The Veil

A bead of sweat striped down Tokunbo's forehead and his hand got into dither as he held the remote he used to change the channel he was watching on Gotv from Nat Geo Wild to NTA News 24 to see another breaking news of unveiling murderer that has painted the city of Ìbàdàn blue and infiltrated anxiety both in the lives of citizens and aliens. The murderer identity is unknown despite the police's, coupled with intelligent detectives, trials. Their operation is clean. Their movement is smart; and their appearance is that of a ghost. Oft-times, the police have tried to catch them, but seems they are more smarter and well trained to be an assassin. Because it is known to them how to perfect their operation without any trace.

Tokunbo has just got a call from his coadjutor that he should switch to NTA News 24 to inspect what has just happened. The news penetrated Tokunbo and dwelled catatonia on the terrace of his face. His chest buzzed with fear. Many thoughts ran through his mind and fell him into unconsciousness as he saw the news. He thought how could they find it difficult, as trained detectives, to find a single trace or identity of a murderer that is sending the peace of the country in cataclysm. How incompetent they are for failing to unveil the veil of a murderer!

He thought what other method they could use to get the glom of the murderer after they were exhausted of strategies, but failure captured his sense of reasoning and crashed his thoughts on the verge of emptiness. The news reported the second person died no sooner he had returned from his office than he was shot.

Affluence and influence announced the popularity of Chief Popoola both in the city and abroad. Herewith, his death was widely spread like a fire in the harmattan and made people wondered how smart the murderer was to be able to rigged its way to kill him despite his hefty security that man his mansion. This gave Tokunbo unrelenting stillness about the case and doubt if they would be capable to apprehend the culprit in time. His whole body was paralyzed with confusion.

The news ended fifteen minutes after, but Tokunbo failed to cart off his Oblivion till he was jolted and brought back to normality by his bothersome, but rather whiz, bantam boy.

"How could it possible for the parlous murderer to manage to win all these games? How?", Tokunbo's brows arched as he managed to rumble the rhetorical question after he regained his dumbness.

"Who...? Which game, dad?", Yomi, Tokunbo's only child asked pell-mell.

"This is beyond the plumb level of your cognizance, son. Okay!?"

"Okay, daddy."

Consistently, maturity fills medulla oblongata of Yomi and act in such a way that gives shock and doubt his age. Not always, but babyish empties his faculty and takes over. Before the advent of 'Quietus'- the name given to the murderer as it always writes on paper and drops it on the body of their victim - Tokunbo was a loving husband who never took Folasade's - his wife - and Yomi's happiness with fickleness or allowed to be trampled.

For some months now, he rarely has time to play and be with his family any longer as he used to do before. Several times his wife has fought him, complaining his disappearance, but later succumbed to understanding.

Tokunbo rose to his feet from the sofa he was sitting facing the 37inches plasma hung on the center wall and, in confusion his legs dragged to his room. He rushed out in a jiffy and horridly took his car key on the table situated in the center of their sitting room and dashed out for his car.

Folasade heard the cracks of the door and later the sound of the car engine.

"Honey, is that you? Whither in this dead of the night?" Folasade screamed from the kitchen.

"Please, dear, there are things to peg to avoid overflowing of chaos. Hope you understand. I will stay overnight," Tokunbo's heart ran faster as he responded his wife while trying to get out of his compound.

" I should understand, but I'm scared!," panting as she was trying to rush out from the kitchen.

"You don't have to..... trust me," He said and zoomed off instantaneously.

The Creek of the fluorescent light gave unrelenting chasing to the darkness penetrating the room. Six chair were neatly arranged, facing little giant table with laptops, providing space to write. There is a wide enough passage between them to the extreme of the room. Big board was hung on the wall in the front littered with different stickers and pictures. Perchance wanted people or assassinated people. Or even missing people that are yet to be found. All these give no space for another thing even as small and tiny as needle lest if one or two stickers or pictures or other things will be removed.

Abreast of the huge board hung on the wall is a little space separated with transparent structure. The little room has its own chair and table; modern and neat. On the table is apple desktop and keyboard with carefully placed mouse. Not far beside the table was a bin holding few waste papers.

In the larger room there are three guys and two ladies sitting as forlorn and dejection wrecked their strength. Tokunbo rushed in and met absolute silence in the office. After some minutes of hysteria, he dragged a chair and crashed unconsciously on it without rambling a word. The convenience room door cracked opened and came out, adjusting his belt was a roly-poly man with broad face scattered by few bead in his fifties. He made a way to the separated office and later came out in a flash holding files in his hands. The expression on Tokunbo's, as well as his companions' faces, and the fear that seized his breath hung the belief that the man is their leader on the rope of affirmation.

They all regained their mindfulness as the man flung the files on the first table in his front and one or two files twirled to the floor. One young, smart looking lady in her thirties rose immediately and got hold of the files including the ones on the floor. They later gathered round her to probe the files.

"Those are the files that demystify all the crimes committed so far by the so-called murderer without a single identity. That shows how incompetent and slow like a snail you are. Isn't a big slap on our face to fail to apprehend just ordinary one person stirring the peaceful water of the country for five months now? Tell me!?" The man yelled in anger.

Silence…