid witnesses who would crack at a go under your intense breathing, we can handle that!” I replied.

He thought about it for a while, starring at me from time to as if my facial expression had a say in his final decision.

“what about the tape, we need that tape, it’s a trump card,”


By now I had almost forgotten what fashi kept calling a trump card but he was right, that tape if it was for real was a nail, a hammer and a coffin for the case against joseph.


“ I will get the tape from him,”

“are you sure about this?” he asked.

“am all fired up but I need you to tell me we are going to court.” I said.


“your ex’s boyfriend is a tough nut to crack, I read up about him, sixty-four cases won and just one lost, how on earth are you going to string him up?”


“who do you think he lost his first case to?” I said with a mischievous smile.

“you sly devil, no wonder he is mad at you, what do you need from me?”


I needed him to get the files away for some time so I could take those photos.

“I need the key witnesses’ statements” I declared.


“really, why?”

“yeah, a little threat to get him talking for real,” I replied.

He thought about it and chucked.

“I will get you the shovel and you go do some digging,”

EPISODE SEVEN - PAGE FOUR


I sent the photos to Dorothy before I walked in on joseph; he looked different; badly bruised and dirty.


“what happened to you?”

He shook his head to wave off my curiosity but he could see I was going nowhere.

“there was a fight at the cell, I tried to settle them and I got beat up,”


He was lying alright but why he would do such, I did not know but if this was fashi making a statement; there was little I could do about it, so I pretended I was satisfied with his explanation and went on.


“we talked to your friend, Mrs. Cordelia,”

“we?, You and Dorothy you mean?”

“yes, she wants you out of here as much as I do, so we have been working together,”


He looked at me with searching eyes that made me feel guilt-ridden about his fiancée but that was all he did; just stare and smile.

“she is a good girl, she doesn’t know it but she is going to places and I want to see that happen,” he said.


“yeah and you will, Mrs Cordelia told me about her son and I know what happened that day, I need you to tell me what happened, I need to hear it from you now, joseph what happened?”


“Mrs. Florence is just a year older than Sophia so they get along well together even before I started to have issues with the duo, then there were talks within the mansion and this talks grew , it was about Sophia and Florence, they were spending a lot of time in the their private rooms together and every now and then a servant thinks there is a man with them because of the strange noises they hear always, for a time it was none of our business and I didn’t tell the boss but the boss wanted cameras, he has this thing for modern gimmicks, I had no idea he hadn’t talked with Florence or Sophia, I was not to tell anyone else or let anyone know about it; so I gave the employees four hours off, of course Florence and Sophia had gone to a spar or something, akpin suspected something was off but he couldn’t tell me to my face, I got the guys in and they did a clean work, nothing was in the open that anyone could see and it remained that way, I had everything set up in one of the rooms I had the only access to, now don’t get me wrong,” he paused to see my “you little pervert” expression on my face.


“only living rooms were the plan and other public spaces was the plan but I don’t know, an act of fate, I presume or –“


“or you put it there to get in on the action, you know string yourself to two beautiful ladies –“


“enough! – I am sorry,” he cautioned after screaming angrily at me. “I am not like them, the information on these cameras go directly to a data server, the video information on them isn’t for my eyes or anyone and it would be like that until a need for such arrives,”


“so there were no monitors giving visuals to what these cameras were recording at the time?”


“that’s it, my job was to ensure they were always working fine,”


“that day was like every other day, I did the rounds, checking each and every room making sure they were cleaned and made when I got to Florence private room, I knocked but the door was open and there was no reply, it was one of the spare rooms she used for photo sessions so I wasn’t expecting them there but I did, they hadn’t heard me knocking so I saw them both, they were startled but I apologized and walked out, I did just one stop at the CCTV recording room and collected the tapes, now my intention was to destroy them but I was to do that later, I got to my room and wanted to change my clothes but I only got undressed when Akpin and two others came in, took a look at me and ordered the boys beat up for rape and that is how I ended up here,”

“joseph, I understand now why you want to protect the family, I am guessing you also told Silvia that you are responsible for the crime just as you told her father, isn’t it?”


I asked, to which he didn’t refute.


“so what happened that made you change your mind after all, why do you want to plead not guilty all of a sudden?” I asked him again.

He said nothing but I could see it, it was something in my own facial expression when I realized how much I loved Annette; Dorothy wasn’t the woman in his heart, after all, it was Silvia.

EPISODE SEVEN - PAGE FIVE



“I will tell her the truth, she could help us,”


“No, don’t get her involved in this, I don’t want her to know,”


“joseph,” I hesitated in hopes I found the right words to say. “joseph, I lost someone very special to me recently because I was too selfish to see through my own ego, now call it whatever you like but the truth is the truth and you will never forgive yourself knowing she is gone for good,”

He said nothing but deep in his eyes, I could see his thoughts, flickering too and fro.

“I have to think about this,”

“fine but we don’t have much time, we need the tape joseph, we already have Mrs. Cordelia who would testify, she is an ex employee and her son got in rough, something could happen but that tape is important to us, its our trump card,” I thought it was a good opportunity to get a dig at fashi’s words.


“its in my room, its in a place no one would ever find it except-“

“silvia, isn’t it?” I asked, again I got a nod from him. “you sly fox, so you two-“

“it isn’t what you think, it was real, real love for us,”

“yeah so I said some years ago,” I chuckled. “and there I thought you were second Jesus,”

“Dorothy,” he said. “will you tell her about-“

“hey slow down man, you and silvia fell in love when Dorothy wasn’t in the picture, there is nothing to it,”


“but I never told her,”

“and so, silvia is in the past right?” I asked him.

He smiled at me. “Yeah, she was always good to me so-“


“that’s all I need to here, let’s get you out first and then you can tell her if you want to,”

“thank you,”

I smiled dully at him; how strange that some weeks ago I hated entering this room and seeing his “holier than thou’s face” now I saw someone different or maybe it was me who was becoming different.


I was about to leave the station when I sighted daniel’s car and immediately I knew he was around.

I raced to fashi’s office and met akpin standing outside, I could easily recognize the brute from pictures I had seen somewhere online.


Big guy he was, beefy, round ugly scared face he had with broad chest and arms that had throbbing biceps that threatened to burst through his tight shirt, I could see his 9mm Glock in his waist belt and knew this guy could do far worse than he did to Kehinde.

