THE KILLER
This is six months after the death of Bolu. Stanley goes to his lawyer before the next appearance in court. While discussing, Stanley has a brief flicker through his mind which turns to be a vital clue.
“It crosses my mind that there is somebody who needs to be grilled apart from me.”
“Who could that be?”
“Betty.”
“Why Betty and not his numerous girlfriends?” the lawyer asks him.
“I don’t know her physically, but she is Bolu’s closest girlfriend who seem to know something about his death.”
The lawyer laughed: “You know all his female acquaintances have been grilled; he has so many girlfriends from the descriptions of his lifestyle. It makes it easy for the girlfriend to escape.”
“Betty is not just another girlfriend, but a stable girlfriend who we can call a wife. They both lived together based on the last discussion I had with him; and he loved her more. She cannot be interrogated like every other person.”
“From record, she was also grilled by the police and has been left with no clear evidence. But we learned that there were large withdrawals from Bolu’s bank account a day before the murder. This likely leaves her out of the question.”
“That gives us the clue,” Bolu is excited.
“That is not enough ground to name her as the culprit,” the lawyer answers. “From the CCTV, the withdrawals were made by unknown male personality; not by a female.”
“Lawyer, give me time and I will fish out Betty,” Stanley speaks confidently. He believes he has the money and all it takes to do that. He trusts his intuition.
“I am with you,” his lawyer answers. “But let us ensure to make use of legal process all the way.”
Stanley gets home and begins to ruminate on what to do when suddenly he has an idea. Kate hasn’t forgiven her husband and sometimes doubtful of his involvement in the death of Bolu.
“Kate, I need your help?” he tells her in detail who Betty is to Bolu.
“What is it? I will make it to you to the half of my kingdom,” she teases.
“I want to get Betty, and I want you to do the work for me. With this I want to prove my innocence to you and others.”
Kate laughs hysterically and responds sarcastically: “When did I turn into a detective?”
“No, what I mean is: help me find some of your dad’s old boys who have similar lifestyle to help trail Betty. I will reward the person handsomely.”
“You called my father all kinds of names while he was alive, now you want his boys to help you with a task?”
“Kate, there you go again. Okay, leave it and let me face the false accusation alone.” Stanley stands and is about leaving when Kate runs to hold him back. I will do the work for you. Just because of the love I have for you and my children who are also your children.”
Stanley employs Dan and within two weeks Betty is back into the police custody with avalanche of proof of her involvement in Bolu’s death and Stanley is exonerated.
Dan follows through her routes starting from the meeting places of her and Bolu, then from one contact to the other he has full information about her. The tipoff is significantly tilted towards her new lifestyle profile of spending and acquisition. Within the period, she had rented a big home, starts a big business outside the neighbourhood, changed wardrobes and lives larger than ever. This is more than a coincidence. So when the police nab her, she confesses to the crime. This is what happens:
Immediately Bolu gets the money from Stanley he becomes bossy and incorrigibly oppressive on Betty. He believes she is now at his mercy; though his purported love declaration. Truly, Betty couldn’t change the card that is stacked against her so easily. She is from a poor background and coupled with the wrong script that she cannot survive unless she is an appendage of some guys out there.
Her life downward was largely due to her orientation that she needs a man to be able to fend for herself. Gradually she steep deeper until she becomes a full fledge prostitute until she met Bolu with who she tend to become more stable.
Bolu works in a federal government establishment and he has some money to dole out to her. Being his fancy girl he gives generously; that do not stop him from bullying her. So she doesn’t think she can exist without the stipend from him. She too likes Bolu but unlike Susan she is very possessive of him that she easily grows jealous when she sees other girls with Bolu. She keeps tolerating him, just for the money and company.
Then he comes back from work one of these days.
“Betty, I have a surprise for you.” Bolu shouts
“What is it my baby?” Betty jumps on him.
“I will be travelling abroad tomorrow.” He bellows out on top of his voice.
Betty’s crest falls as she takes time to figure things out: “Congratulations.”
“Betty, it seems you are not happy for me? I am doing this for us but I want it to be a surprise.”
