Chapter 10

A woman is seen walking into a restaurant, she walks straight to a table where a man in disguise was seated.

"Sit" the man said to her, she sat down and adjusted her hat. "What do you have do you have for me today?"

"My boss, kelvin, has decided to open up a case that was abandoned, by the police some years ago, what I don't know is who this case is about but I know what it about"

"How is this supposed to be beneficial to my company? I planted you there because I want my company to surprass his".

"Sir, I heard them saying that the investigation is about an accident that occurred 22 years ago"

"Twenty two years ago??" The man exclaimed in fright.

"Yes sir, is something wrong?"

"No nothing is wrong, I want you to get as much details as you can from their findings"

"Sir, I thought you said it wouldn't be beneficial to your company, why then do you want to know about it"

"Young lady, you have no right to question me, you have to do what I am asking you to do, otherwise you know what's at stake"

"Yes sir, I will do as you have said and apart from that, there's a deal he's planning on signing with Mr Kong a very rich buisness man from china"

"Very well, you've done well, my future daughter in-law, now run along before your absence is noticed"

"Okay sir" she said before leaving left the Cafe back to the Black's mansion.

****

"Alexa, where have you been? I thought we resolved this already, you can only go home on weekends"

"I'm sorry sir, something urgent came up and I couldn't think of any other thing but to attend to it"

"You did not consider taking permission before leaving?"

"Sir, like I said, it was very urgent, I didn't even have time to think"

"What's so urgent?"

"My foster mum had an accident, I had to go and stay with her at the hospital since Olivia couldn't make it on time"

"You forgot you can't go out anyhow until the rumors on the media is resolved"

"Sir, I lost my parents, I couldn't do anything to save them, I would not let it happen to the woman that has done nothing but show me love and care, I had to be there to sign the documents for the commencement of her surgery, I had to be there until I was convinced that she survived it.

Kelvin was dumbfounded, he had blamed her for staying out the whole day, without trying to find out the reason. He thought of what it felt like to one's parents.

"Sir, please I had a long day, I need to rest my head"

Kelvin observed her, she looked tired and famished "Have you at least had something to eat" kelvin found himself asking.

"No sir, I lost my appetite" Alexa went upstairs and laid down to sleep without removing her clothes.

Earlier today, she had received a call, from an unknown number, asking her to come to the hospital, that her foster Mom was involved in a ghastly accident. Alexa immediately rushed to the hospital with a taxi, when she got there she met her foster mum in a very critical condition, she broke down in tears, a kind nurse ushered her out of the room consoling her and asking her to have hope, just then the doctor came out of the ward with an uncertain look on his face. Alexa ran to him.

"How's she doctor? Is she going to make it? Tell me there's something we can do to save her please"

"Calm down madam, she's in a critical condition right now, but I think there's something we can do"

"Well the get to it already"

"We need you to perform a surgery on her, but, we cannot do that if you we don't have your consent"

"You have my consent already"

"Well then you need to sign this" he said handing her a paper. Alexa took the pen and read the content of the paper, She started having second thoughts 'what if she doesn't make it? What am I going to tell Olivia?' she was snapped out of her thoughts by the doctor.

"I'm afraid Ma'am, we don't have much time to waste" Alexa quickly signed the paper with shaky hands and handed it over to the doctor.

"You also need to make a deposit of $20,000 before we can commence"

Without thinking twice, Alexa quickly transferred the money to them "can get it already?"

"Sure" They went into the ward and wheeled her mum straight to the operation room.

Alexa called Olivia while waiting but it wasn't connecting, 'where would she be by this time?', After about 50 minutes, the doctor came out of the surgery room with a hint of excitement in his face,

"How's she?"

"We were able to save her, but she's recuperating so you cannot see her now"

"Ohh, thank you very much doctor, I'm so relieved and happy"

"I'm doing my job" he smiled at her as he went past her.

Olivia came into the hospital in the evening and met Alexa looking very haggard, her hair was already ruffled, her eyes were red and swollen. Olivia hugged her as they both cried together.

"I am really very sorry, I was in a meeting with my boss and we we're asked to switch off our phones, it was after the meeting that I saw your text so I rushed down to the hospital"

"It's fine, I understand"

"How's mum?"

"She was in a pretty bad condition, I had to sign the surgery papers Because according to the doctor, there was no much time left"

"Okay so how's she now?"

"She's very much more okay but we can't see her now according to the doctor because she still recuperating"

"Oh Alexa I don't know what I would have done without you, thank you very much"

"It's nothing, she's my mum too"

"I know, it's not everyone that would acknowledge that, you type is really rare, thank you so much"

"It's okay"

"Who paid the bills?"

"What bills?" Alexa asked pretending not to know.

"The bills before surgery commenced"

"Ohh, I did"

"Okay so I'll have to transfer it back to you then" she said bringing out her phone.

