₦airaland Forum

Sexyolori:
@ Souloho19 Boo, dunno how i missed ur mention.just stumbled on the story y.day & i've taken my place in d front seat. ride on man!

welcome dear

The Girl who played with fire by Stieg Larsson

°•°•°•



It was comical really, it felt like we were acting a comedy skit. The manager touched the door gingerly and slow and the creaky way it opened conveyed his shock and disbelief.

He saw Andy first and his mouth opened in surprise.
"Who...what....how?"

"That has been the question of the day believe me" I spoke up and he whirled in fright at the sound of my voice. He hadn't seen me before, all his attention had been on Andy.

"Who the hell are you!" He sounded pissed now. Pissed and surprised. "How did you get in here, What are you doing here?"

"We're investigating a murder, we need to see the-"

As Andy replied him I considered the three questions he had just asked. Those same questions had been plaguing me, but in my case Who was this assassin impersonating my wife? How did someone drill a hole in the wall and shoot the deadliest of all the shadows in the head and also, What the hell was going on?

The manager was shaking his head when I refocused. "Are you trying to tell me that you broke into my living quaters to check security footage? And you're supposed to be cops?"

I studied his "living quarters" as he called it. If he was really serious about security to the point that he didn't trust the security anymore, the evidence on the table stated otherwise and as if to agree, the CPU gave a short dying beep. I studied the bed at the other end, it was without a crease but it wouldn't be wise to assume he hadn't slept in because of that alone since it was almost noon but then again the maid obviously hadn't done any other cleaning since she stumbled on the body two floors down.

"I happen to be a lawyer and I know for a fact this is totally an infringement of my rights as a recognized, registered and upstanding individual-" he went on looking at Andy, to me, to the screens then back to Andy.

I could tell he was tensed and I suddenly had a view of what was going on with the man. Or I hoped I did.

"-....golden whatever it is you call yourself one would think given the kind of work you engage in you would know the repercussions for such actions but-"

I stood up and interrupted him. "My friend stop making noise. Are you not aware someone was killed in your hotel?"

"Yes...the clerk on duty just called me, I had to rush in here from a very important meeting just now"
I looked at Andy, He looked at me. We both burst out laughing.
The manager (Mr Silvanus according to a plaque on the wall) went red in the middle of his bald head.
"What's so funny! Oh...you people think this is funny..?you've met your match!"

"Hehehehe...you know you don' fuckd up right" I said with a wicked smile.

"The only thing that is funny is you refused to stop digging yourself in deeper" Andy told him and pointed to the screen where the clerk still sat snoring away. "Your clerk has been sleeping for quite sometime so I think you made a mistake....who called you?"

He fell silent and blinked. He stared at the screen and I saw him wage a war within himself and I was suddenly convinced of my suspicions.

"Oh....the eloquent orator is quiet?" I said a bit too loudly when he fell quiet. "You better start talking...how did you find out about the murder?"

"It....I received an anonymous call....just seconds ago"

"Anonymous call!" Andy echoed disbelievingly.

"Yes....it was a private number and...." His eyes brightened as a better lie obviously occurred to him "yes a private number....began asking me all sort of questions I knew it must be a reporter or one of these bloggers."

This man was lying through his teeth and i knew just where to get him. "We need to see the tapes dating the past 24 hours...that's what we're here for" he faltered for a second, just a flash but I noticed it and knew my suspion was spot on. There was no video clip.

And Detective Dagnet entered before either of us could say anything.

She looked at us accusingly. "I thought you guys were behind me"

I waved a hand like it was absurd. "There was no need you surely had it covered."

She glanced round the room and her eyes fell on the screens. "Well, what have we..have you seen the clips?"

The man looked extra worried.
"Actually....I just serviced our system and the storage has been out so the clips don't save for up to-"

"Hehehe...does it look like we're wearing diapers? See the cock and bull story this one is saying. Does this garbage look like something that they serviced recently?" Andy said clapping his hands in exaggerated wonder.

"Kiss the truth mister, the cameras aren't working are they? They're just there for decoration" I added and the manager broke into a sweat.

"Wait...no cameras how?" Dagnet glanced thoughtfully at the desk where the monitors continued displaying different angles of the hotel.

"This is some kind of recorded video, it keeps on looping over and over after sometime." I said confidently.

We studied the screen while the manager danced on the spot.

