It has gone south

***

The scene was flooded with the medics, the press and some CID officials. The press were talking to the medics while the camera men were taking pictures of the scene. Different sounds of sirens blared outside, some onlookers gathered distance away. They couldn't come any closer as the house was sealed with the CID yellow tape.

Cole bent down and uncovered the body, he was the only CIB cop that was present at the scene. Apparently, he called for an ambulance but the CID police showed up instead. He stared hard at the body, the blood was still gushing out from the side of the stomach and the guards phone was beside him but the screen was broken. He could tell he was shot while making the call but who could have done this?

The killer made it look like a trap

Why is the killer setting him up?

"Sir, your attention is needed in the CID interrogation room."Cole heard a voice behind him and he sprung to his feet swirling around. It was a young CID cop.

Cole shook his head, he was in for questioning.

"Alright I'll be there soon"Cole said and glanced back at the body.

"No sir, I was ordered to bring you along immediately."The young cop said fearfully.

Cole blanched, he stared at the young cop for a while. He was dressed in the CID uniform, the boy was probably a sergeant. The young man's leg twitched with uneasiness as the glare was making him scared.

"Who sent you?"Cole asked without taking off his gaze.

"Inspector kunle"

Cole smiled, he knew all along that it would be him but anyway he was going to prove who the boss really is.

"Let's go"Cole said and they both left the scene.

Minutes later, Cole found himself in the CID building. The building wasn't that tall compared to the CIB but it was well equipped with computer facilities.

Cole sat on a chair, there was an empty table in front of him. The room was empty too except for the chairs and table. He looked up, there were cameras hung up in the four corners of the room. The door suddenly flung open and Inspector kunle stepped in, he trotted to the table and sat opposite Cole. He dropped a file on the table and gazed at Cole for a while before he eventually spoke.

"Good readings to you detective Cole, I see you're surprised at the turn of things" Cole kept mute and stared into the air, he wasn't going to talk.

Inspector kunle noticed the mood he switched to, he shook his head. that wasn't going to stop him from doing his job.

"Detective, do you have any personal issue with the Guard?"

Cole looked up at him, his mouth pouted in abhorrence.

"Oh you ain't gonna talk huh?"Inspector kunle said in a raised pitched voice. "After you killed the guard, you wanna prove innocent here by not .. "

"Spare me that f****ng crap!"Cole angrily slammed the table. His eyes widened as realization hit him.

What did he just do?

They are watching! Everybody's watching!

Cole heaved a sigh and readjusted his sitting position.

"Ready to talk?"_ inspector kunle smiled.

"Not really but I will in all diligence."

kunle smiled again. He brought out the guards broken phone and a small android device.

"Look"inspector kunle showed him the device.

Cole squinted his eyes, he saw a number on the call logs of the device.

"What's this for?"Cole asked in a hoarse voice.

Inspector kunle frowned. "Isn't that your number?"

Cole squinted again; it really was his.

"It's mine"

"He called you last and then he was killed"

"I didn't kill him"Cole said tentatively.

"I didn't say you killed him"Inspector kunle objected.

Cole twitched on the chair. This wasn't going well at all.

***

Nora twitched in pain and discomfort as a bucket of cold water was poured on her face, her eyes opened slowly. Her vision was blur at first and she felt drowsy, she was seeing more than fifty faces staring down at her. It took her sometime before her vision became clear, then she saw a man seated in a chair with his legs crossed She looked around the room, squinting her eyes to accommodate the light as her head pounded with an headache, the room was quite empty. She tried to sit comfortably, but only ended up groaning loudly. She was strapped to a chair, hands and legs firmly tied.

What's happening?

She couldn't recall what happened or how she got there. It all looked like a mystery to her.

"Where am I?"her voice shrieked.

**

LOCATION: ISOLO,

LAGOS State.

TIME: 12:05pm.

Emily alighted from a commercial hired cab. She straightened her red gown and stepped into the compound as the gate was opened by the gatekeeper. She long pressed the doorbell and it rang for a couple of times before someone opened the door.

A head popped out of the door first, then the body. It was a boy of about seven years old clad in white shorts and singlet.

"Aunty Emily"the boy shouted immediately he saw her.

He ran and jumped into Emily's waiting hands in a brief hug. She let the boy down with a nourishing smile emitting from her face.

"How're you Jacob?"Emily asked as they strode into the spacious living room. "I'm fine aunty"the boy replied smiling gleefully.

