On Trial – Episode 6

On Trial – Episode 6

© Onyinyechukwu Mbeledogu

‘Just like that?’ Koje asked, his eyes narrowing.

‘Yes. You don’t sound ecstatic for someone who has been bothering me to be his counsel.’

‘I am a bit suspicious. Just seconds ago you were giving me reasons why you shouldn’t be involved with me and then you suddenly change your mind. I suspect your motive.’

‘You suspect my motive?’ she repeated exasperatedly.

Was he for real!

Not giving Kaira the opportunity to respond, he continued: ‘Wouldn’t you, if you were in my shoes?’ he challenged. ‘I’m glad you have agreed to be my counsel. We need to discuss your terms of engagement and your fees. Are you headed straight for your office?’

‘No,’ she replied quickly. ‘When is your matter adjourned to?’

‘Friday.’

‘Friday as in next week Friday?’

‘No. Friday as in tomorrow.’

‘You’re joking right?’

‘No I’m not.’

Damn! Why didn’t you tell me?’

‘The opportunity never arose. Besides, you are always in a hurry to get away from me as though I have ebola.’

‘Can you blame me? I’m a female you know.’

That was uncalled for, though, but she didn’t apologise for the innuendo.

‘Damn! You should have looked for a way to bring that to my attention. Even Aunty Wunmi didn’t give me a hint.’

‘Is the word ‘damn’ an accepted vocabulary in your profession?’ Koje asked.

She glared at him and his eyes twinkled with mischief. He had time to joke around, she thought. Just because he didn’t have to come to court in a Black Maria and restrained with handcuffs, dressed in the green prison wears! Anyone who saw him now wouldn’t believe he was facing criminal charges. She envied his ability to look good despite his predicament.

He looked really good in his black and red striped shirt and black slacks worn over black neatly polished shoes. He smelled nice too. She was almost tempted to ask him what cologne he used. People like this would undoubtedly be guilty but have a way to get away with their crimes.

‘You still have something to laugh about,’ she told him, unable to stop herself. ‘In case you didn’t know, you are this close,’ she joined the tip of her thumb and forefinger so that they formed a circle, ‘to spending the rest of your life in jail. By virtue of Section 358 of the Criminal Code, any person who commits the offence of rape is liable to imprisonment for life, with or without caning. The overcrowded Bundu Prison will be your home until you draw your last breath.’

‘And I am paying you to keep me out of jail.’

‘You haven’t given me a cent,’ she reminded him.

‘I intend to,’ he assured her. ‘I already paid my late lawyer his full legal fees for the case but I won’t be so heartless as to ask for the balance of the payment made. Don’t worry you’ll get your full legal fees.’

Kaira began to walk once more and he joined her.

‘Have you retrieved your case file?’ she asked him.

‘It’s in my car.’

‘Bring it to the office. My car isn’t here and I have enough load on me presently.’

‘I can drop you off at the office,’ he quickly volunteered.

‘No, thanks.’

‘Come on. It’s the least I can do. Besides, it would save you the stress of having to pay for a cab.’

‘I can afford it.’

‘I have no doubt that you can. But I’m offering you a free ride in an air conditioned car with great music and wonderful conversation.’

She paused and looked at him. The offer was tempting but she didn’t want to be seen around this man unless he was in her office or they were in court. By accepting to handle his brief, she was exposing herself to more media gossip. She could imagine the headlines:

‘Prosecutor turns defence counsel for rapist’

‘Women’s right activist defends rapist for extra money.’

‘Women’s rights activist falls in love with gorgeous rapist.’

The last caption was the most ridiculous of them all, she thought. But she wouldn’t put anything past the media.

‘Incidentally, I have another case in Nchia. So you see that there is no need for this display of male chivalry.’

‘Then Nchia it is.’

‘I can find my way there.’

‘I insist,’ he told her, heading for his car with her laptop bag and gown.

Not wanting to create a scene she hurried behind him.

‘Don’t worry, I have no intention of abducting or assaulting you,’ he told her as he pressed the automatic car lock, unlocking the prado jeep she recognised from the day she had met him at the Port Harcourt Mall. He tossed her bag and gown on the back seat. ‘I am not desperate to get back to prison. That place is a nightmare. The judge actually took a full month to deliver a ruling on my bail application.’

‘Shows you that your money can’t buy everything.’

‘I didn’t try to bribe the judge,’ he informed her.

She gave a snort of disbelief even as she got into the front passenger seat. She had a sentimental attachment to black cars, but she didn’t tell him this. She fastened her seat belt, enjoying the feel of the leather seat. She was tempted to curl into the chair and purr contently like a cat, but the collaret she still had on reminded her that she was a legal practitioner hitching a ride with a new client.

She couldn’t afford to get too comfy.

With Quadri’s case coming up the following day Kaira would need to have an interface with him no matter how short once she got back to the office. She needed to go through the case file before fixing her professional fees. Lord help her. She had lots of files to work on. She had delegated several to the other counsel in her firm. The firm was doing great and with the number of clients they were accumulating, it was time to employ additional hands.

Starting a firm hadn’t been easy but she was glad that her firm wasn’t doing badly after six years. Fitting into the civil litigation after so many years as a prosecutor hadn’t been easy but she had made great progress so far, reading through books on commercial law, civil procedure, environmental and maritime law and even tax law. She had great young lawyers who aided with the research. No brief was denied unless it was useless and in such cases, the client was advised to explore settlement rather than go to court. If she had questions, she called Aunty Wunmi and a few other really senior lawyers who were always willing to help.