"Manager are you trying to tell me there is no footage of yesterday's killer because you disconnected the security camera?" Dagnet had all her attention and ice on the manager now I knew the cuffs would come out soon.
"Why did you disconnect it so that we won't have a clip of the killer shey!" Andy shouted

"What....no...it has been like this for almost a year now"

"Who do you work for?" I asked.

"Work for...how, I don't understand...last year some guests were getting robbed and we found out it was an inside job, the security were in on it, that's why no one noticed anything strange. That was what made me take interest in the video footage"

We all looked at the monitors again. This time the clerk was up but upright in his chair, sitting.

"haa...I'm just coming from downstairs and there's a small army of reporters downstairs and at least two cops" Dagnet said and squinted at the screen. Finally convinced that it was indeed a recording, she whipped out her handcuffs

"I'm going to charge you with interfering with an ongoing investigation and also attempting to hide-"

"I'm not hiding anything....I'd tell you what I know" his voice was suddenly high and even as I considered these thoughts he was looking at me differently."Sometime ago, I received a visitor in the dead of the night..and just like you did he broke into my quarters and woke me with his gun." He touched his Adam's Apple gingerly "That was the beginning of my nightmare"

"Who was it?" Andy asked.

"I don't now I haven't seen him facially. He always contacts me, he has different ways"
"What did he want?" I asked him trying to fit the murdered man into the profile.
"He wanted you"
"Sorry?"
"Yes..This was about two years ago, he ordered me to sit up at night and told me you had lodged in with your family in my hotel but had checked out almost immediately. He said you were going to come back and I should contact him"

"Me?" My voice betrayed my shock.
"I didn't even know you so I had to watch my cameras everytime. Not until the news broke out that I felt somewhat free"

I scratched my head. Now this was confusing.

"And you didn't go to the police because..." Dagnet asked.
His eyes fell to the floor and I knew why. The shadow had some kind of hold over him.
"Blackmail" I said "he had something over you, what was it?"
He looked at me and his eyes held panic but he said "nothing of the sort, he just scared the hell out of me. He had details of my family, intimate details and he threatened them harm. He was very convincing"

Andy held up his phone showing him the official picture we had of the last shadow. His official photograph from the Sunrise Steel records.
"Is this the man that visited you?"

He studied the picture "I never saw his face, somehow it was always dark in the night and he woke me from my sleep. Once even in my family house that was full with people"

"Where were you around 12 last night?" I asked him. I had read the report and while the coroner hadn't given a specific time yet, he had specified the range.

"I slept over at a friends place, its not far from here and truly it was his call that had me rushing here" he pointed at the motionless clerk in the screen.

"Is he aware of all these rubbish?"

"No...he doesn't know a thing, he just does his work and receives his daily tips and salary at the end of the month"

"You have to follow me to the station" Dagnet told him
"But I cooperated!" He cried in his whiny voice
"Which is why I'm not cuffing you. Don't give me a reason"
The manager became more submissive. I decided to get Short Sam to dig into his Internet life. If there was something he was hiding then it was as good as found.
"How about the guest that was getting aggressive?" Andy asked Detective Dagnet.

"He's been taken care of. He's a suspect so he's at the station for questioning. Same with the girl who found the hole"
"You mean the body?" I asked
"Yes the body" she replied tight lipped.

I said "we'd like to interview them"
"Its no problem, you know where the station is. She marched to the door with her hand on the manager's shoulder then stopped. " one more thing, don't get in my way"
With that she stormed out of the room with the manager requesting she not touch his shoulder and announcing his lawyer was on his way. Seems he wasn't his own lawyer anymore but that wasn't my business.

"Tough lady" Andy remarked
I agreed "she's a good cop" I looked round the room "we should tear this place apart, we may find something"

Andy smiled "you know that's what I love to hear"

HORLADSTAR:
/The recent updates gat me like WOW!

hehehe, here's another then,,, thanks bro

EkopSparoAyara:
I hope they'll find the clips and then face the herculean task of hunting down the murderer..
Bravo to Souloho..

