7:00 pm
“What do you have in your boot” the policeman asked and the question made Tony’s feet jerk just like Olinlin’s feet was moving earlier “no…nothing sir… we are just coming from the hospital” Tony’s spine started to chill with fear “let me see your boot then” the policeman said.
Tony did the only thing that he could do which was to come out of the car to open the boot himself; just as he reached his hand to the button that opens the boot, his phone started to ring, he tried to bring it out of his pocket with his uninjured arm but struggled and dropped the phone.
The policeman helped him pick up the phone “oh it’s my father that is calling… he is probably worried about me” Tony played the sympathy card well, making sure that the policeman got a good view of his broken arm in a cast.
“You know what? Don’t worry… you can go” the policeman said giving Tony his phone and helping him back into the car “thank you sir” Tony said “take care of yourself” the policeman replied as he walked away unto the next car.
“Olinlin, better drive before another catastrophe happens” he commanded and Olinlin was happy to oblige… still scared as hell but very happy. “Oga I no gree say your house na the best place to go o… wetin we go first do about the thing wey dey boot” “don’t worry, let me go home first and do a few things before we think of that one” his phone began to ring again, it was his father.
“Hello, daddy good evening” “Tony, I haven’t heard from your sister since morning… have you been able to reach her?” his father sounded worried but there was nothing Tony could do but lie. He had to lie until he got home and figured out what to do next… there was no way he was going to tell his father that Janet was dead and that he had abandoned her body at home all day long without doing anything about it.
“Daddy, I called her and she didn’t pick her phone” “when was this? Because I called her five minutes ago and now her phone is switched off” Tony’s father was sure that something was wrong but he couldn’t place a finger on it.
“Daddy, I didn’t want to tell you this but I am on my way to the police station to talk to someone that can help me track her” “police station? Do I need to come down to Abuja?” “No!” Tony yelled “I mean… not yet. Let me figure it out first… at least to a certain degree” “okay, keep me posted”.
After the phone call, Tony realized that he had put himself in a fix because now that he had lied to his father about Janet; he didn’t see how he was going to tell him the truth about the circumstances surrounding her death.
“Oga, how far? That thing wey dey for boot” “Olinlin please keep quiet. I am trying to think” Tony was overwhelmed with thoughts. His phone rang again and this time it wasn’t his father; it was Anderson Chuma… Tony shrieked silently when he saw the name on his phone screen.
“Hello sir” he said with a shaky voice “Tony, come to my office now” “sir I am…” the line went off. Anderson was not ready to hear Tony’s excuse on why he couldn’t come to his office and Tony knew it. He told Olinlin to turn the car around and head for Anderson Chuma’s office.
On their way to Anderson Chuma’s office, the stress of the day was starting to hit him at a different level; thoughts of his dead sister who he abandoned in his house, Mr. Henry who was out for his head, Anderson Chuma trying to turn him into a snitch and the dead body in the boot.
Thoughts about all that were getting to Tony to the point that he started asking himself what it would be like to end it all; to leave the world and all its problems behind. He started to see freedom in death.