He stared at me with some viciousness but I could maintain my grip if we ever got into a scuffle so I ignored the mammoth and tried to go in.

“you can’t go in right now,” his voice was as husky as that of an Eskimo dog.

“are you an officer here?”


He said nothing and I easily knew he was the type of macho characters that acted perfectly the roles of the antagonist’s side kick; all brawl, little brains, perfect for Daniel if he needed a bodyguard to protect him from the likes of me.

“I am a lawyer-“


“I know who you are Mr. Williams, the bode’s family attorney is busy with the ACP at the moment, wait your turn,” he said.

Okay he seemed smart now I thought of it and i decided to back off for now, I took a look over my shoulders as I walked away and found him starring at me like an eagle zoned in on its prey; enough to scare any fellow but I wasn’t.


I got out of the station and wondered what dubious scheme Daniel was up to but by that time I was hungry and decided to go eat something, somewhere.


If there was news, fashi was bound to contact me, I was going to contact silvia and try to convince her on helping me get the tape, I had decided.


My phone rung and I saw a number I hadn’t seen yet I felt comfortably sure I knew who I was going to be speaking with.

“this is silvia, right?”

“we need to talk, I will send you an address, please come allow and make sure you watch yourself, akpin has his men watching you very closely,” her voice was angelic and bright yet I could feel the tension in it.


I ended the call and took a long around, just in the distance I found a Camry, tinted glasses, I had seen this car so many times, now I realized.
Damn it, I whispered to myself, that sly bastard, akpin wasn’t joking when he said he knew who I was.


Thankfully, I hadn’t handled cases for big crime bosses and rotten criminals long enough not to know a few tricks to evade prying eyes such as this.


I took my car keys once I made sure there was nothing of value in my car and walked away pretending I was on call and once I got out, I took a keke napep and called my mechanic to wait for my arrival at some junction where I was to hand him the keys; a few bucks in his pocket and my car should be at home and I, somewhere they wouldn’t know about.

AUTHOR'S NOTE



TO EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN READING, I SAY THANK YOU, AM ABOUT TO HIT 365 VIEWS AND WHILE ITS NOTHING SPECIAL I JUST LIKE TO THINK I HAVE A READER FOR EACH DAY OF THE YEAR LOL

MY NEXT WORK IS AN ACTION SCI-FI FANTASY IN DRAFT STAGE

I FEEL CONFIDENT IT WILL BE AND INTERESTING ONCE IT COMES OUT BY MONTH END/ OCTOBER JUST AS AMJ IS COMING TO AN END.

ONCE AGAIN THANKS FOR THOSE READING, A FREE AND THOROUGHLY EDITED VERSION OF AMJ WILL BE AVAILABLE ON OKADABOOKS AND WATTPAD SOON, THANKS FOR READING ONCE AGAIN.

EPISODE EIGHT - PAGE ONE


I found a spot to cool off and relax all day until 5: 15 am when I got a message from silvia.

Dine and Wine Spot never struck me as the goto spot for the rich and relevant in the society even though it managed to be eye catchy at first glance so when I had gotten its address, I had the ideal she was been watched herself and must have asked me there to cut off eyes on her back.



Dorothy hadn’t called me all day, she had a lot to do and I decided not to bother her; I strolled out of my car and took a cautious look around the scenery, sure I wasn’t been tailed then walked in.


Her appearance struck; beautiful eyes and a pointy small nose with pouty brown painted lips, her hair was made into two beautiful rolls, one at each side of her oval shaped head.


This girl could have fooled anyone if she passed for a peasant; a green hooded sweat shirt and blue jeans that didn’t stick out any detail about her body below.


But it was her body language that made it obvious, she was an oddity in the calm, cool and luxurious bar.
She starred at me as I walked up to her still unsure if she was in fact silvia but she gave a welcoming smile and I knew I had been right all along.


“where you followed?” her voice sweet and peaceful like the sound of steady tides.

“No, I ditched my car somewhere, they don’t know we are here,”


She regarded me with her eyes once more and nodded quite pleased with my revelation.


“here is a cheque for 1million, Mr. Williams Enaboh,” she stretched to me, a freshly written cheque, the numbers didn’t lie. “you get another when you get joseph out,”


“what is this for?” I asked with my fingers running the length and breadth of the cheque.

“I know who you are and most importantly I know what you do to the people who call you their lawyer,” her eyes were unforgiving; a sharp glare that told me, I had met yet again another intelligent character.


I sat there thinking of a good explanation but did I really want to lie at this point, somehow I wanted to do this for real but never considered the consequences, never considered fashi who was my business partner, it didn’t matter which side I would be in at the tail end, I would have to be selfish and betray someone maybe that is why my mind played a Russian roulette with both ideas all this time but it seemed I now had to make a choice and just maybe I could make it work for everyone.


“I want three million naira,” I said, ashamed yes but straight faced.


She seemed disappointed.


“I would have thought you would prove me wrong, I would have thought somewhere in this goddamn country there was just another man like joseph,”


“listen I don’t care what you think about me or what you think I have done with my career so far but I want to help joseph, the money is not,” I sighed heavily, some minutes ago I had decided to let fashi have the money, all of it, it may not be the retirement bonus he wanted but it would add some weight to his bank account.


“the money is not for me, it’s for my partner, I really want to help joseph not because I have sold my conscience but because I can and I want to,” I said.


She observed me for a while and looked away from me for awhile but her eyes came around pretty quick and she was back in the game.
“will this partner of yours agree?” she asked.

“I can convince him to look the other way for three million, he won’t be trouble for the boy,”

“fine I will give you the rest after the case, my initial plan was to boycott you and get him another lawyer somehow but it seemed the prosecutor and you got a thing against one another, I don’t like the history but I am starting to think joseph Is right about you,” she smiled.

“joseph is always right,”


“but we are not still clear out of the woods, it could get ugly, infact it has a ninety-nine percent possibility of going down a dark path for joseph,”


“I know and I am worried, there are no evidence to support his case, florence and my sister want joseph done and dusted,”

EPISODE EIGHT - PAGE TWO


I could feel her dismay and hate in her voice for those two.


“but we have something that could put this case under wrap, in fact joseph could right away walk out of the prison if we have it with us,”
“the tape?”


My face turned sour; was there anything else this girl didn’t know about, I imagined.


“yes, yeah the tape, how did you know about it?”