Lol, I agree its a real herculean task indeed

tenderblaze:
Oga Souloho, wat a great job, keep it up. Thanks for the mention. looking forward to more updates

You're very much welcome ma'am

dimssy:
I have come ooo..
I greet everybody...
Oga Souloho...weldone oo

Welcome bro

°•°•°•°•°•

The hotel manager the one with the 'trust issues' wasn't in his office when we got there.
The clerk tried the door although it was clear it was locked.
"Where can he be?" Dagnet asked
"I don't know honestly....I hardly come up...my own is just to man the desk downstairs."
"Did you notice him pass you heading outside?" Andy asked
"No...I'm not sure...but he could have followed the kitchen at the back"
"Give me his number" Andy asked.
"Aaagh....I left my phone downstairs"
"Oya go and get it...always be security conscious somebody can just steal it now"

Andy watched him leave then turned to me "what are you thinking?"
I shook my head. "I don't even know...I'm not really surprised the shadow is dead...or to be frank I don't really care, he definitely had a lot of enemies but-"
"And you were one" Dagnet chipped in
"But...why use Olivia's name as an alias...to frame her or what...why?"
"Looks like the killer wanted to kill two birds with a stone" Andy said
"But why....what kind of message is the killer trying to get across" I had purposely not referred to the killer as 'she'
The killer had to be a professional...the execution of every thing..from the wall drill to the actual execution it all had the finesse and mature touch of a pro.
Which was fitting, I guessed only an assassin could kill a shadow. But I had killed two...or three....if I included the crazy Tosin. Tonye had shot three that night and the widows had mauled one to death. Not to talk of the car that had tumbled off the 3rd mainland bridge. Three shadows plus the old woman who further investigation had revealed was indeed chief Amunike's mother had been fished out the next day, or at least what the fish couldn't finish. That brought the total dead shadows to ten. I knew for a fact that the only one we had managed to capture had been killed the night he arrived at the prison.

The last was now dead. Their leader.

I suddenly remembered the tattoo and bookmarked my brain to ask Andy about the deceased's back and if it bore the four words that was their identification.
Dagnet's phone gave two shot shrieks and interrupted my thoughts.

"What is it?" She snapped into the receiver. She frowned clearly not liking what she was hearing.
"Where is he...hold up don't harm him...just hold him I'm coming" she hooked her phone back on her belt and I saw her gun for the first time. It was huge.
"What's happening" Andy asked immediately
"Its one of the guests on the murder floor about three rooms before the crime scene, he wanted to get back into his room but the uniform didn't let him and they had an err...disagreement" she headed for the stairs. The managers office was on the 5th and last floor of the hotel.
"Of course if I pay for a room I'd like to be able to enter anytime I want" Andy muttered and was about to follow her but I held him back.
He looked at me surprised.

"I have a feeling time is of the essence...we need to see that clip" I said.
"But the manager..." His voice trailed off as he understood my intent.
He brought out his wallet and without a word gave me his debit MasterCard.
I faced the door and tried to jimmy the lock and when it seemed like it wasn't working, my shoulder did the rest.

I stumbled into the room with Andy behind me and shut the door. It didn't shut because the lock had been damaged so I signalled Andy and he dragged the chair that was facing the window. I could tell the view was magnificent from the window and must have been the manager's favourite spot.
The chair held the door in place and I hoped from far one would think it was locked. Honestly I didn't really care.
I could see the office also served as living quarters for the man. The wall had been removed and two rooms had been converted to his office and room.

In the office I saw the screens. They were about ten screens, ten monitor screens. I studied the setup and . guessed they were all connected to a CPU under the table. The cables were a nightmare.

Andy came to stand by my side. We watched the screens with the only sound coming from the frequent beeping of the CPU.

I could see the car park, on two screens from different angles, the entrance of the hotel on another and I had hoped to catch my car from this angle but I didnt even see the tail light. I must have confused the spot.
I saw the reception desk immediately. The camera directly above the entrance pointed at the desk and another one above the desk offered a clear view of the entrance.

"These are the two cameras we need to focus on first..." I pointed at the two screens then glanced at the screen showing the car park again. "Then we'd check if we could luckily see her arrive in a car"
"Splendid...what time did the clerk say she lodged in"
I glanced at the screen. The clerk was at the table again and can you believe it, he was sleeping!
"Is this fool not supposed to be getting his phone?" Andy asked and I shrugged.
I located the keyboard under the cables and searched for a mouse.
"I think he said she checked in by two in the afternoon...so we'd concentrate anytime from noon" I didn't see any mouse and tapped the keyboard watching the screens to notice which of them was the main source. Nothing.

