Update 73

***

It was the following day that Basket heard about the call.

“What did she say her name was?”

The officer was struggling to remember the name. “It’s-it’s-it’s –”

“Weren’t you supposed to write down her details? What kind of police officer are you?”
“I’m so sorry, sir. That skipped my mind.”

“How could something so important skip your mind?”

“I think her name is Priscilla.”

“Priscilla?”

He quickly shook his head. “No, it’s not Priscilla; it’s something else.”

Basket threw up his hands. “Do you at least have the phone number she called you with?”
The younger officer’s face lit up, “Oh yes. I wrote down her number in a pad.”

“You’re unbelievable! You remembered to write down her number but forgot to record her name? I wonder how your brain works.”

The officer was ashamed of himself as he reached for the pad and called out the number to his boss. Basket dialed the number on his phone and pressed the green button.
Felicia Matumba was attending to her employer when her mobile phone started to ring in her hand.

“May I be excused, sir?”

“Don’t spend too long,” said the Senator, placing his reading glasses on the bridge of his note and going through a document.

Felicia left the office and returned to her seat before picking the call. “Hello, who is this, please?”

“My name is Chief of Police John Balewa,” the caller said, “I learnt that you called in last night and was asking for me.”

It took Felicia a few seconds before recovering from the surprise. She had decided that she didn’t want to make the report anymore and she had ended the call. Now she was surprised that she was being called back by the same man she had asked for.

“I was told you were not in the office when I called yesterday.”

“Yes, I was not. Why were you calling, if I may ask?”

“Didn’t the officer that received my call tell you?”

“Well, he couldn’t because he has a bad memory. He was the wrong person to pick your call. I apologise for that. We are going to replace him with someone more competent. In the meantime I would really appreciate it if you told me the reason behind your call.”

“It doesn’t matter anymore. You can forget about it.”

“I’d like to know nonetheless. Your information may help us a lot.”

Felicia sighed and said, “It’s about a newspaper caption I came across yesterday.”

“What about it?”

“Well, it was about a wanted man; someone who goes by the name Murphy Khalid.”

“I remember Murphy Khalid. I put him in jail about twelve years ago, but he broke out of jail two years later – that was ten years ago. No one has seen him ever since then.”

“I’m afraid I saw him last week.”

Basket grabbed the phone firmly. “Can you kindly repeat what you just said?”

“Of course. I said I saw Murphy Khalid last week.”

“Oh my goodness! Where did you see him?”

“He and a younger man paid my boss a visit.”

“Who is your boss?”

“Senator Bankole.”

“The same Senator Bankole of Ikeja consistuency?”

Felicia nodded, but when she realised that her recipient would not see her gesture, she spoke out, “Yes, he’s the same one.”

“What was your boss doing with an escaped convict?”

Felicia shrugged. “I have no idea. All I know that the man Murphy Khalid visted my boss last week. He didn’t come alone; he had a younger man with him. That was the first and only time I saw the two.”

“Where are you right now?”

“I’m in the office.”

“I think I know the office. Just stay put, I’ll be there in a couple of hours, depending on how the traffic is. But I want you to do me a favour in the meantime.”

“What’s it?”

“I want you to try and make sure your boss does not leave his office before I arrive.”

“Are you coming to see me or my boss?”

“Your boss in particular,” replied Basket.

Felicia heart broke again; she had been hoping that she would have a moment with the man, and if she was lucky they would both lodge in a hotel room after close of work. She was already falling for the man behind the voice she was hearing.”

“There’s no way I would be able to keep my boss down if he wants to leave,” she replied, “But I think you are lucky, he is scheduled for no special appointment today, so I don’t think he is going to leave, except if he decides to go home.”

“What time does he always go home?”

“Four, latest five in the evening.”

“Okay, I’ll be there before then.”

“I want you to do me a favour too. Please do not let my boss know that the tip-off came from me. He’s going to fire me if he finds out.”

“Okay, I’ll try not to involve you. My major concern is getting the location of Murphy Khalid. He has escaped us for so long. It would be great if I was the one who caught him again the second time.”

Felicia was getting disinterested. “Okay, I wish you all the luck. I wish I had more information about him, but I don’t. I’ve told you everything I know.”

“See you soon, Miss Matumba – that’s me assuming that you are not married.”

Felicia giggled and said, “No, I’m not married. I’m still single, and seriously searching, officer.”
She had never dated or slept with a police officer before; the thought of sharing a bed with this officer with a deep voice sent her aroused. It was a while before she realised that the call had been cancelled.

She returned to the Senator’s office.

“Who were you speaking with for so long?” the man asked.

“Oh, it’s a family issue.”

“I hope everything is all right. That reminds me, don’t forget to let me know that I promised to give you some money to give your mother.”

“I won’t forget, sir. Thank you.”

Her boss was a generous. She felt a pang of guilty for ousting him out to the police; but she hoped that the Senator would be considered innocent in all these. She just wanted to help the police – most of all get her revenge on the man who had embarrassed her. She liked the Senator; the man might have some dark characters but he was a generous man; that was why she enjoyed working for him. She really didn’t care that she took care of her and her family to complement the small amount of money she always received for salary; she cared more about the fact that the man assisted a lot of other people financially. Evidently, a man cannot be totally evil, there is always a good side to every human, no matter how vile they might be – it’s just how it has been naturally established.

