Tarasha - Season 5 - Episode 44

Episode 4 years ago

Tarasha - Season 5 - Episode 44

‘Tara,’ Henry called out loud as he got to the door. He knocked twice thinking that she must have locked the door from behind but he noticed that it wasn’t locked and wasn’t jammed properly. He pushed the door in gently and walked in. She didn’t look up or act as if she noticed his entrance. She was seated at the right side of the bed and had a device in her hand. Henry could see as he got to the centre of the room that she had just turned on the device and it was still booting.
‘What do you have to say to me?’ Tara asked in an unwelcoming tone which made Henry stop on the spot. ‘I think I’m okay if all you want to do is comfort me.’
Henry heaved a sigh. He hadn’t totally made up his mind on what to say to her, and she wasn’t even looking any longer like one who was disturbed by the news. He made his way to the bed and sat at the same side as her, giving only a little space between them.
‘Well, can I seat with you for now?’ Henry asked with a shrug after seating.

She took her gaze away from him and focused on the device in her hand. She felt good on remembering that she had only scanned the diary and saved them on her device few hours before she needed it. The device had already finished booting. She clicked on the menu icon and changed her seating position as she scrolled down to find the PDF reader application.
_______

PRESIDENTIAL LOUNGE, LAGOS.
The feverish feeling did not leave Chief Elvis even after he finished his meal and took his drugs for the night. He knew something serious other than malaria was wrong with him but he expected that the doctor at the clinic in Aso Rock should have found out that he needed more than just malaria treatment.
He dragged himself to the room tiredly and sunk into the bed without taking off his clothes. He thought of calling Rex again at that moment but he felt too weak to get up to search for his phone, but he was soon forced to look for it when he began to hear the sound of the ringing tone.
‘Oh!’ he let out a gasp as he saw the name of the incoming caller. It was the Inspector General who had called him earlier when he was at Madam Henrietta’s house. He had promised to return the call when he left the woman’s house but did not remember to do so.
‘Chief Rikau,’ he answered with a gasp. “I’m sorry I haven’t called you yet, I’ve not been feeling too well since I returned to the house.’
‘Sorry about that sir? But why is the fever still persisting, I thought they ran some tests on your blood already.’
‘Yes, I’ve been tested. The Doctor said it’s severe malaria but I think I have to visit another doctor. I’m however sure it’ll pass away soon.’
‘Please take care of yourself sir.’
‘I will.’
‘I wanted to confirm if you still met with Rex today.’


‘No, he asked me to wait. He was expecting Samantha Osman but SSS men showed up.’
‘Agent Tim reported to me also, he said Samantha Osman was somewhere around Okoko in Lagos. He and Agent James visited the place.’
‘Tim and James are in Lagos?’ The Vice President asked.
‘Yes, they got there this afternoon.’
‘What are they doing here? I do not really understand, tonight’s case only concerns the SSS.’
‘I know sir, even the Samantha Osman’s case is supposed to have been fully handed over to the SSS for them to work on alone with full force but you remember we are working it in both forces with your influence and so that we can easily track her since she is directly against our individual selves.’
‘I know, but I don’t still understand what James is doing in Lagos. I still understand that Tim has to be here.’
‘Sir, he works together with Tim in the same team, it would be against protocols not to involve him in what Tim does.’
‘Come on, but you and I know that he cannot be involved.’
‘Yes sir, he doesn’t know anything that has to do with us. He only knows what Tim allows the team to know.’
‘Well, we just have to be careful with that boy. I do not even trust him even though he is my son. I’m thinking we should find a way to suspend him from the force until Samantha Osman’s case is over.’
‘Hmm, I will do something about that sir.
‘Thank you.’


They spoke for few more seconds before they ended the call. Chief Elvis dialed Rex’s number immediately.
‘Hello Rex, I’ve been trying to reach you since we spoke last.’
There was no response for almost ten seconds. The Chief called his name twice again before there was a reply.
‘I’m sleeping already Chief, I believe you should have seen what I did to the SSS men on the news’
‘No, I didn’t listen to the news tonight. I wanted to find out if there is no problem.’
‘There’s none, I only regret not being able to kill the SSS men who withdrew.’
‘I asked for them to do so.’
‘They took a wise choice by obeying you,’ Rex said with a chuckle. ‘Well, I’ve moved the man to another location. I’ll come get you when I think it’s time to see him.’
‘No, can’t I come there after my event tomorrow?’

‘No, you can’t. The SSS men spoilt my plans already; we would have some trouble if you decide to come from your event.’
‘I don’t understand you Rex, I have limited time to use in Lagos. I have to return to Abuja next tomorrow so that I can give a report to the committee.’

‘You can’t come from straight for the event,’ Rex insisted in a calm voice. ‘Except I come there to get you myself.’
‘You don’t need to, I would return to the house briefly after the event to change my clothes and disguise a little, then I’ll come there with few of my escorts.’
‘Chief, do you know that Samantha Osman would be watching every of your moves tomorrow?’

The Vice President was quiet for a while. He realized that Rex was saying the truth.
‘That’s true, it means I have to increase my security.’

‘She might not attack you there but would monitor your movements and may follow you everywhere you go. That would mean you would be only be prone to attack when you journey to this location with your few escorts.’

Chief Elvis heaved a sigh of frustration. ‘So you are suggesting that I may not get to see that b-----d before leaving Lagos?’
‘You can decide to wait a little longer, you’d only make sure that you don’t tell anyone of your plans to remain in lagos.’
‘I can’t stay longer Rex, I need to return to Abuja next tomorrow.’

There was silence for almost one minute.
‘I think you should just kill the man, don’t risk the chance of him getting away.’
‘Well, are you aware that his death would not make Samantha Osman drop her charges against you?’

‘Wow!’ he let out a gasp. ‘That’s true. Let’s be patient for a little longer, maybe I do not have to talk with the Chief. Just continue with your threat to kill him and try as much as possible to extract hidden information from him.’
‘Can we torture him now?’
‘Let her drop the allegations first, I’m thinking she would demand to see him first before doing so. Seeing him tortured may cause something else. What about the substance you do inject people to get them to talk?’


‘The effectiveness of that substance depends on how weak and fearful the victim is. Most times, the victim has to be tortured before it works.’
‘Okay, just find any way to make him talk without giving him physical injuries first or you should probably wait until she withdraws her allegations.’


‘I’ll talk to you later Chief.’
__________

00:30AM
The availability of the diary in electronic copy made it easy for Tarasha to locate the specific parts she needed to read without wasting time on flipping through many pages. For the first time, she realized that the diary contained almost thirty years of Lydia Danjuma’s life. She knew it wasn’t the original version, but that the different diaries she kept over the years were summarized, merged and rewritten into the available one.
She was able to locate what she needed quickly by typing a search word into the find box of the PDF reader. The keyword was ‘Tara’ and it was located several times in the document. Tarasha navigated back to the first result. She scrolled up to the beginning of the paragraph containing the word and began to read.
‘Adunni regained consciousness three hours after she started receiving treatment in the hospital. I could see her eyes moving to and fro and I knew immediately that she was looking for her baby.’