"Umm, Olivia, is that really necessary? I paid it because it's mum's, you don't need to pay me back"

"I know Alexa, I'm no doing it the way you're thinking, you've been with mum since morning, please let me do this" she pleaded.

"No"

"Alexa, it's not time to be strong headed, remember you're saving that money for something huge, I don't want this to spoil your plans"

"But..."

"No buts please, let me do this"

Alexa eventually gave in after series of pleading and and convincing l, Olivia sent the money to her and went to the doctors office to complete the payment.

When she got back, Alexa was sleeping on one of the chairs. Olivia tapped her lightly and she woke up.

"Alexa, pleas go home and have some rest, you've overworked you body and mind today,"

"No, I want to stay with mum, I want to see her open her eyes"

"Don't worry, nothing will happen to mum, I am here and I can take care of her till tomorrow"

"I am going nowhere Olivia, I want to say with mum" she insisted.

"Mum will be fine, please go home and get some sleep or something, I don't want you falling sick and being in the hospital with mum, please Alexa, one casualty is enough please" she pleased with her

"Okay fine, promise me you would take good care of mum"

"Of course I will, she'll be fine" Olivia assured her.

Alexa sluggishly picked up her keys and went to look for a taxi, it took her 30 minutes to find one and he charged her an extra because it was very late.

On the way home, Alexa kept reciting the speech she'd tell her boss, not only was she late, she also went out without permission.

When she got to the Black's mansion, she went inside, removed her flip-flops to tip toe across the living room when a voice stopped her, it turned out to be her boss.

******

Kelvin sat in his study, going through the book his father had given him regarding the Andersons accident, something caught his attention so he brought out his phone and placed a call across Anthony.

"Hey, man, what's good?" Anthony asked.

"I just discovered something about that accident from the book Dad gave me" he announced.

"Okay, I'm all ears".

"Well, the accident occured at night, according to what is written, it was raining and the road was slippery, after the accident when the rescues checked the car, they realized it had faulty breaks"

"Whoa, that is it, but aren't there CCTV cameras on the road? We could at least check them to see wat exactly happened"

"Well, it says here that the CCTV cameras were faulty that night, that raises my suspicions on the accident"

"Exactly, the accident was a planned one and whoever planned it is either very rich, skilled or has connections because no trace was left".

"Dad said the vehicle compressed because it hit a tree, I know car accidents like this happen but the fact that the CCTV cameras were faulty that night makes it even more suspicious"

"We need to talk more about this, at your place" kelvin said.

"I'm coming over right now"

"I'll be expecting you"

Kelvin hung up, put the book in a bag and headed out, he heard receding footsteps, ' could it be that someone was spying on me while I was on call' he thought. He opened the door to check who it was and found Alexa standing at the door, she was about knocking when he opened the door.

"Sir, please I need your permission to go see my mum at the hospital, Olivia would be going to work so I need to be there with Mum, just Incase she wakes up".

"How long have you been standing here" he asked suspiciously.

"Not too long, three seconds before you opened the door"

"Okay, you have my permission"

"Thank you very much sir" she said and left.

Kelvin drove to Anthony's house, he was welcomed by the Andersons, they prepared a very nice meal for him, after eating, they settled down to talk.

"According to my findings, you car had faulty breaks before you headed out with it, were you aware of that?" Kelvin asked them

"No, the driver assured us the car was in a good state"

"Wait, you had a driver??"

"Yes"

"How long did he work for you?"

"Three years before the accident" Mr Anderson replied

"Did he drive you that night?"

"the driver had informed us that day, that he wouldn't be able to drive us because his wife was sick and there was no one to take care of her"

"He assured you that, the car was in good state" kelvin asked trying to figure out something.

"Yes, there's this guy that he brings to service the cars and the he does it very well, that day, the mechanic had just finished checking out the car and he said everything was in a perfect condition"

"Have you heard from this driver ever since the accident?"

"No, we haven't"

"Is there anything you still remember about this driver, anything at all that can lead us to him"

"I think I still have his passport from when I employed him, I also remember the organization that recommended him to me" Mr conrad said.

"So can I have them?"

"They're in our house, I cannot go there without being noticed"

"Disguise" Anthony suggested "you have to put on disguise"

"Great idea, Anthony, you will accompany him to their mansion, I'll send some guys with you"

"Kelvin, I know you're doing much for us already but please help us find our children, I have this feeling that they're still alive" Lucille pleaded in tears.

"Don't worry about that Ma'am, I'll do the best I can to find your children"

Mr Anderson turned to his wife and said " darling, don't put much pressure on him, I completely support the fact that you're looking out for our children, but also remember that the accident was a ghastly one, no child could have survived that, I don't mean to discourage you my love" Mrs Anderson starts sobbing, her husband consoles her.

"So I'll be expecting to hear from you this afternoon" kelvin said as he stood up to leave "I've seen the sales the company made recently, it's really awesome, Anthony, please do take good care of them, I'll be on my way".

