TARASHA : CHAPTER SIX – PART THREE

‘How on earth were three officers like you abducted so easily? I wondered where you got your training from’ James slammed at the three ex-officers seated before him. The guys had been dismissed from the force that morning, for incompetence and neglect of duty.

The trio stayed quiet, looking deeply grieved while James hurled insults at them.

‘You guys are most incompetent fellows I ever came across in the force’ he hammered. ‘Imagine, you don’t even remember a single thing that could help us with the investigation’

They remained mute with their heads bowed. Segun shook his head on contempt before he spoke, ‘there’s no need wasting time on this folks, I think we should just let them go and focus our investigation on something else’

James nodded in agreement, he stepped back gradually and turned, then he walked out of the room with Segun following closely.

‘I still think there’s something we can get from those guys’ James spoke as they walked the corridor.

‘I don’t think so, sir’ Segun retorted, ‘the doctors already confirmed they had memory loss’

‘But at least, they should remember what occurred before they were drugged’ James argued.

‘No, tests revealed that the impact of the drug on them was much and they lost memories of everything that happened two hours before they were drugged’

‘Well’ James sighed, he punched in the code to their office door and entered with Segun, he glanced at Sandra’s seat which was empty. ‘Where’s Sandra?

‘With the IG’ Segun answered sharply.

James halted before his desk, ‘I think the EFCC headquarters is our next place of visit now’

‘Yes’ Segun gave a short reply.

‘Just pick anything you need’ James said, picking up a pen and notepad. ‘We might be out for the rest of the day’

‘Sure’ Segun replied, he picked his phone and car key from his desk. ‘I’m ready sir’

‘Okay, let’s go’ they matched out of the station and proceeded to Segun’s car in the park. They drove out without wasting much time.

The Economic Financial Crime Commission, EFCC had immediately arraigned all the government officials involved in the planning of the dubious deal with late Nnamdi Okafor, using the video as the proof. Officials of the pharmacy which included Dr Hammed had also been invited to the headquarters for questioning.

‘I think we should head for Derl pharmacy first’ James suggested, making Segun halt to make a u-turn to the opposite direction.

They drove for another fifty minutes before they got to the Derl pharmacy headquarters. Entrance into the pharmacy was allowed by the security guard immediately the police officers flashed their ID cards.

James stepped out of the car first and walked into the pharmacy building, he was already discussing with the receptionist before Segun joined him.

‘Good morning, I’m Inspector James’ he displayed his ID card to the lady.

‘Good Morning sir, how may I help you?’ She replied politely.

‘I need to get some information from you, I hope you’ll help me’ James said without facing her, his eyes searching round the pharmacy.

‘Yes sir, I’ll try my possible best sir’ She answered.

‘Good, I need to know everyone that was in charge of the health conference that was supposed to come up last Saturday’ he began.

‘Ermm’ she stammered and gave a light frown. ‘I’m not really in the position to help you with that but I can show you to someone who can’

‘Please do immediately, thanks’ James said and stepped a little backwards. He and Segun whispered something to themselves as they watched the receptionist pick up the landline and spoke to someone briefly.

‘He will be here shortly’ she said to the officers, motioning them to the waiting area.

‘Thank you’ James replied, but advanced towards her instead of going to sit down. He continued questioning, ‘what about those doctors that were caught in that viral video? Where are they now?’

‘I don’t know where they are now but I know they’ve been fired already and invited by the EFCC for questioning’ the receptionist confirmed.

‘All of them?’

‘Yes’ she replied and looked towards a middle aged man approaching.

‘Is that the person you called?’ James asked, looking in the same direction.

‘Yes, he is the one’ she affirmed.

‘Good morning officers’ the man greeted as he approached them.

‘Good morning sir. I’m Officer James, officer in charge of the minister’s murder case’ James introduced, displaying his ID card once again.

‘Officer Segun’ Segun displayed alongside with him.

‘You’re welcome officers’ the man gave a faint smile. ‘Please let’s go to my office’

They took the elevator to the eighth floor, after which they walked another one minute to the office.

‘How may I help you gentlemen?’ He asked as he ushered the officers to the two visitors seat.

‘Like I said before, we are here in connection to the murder of Minister Nnamdi Okafor’ James started. ‘We are aware that he came to Lagos for a conference organized by your pharmacy’

‘No, the conference was being organized in conjunction with the ministry of health which the man controlled’ he corrected.

James smiled and continued, ‘we are also aware that he was in a meeting with the commissioner of health for Lagos state and some of your pharmacists that morning of the day he was murdered’

‘Yes, there was a meeting that held in our small conference room’

‘Were you aware of the meeting beforehand?’