I tried a common shortcut combination, to flip through the open windows or at least bring up the status bar (alt + tab) still nothing. No flicker on any of the screens.


"Are you sure the keyboard is connected?" Andy asked
I pressed caps lock but there was no blinking light. When I traced the plug I knew why. It wasn't connected to the CPU.
"These equipments are stone age...I wonder who is their security head" Andy said in disgust.
"Apparently we're in his office" I replied but warning shots were going off in my head
I was preparing to wade through the mangled cables for an adequate port to insert the keyboard. At least it was USB.
Thankfully my partner beat me to it.
"Hey Oba check this out" Andy had traced the end of a VG cable and he held it up. It also wasn't connected to the Cpu. "It seems nothing is connected to the CPU, the cables just lead under the table but apart from the power cable and..." his voice trailed off as he buried his head further into the ungodly tangle.

I was confused and so was Andy. "That's strange. If its not connected to the CPU then were is the feed coming from?"
His head emerged and there were cobwebs in his hair. "As in this man is just confused, if the plan was to go wireless why gather this ancient..."
"Remember what the clerk said, its like something happened so he had to transfer the surveillance here maybe he changed somethings"
"And left those cameras that look like telescope downstairs?" Andy asked "And left all these rubbish....this man should have left this kind of work for professionals. Plus our 40% discount he didn't even reach out"

I had sniffed the scent so many times in the last two years that I knew it at a whiff and I caught it now. "Something smells fishy bro"
Andy wrinkled his nose and ran his tongue over his teeth. "I had sardines with my toast this morning"
"No...I smell a rat" but then I caught the mischievous glint in his eyes and I smiled.

We heard a voice from outside.

"I'm around let me call you back"

"That must be the manager" Andy said
I looked at the screen. The clerk was still asleep, his feet on the desk. The manager hadn't passed by meaning he must have been somewhere in the hotel. To be fair the hotel must have been deserted. There wasn't even a single soul in the lobby that is apart from the sleeping clerk. Even the patrolling cops I had met on my way in must have climbed up to attend to whatever ruckus Dagnet had been called for.

"Well he's the only one who can show us the clips.." I said leaning on the table and folding my hands.
Andy smiled. "I'm gonna enjoy this"

EkopSparoAyara:
Bravo Souloho..
Am enjoying myself..
Hope the light issues in your area has been resolved??

Yea bro the fault was in my ppa then thanks boss

Thanks for the invite mate, following!

Chapter 3


How? Who?.....Why?



My world stopped spinning for a second and I blinked as the name began to spin round my head.
"Olivia Obasi.."
Olivia had completed the name change months after our marriage. Now someone had used her name as an alias to commit murder.

I wasn't even going to consider Olivia lodging, and blowing the Shadow's brain by nightfall. She wasn't a killer. She couldn't even hurt a fly.

Andy was still looking at me and so was the detective...strangely. She must have put two and two together.
"Interesting" she said "And who else should stumble upon the murder weapon if not her dear husband"

"No ma...she wasn't married...she wrote miss not Mrs-" the clerk began and was cut off with a lethal look she threw his way.

But something he had said earlier suddenly got me thinking.

"You said you told her boobs were bigger than the sun?"

He looked down "she did not find that funny"

"So were they?"

"Were they what?" He looked confused

"Bigger than the sun?"

"And where is all this nonsense heading to?" The detective interrupted crossly

"Its important" I held a hand up "where they?" I asked again.

He sighed in memory "They were one of the largest pair of water melons I ever seen"

A knowing look passed between Andy and I.
Detective Dagnet caught it and asked "what..what is it"
She was too annoying and I wasn't about to reply her so Andy spoke up "Olivia Obasi...the real Olivia Obasi my sister in-law does not have 'boobs bigger than the sun'" he quoted with his hands. "This is a setup"

She glanced at me "why would anyone want to set her up?"
I would have to be a psychic to have been able to answer her question so I just stared at her.

"We need to see the tape" I said finally.

fertilewomb:
Thanks for the update

You're welcome ma'am

Ayoshewa12:
Thanks for the update.

U're very much welcome

Yemike:
That was not Mr kehinde..... I think all was just a setup to shake and frustrates Rexs' family.

Souloho's stories are always filled with mysterious events.

Thanks for the update.