“Sophia and Florence won’t stop talking about it, they have wrecked joseph’s room like six times now, they are scared about it,”
Joseph had told me it was in a very secured place no one could easily know except her, if she knew about the tap, had she searched for it I wondered.


“do you have it with you?”

She thought about my question for a quick moment and then nodded in disagreement.


“No, akpin has the keys to the rooms, that fool is not letting anyone go near joseph’s things, he lies it’s an order from the police and Florence has got my father’s backing.


“your father, what about him, does he think joseph really did it?”

She held her face in a scornful matter and hissed.

“all she has to do this days is to string him and he is like akpin,”


I went crazy; her response had solved another puzzle I had no interest in; atleast not for the moment.

“you mean Florence and akpin are?”

“not just Florence, my sister as well,” her irritation came with a clenched fist and a scorn that made me feel uneasy.

“does joseph know about this?”

She laughed.

“who do you think told me about it?”


So akpin wasn’t just a toy boy doing what he was told and kehinde hadn’t been almost killed because Florence was angry at the boy, akpin was a player with invested interest in both women.


If joseph spilled the truth, he was to be caught in the mess somehow in fact he had just a lot to lose as did Florence and sophia
“do you think akpin made the whole set up, I mean the frame up itself?”


“it’s possible, he is vicious, he has a lot of stories in the police force before he went private security and was suggested by someone in the force to my father, he knows about you so you have to be very careful, you can’t go around anyhow, I heard you went to Mrs. Cordelia’s house,”


“she won’t be testifying any more, would she?”

She nodded in a gesture that showed her disappointment.


“Akpin told Florence and she only had to make a call to the poor woman, she is old and relies heavily on the monthly income my father sends,”
“so you see why we need the tape?” I was quick to point out.


“if it is in the room, I will get it out somehow for now I need you to talk to whoever your partner is, I can’t fully trust you as joseph seemed to have unless I know for a fact we have an agreement,”


“how would you know I won’t string this up even when we have an agreement?” I asked.


She smiled at me, the type of smile a vicious yakuza boss gives to a lowly nobody before dicing their head off their body; she was smart and there was no fooling around with this one.


“call me when and only when your partner is in agreement,” she said before returning her hood to her head.


Atleast she didn’t know my partner was fashi, I reckoned but there was not much to think about, Dorothy was calling me.
“hello,”

EPISODE EIGHT - PAGE THREE



“please come pick me up, my place has been badly thrashed,” her voice was so fear stricken I could imagine her trembling where she stood.

“thrashed, what do you-“

“please just come, will you, someone or people broke into my house-“


“don’t say anything else, I am on my way, just send me the address,” I realized how hysterical she was becoming so I decided not to wait for the full story and just then I realized it was close to 9 o’clock.


“pete, hello?”

“oga sir, good evening sir,”

“have anybody been to my house?” I asked.

“oh yes sir oh, sir there was!”


“what, what are you saying you stupid dumb pig!”

I forgot how easily I let my words fly when I was at the edge if only I had let him explain it was the mechanic who had brought my car earlier on and not some maniacs sent by akpin, maybe I would have been so hard on him.


“eh,oga, what did you say?”

Thank God, he hadn’t heard that, I was relieved somehow.

“I said who was the person?”


“it’s the mechanic sir, he brought your car sir,”

I smiled quite relaxed now.

“okay, listen I want you to casually walk outside, don’t do as if you are looking at anyone, if you spot a tinted camry somewhere outside, just send me a text, did you get that?”


“tinted camry, oga you say?”

“no I said a tinted private jet, idiot!” I fired.

“yes sir, sorry sir,”

I had to confirm my suspicion once more and as I drove two texts came through, one was dorothy’s address and the other from pete, there was in fact a tinted camry outside.


I decided not to bother fashi on this, I knew they would be no trouble for now for I had nothing yet that they needed.

I found a Uber, and we drove to dorothy’s neighbourhood and found her somewhere she had asked me to meet her, she said nothing and seemed less than the bold mysterious character she was to me.

“where is your car?”

“something happened, its at home,” I was undecided at that point of what to tell her. “should I call the police?”


“don’t bother I called them already and they said shit to me,” I hated the sound of her voice; how different she sounded now.

“pull yourself together, let’s get a drink-“


“no drinks, I just need a hot bath and a bed to lie on, tomorrow I would be back to sort it out,” she bit her lips in a frown and stared at me. “its akpin doing all this, all the witnesses are been threatened to cooperate, they wouldn’t even bulge even when joseph has treated them well, humans!” she cursed terribly.


There was no need telling her about Mrs. Cordelia’s new resolution or anything about silvia or why akpin might have sent his goons to thrash her house, she was in a different place and I didn’t like it.


I paid the uber right away and cast a eye over our shoulders; the camry was somewhere far off yet within distance.

We went in and I offered her the other room and while I decided to fight the urge of knocking on her door over one silly excuse it seemed then she had the same thoughts.



My door creaked open and I turned slowly to see her standing there, at the door, the darkness obscured most part of her nudity but I could imagine her sensual she looked.

“don’t say a word,” her voice had managed to stay straight this time; no fear, no uneasiness.

EPISODE EIGHT - PAGE FOUR


She walked up to my bed frame and parted my legs apart which gave way without any resistance as she crawled up in between the space up to my chest.


I felt this intensity; not the type I felt with other women but the type that made Annette feel like the only woman I could really make love to.
And there we were like two hungry lovers, tongue in tongue and arms tightly around each other, her hard nipples pressed against my chest and I let my hands slid in between her legs where a Hot stream awaited my fingers. “I want you right now, I want you!” she was hysterical as she pressed her body against my fingers that ran through them.



She fed me one of her nipples and I ate it greedily while i let her hand deep inside my shorts where a hardened tom stood waiting for action, I flipped her over and ready to go and then she pushed me off her just when tom was about to go diving in.

I only needed to look at her eyes to know the jig was up, she sobbed and ran out of the room slamming the door behind.

Women! Just when you thought you had them figured out, they made you the class clown, tom went flaccid almost immediately amidst my disappointment but my hunger lingered on silently, my eyes found succour in sleep and that was the end of it.


The next morning I woke up, feeling hot and a bad ache, what was it with her and me always waking up with an ache, I wondered.

I brushed and took a wash and found my way to her room, the door was wide open and Dorothy gone.