“A surprise and I wasn’t in the picture from the inception? I am happy for you, but I am not happy I am not in the picture from the beginning.”
“Come and sit down Betty and let me explain things to you.” He takes the time to explain what he has done to secure the future for the two of them. Why he has to travel abroad ahead of her and come back to pick her from their home country.
Betty is hard to convince on that matter because she knows the kind of person Bolu is; his love for women which could make him change his mind easily. She herself knows more than five other girls with him.
“I still don’t trust you.”
“Trust me please, in spite of my hard nature; you are my African queen.” The two of them laugh and glue together for a while kissing ravenously.
“I love you.”
“I love you too,” Bolu replies. Then he goes ahead to discuss his full plan. How he has earmarked One Million for Betty and will come back to pick her up when he is stable while abroad. He hands her the One Million.
“Thank you my dear, she is elated.
“This one – Six Million,” he points to a parcel, “is my Basic Travelling Allowance.” She looks at the hard currency and gasps.
“You are a silly boy,” she feels on top of the world.
They feast on delicacies as their parting meal, took drugs and get into sex like never before. Betty is a super girl when she combines drugs to her sex escapade. This is what Bolu seem not to get from Holy Susan. Bolu and Betty seem to go the excesses.
Over the night, she ruminates on many things. She thinks Bolu may not be sincere and is merely settling him deceptively with One Million. Yet she is appreciative because she had never in her life handles One Hundred for once as hers.
“What if Bolu will not come up into her life again? What if, what if, what if? She asks herself many imaginary questions. Then the devil enters into her like Judas. She thinks on how to own the whole sum of money. Overnight, she designs what to do before morning.
Bolu wakes up very early and is about getting out of bed when she gets him to have a farewell sex and the man in Bolu will not turn it down. Then he gets exhausted and sleeps off for some thirty minutes to wake up a little after six o’clock in the morning. He rushes into the bathroom and has his shower, dresses up and picks his luggage.
Then Betty offers him a small cup of alcohol beverage to warm up. He gulps it in one shot. She moves closer and gives him kisses and begins to cry of how she will miss him.
“Betty, I will come back for you,” he tells her.
“I don’t believe you, you told one of your friends who shared with me all your moves to leave me and that you will be travelling to where I will not be able to trace. Let me tell you, you would die today.”
“Who told you?” There and then he begins to feel the effect of an overdose of drug. “What have you done to my heart Betty?”
She smiles: “I am only smarter boy.”
“But I love you and plan a future with you?”
“Leave that story to the gods; I will build my own world without you.”
“Betty, why?” he cried out faintly and he slumps on the chair on the way out of the room. Betty picks the One Million and the Six Million belonging to Bolu and disappears into the thin air. She thereafter lives under cover because no one could finger her among the numerous possible accused persons.
Now, the truth is out in the open. Betty is taken to the court while Stanley’s case is struck out. The family is happy, so is The Boudahas political associates and his well wishers. But his political foes were ashamed. The end of this matter further made Stanley to become popular and well known in the country because it turns out to be a case well followed.
“My husband,” Kate stands with opened arms to receive Stanley. “I am sorry for not trusting you enough.” Stanley holds her firmly to himself. This is not the time to argue on anything.
“Thank you for the role you played in nabbing Betty. If we hadn’t gotten her through the help of Dan, I might have become the scapegoat for her nefarious acts of wickedness.” His phone rings and it is Susan. “Susan is calling,” he tells Kate.
Kate smiles, “I trust you darling. Pick it boy.”
“Congratulations Stanley for your vindication,” Susan talks into the phone.
“Thank you for always believing in me.” He replies. Kate looks a little displeased.
“Greet Kate on my behalf.” Susan drops.
Stanley resumes back fully into his business with no case to answer anymore; Betty on the other hand is sentenced for murder in spite of her numerous pleas.
Susan faces her work in her school and Kate is learning to be a good house wife in spite of her fears. Susan is her nightmare. The Boudahas are still afraid Susan will not wake up in Stanley’s life.
Who owns Stanley: Susan or Kate?
We are soon rounding up on SUSAN
WATCH OUT FOR ASABI… ROMANCE IN AN AFRICAN VILLAGE