Tnx bro an you're welcome

boffinjay:
same here

are u sure, check ur mentions cause I took the time to get every moniker that commented in TDWO and you were one of the chief commentator. Anyway welcome bro

Tonye


When Bami answered his phone and got up she rolled over enjoying the free space. She waited for him to come back or call her for coffee like he normally did but he didn't.

After what felt like an hour, she stretched awake fully.
"Bami" she called out.
When he didn't answer she brushed her teeth then went to the kitchen to get her mug. She saw his scribbled note on the fridge when she needed milk.

just got a called to a new scene, call you later.

Of course a new scene.as if she didn't know it was I] to the last shadow that had everybody running around the last three days.

She opened the fridge and closed it without taking the milk. She stumped back to the room. Her husband was fond of this, they were supposed to be a team but he always seemed to forget she had been an agent before she became his wife and was in fact still one.
She was about speed dialing his number when her phone rang in her hand. It was Olivia. She picked immediately.

"Hello.........you know Rex anything about family........"
"Thanks for telling me about the threat and everything"
"We sisters have to look after ourselves"

When she dropped the call she stood lost in thought for some minutes.

Olivia was her friend. The closest friend she had ever had and when Rex first received the emailed threat, she at first agreed with them to keep the news from Olivia but when she found out Rex had planned for Olivia and their daughter Emma's weekend trip to the middle belt, she couldn't hold herself. This wasn't just any case, where people were vic1 or John Doe, no this was real. Olivia was a friend, her friend, Emma was her goddaughter.

And so she had called and informed Olivia that night and Olivia had been shocked, scared, angry but had agreed the safest course of action would be to travel for the weekend.
After the call with Olivia, she forgot her initial annoyance at her husband and forgot the eggs also. The helplessness in her friends voice had really gotten to her.
She speed dialled another number.
"Hello"
"Kristen where is the report I asked for?"

"I'm with it ma...its on your desk already"

"Why the hell is it on my desk didn't I tell you I needed it in soft copy sent to my phone?"
"Actually you didn't but-"
"Must I tell you?"
"I thought-"

"Anyway I'm on my way" She cut the call then winced. That was harsh but she couldn't afford any slip ups not when her friends lives were at stake. The report was accumulated and collated data on every person alive that had one sort of association or the other with the shadows. With priority on the last two alive. The missing leader and the second one in prison. The report was as you'd expect voluminous. The suspect list was unending. And she was way behind.

She Changed her clothes and grabbed her keys and just like her husband earlier she hurriedly skipped the shower.
At least she brushed.

Olatara:
the best one ever

Exactly

6. Eneke the bird says that since men have learned to shoot without missing, he has learned to fly without perching.

Op what about 'a lizard that falls from a palm tree would congratulate himself if no one does' something like that

Chapter 2
why,Where,...who?

I didn't like the way the detective looked at me, it made me feel uncomfortable to say the least. Her eyes were impassive and almost expressionless but there was anger in them.

"So you just happened to stumble on the murder weapon?" She asked as she stepped back so Teddy could bag it.

"I wouldn't have stumbled on anything if you had done your job and canvassed the area properly" I replied with much heat.

She backed down but studied me suspiciously.

Who was this clown? I could see a slim rectangular badge with her name clipped on her breast pocket. M. Dagnet. Whoever she was she couldn't burst the bubble of elation I was feeling at the moment. The last shadow was dead! The sticky blood splattered on the wall belonged to the shadow, murdered in cold blood but that wasn't the important thing right?

"Done" Terry stood up straight and held the weapon up so we could see it through the transparent ziplock bag.
"What weapon is that?" I asked him then glanced at Andy

"This is a colt. Colt 45...powerful handdgun" he said confidently.

"Bollocks...that's a desert eagle" Andy countered.

Teddy shook his head like he was explaining to a confused child. "The deagle has a longer barrel...that is often the beauty and should I say Achilles hill...but this here is a colt no doubt"

"Diggle?" I asked

"Deagle" he repeated then looked at the detective. "Where did these people come from?"

"Go and finish up in the other room and make sure to retrieve the bullet fragments and shell casing..let's run a match and be sure"

Teddy left the room without a word.