*****

Alexa reached the hospital and met Olivia already dressed for work, Alexa handed her a flask containing the food she'd made that morning before Olivia went to work

As she entered the hospital room, she saw her mom lying still, connected to various machines. Alexa's heart sank, but she refused to lose hope. She knew her mom was a fighter, and she believed in the power of love and positive energy

Alexa spent every moment by her mother's side, talking to her, playing her favorite music, and reminiscing about their cherished memories together. She felt a deep connection, believing her mother could hear her words and feel her presence

In the afternoon, when Olivia comes back from work, she would take over and watch her for some time until it was time to go home.

********

At 9:pm that night, kelvin was in the study preparing for the next days work when he received a call from Anthony, they had gone to the Andersons house, retrieved the driver's passport and some other information they'd labelled valid. Anthony told him the man's name, then sent the passport and other documents through WhatsApp.

Kelvin asked Anthony to use the information he had at hand to find out more about this driver while he meets with the company that refered the driver.

Kelvin abandoned work and focused on finding the driver, he typed in the name and different results appeared on the screen, he carefully scrollled through them until one of the pictures caught his attention, he zoomed it properly and found out it was same as the passport he had been sent earlier.

He went through the man's details, jotting down the things he labelled important. In the process, kelvin started feeling sleepy, he quickly gathered the things on the table, put them in order, carried his laptop and went to his room.

*******

Kelvin went to the organization that recommended the driver to the Andersons, much to his relief they were still in ...,..... He went in and asked to meet their manager, he was led to the manager's office with immediate effect. He was expecting to see an old man, or better still a man of about his dad's age but the manager turned out to be a young man like him. 'what would he know about a case of 22 years ago' kelvin thought to himself.

"Please have a sit Mr kelvin" the manager offered snapping kelvin out of his thoughts. Kelvin then took a seat opposite him. "I am derrick, the manager of this place, How may we be of help to you?" the manager asked.

"If you are the new manager of this place, how would you know of a staff, 25 years ago?" Kelvin questioned him.

His presence and question felt intimidating but the manager refused to be intimidated by him, "sir, ask what you would like to know, let's see if we can help"

"Well, I am here to enquire about a staff, 25 years back, he worked for the Andersons as a driver, he was recommended by this organization"

"What is it, you want to know about this man?"

"It would be more like intruding his privacy, but this is a very serious case, I would like to know where he lives"

"Sir, things like that are not easily disclosed"

"Who was the former manager of this place?"

"That would be my Dad"

"Very well then, I'd like to see your Dad"

"That would be impossible sir, my dad, is pretty busy at the moment"

"If I don't get to see your Dad this minute, I would make sure you don't get to sit in this office again, not minding the fact your Dad owns this place" kelvin threatened in anger.

"If you think, you can come into my office and speak to me anyhow, you must be mistaking, who the f**k do you think you are? Some president's son?"

"I am convinced you don't know who you're speaking to, I'd do you the favour of telling you who I am, I am Kelvin Black, CEO of the Black's Empire, owner of it's branches in three different countries, I do not think you'd like to get in my bad side"

The shock on Derrick's face was unexplainable, his face turned white, like blood had been drained from him.

"Sir, I am really very sorry sir, please pardon my manners, I didn't know it was you" he apologized.

"Is that how you disrespect people?"

"No sir, about the.."

"I need to see your father" kelvin interrupted.

"Give me a minute sir" Derrick dialed his Dad and spoke with him for a while mentioning Kelvin's name. "Sir please come with me" he said after he hung up.

Kelvin followed him to an office in a hidden part of the building, there Derrick's father was, going through some files, as soon as he sighted kelvin, the plastered a smile on his face and stood up to welcome him, he offered kelvin a chair on one of the cushions.

"Leave us" he said to derrick, derrick left and closed the door after him. "To what do I owe this visit Mr kelvin?"

"I have not come to visit, but to make enquires on of your staffs, Peter Jones by name"

The old man gave a light laugh making kelvin wonder if he sounded funny earlier. "Well I have been waiting for this time, Peter Jones, was the driver the Andersons driver before the accident occured, what do you want to know about him?"

"I want to know where he went after the accident"

"Where he went, wasn't known to us, the only thing we know and have, is his personal details before he was employed and during the time he worked for the Andersons, after the accident, he changed his number and no one was able to reach him since then, although we heard rumors that he left the country with his wife, it wasn't verified" the old man explained.

"That means, he did not come back here after what happened?"

"He didn't"

"Okay" kelvin paused to think for a while "let me have his details you have with you" kelvin requested.

The old man stood up, went to a shelf where he had hidden Peter Jones files. He brought it out, he dusted it and handed the file to Kelvin.

"I hope this helps you find the culprit behind the Andersons death"

"I hope so too" kelvin shook hands with the man and stood up to leave, "tame your wild cat Derrick, so he doesn't bring down this organization". Kelvin warned before hitting the road.