It was late in the afternoon when the man Felicia spoke with on phone appeared. She considered him even more goodlooking than she had initially imagined. On sighting him alone she was beginning to feel a stirring between her legs.

“It’s nice to see you, Officer John Balewa,” she greeted, extending a hand which the recipient refused to shake.

“It’s Chief-of-Police Balewa,” he corrected her. “So where is your boss?”

Felicia returned her extended hand to her side, she flushed with embarrassment. It seemed like people found enjoyment in making a fool of her. She was disappointed in the man, but mostly in herself, in her weakness towards the opposite sex. She didn’t like it but she had no idea how to stop herself from this constant craving for a warm body.
“He’s in his office.”

Basket started to walk towards the office but the secretary called him back. “You can’t just step into his office like that.”

“I’m the Chief-of-Police; I can step into anywhere I want.”

“Just let me announce your presence to him.”

“Okay.” Basket found a seat and perched himself in it as the secretary walked away.

“There’s a police officer in the reception, sir?” Felicia told the Senator whose eyebrows were immediately raised at the information.

“A police officer? What’s a policeman doing here?”

“He asked to see you, sir.”

“Why? What’s going on?”

“I have no idea. He just stepped in and demanded to see you.”

“What does this policeman call himself?”

“His name is Officer John Balewa, sir.”

The senator jumped to his feet like a jack in the box. “John Balewa? Why would John Balewa come to see me? What did he say was the reason behind his visit?”

“I have no idea, sir. He wouldn’t tell me anything.”

“This is so disturbing.”

“Should I tell him to come in, sir?”

“Do I have any choice? John Balewa is not a man you can just tell to go away. Please ask him to come in.”

Senator Bankole was beginning to sweat even under the air-conditioner. The policeman’s presence spelled only one thing – trouble. John Balewa was the smartest officer the police had; nothing ever went past him. He was shrewd and quite intelligent. Even without hearing the police officer’s explanation, Bankole already knew that the visit had something to do with Murphy Khalid. It couldn’t be about the pardon, for if that was the case the policeman would be visiting the state governor, not him. He was trying to keep himself calm when the officer stepped in.

“Hello Officer John Balewa,” he greeted, “Your presence is such a surprise. I hope there’s nothing wrong.”

“Firstly, it’s Chief-of-Police Balewa. Secondly, I’m not going to waste time on anything irrelevant. I’m here in respect to the guest you received here last week.”

The senator feigned ignorance and frowned. “A guest? Last week? Well, I always receive many visitors on daily basis; I really don’t know exactly who you are talking about.”

“His name is Murphy Khalid.”

Bankole’s expression remained blank. He spread his hands and said, “Is he someone I’m supposed to remember? Please help me out here, what are you talking about?”

“Murphy Khalid is a fugitive. He escaped from Ikoyi Prison ten years ago. No one knew about his whereabouts since then.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“Well, he was reportedly sighted here last week.”

“Are you sure about what you are talking about?”

“I’m quite positive, Senator Bankole,” Basket replied firmly, staring straight into the senator’s eyes.

Bankole shook his head. “I don’t remember receiving anyone by that name. Even if what you are saying is true, then I had absolutely no idea who he was.”

Basket came prepared. He dipped his hand into his shirt pocket and extracted a photograph. He had kept the photograph with him for the past decade, exactly since he heard about the news of Murphy’s breakout. He handed the photo to the senator.

“Take you time to study the photograph very well. That’s Murphy Khalid. Try to remember if you received him in your office.”

Bankole collected the photo and stared at the picture with total lack of interest. After a few minutes, he shook his head and handed the photograph back to Basket. “I’m afraid the face rings no bell.”

“You can take your time. I’m sure you will remember him.”

“I don’t think I have seen this person before. If I may ask, who told you that he visited me last week?”

“You don’t have to worry about that, sir.”

The senator shrugged his shoulders. “Well, I’m afraid I can’t help you. I am sure I didn’t receive this man in my office.”

Basket did not respond immediately. He was staring at the senator, studying him. Finally, he asked, “What’s that noise?”

“What noise?”

“The tap-tap noise.”

“Oh, it’s me. I apologise. I was tapping my right leg.”

“Why were you doing that?”

The question felt weird to Bankole. “I don’t know. I just did it.”

“You didn’t just do it. You did it unconsciously.”

“And so? What are you driving at?”

“It’s a tell. Every man has a tell. Yours is the tapping of your feet.”

“I really don’t understand what you are saying, Mr Balewa.”

“It’s COP Balewa. It’s clear that the tapping is your tell. Whenever you lie, you unconsciously tap your feet,” he leaned forward and was closer to the senator across the desk, “I put it to you that you have been lying. I promise you I’m going to reveal your lies and get to the bottom of this. I sincerely hope you have no skeleton in your closet, Senator Bankole.”

Kaycee9242:
I hope our Larry is not in Ukraine

Nickymezor:
He might be there, let's go and rescue him o

Kaycee9242:



Ehm u will be in front and I will be coming behind, what a man can do woman do better.