"Can you trace the gun to the owner?" I asked

"If its registered" she replied "which I doubt" she looked at me strangely "so...I'm made to believe you had some kind of peculiar relationship with the deceased"

"There was no relationship...there was nothing peculiar...I exposed his band of assassins, he went into hiding then threatened me"

She scrutinized me further and I was suddenly sick of her bullshit.
"Look..if you want to interview me...go ahead but for now I have a personal interest in this case and I have jurisdiction and approval to investigate what I want...I'd dig up the badge if that's what you want"

My rant subdued her for the main time and she beeped Terry to sweep the room for finger prints before he left. I pitied the young man and his huge workload.

She looked at me for some seconds then apologised stiffly "I may have been out of line..we need to work together"

"Its alright...you're just doing your job" I replied readily

"Now that you girls have put away your claws can we proceed with the investigation?" Andy asked cheerfully.

The three of us headed downstairs to the receptionist's desk.


•°•°•°•

The receptionist was a young man in his early twenties. There was something familiar about him and I became certain I had used this hotel sometime in the past.

I observed his clustered desk as he flipped the pages of a giant book which had to be the registry.

"Make that 48 hours...the last 48 hours...do you remember who lodged in? Room 37?" the detective asked. She was in charge of the investigation and she made sure we knew that.

He scratched his head as he traced the names with a finger. "I'm sure I'll remember once I see the name" he flipped a page and we waited for him patiently as he traced the name he had registered for the room with the hole.
"Okay...here it is....by 2:30pm yesterday one miss Olivia paid for two days"

"Wait a minute...a woman?" Andy asked surprised. The detective was also clearly shocked.

My brain was swimming. Miss Olivia? What a hell of a coincidence...the same name with my wife although I'm sure it wasn't a real name.
"That's it..no surname?" Detective Dagnet asked.

"I'd have to fish out a copy of the receipt..this was just for registry purposes"

"Please you need to fish it out immediately" she replied

Andy spoke up "do you remember anything about her?"

The man paused his hand on the drawer he had been about to open then frowned into space as he tried to recall.

Detective Dagnet sighed in frustration "forget that first, do what I asked you...get the receipt"

I saw Andy glance at her with fire in his eyes.
"For all we know that name is phony!"

The desk clerk snapped his fingers and the detective bit back whatever retort she had come up with. I just looked at everyone in silence the name 'miss Olivia' kept dancing round my head. I was uneasy.

"Room 37...she was young...maybe my age, I remember because when I gave her the keys I wondered about the dark shades she had on and joked about it but she didn't smile." He frowned and I could tell he wasn't pleased with the way his joke had affected or should I say unaffected her.

"What else can you remember?" I prodded him.
He glanced at me "ooh...she was a looker all right" he smiled mischievously.

"Can you bring out the receipt now?" The detective asked through her teeth.

He opened the drawer immediately and buried his nose inside, searching for the copy of the receipt he had given the lady killer.
He rumaged round the drawer then opened the next "it has to be here somewhere" but his desk was a mess, and each drawer was filled to the brim with receipts all with his crab like writing.
I observed the hotel, there was a security camera at a corner facing the door then there was another in a good angle, facing the clerk's desk. I caught Andy also staring at the camera and I could tell we were thinking the same thing. The detective however had her mind set on getting the receipt and a name to work with, she hadn't even noticed the cameras.

"These cameras how long do the clips last?" I asked.

He looked up and glanced at me again "I think 24 hours or so...the clips are recorded in the manager's office"

"Manager....not security?" Andy asked surprised.

"He has trust issues..we have security but they just stand around basically" he replied with a shrug.

"So he'd be able to show us the tape?" I checked my watch..it wasn't up to 24 hours since the killer had lodged in and from the clerk's description the killer had spent a considerable amount of seconds at the desk.

"Yes once you flash that shiny badge in his face he'd show you anything" he pointed at the belt on Andy's hip and I raised an eyebrow.

"What was the joke you told her? Tell it to me" I said and the detective looked at me. I could tell she felt the investigation was getting out of hand and was no doubt about to call for the receipt again but the clerk slid the drawer shut and smiled sheepishly.

"I may have joked that I was the one who needed her shades because her boobs were larger than the sun"

"What a nasty and sexist joke...to a potential customer for that matter...believe me if we were in other advanced countries you would have been charged with sexual assault" the detective spat the words with so much venom, taking a threatening step forward.

"Jeez not one of those bloody feminists again" Andy muttered to me and I rolled my eyes in agreement..