I figured how awkward having a conversation with her would feel at the moment and I decided against her.

I drove to the police station, cheque in hand and ready for fashi; everything depended on fashi now.

“willyboy, how are you doing?” fashi seemed to be in a good mood and it pleased me as I sat down.

“I am good and you?”

“you know the answer to that willyboy,”

It was right to get on with the business.
“do you know silvia bode?”


“silvia bode, you mean the chief’s eldest daughter, oh yes, she came in the other time-“

“she knows about me,” I said.

There was an alarm in his eyes I had never seen before.

“what, how, does she-“

“relax fashi, she knows about me and not you?”

“are you sure about this, are you sure about it, how did she, when did she-“


I could let fashi run out my time with no definite questions as at the time and this I wasn’t interested in.

“fashi relax, she doesn’t know about you but she knows my deal with joseph and she wants me to come clean for him,” I continued producing the cheque and letting his eyes do the rest.


“what is that?”

“it’s a cheque for –“


“I know how much is there, what is it for?”

“its for you, fashi, the girl wants me to settle my partner so I can come clean for the boy, she is willingly to put in another two million after he is out,” I said.


“you mean she will give us that much-“

“not us, you, the whole of it, three million!”

He observed me for a moment.

“so you are indeed turning the other way after all this,”

“there is no better time for me than this, I am done with our deals, I want to go straight,” I declared.

EPISODE EIGHT - PAGE FIVE



He seemed sad and disappointed, but again he showed none of this easily and quickly returned to the businessman he truly was.

“tell her six million, three upfront and three afterwards, that’s my deal,” fashi said.

“fashi, that won’t work,”

“then we can’t work,”

I was almost startled by the viciousness in his voice now, I could see I was no more wilIboy but a lawyer pleading a case for his client.

“that a lot of money you are asking-“

“and I am gonna get it, I mean why is it a problem to you, its not your money is it or did she offer you something bigger, did she offer you-“
“stop it now!” I said angrily, fashi’s eyes were all over me like I was some criminal and I began to hate him.

“why should I, you walk up to me to offer me peanuts and expect me to play along, if she has offered you something bigger I want a piece of it, you think-“


“she isn’t offering me anything bigger!”

“I don’t believe you, I don’t believe you just want to do this because you have suddenly found a conscience, you are just like me, we are all in this together, we rip people off and take their money-“


“You better stop it now, fashi!”

My anger threatened as his words drew a spear closer to my heart.


“And you better get the hell out of my office right now you ungrateful prick!”

We looked like two lovers, one, terribly scorned and confused and the other overly angry and sad.

I said nothing else and decided to take my leave, fashi was no more to me, I had decided that day I wasn’t given access to see joseph; a nod to the fact that fashi had written me off as well.


I called up Dorothy a few times once I had decided to blow caution to the wind; we were two grown up adults, these things were sure to happen.


But she didn’t pick up and I wasn’t going to push it, as I drove to somewhere to cool of my mind went to and fro the previous night, how yielding her body was and how much at that instant I wanted to string her.


I got to some bar and made it home for the rest of the day until my phone rang suddenly; Annette was calling me.
“hello,”


“we need to talk,”

“I am sorry ann,”

There was this silence over the phone and then she cleared her voice.

“what did you say?”

“I said I am-“

I paused realizing the hoarse laughter from the other side of the line, Daniel was with her.


“did you just say you are sorry, wow, you must be in a pitiful and wretched state right now Williams,” he said out loud.

“what is this, what is this about you lizard brain,” I asked angrily feeling almost bitter.

“listen, enough now, we need to talk,” his voice went professional all of a sudden.

“talk about what, that you need balls?” I pushed.

“what did you say to me – you listen and listen well, I only called you because my client wants to meet with you, she has a proposal for you,” Daniel replied.


Mrs. Florence wanted to see me? I asked myself.

“what are you talking about?”

“your brain too small to understand any words that I just said or what?”

This coward was playing tough with fire, I reckoned.


“you must be very mad and stupid Daniel,” I fired back.

“be at the sunny city hotel by 9 o’clock tonight, it’s about your client, we have a proposal for him and also one for you, I would say don’t show up but you might just be smart enough to come around, get it? 9 o’clock, don’t be late like you always do with Annette, my client has no patience for the likes of you,”


The call went bleak and I was left to wonder what this was about, I could have tried reaching out to silvia, perhaps she could give me a clue or two but I decided against it, there was certainly no harm to listen to this mysterious proposal, I made up my mind.

AUTHOR'S NOTE - AMJ'S FINALE COMING SOON

To all who have been reading, AMJ is at its end, once again thanks for reading.

I feel like finishing this story for once .
The suspense be like church projects

A MODERN JOSEPH - THE FINALE - PAGE ONE


I was still clearing my head with some drinks when Doctor Ehichoya called, with great reluctance I picked.

“Doctor, I am very busy at the-“

“she is dead Mr. Williams, your mother died some minutes ago,”

I paused for a moment to process the news.

“I see, I am on my way,” I replied.

I had seen this part in movies and in reality; that heart-wrenching moment when they bereaved for their lost ones but not me; I had gotten rid of a burden.

I drove down to the hospital and met Doctor Ehichoya soon after.

“I am very sorry for your lost,” he began with, hoping he caught some moment I would grieve or turn sulky.

“Yeah it happens, she lived quite a life,” I said.

Once he got the idea I was as stone as ice and must have cursed his luck we went through the entire set up and I spent the whole day arranging for her body to go to the morgue and this kept me pretty busy until it was 9 o’clock.

I arrived at sunny city and was directed to my guests, all three of them.

Akpin who stared at me like a crocodile would at an approaching antelope, ready to snap its teeth over it.

Daniel with the look of a male adult film worker, dressed to perfection and Mrs. Bode Florence, slim, chocolate, late twenties I suspected but could act the part of a teenager with those little perks on her chest.

Her eyes were well hidden between designer glasses, her aquiline nose had double piercings on one side and her lips must have been the most seductive I had ever seen; she could have passed for a god-damn goddess if she wanted to!


I figured why Akpin and Sophia couldn’t get enough of her.

Akpin came at me and I went into a defence mode with my fists clenched but he wasn’t put off by it.

“relax, I have to check you that’s all,”

“check me for what?”

“we all know you like to think smart, let the guy do his job and hurry it up!” Daniel said like the cocky spoilt brat he was.