She looked out of the window as he drove. Had the cross-examination of the Prosecutrix yielded fruit, she wondered? That was always the star witness and the one at the receiving end of force of the cross-examination. As a prosecutor she had shielded the Prosecutrix from the attack of the defence counsel and if the Prosecutrix in Koje’s hadn’t given her evidence, which she doubted, then Kaira would have to put her under attack, the last thing she thought she would find herself doing.

She would definitely have issues with some of her friends in FIDA!

She heard the distinct sound of a disc being slot into the CD player and was shocked to hear a track from Bob Fitts. She turned to look at him in surprise.

He laughed. ‘Even the devil goes to church.’

‘Tell me something.’

‘I love listening to inspirational tunes because they help calm my nerves. And no, it had nothing to do with my short time in prison. You should never judge a book by its cover, Ms Madukaife, you know.’

‘You mean there is more to you than meets the eyes?’

He smiled enigmatically, emphasising his good looks. She quickly told herself that Erhus was better looking.

‘Na who ask you? ’ an annoying voice inside her head asked her. ‘The bros fine be say the bros fine.’

‘I don’t remember talking to you,’ she told the voice silently.

‘And he meets ¾ of the qualities you want in your future spouse.’

‘Don’t even go there. I nukwa okwu?’

‘He’s tall, looks and smells good and is in superb shape. Add the fact that he is stinkingly rich.’

‘I couldn’t care less.’

‘He’s on bail and for the duration of his case, he gets to be closer to you than a boyfriend. You know how our cases have the tendency of going on and on and on. Anything can happen.’

‘I’ll request for an accelerated hearing.’

‘You wish! You’ll be the envy of the town, Miss Popular. And his lady fans will give anything to scratch your eyes out before you get the privilege of being Mrs Kaira Koje-Quadri. Hmm, the name has a nice ring to it. Kaira Koje-Quadri.’

‘Buzz off!’

‘What?’ Koje enquired.

Kaira hadn’t realised that she had spoken aloud.

‘I wasn’t talking to you.’

‘Talking to yourself isn’t healthy.’

‘And you are in no position to tell me what’s healthy and what’s not.’

He didn’t bother countering her statement. He concentrated on his driving. He drove fast yet carefully and she wondered if he always drove that way or he was just trying to impress her. Then again, he didn’t strike her as a man who would want to do anything to impress anyone. And if he decided to impress anyone it would be a lady he was romantically involved with. Not once since she had met him had he looked at her with admiration. She was beautiful and she had been told so by a lot of people, and no, they were not all related to her. She also had a great figure too. This man was either dead or a stick. Then again, he could be good at hiding his emotions.

Get a hold on your thoughts, she chastised herself.

Her windows phone rang and she swiped the green button, attaching her earpiece.

‘Hey baby boy,’ she gushed.

It was Erhus. Her number one love and fall-back-to guy.

‘Hi baby,’ Erhus responded. ‘It’s good to hear your voice again.’

‘You heard it yesterday,’ Kaira laughed.

‘That was two days ago. Yesterday, we chatted on Whatsapp and Facebook messenger.’

That was true.

‘What’s up with you? Hope you’ve gotten over the betrayal you felt from Aunty Wunmi?’

‘I get choice? I can’t stay mad at her na. So I now have myself a new client.’

She looked at Koje through the corner of her left eye and caught him watching her before returning his attention to the road.

‘I hope he intends to pay for your hard work after all the trouble he’s put you through.’

‘You can be sure of that. His matter comes up tomorrow so I need all the time I can get to work on it.’

‘I believe in you. You are a very hardworking lawyer and I won’t be surprised if you end up being the youngest Senior Advocate of Nigeria or even the youngest judge.’

‘The judiciary would limit my lifestyle. I would rather go for the SAN.’

Erhus laughed. ‘You too like enjoyment.’

‘Before nko? So what’s up? You don’t usually call me by this time knowing that I’d most likely be in court.’

‘Something came up and I couldn’t keep the info until tonight.’

‘What’s the news?’ Kaira asked, wondering if her mother had called Erhus to talk to her about bringing home the man she wanted to get married to. Her siblings Chibuogu, Chibuikem and Chukwuma were married and her mother had now formed the habit of putting her oldest daughter’s name in every prayer request, inviting her to various prayer programmes because she was yet to get married.

‘Don’t worry, Maale didn’t sent me to you, although she’s worried about you as usual,’ Erhus assured her. ‘The good news is that I was just transferred to Port Harcourt and attached to the head office of the company I work with.’

‘It is a lie!’ Kaira screamed with joy before turning to her companion and mouthing a ‘sorry’. She returned to her call. ‘I am so happy for you. When are you coming into Port Harcourt? This state has been lonely for me without you.’

‘I’m coming in this weekend to resume work on Monday. The transfer comes with an apartment. I can’t wait to see you again. It’s been too long.’

‘I have missed you. Chai. This is the best news I’ve had in days. Wait o, so it is family house that I’ll now be staying if I have a matter in Warri?’

‘You know maale loves it when you come around,’ Erhus reminded her.

‘I know but it’s not the same na. Well I go manage sha. I hope the apartment they’re giving to you is not close to mine o, so that I can come and be disturbing you there, with the excuse that there was plenty traffic on the road.’

‘I’m used to your wahala na. Even if we were living in the same building you will still come to my apartment on the guise that rat invaded yours.’

Kaira laughed.

‘Erhus my love. Oya do dey come. I’ll ensure that there’s a welcoming party awaiting your arrival plus a plate of pounded yam and ofe nsala .’

‘My kind of woman,’ Erhus praised. ‘Tell me again why we’re not married?’

‘We go just kuku kii ourselves in the house,’ she laughed.

Erhus laughed. ‘I’ll call you later in the day, sugar. Love you.’

‘Love you too.’

To be continued