The clerk was visibly shaken and he held out a piece of paper like a sacrifice.
"I've found the receipt...here it is"
"What's the full name?" She asked immediately
He scanned the receipt.
"Olivia Obasi" he said.
Andy looked at me.
My eyes were rolling but this time it wasn't intentional..

jhurney:
probably thinking his country was the same as Nigeria.
..

This is the worst mistake someone can ever make, chai! ride on bruv

EkopSparoAyara:
This is too good to be true..
Mr Kehinde,the same man who is very elusive,murdered in his sleep?? Who could be that smart to put an end to his life so easily??
I perceive decoy..
..

Hmmm....

°•°•°•

Detective M. Dagnet



Sgt Mabel Dagnet watched Terry bag what had to be brain matter stuck on the wall.
"This is one nasty bastard" Terry said. This was definitely the most gruesome case he had worked.
Dagnet didn't reply she wandered to the closet at the other end and poked inside for the umpteenth time, there was nothing of intrest inside. She was in her late forties and had fifteen years service under her belt and she hadn't come this far by chance. She was a determined lady or according to one drunkard she had arrested once; 'a helluva lady'.

She closed her cases. She had a 95% success rate (she had calculated it her self) and in all her cases she always made an arrest and this wasn't going to be an exception. She'd be paying the receptionist a visit very soon.
"Bullet fragments?" She asked the young man in a polo shirt. Terry worked crime scenes, ran forensics and was always the first to sweep a scene during any investigation.
"I haven't gotten to it yet, it lodged deep in the mattress...the hole is high so the angle of the gun was such that the bullet went through the top of the head and exited above his left cheek."
"That has to be a powerful hand gun...even with the pillow" Officer Dagnet observed "I need you to work on those bullet fragments and let me know what kind of weapon we're dealing with here"
"There's so much to bag...I can't rush it" the young man protested in a whiny voice.
Dagnet rolled her eyes "I'd give you space" she decided to go and check on the receptionist downstairs. The agent was definitely not coming back and she didn't care, she didn't need any help and certainly not from them.

She opened the door and almost ran into the agent. He had his hand out like he had been about to open the door. There was a second man with him, she couldn't see any badge but she knew him. It was Rex Obasi. She had followed the story two years ago. She didn't like him. The golden detective, he had been branded by the papers with his little group like they were better than the rest. Like they were better than her. In her opinion he wasn't worth shit as a detective and his little group were just a bunch of attention seeking individuals who seemed to have a special magnet to attract the media.
She was still thinking whether their presence was a positive or a minus, a pro or con when the agent spoke up.
"We found the gun"

fertilewomb:
You are good Soul, You are good.
Ever thought of publishing your books? You are an excellent writer pls give it a thought.

Thanks ma'am. I've been working on getting DD on paperback, that's the dream.

Rex

After Andy's call I reversed, thankful there was a short cut from my house to the vicinity the hotel was.
I drove to the hotel with the same feelings I had become used to in the last 72 hours, namely: worry, fear, anger, confusion. Andy had refused to tell me whatever it was about the murder that I needed to rush down there immediately but I guessed it must be important because he was aware of the latest threat.


The hotel looked like one I had used before when I was with my family and on the run, jumping from hotel to hotel.
I noticed the strong police presence immediately I entered the hotel lobby. I headed for the stairs thinking if I should call Andy or not, he had given me the room number so I decided not to.
Room 38 was on the third floor and as I rounded the steps I was face to face with a uniformed officer. His Job was to make sure no one got on the floor.
"This floor is closed, go back"
"That's why I'm here"
"Are you a reporter? He looked at me suspiciously.
"I'm here for the murder investigation, my frie- partner called me"
"This is a crime scene, lemme see some ID"
I tapped my flat pockets already knowing my badge wasn't with me. Even my PI licence card was in my wallet and my wallet was.....somewhere.
"No ID I can't let you through sorry"
"Come on don't give me a tough time" I pleaded.
"I'd have to ask you to leave"
He then proceeded to escort me to the edge of the stairs. I hung back immediately after the curve and called Andy.
"Oba-"
"I'm outside but a seven foot bag of beans in a uniform won't let me in"
"Your ID?"
"I don't have it here"
"Okay, stay put I'm coming"