I relaxed a bit knowing nothing really harmful could come to me, he searched me and then took my phone to which I protested but he walked away and placed it on the table.

“we don’t want any smartness, its here on the table, no records or shits like that, you have your talk you walk away,” Akpin added.

“take a seat, barrister,” Daniel waved to the only chair vacant whilst Akpin took off, leaving us alone to discuss; this I was happy with.

We said nothing for a long time and Florence was as still as a statue observing me behind her thick shades.


“tell me barrister, why are you doing this?” Florence began with in a sweet yet authoritative voice.

“I don’t-“

“is it money because I can assure you that rapist hasn’t no money.” She cut me off.

“he is not a rapist and you know it,” I said.

A MODERN JOSEPH - THE FINALE - PAGE TWO


“are you trying to say that my stepdaughter is lying? That we all-“

“with all due respect madam –“


“don’t call me that, how old do you think I am? I am a young beautiful lady as you can see, call me Mrs. Florence,”

“okay Mrs. Florence, I have reasons to believe this is a frame up by someone or some persons,” I made a good emphasis on persons and she must have seen it in my eyes that she wasn’t fooling anyone maybe of course the coward sitting by her side.


“listen up, we have a deal for your client and know that this isn’t coming from me, personally I would like to-“

“Mr. Daniel, put aside your petty sentiments for a moment, we are here to discuss business,”

I could see she was the classic rich wife; no patience for talks that bored her.

“I am sorry Mrs. Florence,” Daniel apologized quickly.

“he is very sorry,” I couldn’t help but dump one on him.

“your client must accept a guilty plea that is in our terms,” Daniel said angrily.

I laughed hard at his expense.

“are you alright?”

“you listen mister! Joseph either pleads guilty or we will go for the death penalty,” she snarled at me.


I was startled and made a face I wish Daniel hadn’t seen for how it pleased him when he saw it.

“what?”

“we have new evidences, Doctor’s report that confirmed the rapist’s product on the victim, fingerprints, and witness’s statements, the judge won’t take a second on Monday before he gives that verdict and you know it!” Daniel came into life suddenly.


Without that tape, Joseph was going to be get it and I would lose horribly.
“you mean fake evidences, you can’t do that, you can’t push for the death penalty, its not possible,”

Daniel gave me an evil grin that told me I was going to be taken for a ride if I believed otherwise.

“you really don’t mean this, do you?”

“Tell him to plead guilty come Monday or I will personally see that-“

“why are you doing this to him, eh, you know just as much as I do that Joseph is innocent, you know what he saw that has got you worked up because I know it all, I know what happened that day, I know about-“


“Enough!” she screamed angrily at me like a mad woman would. “Excuse us, will you?” she turned to Daniel who stared at us surprisingly.

“me, you want me to-“


“Isn’t that why I am paying you, excuse us,” again there was that urgency in her voice that Daniel couldn’t withstand, he stood up and left.

“what do you think you know?” she asked.


I had blown it, I thought to myself, Akpin could have his goons on me anytime now.


“I don’t know what you are talking about,” my lies bounced of those perky tits of hers and right back at me.

She observed me and gave a cynical and maniacal laughter I detested so much.

“what do you really think you know old man, that fool runs his mouth and he already has another do-gooder pleading on his behalf, you think you are going to get Silvia to get you the tape, don’t you?”


I turned pale quickly.


“you see that face you are making, that’s the face that tells you that you have nothing, Silvia has left the country this morning, Akpin only needed to plant some drugs and her father thought she was using drugs again, I made the suggestion and he carried it out” she hesitated and smiled wickedly at me.

“Silvia has always been a thorn in my flesh i tried to get her hooked with drugs when i came in but that self-righteous bastard helped her recover except Sophia , that stupid thing thinks so much of me, I feed her drug habits and other things I take pleasure in and she would die for me, her father would

A MODERN JOSEPH - THE FINALE - PAGE THREE


have thrown me out long ago but Sophia would never let that happen, he thinks highly of Joseph but Sophia is his precious daughter so he does what I tell him to do,”


“the boy doesn’t have to go away, he had a big opportunity to spill what happened when Akpin knocked kehinde but he didn’t, he doesn’t want to hurt the family,” I pleaded.


Again there was that maniacal laughter.

“I hate him, I hate his very existence!”

“Because he refused you, didn’t he?”

She scoffed.

“eight times he refused, I mean who the hell does that?”

I smiled dully, Joseph was that man.

“and now you want him gone,”


“and if you don’t get him to agree to that proposal, he is going to get the death penalty, it will happen, barrister that I can assure,”
Some women make a threat and some women see it through, Florence meant every word she was saying; such a young pretty devil she was and I knew my job just became a lot harder and with Silvia unhelpful, I was done on my knees.



“what about me, your boytoy said you had two proposals, one for me and the other for Joseph,”

Her frown turned again to a nasty smile.


“I want you off the case, they say you are good, Silvia believes it as well, she told me you were going to get it done for her, I know she offered you some change because she took that change from my husband’s account, I will offer you four times the amount, you get it and you quit the case, on Monday, you don’t show up at the court house, can you do that?”


I could see how much of a scorned and heartless seductress she was, Joseph would be delivered on a platter come Monday; this was her idea.
“I am guessing the judge have already had their fair share of the loot as well?”


“I did say we are going for the death penalty, didn’t I? he won’t stand a chance neither will you if you stick around, Joseph will get the ropes and you will lose on national tv,” she announced.


‘what, you are bringing the media into it now but that would put-“

“put us into the spot light? No not us, just Sophia, she will do whatever I say and I will act as I have always done, caring and sympathetic, she will be the big meal for them, I am sure self-righteous Joseph would hate that,”


How evil could this little power drunken wrench be, I wondered.

“you have tomorrow and Sunday to make up your mind, call my lawyer when you and self-righteous Joseph have made a decision,”


She stood and stared down on me. “be sensible mister man, the only one worth dying for is yourself and the only thing worth killing for, is money, you are a wise guy unlike Joseph, I expect an answer soon,”


She was gone just as I realized how sweaty I had been all this while; I shook my head in despair.


I returned home and walked into my living room only to find Annette, she was in a pink gown sipping wine.

“you are here, what do you want?” my voice betrayed my words.

She walked in to my hands and kissed me deeply, so deeply I had forgotten for a moment my worries.