‘Yes but only the senior pharmacists were in attendance’

‘The video of the meeting has gone viral, how did that happen? Why did your company release the video?’

‘We did not release any video neither did we know that the meeting was been recorded, it took us by surprise when we saw the video’ the man answered slowly, thinking deeply before he mentioned each word, he was being careful not to say anything that could further cause damage to the company’s name.

‘But you had a camera installed in the room? Who are those in charge of the cameras?’ James pressed further.

‘No camera was installed in that room, we only bring in cameras when there’s a meeting that we plan to air’

‘So you didn’t plan to air that?’

‘No, it was supposed to be a preparation meeting for the conference’

‘Then how was it recorded if you guys had no camera there’

‘I’m still confused about that, I personally checked the room after I saw the video but I found none of our cameras there’

‘Could it be that one of the participators did the recording?’ James queried.

‘No, I don’t think so. All of them were implicated in the video’

‘That’s true’ James thought deeply for a while. ‘Can we see the room where the meeting held?’

‘Yes for sure’ the man got up immediately. He removed a key from his drawer and led the way. ‘It’s on the tenth floor’

They used the elevator once again and got to the conference room in no time. James and Segun eyes wandered around the ceiling carefully, trying to locate any hidden camera.

After some minutes of searching, Segun got tired and spoke up. ‘I think the camera has been taken away from here’

‘Yea, I’m thinking the same too’ James added, looking at the pharmacist’s face for answers.

‘I don’t know about that’ the man gave a frown.

‘What about the cleaners and other people that gained entrance into here before and after the meeting?’ James asked.

‘We can call the cleaners and ask’ he answered, bringing out his cell phone.

‘Please do’ James joined Segun who was still inspecting the large table and chairs.

Twenty six people appeared ten minutes later in their cleaners uniform, most were middle aged women, only four young men and two ladies were among them.

‘Come inside properly’ Officer James ordered.

‘Which of you cleaned up this place in preparation for the meeting held last Thursday?’ the pharmacist asked the cleaners the first question.

‘It was the both of us’ a woman came forward shakily, pointing to one of the young men.

‘Only two of you entered here on Thursday?’ James asked, putting up a tough look.

‘Yes except for me’ another woman stepped forward, she was the head of the cleaners. ‘I assigned both of them to do the job and I monitored them properly’

‘Which job are you talking about?’ James squinted.

‘Cleaning the place of course’ the woman answered confidently.

‘Okay, where was the camera hidden?’ James question took the cleaners a little off balance, he smirked at the look on their faces, he loved the effect he had on them except the cleaners’ head who was looking indifferent.

‘I mean the camera used to record the meeting’ be reiterated when he got no answer.

‘There was no camera when I inspected here that day’  the head replied.

‘But there was a video’

‘Maybe one of the guests brought it in and took it out when he was leaving’

‘No, none of them could have done that. The video implicated all them’

‘Well, there was no camera found here before or after the meeting that day’

‘When last was this room used before that Thursday?’ James asked more. ‘Was it on that Thursday you started cleaning it?’

‘No’ she answered. ‘We started cleaning here on Wednesday’

‘No prior entrance before Wednesday?’

‘There was, I came here with only Dr Hammed on Monday’

‘So are you telling me you don’t know when a camera got into this place?’

‘No, there was no camera brou… Ermm’ the woman paused, suddenly remembering something. ‘There was a young lady who came in with Dr Hammed that morning’

‘Young lady? Which young lady?’

‘I don’t know her, I’ve not seen her before’ the woman answered and shook her head in doubt. ‘She couldn’t have brought in any camera, she was wearing a tag, I believe she’s a just a student’

‘Just a student?’ James queried, a scornful smile appeared on his face.

‘Yes and she didn’t bring in any camera because I found none here after that day’

‘Then how was the video recorded?’ James barked angrily.

‘We don’t know’ the woman bounced back, refusing to be intimidated.

‘Three of you will have to report to the station this evening for further questioning, I’ll make sure you pay if you had a hand in this’ James threatened as he scribbled something into his notepad. ‘You can all leave now’

‘I think the receptionist would know about the student, we should ask her’ Segun suggested after the cleaners left.

‘Hmm nice suggestion. We would, let’s go’ James tucked back his pen into his pocket. He looked around for the last time as Segun and the pharmacist proceeded outside, he followed after still searching with his eyes.

‘Wait! What’s this? ‘ James’ eyes caught something at the door, a tiny and flat black device stuck to the frame of the door, camouflaging with the black colour of the frame.

‘Wow! Wow! ‘ Segun exclaimed, his eyes widened as he saw the bug in James’ hand.