"Where's your mother?"Emily asked as she sat on a couch.

"She's inside the kitchen"

"Oh! Please fetch her for me"Emily said pleadingly.

"Aunty, you didn't buy anything for me abi"

"Oh! I almost forgot, but I bought you this"Emily hurriedly brought out a wrapped parcel from her hand bag and handed it to the boy. The boy happily collected it and unwrapped it immediately.

"Wow!"The boy exclaimed as he saw what was in it; It was a big toy Jeep. "Hope you like it?"

"No aunty, I don't like it . I love it"the boy grinned showing his missing tooth. "Oh! Emily is this really you?"

A voice called and Emily looked up to see her cousin walking towards them with outstretched arms. Emily stood up and embraced her tightly, she let go afterwards.

"You never told me you were coming, I would have prepared your favorite" "No aunty, I just want to pay you a surprise visit"

"Oh! So how're you doing Emily?"she asked as she also settled down on a couch adjacent to Emily.

"Just trying to be fine aunty"Emily replied wearing a forlorn look.

"Trying to be fine? What's the problem Emily?"

"Its a long story aunty".Emily sat back resting her head on the armrest of the couch.

What other problem does she have if not Ben.

She had decided to visit her cousin all the way from River State to Isolo where she resides just to advise her on what to do even though, she herself was yet to meet Ben.

"Let me quickly call my husband, he has been wanting to meet you",Jacob'smother said as she stood up.

Emily nodded, "Have been wanting to meet him too. You know he's always not around whenever I come here_"

"Lucky you, he's around today"

Emily smiled, lucky indeed.

"Honey.. honey …"Jacob'smother called as she walked out of the sitting room. "Yes baby"a faint gruffly voice answered from inside.

"My cousin Emily is here"She shouted and strode back to her seat.

"How's life in Rivers State?"

Emily was about to answer the question when her eyes darted to the door leading to the sitting room. Her face suddenly formed to a shock demeanor as her mouth flung wide open surprised.

Ben stepped into the sitting room oblivious of Emily who had already seen him..

"Baby .. I …"the word halted in his mouth as he saw Emily. His legs became rooted to the spot and he couldn't move an inch. Jacob's mother on the other hand was all smiles. That was before she noticed the weird and intense silence from the duo. She followed Emily's shocked face and saw Richard which was the supposed Ben also shocked. Her instinct immediately told her that something was really amiss.

***

CIB TOWER

"What did you do to me!"Cole asked agitated fuming with rage, obviously in a loud pitched voice. He was previously seated in a swivel chair in his office but stood up immediately Agent bola entered his office. Cole was irked by her presence and aggravated with the fact that she didn't knock before she entered.

"keep your voice down Cole"Agent Bola said in a rather cool voice.

Cole surprisingly suppressed his furious self as his anger diminished at the thought of being in the office and at work.

"Why did you do this to me? .. Bola why?"Cole busted into fresh tears, the tears subsided and turned to sobs. He couldn't imagine betraying Nora, worst of it, she was missing and the best he could do was to sleep with some slut. Tears streamed down his face as pangs of conscience pricked him.

What had he gotten himself into?

Agent Bola on the other hand showed no remorse for what happened. Instead, she felt elated as it was now part of her achievements.

"You don't seem to care, do you?"Cole asked amidst sobs.

"No I don't,you wanted me to fix you and I did just that, so why should I care?" Cole swallowed hard, it was all his fault. He was damn f**king stupid!

He sat down slowly uttering incoherent words to himself like he was going crazy.

He was really going crazy.

A knock sounded on the door, he immediately comported himself as he sniffed and cleaned the tears and mucus that had gathered on his face with the back of his hand. Agent Bola opened the door and left without saying a word.

A young man stepped into the office after a thorough scrutiny on Agent Bola as she left.

"Good afternoon sir"He greeted.

He was dressed in the CIB uniform and his tag indicated that he was from the cyber security unit.

"How may I help you?"Cole asked in a gruffly voice which suggested that he wasn't happy with his visit .

"Sir, I have found the location of the killer"

Cole's face lit up as he heard the frolic news.

"Are you kidding me?"

It seemed as though it was the best news he had heard in years.

"No sir, am not"

"Then how did you know It's the killer's location?"Cole asked.

"I have been working on this tirelessly, day and night trying to breach the killers security wall and today, it came as a success."David said showing him the device which displayed the location.

"We need to move immediately"Cole voiced out after minutes of consideration.