Five minutes later I followed Andy as he led the way. I was caught up in what he was saying "the maid came in to clean the room as usual, then she saw the body through a hole in a wall."
"So she didn't exactly stumble on the body?"
"No the main crime scene was undisturbed"
"This hole, what kind of hole are we talking about?"
"See for yourself" he opened the door and I entered the room.
"The maid glanced at the body from here...the killer drilled a hole and used the pillow to silence the shot...it was nasty"
I made a face "the body is still next door?"
"No...the coroner has taken it"
"Whew...I can do without seeing a dead body right now"
"I didn't even see it...I just studied the photographs" Andy informed me.
I studied the wall "Amazing....what could perforate the wall perfectly?"
"That is the big question no one knows.." Andy folded his hands and watched as I studied the wall. I didn't know why but I suspected there was something Andy was not telling me.
I almost touched the inside of the hole but I stopped.

Now Andy had been into machines advanced tech classes when we were in school and I knew his physics classes entailed a lot of practical work.

"I don't know about the smoothness of inner curve but I just thought of something that could do that!" He said
I perked up "what?"
"There's a kind of small hand drill..the one I remember was even pocket size..we called it a hole saw"
"Hole saw?"
"Yes....although we used ours to cut a hole in plywood." He frowned at the wall as he thought back.
I straightened up finally and tapped the wall. It sounded hollow "I'd say this is the next thing to plywood."
I moved round the room to the other side of the bed, Andy remained rooted to the spot. I brought out my handkerchief from my back pocket and opened the drawer. There was a laminated piece of A4 paper listing the hotel's prices from basically everything...rooms, food,drinks"
I closed it without touching anything. I opened the second and the last drawer. My eyes grew wide, I could literally feel it swell up in my eye socket and Andy looked at me "what...what is it"
He hurried to my side and saw it too.
The gun had to be a...I didn't really know. I'm not sure I knew it. Andy apparently did because he said "Its a desert eagle"
"This has to be the murder weapon...so the killer stayed in this room, waited till he could probably hear the snore from the next room, then he drills a hole expertly without waking up the deceased and shoots him point black in the head through the hole in the wall?"
Andy nodded in agreement "then I'm guessing he took off from the hotel immediately he was done." He turned one of the pillows over and I saw it had been used to smother the shot.
" The killer has excellent aim sha"
"Yea...we should check the registry at the reception get the description of this psycho and hopefully clips from the security camera and put a Nation wide APB on him"
I agreed "that's one way to go" but I didn't move even when he turned towards the door I remained still. He turned back and looked at me
"Andy what's going on? What's so special that you dragged me here?"
"Errrm...."
"Where's Bami?"
His phone rang in response and he picked it up.
He listened for a second with a intense look on his face, then he seemed to relax. "Yea...he's here with me....I'd tell him"
By this time I was almost going red with frustration at whatever coded game they were playing. However Andy's next words was like a bucket of ice thrown at my face.
"That was Bami...he went to the lab, the body has been identified...Its Mr Kehinde....the last shadow... the real shadow was killed sometime after midnight...they just id'd the Vic and its a confirm match...he's dead Rex....gone"
I blinked and suddenly wanted to sit down. "Who killed him?"
"That's the mystery but the important thing is he's no more...you're free from the threats...your family is safe."
I let out the breath I had been holding for the past three days.

nifebabe:
Carry me dey go souloho carry me dey go dey go dey go(in happy mood)

hehehe you're definitely gonna remain happy

bigbauer:
Abeg wen you say "mentalist" the word itself is ambiguous, kindly expatiate, to avoid misconstrued understanding, Thanks. (And now he's made me post another comment as opposed to my initial assertion.)

Mentalist a character from a TV series. Patrick Jane, probably the best detective when it comes to observing and deduction. Maybe rivalled by only Holmes.

genius43:
My bad, I thought I saw 2.

Lol your detective cap is definitely on. Nice one bro

genius43:
@ bolded, if Rex's daughter is over 2 years then the death of Andy's while should be over 19months.

I glanced at the second picture. At the clear eyes so much like mine, the curly hair, sweet dimples buried in her fat cheeks and the heat became warm immediately. Emma, my Emma, my daughter. She was a year and two months...two weeks, 3 days and a couple hours old (heey...I was once a banker)

jhurney:
EPISODE
Hehe, are you not a police officer in view? He jokingly asked, the Nigerian police evolved already and on the global stage, they are ranking high with most developed nations. Their records are now computerized

Amen o!
I'm luvin this bro ride on