Our tongues fought romantically as we striped hungrily for each other, there was no going to the bedroom, we slid into a settee naked and ready to fulfil our widest fantasies once more.


I bit softly into her neck and I could feel her stream down on my lap, she guided my tom right inside her and let a beautiful moan out, urging me to go deeper and then I let the brake loose like a wild bull out of control.


This was worth the drama and trouble I sensed would come soon, we reached cloud nine after an hour or more and then we laid in our unclothedness breathing helplessly and savouring every moment we had been together.

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“I love you so much,”

This words she never failed to mention each time we made love, I never regarded them as much but that night I had said it.

“and I could never be happy without you in my life,” she said kissing me passionately.

“what now?” I asked.

“we make love and forget about all our worries about just tonight,”


She found her hand around my tom who seemed ready for world war III, fully stretched once more, and I dug my lips around her cups.
She was right, for just that night I was at peace, the type drinks and cigarettes couldn’t offer me, the type that Dorothy or any other woman couldn’t offer me.


I woke up with Annette and I still hand in hand, it hadn’t been a dream after all so I clutched her closer to myself and kissed her.
She smiled beautifully at me and returned the gesture.


“I have to go now,” she said softly to me, her eyes searching for something in mine.


Back then I would bark and get mad at her but I didn’t, we kissed deeply and I let her go, would she come back to me or was this just okafor’s law, I kept my thoughts to myself and watched her dress up.


“will I see you again?” I asked.


She turned to me once she was dressed up.

“would you want that?”

“yeah I would,” I nodded.


She smiled beautifully at me and nodded at the idea and then she was gone. Women!, the beautiful mystery of life itself.

My worries came rushing at me once more like creditors once they saw their debtors, I had to go see Joseph now.

I drove to the station and this time they led me straight to the interrogation room, this was surprisingly fast, had they been expecting me, I wondered as I got in.


“how could you?” Joseph’s voice went up the roof.

I was stunned not because I hadn’t seen Joseph this bitter before, but because I knew why he was like this.

“Joseph I can explain-“

“just shut up, I trusted you and you and Dorothy-“

“we didn’t do-“

I stopped half way realizing that night she stormed out of my room wasn’t our first meeting, he saw my guilt and it sickened him the more.
“get out of here, you hear me, get out, get lost!” he barked.


“listen Joseph, I am sorry, it wasn’t supposed to-“

“she was going to be my wife you hear that, she was going to be my wife and you knew that and still?”

His tears ran freely down his cheeks and I felt so horrible I couldn’t even look at him any more.


“why did you do this wickedness to me barrister, why did you hurt me so bad like this, why?”

“I am sorry, I didn’t-“

“get out, go away, I don’t ever want to see you again, you hear me, I don’t want you near the courthouse, you are just like everyone else, you lie, you cheat, you do them all, go away!”


An officer pushed the door open and stared at the both of us.

“Officer, I am done, he is not my lawyer any more, I don’t want to see him ever again!” Joseph stood to his feet as the officer came for him.
My guess was that Dorothy had paid him a visit before I did and spilled her conscience, and now I had just managed to mess an ever messier situation.

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I was still sitting there when Fashi walked in, with a vicious smile of “I told you so” on his face.

“from hero lawyer to string fiancée lawyer, you are certainly living up to your new-found conscience,”

I had nothing to say to him and I knew I would be wasting my time saying any, so I took my leave, inside my car, windows winded up, I screamed and cursed at myself, I needed Annette by my side but that would be a dream if she was waiting for me back home.


Sadly I dropped myself off to a bar and ordered the strongest of their drinks and smoke, maybe this time I would drink so much I would pass out and forget the day.

I woke up at about 2 pm in my bed, Annette was there by my side, was this a dream, was this some vivid hallucination, how did I get here, questions I would get answers for, the next day so I slipped back into my unconsciousness.

“what were you thinking?” the worry in her voice was pleasant to my ears.

“I did something really-“

“don’t say anything else, rest now,” she beckoned on me to sleep a bit more, to which I reluctantly agreed.

By noon I was feeling a bit stronger and found my way to the living room where she was alone, deep in her thoughts.

“what are you doing here, you shouldn’t be here,” she said.

“if I sleep more, I would hate myself,” I corrected her as I found a seat.

“Daniel called,” she paused and let me see a little frown on her face.


“what did he say?”

“he says all proposals are off, what does he mean by that?”

I guessed Annette’s presence with me tipped the case over in his favour now, he had more reasons to watch Joseph go in for a crime he didn’t commit.

“I have to speak with him,” I said, watching how startled she had become, but she was quick to let it fade away.
She dialled his number and let me have the phone.

“can you excuse me for a moment, please, I would like to speak with him in private,” I said.

“okay, I will be in the room, if you need me just call out,” she kissed me and disappeared just as Daniel’s voice filled my ear.
“Daniel its Williams,”

“are you happy now, are you happy-“

“please don’t do it,” I begged.

“what? Are you begging me?” he must have been stunned by the desperation in my voice.

“please don’t do it, withdraw from the case, it will buy me some time to figure out something, you can do it if you want to,”

“and why would I do that?”


“because I am willing to break up with Annette, you can have her back and this time for real, I will do whatever you say, I know this case means nothing to you, you are a smart man you know that boy is innocent, please don’t do this,” I pleaded.

“hahaha, I can’t believe this, oh how the mighty have fallen, William the so called-“

“we were friends, good friends-“

“and then the only thing I wanted, the only girl that meant the world to me, you took her away from me, you betrayed me,”

“and I am sorry but you can’t let Joseph hang for this, that boy doesn’t deserve-“

“I want to see it,”

“see what?”

“I want to see you suffer,Williams, I want to see you lose to me, you think I love her any more? The only reason I have wanted her all this time is because you had her but that Friday you strung her again, imagine how terrible I felt when Akpin told me who came to visit you after we had left, you keep taking everything from me and now I will make sure.

A MODERN JOSEPH - THE FINALE - PAGE SIX


that boy gets the rope because of you, you can keep her but come Monday, my laugh will come last,”

Again I sat there looking lost and confused, a client who hated me and a prosecutor who despised me, what was I to do tomorrow I wondered.

“you didn’t mean that did you?” Annette said reappearing from behind; somehow I sense she heard my chat.

“I don’t know what else to do, I can’t let him hang for this,” I said sympathetically.

