Dial - Season 1 - Episode 25

Episode 4 years ago

Dial - Season 1 - Episode 25

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So I decided to play possum.
The death of Akos had left a sour taste in my mouth.

That was an unexpected and extreme twist. I was used to girls on my DIAL List feeling used and dumped, calling me incessantly, cursing me, reporting me, threatening me and sometimes even going to the extreme of trying to hurt me, physically.

It was all part of the game, part of the thrill and part of the hidden pleasures I took from my dedication to the DL.

What I hadn’t envisaged, ever, was one of them taking the extreme route of death. I wanted to believe, sincerely wanted to believe, that Akos’ death had been an accident, just a freak twist of coincidence, but I knew deep within me that it wasn’t the case.

It was beginning to dawn on me that the DL Project had another facet I hadn’t taken into consideration. Akos had been fragile; she had had an inner vulnerability, an almost childlike-trust of people, especially me.

My attentions had blown her mind and opened up her heart, and I had cruelly played her. She hadn’t known how to respond and cope. To her, life might have been literally coming to an end. Living in morbid fear of her father, and finding out she was pregnant with a man who, to all purposes and intents, had just used and dumped her, might have been too much for her to bear.

In the end, death might have seemed a most favourable way out of her predicament.
And I had been the catalyst.

I mourned Akos of Wowo.

I felt really bad as the days passed, and guilt weighed more and more on my conscience.
At the end of the week, however, I had two visitors.

I was having discussion with two Saudi Arabian partners when my secretary buzzed me.
“Yes, Steve, what is it?” I asked irritably. “I told you to hold everything until I’m done here.”
“Sorry, sir,” Steve said, and his voice sounded funny. “A Chief Inspector Danso Cuger is here to see you, sir, and he won’t wait. Says it’ll take just a minute.”
My heart gave a sudden lurch.


I had been expecting it, but as the days passed and I had not heard anything further, I had begun to relax.

And now this.

I took a deep breath and kneaded my brow in an agitated way.

“Sir?” Steve enquired, and he sounded worried.


“Alright, Steve, show him to the Lounge,” I finally managed to say. “I’ll be with him in a minute.”


I sat for a while and absent-mindedly drummed my fingertips on my desk.
One of my Saudi partners leaned forward, worried.

“Yew heev gat di trable, Meester Biiko?” he asked.

I looked at him, irritated, and almost punched his face in.
I forced a smile and got to my feet.

“No, nothing to be worried about,” I said. “Excuse me for a moment, gentlemen. Will be with you soon.”
I left my office through a side door, walked down two short corridors, and then I paused at the backdoor of The Lounge.
I took deep breaths, and then I opened the door and entered the luxurious Lounge.
It had three beautiful sitting areas, and I noticed that Steve had shown them to the Dark Sofa area.

I had expected to see only one man, the police chief, but there were two of them.
One was in a brown suit and white shirt, and I assumed he was the policeman.

The other man was in black trousers and a mufti smock, and his back was turned to me as he stood near the aquarium enjoying the sight of the swimming fishes.

“Gentlemen, welcome,” I said with forced gaiety as I approached.
Chief Inspector Danso got to his feet and took my extended hand.
“Hello, Mr. Biko,” he said in a tired voice. “Sorry to disturb you, but it was necessary. Won’t take up too much of your time.”

“Oh, that’s okay,” I said as I ushered him to his seat, glancing nervously at the man standing beside the aquarium. “Please take a seat. Can I offer you something? Water, tea, a drink? We have iced cocoa and scones too, quite delicious.”

The policeman smiled and shook his head.
“That will be okay, Mr. Biko,” he said as he sat down again.

I lowered myself down in the seat beside him, and that was when the man in the smock turned round.

My breath stopped for a moment as I stared at him.

He was slender and fair, with heavy curling hair that fell down his face in whiskers and a thick mustache.

His thick hair was sprinkled with a generous amount of grey.