The Missing File – Chapter 4 Part 1

Nazaretha continued to run without tiring out or looking back, he didn’t know where he was running to but he knew where he was running from. After six minutes non stop running, Nazaretha finally stopped and turned to see if he still had pursuers. He was at the backyard of a “face me I face you” house. He had almost run into a shallow line of gutter which ran from behind the “face me I face you house” to the next building which was a flat. Nobody could be seen at the back yard of the house except a pregnant woman who was coming out from the toilet located some metres behind the main house.

The woman stared at Nazaretha who was hiding behind the wall of the house and peeping to see if he could see any of the pursuers.

“Good afternoon madam,” Nazaretha greeted to wade off her suspicious staring eyes.

“Good afternoon,” the woman replied, giving him a scrutinising look.

She walked into the house after thoroughly scrutinising him with her eyes and concluding in her heart that he was just a victim running from the attacks.

Nazaretha continued his peeping, he didn’t know if he should wait till everything was settled before coming out of his hiding place or if he should continue to run. He was still contemplating on what to do when he unconsciously turned back and saw two guys holding wooden planks. He took to his heels immediately and was almost running into the road until heard his name been shouted from behind. He turned back to see Sunday and Charly motioning him to return to them.

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“Why have you decided to torment yourself Mr Ogbighe?” An officer barked at him. “Why don’t you just tell us where you kept the money.”

“I didn’t take any money,” Ogbighe replied in tears. Drop of thick sweat rolled down from his neck to his already sweaty chest; he had been stripped off his clothes and had only his boxers on.

“So you mean you’re not Ogbighe Peter?” The policeman asked.

“I am Ogbighe Peter but I didn’t take the money…”

“Shut up!” A slap landed on his face before he could finish talking. “So them no know your face for bank abi or them no recognize your ID card wey you go take withdraw am?”

“I’m telling you the truth officer,” Ogbighe cried.

“You never ready to talk,” the policeman moved back to pick a pressing iron. He plugged it into the socket close to Ogbighe and placed it on the floor waiting for it to get hot.

“Officer…” Ogbighe called in a frightful voice, taking quick glances at the pressing iron and the officer’s face.

“Yes,” the officer replied in a mocking tone. “Are you ready to confess?”

“Believe me officer, I’ve spoken the truth already.”

“Okay na, no problem.” The officer replied without paying much attention. He waved his stretched palm over the iron to check if it was hot already.

“Officer, what do you want to do?” Ogbighe asked, staring at the pressing iron and vibrating in fear.

“Can’t you see my cloth is ruffled already?” He asked mockingly, detaching the plug from the socket.

“Aaaaaah!” Ogbighe screamed his throat out as the hot iron was placed on his back.

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“Wetin we go do now?” Nazaretha asked as he and his friends pondered on what to do.

“Them still dey para for front, we no fit pass there now.” Sunday said.

“Make we pass this back na,” Nazaretha suggested.

“You sabi the road?” Sunday widened his eyes at him.

“I think say una fit know am na,” Nazaretha retorted.

“I sabi the road,” Charly finally joined in. “But e long o.”

“Anyhow, make we just reach house na.” Nazaretha said.

“Oya na, make we dey go.” Charly said and began to move, Nazaretha followed him, only Sunday stood behind.

“You no go come?” Nazaretha turned back and shouted at Sunday.

“Una dey craze o,” Sunday said in a calm tone, staring at them with an unbelieving look on his face. “Una dey go, shey una know where Chinko dey?”

“Na true o,” Nazaretha exclaimed, moving some steps backwards.

“But Chinko go don find hin way na,” Charly argued, so afraid and desperate to leave the place that he didn’t want to think about Chinko.

“We no fit leave am for here na, make we check around first. If we no see am, we go dey go.” Sunday suggested.

“No, Chinko go don find hin way,” Charly insisted. “Una don forget say na Chinko dey run fast pass for all of us?”

“That one no mean o, you know say na Chinko sef dem recognize well for all of us.” Sunday argued.

“If una like, make una stay. Me I don waka,” Charly said and began to walk away.

Nazaretha watched Charly as he hurried away, he began to consider going with him; Charly was the only one who knew that route and could be their only option of leaving the place without being hurt.

“No worry, we no go stay long,” Sunday said, tapping Nazaretha on the shoulder. “Make we go check, if we no see am around, we go dey go house go reinforce.”

“But how we go take find way?”

“We go find am, no worry,” Sunday assured.

The search for Chinko lasted for only three minutes, the boys ensured that they didn’t enter into the road where they could be seen by the angry Efinga boys. They decided to leave without Chinko.

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“Madam, you say your husband and his twin look very much alike?” The DPO who was a member of the Ogbighe’s family church asked Lydia.

“Yes, very alike.” She replied, sniffing in tears.

“But you also said that he’s dead,” the DPO added.

“Yes, he’s no more.” She said, a tear dropped from her eyes.

“Madam, no need to cry here. It’s simple, your husband’s twin who is dead cannot be the one who took the money and moreover, your husband’s ID card was what was used. And with our investigation, your husband wasn’t at his place of work at the time the money was taken.”

“But he was at home at that time, he came to take his bag.”

“There is no proof he really came home madam. If he came home to take the bag, how come he spent almost two hours?”

“But he was looking for it,” Lydia said in tears.

“No need to cry madam, there’s nothing I can do about this matter. Just tell your husband to say where the money was kept.”

…to be continued