She rushed to myself and let my head find comfort between her bosoms.

“you will find a way, you always do, you found yourself in a dark place and got yourself out, you got me and you will get the boy free, I know it, its what I love about you the most, you never give up or give in to anything, you are strong and resilient, you will make a way for the boy,” Annette’s word sent fire to my soul, like voodoo magic gone berserk I came to life, energized and full of hope.


She was right, tomorrow I was going to win this case against all odds, Joseph once said that this was fate, that I was meant to free him and I owed him to try.

My mind began to pace around, Akpin’s boys were still on me and I had forgotten about them that Friday night at the hotel – the hotel!

“my keys, I need to get my keys!” I sprang up to my feet, she must have sensed the magic of her words and saw me off to the door.

“take care of yourself now, my hero,” she said to me.

I went nuts with my driving just this once, my destination was sunny city hotel.

Two days ago when I made for that same hotel I had remembered how much I disliked the place yet maybe it was just my instinct but I had seen some little black cameras in and outside, could they have something I could use, had Akpin been that lousy not to have known or was this just a waste of time, questions I could need help sorting once I reached my destination.


I found my way into the hotel aware Akpin goons were somewhere outside waiting for me to make the walk back to my car.

I walked up to where we had sat that night and made sure a camera was pointed at our direction and indeed there was.
I asked for the manager and was immediately take upstairs to see him.


Slim, lanky and bland character he was but he seemed welcoming and held out his hand for a hand shake which I took.

“your cameras, I noticed you have them around, I need videos on one in particular on Friday night – I and some friends of mine were here that-“


“am sorry I can’t help you with that you should know-“

“tell me, how much do you make from this set up monthly?”

He regarded me with searching eyes.

“that’s also something I cannot-“

“your employees are getting smaller by the minute, your establishment doesn’t do much-“

“so what is it to you?”

“I want some information, it’s very necessary that I get-“

“two hundred thousand and I will give you what you want,”

“let’s make it half of what you are asking and you have a deal,” I drove a hard bargain.

“Make it a hundred and fifty and I will personally go get them right now,”

Call it desperation or just a businessman at the road’s end, I gave in, he seemed pleased and satisfied when the alert came through.

“just you wait here, I will be back with the disc,” he rushed out and boy was I glad I didn’t have to spend the next ten minutes waiting.

“that’s all of it, the entire Friday, we can’t go through the process of sorting it all because it will take days so you can have it all!”
There was joking in his voice but money well spent, I had no idea how crappy the video would be or if it was going to be audible but it was something I could hold on to.

A MODERN JOSEPH - THE FINALE - PAGE SEVEN


I ordered for some bottles at the bar and made sure I played the part of a miserable drunken man as I walked out in hopes that Akpin’s boys didn’t report my movement as suspicious.


I had just one more thing to do and this was going to be hardest so I did it anyway.

“hello,” fash’s voice was indifferent to me.

“can you meet me at the deluzy bar by 5 pm,”

“and why would I do that?”

“oh come on man, for how long have we been friends, I need your help, am begging you please help me, I can’t do this without you,”

“are you buying?”

That was Fashi alright.

“yes, sure I am, thank you so-“

“we will talk and drink and then talk some more if its good I will bite, Willyboy,”

How I always hated that name of his but hearing it seemed pleasant somehow to my ears.

I hung up quickly and went home.


I drove to the deluzy bar and realized how long it had been since I had a bottle at this bar, I found Fashi drinking and smoking somewhere with a young petite girl that could as well be his daughter but that had nothing to do with me.


“willyboy, you look good,” he said.

We soon got down to the drinks and I had to play it cool with him, let him have his fun now I kept cautioning to myself.

“this is all for the boy, isn’t it?” he asked finally.

I nodded dully; he seemed disappointed, but managed a smile.

“I always knew that kid was fire, even my boys are under his spell like crazy, they won’t touch him,” he chuckled. “even the prisoners are ready to die for him, that’s unheard of,”

I told him that was the kind of person Joseph was, and he seemed to agree.

“but they want him to hang and you have nothing to stop that,”

“I do now,”

I went on to explain the about the tape I had with me and how it could provide something of worth or at least a bargain.

“the clips need to be sorted out, your boys run a media lab that can help us get the exact tapes I need and you could help me certify them as credible evidence,“

He smiled, realizing how crucial our reunion was to Joseph’s case.

“you want me to back it up it up as credible evidence,”

“with your say so, the boy stands a chance,”

“it will not be enough, you know that,”

“I do but we have to try,”

Fashi sat there for a long time sipping his beer and then nodded to me.

“let me have the tapes, I will get them sorted and confirmed,”


It was all I could ask for right now, I handed the tapes over to him and I bid him farewell, tomorrow was going to be one hell of a day I imagined.

That night I was without Annette and somehow I was grateful for it, my thoughts were companion enough, I tried reaching out to Dorothy but she hadn’t picked, I felt bad for her and hoped she was fine where ever she was so i sent her text telling her how sorry i was.


The next morning was colder than usual, I had some nasty dreams to give me a headache or two, but I was not to waiver.

I went for Joseph, this time he was preparing for his trip to the courthouse, we stared at each other for the longest.

“Am sorry for what I said to you the other day,”

Of course, he had to be self-righteous Joseph, didn’t he?

“No I am sorry, I knew what I did-“

“we can talk all about over a bottle once I am out,” he beamed with a pitiful smile.

A MODERN JOSEPH - THE FINALE - PAGE EIGHT


“you drink?”

“only the soft ones of course,” he gave me the stare and I immediately felt ashamed of myself.

“thank you, I believe all this is fate and whatever happens today, I want you to know, you didn’t disappoint me not at all, God works in mysterious ways and sometimes been blind is the only true way to see,”


“that makes no sense,” I pointed out quickly to which he giggled at.

“I will be seeing you very soon, please take good care of yourself,”

Those were his last words before they moved him away, I could see a few prisoners crying and a few policemen in despair as Joseph casually worked past them waving and smiling like the goddamn saint he was.

“hello,”

“Willyboy, meet me at the hot spot, I have got the tape cleared out for evidence but there is something we need to talk about,”

The urgency in his voice told me, he needed me quickly, he hadn’t been around when I came in so I figured he had been working remotely on the tape.


The hot spot was another bar around the corner and by the time I got there Fashi was outside waiting for me.

He got into my car and smiled at me and then he produced his gun.

“drive,” his voice was that of a man I had suspected Fashi to be all along, a psychopathic maniac.

“Fashi-“

“shut the hell up and drive!,” his voice was hard to ignore so I obeyed,; with a gun pointed at me there was nothing I could do but hope I at least got a chance somewhere which never came.


He directed me to a path off the main roads and into a bushy path and then we came down, staring one another in the face.

“so Fashi, are you going to kill me?”


“they want you out of the way, I get paid four million to have that tape handed over to them and you, somewhere lifeless,” the snarl in his voice was scary.

“you won’t kill me, I am your friend,”

“friend, hahaha, Willyboy, you mean like how you are friends with barrister Daniel or Joseph’s fiancée, come on you aren’t that naïve are you, I am a businessman, I do away with you and I get paid, simple!”


I knew I had to act fast so I did what I felt was the best, try to wrestle the gun of his hand; big mistake.

Gboah!

I hadn’t lived such hard life and so I hadn’t been shot before, stories I had heard but the impact of the shock was like in the movies for me, where the poor character whose role ends in a gripping murder, does it as dramatic as he can except there was so much pain in mine.

I swung backwards and crashed hard on my car’s side, right in my chest the fatal shot opened the gates of red thick blood.
I sat there in trauma, breathing like the helpless cow before slaughter.

“you just had to play the conscience card, we could have swing this bastard together and made money, good money!” Fashi walked over to me with his gun pointed to my head.

“Fashi don’t, please I don’t want to die,” tears dropped from my eyes.

This was not Williams the barrister speaking, just the little boy whose life had been through so much hell.

“Am sorry, this is it willyboy,” he said again but his voice creaked under his emotions, I guess my sorrowful state must have got to the hardened police officer.

“You are going to die here anyway, I could as well let you enjoy the last pitiful moments of your life, yeah you can have it,” he said as I bled profusely where I sat.

He walked away hurriedly, I sat there observing how weak and numb I was becoming every moment that I laid there.

A MODERN JOSEPH - THE FINALE - PART NINE



It was quiet and somehow peaceful, I was not afraid of anything except death but yet I sat there not willing to fight for my life.

Then that devil of a phone began to ring again, in my pockets, what was the use, I was sure I had only minutes more to leave, why bother with anything else but then I remembered Joseph.

“you will get me out of here,” he just had to said, I might not make it, the tape must have been stashed or destroyed by now but I could still try.


“you are strong and resilient,” Annette said, oh sweet Annette, how would she feel and then I was done feel like a sissy for myself, I felt something strange grow steadily inside me, my will to live.

“Hello,”

“its Silvia, I have the tape, I finally have it!,”

I coughed terribly.

“How did you-“

“I didn’t go anywhere, I got a return ticket the minute I arrived there and since I have been around the house, they are all gone to the court and I got the tape, I am coming to the court to see you-“


“no, not me, I need you to go to my house, someone will be there to take it from you, please trust me,”

“okay, okay, I am on my way,”

Again I could see my effort to apply pressure on my lethal injury fail as more blood gushed out.

“hello Ann,” I managed to dial her number.

“Where are you for God’s sake, you are not at the courthouse yet?”

“I can’t,” I coughed terribly, spewing reddish mucous in the process.

“Will, what’s happening?” her voice made me sad; I could tell she knew something had gone wrong. “Will, where are you, what happened, where are-“



“you need to go my place- Silvia has tapes that can free him, please I need you to stand for me in the court, you have to be his lawyer-“
“will what is happening, are you hurt, what happened to you?” she went hysterical.

“I love you baby, I love you with all of my heart and I will always do, go now for me baby,”

“will, where are you, tell me please?” she begged as my consciousness began to play hard to get.

I slipped in and out now and soon I slipped out and then I woke up with my phone ringing; this time it was Dorothy.

“Dorothy!” my voice seemed horrible as blood fill my mouth; death, is in fact one terrible thing.

“Brother, Brother Reuben!”

“What?, what did you-“

“You are my brother, aren’t you, its Mary, your little sister, the one-“she wiped bitterly. “The one you watched our mother sell to those women, I came to see you at the house when I couldn’t find you at the court and I met a Doctor there, he had some things and some files with him, God I can’t believe it, I found you after all!”


“God, no!, God, no!!” I screamed bitterly like I had been shot more times than I really was.

So many years ago, there was a woman who had become so bitter after her husband abandoned her with a five-year-old daughter and an eight-year-old son, so she did the unthinkable to them every day, abusing this kids the way her twisted mind saw fit, to her they were animals, objects for which no affection was spared for.


The woman’s brother wanted to take the kids away from her, but she refused because she wanted them to suffer terribly and die at her hands but one night the mother had some visitors, the boy thought didn’t know who they were or what they wanted but that night, his little sister was handed over to this people, and she was never seen again.


The boy grew up with so much hate and anger in his heart, and so he locked that past in his head, changed his names and did his best to keep his ugly past from the outside world, and it would have been so until the boy found his sister.

A MODERN JOSEPH - THE FINALE - PAGE NINE CONTD



“did we really do-“

“no, we didn’t brother, God! I wanted to but somehow I couldn’t so I lied to you that we did and I am-“

“Little sister, I found you!” I wept bitterly yet relieved.

“come home brother, come home please, I have to see you!”


“I promise you I will,” I sat there in my dejectedness, for the first time I was just the scared little boy who had seen so much trauma at the hands of his mother that he grew up to hate her and treat women like they were nothing, my anger and hatred brought me here so I did the one thing I could do now.


“oh lord, please forgive me as I have forgiven my mother, I ask for your mercy for I have done so many stupid and ugly things, I have hurt a lot of people and have sinned against you, I believe that through your son Jesus Christ that I am saved, I want to make this right with you so I am begging you, give me the strength to see this through,”

It was the last thing I said before my eyes went shut, death came slowly and painful for Williams Enaboh but not Reuben Esireh, somehow he found God, he found faith, he found strength, he found hope and he found the will to go on.


When I drifted into consciousness for a tiny moment and was certain I wasn’t in heaven but on a hospital bed, I found Annette smiling down on me, besides her was Dorothy in Joseph’s hand.

I closed my eyes and listened to their sweet talks, Joseph was wrong this time, I was not the one destined to save him but rather he was the one destined to save me.

THE END