(Season 1): GENEVIEVE COLE. E6

For the previous episode, click Love, Flowers and Tomiwa 

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Episode 6 Title: Bloody Valentine

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Quincy and I had few drinks together before I went back home. I wanted to ask about Uncle Freddie but held back because I did not want to cry and see his son's mood change into a disheartened one. We only spoke about the NIB, how to work harder and solve murder cases together.

I arrived home, had a warm bath and went to bed in my sleepwear. I sent Oscar a text, informing him to expect me in the afternoon the next day. I tried to close my eyes to sleep but it could not come. My thoughts travelled back to when I ended the torture my father laid on me.

That day, I cooked dinner, boiled yam and pepper sauce for my father and I. I ate mine and waited for him to come. He arrived very late and I had already slept on the long couch in the living room. I felt a hand touching my breast and I woke up to see my drunkard father. He came top of me but I summoned courage and pushed him hard away from me. He slapped me hard! He ordered me to lie down back for him to penetrate me but at that time, I was done, prepared to fight for my self-worth.

I noticed his pistol on the table and as he tried to pull me down, I raced to get his gun. He laughed and insulted me. he called me a lowlife and a wretched brat.

“You can’t do without me!!!”

I can still remember those awful words he yelled at me. 

As I pointed the gun at him, tears came falling from my eyes.

“Give me the gun!!!”

“I can’t.” I said as I cried.

“I will strangle you to death if you don’t give me the gun and lie down!”

“I will kill you if you come close to me. I swear, I will pull the trigger!”

My unapologetic father laughed at me scornfully. “You are nothing! You can never do that. You are a scared little rat!” He came closer.

“Stay away from me!!”

“How can I stay away when you can never help yourself! You can’t do anything!!!” He came forward and then I closed my eyes and shot him. 

I waited for some seconds before I opened my eyes, I saw my deceased father on the floor. Blood gushed out from his forehead.

I panicked and dropped the gun on the ground. I was nervous on what to do. I checked for his phone inside his wallet and dialed my mother younger sister number to tell her my predicament. Ever since my mother and older sibling ran away, Aunty Bimbo stayed back and always came to check on me. When she told my father she wanted to take me with her, he threatened to kill her and feed her dead body to the dogs if she ever tried it. The day I told her about the rape, she cried and cursed my mother for abandoning me.

“Please endure.” she said to me in an emotional tone. “It’s just for a short period of time.”

Aunty Bimbo ordered me to stay put and wait for her. She was living close to us at that period. She rushed to the house in the middle of the night. My aunty and i took risk by leaving the house with my father body wrapped in a big cloth. We went to a bush where my aunt dug a dip pit and placed him inside. She switched off his phone, gun and threw them inside the pit.

The next morning, we both went to the police station to make a report that my father was missing. When we left the station, Aunty Bimbo spoke to me,

“Now that you are free from your heartless father, what do you want to do in life?”

“I want to be able to help people.”

“How?”

“I want to help people that were killed. I don’t ever want their killers to get away with murder.”

She smiled at me. “I will help you in any way I can.”

Ever since that day, the missing case of my departed father was never solved. No one knows what happened to him. The secret of his death was between Aunty Bimbo, Uncle Freddie and me.

I opened up to him when I knew he was a nice and kindhearted man. The best boss and director I ever had. I wept that day, telling him I was a killer.

Uncle Freddie said to me in a sincere and calm voice. “You are not a killer Jenny. You defended yourself. You had no choice but to fight for you deserve.”

“Which is?” I asked.

“Your freedom and dignity.” As I remember his wonderful words, I smiled and shut my eyes to sleep.

******

The next day, I received a text message from Oscar, he asked me if I was still coming to his house. I replied him with a positive answer. I did my morning chores, brushed my teeth, bathed and got dressed to go to church.

After service, I went back home to change into something simple. I made a cup of tea and drank before going to Oscar’s house. His eight years old pretty daughter ran to meet me. 

She welcomed me with a warm hug. My colleague gave me a smile. I presumed he was happy I came.

Oscar wife died after childbirth and he took care of his daughter and refused to remarry. I knew his daughter when he started to bring her to the office after she had closed from school. She was very comfortable around me and I loved her.

“Aunty Genevieve,” the little girl said to me. “I miss you.”

“I miss you too.”

There was no need to cook, Oscar had prepared fried rice, coleslaw and fried beef. The three of us ate at the dining table. When we finished eating, I washed the dishes and Oscar turned on the TV for his daughter to watch a Tom and Jerry cartoon. The both of us went to sit at his veranda. He left me and came back with a wrapped gift.

“Happy valentine Genevieve.”

I was short of words. “I..I totally forgot today was valentine. I’m so sorry, I did not get you anything.”

He beamed. “I understand.”

I took it from Oscar and opened it. It was a beautiful necklace and earrings. 

I gave it back to him. “Thank you but I can’t accept it.”

“But why?” he asked in a surprised tone.

“This looks like an expensive one and it’s not right.”

“I have been saving the money for the past one year just for me to get you something special.”

“Something special?” I asked to understand what he meant.

“I love Genevieve and I want to be the man in your life.”

I stared at him stunned. Words fail me.

Oscar continued. “I know you love my daughter and you are the best person to replace her mother. I really want you. I have always loved you.”

I swallowed and said, “But I don’t love you this way, I love you like a brother.”

“I know but we can still be together.”

“You know I don’t believe in love.”

“I know but it should not stop us from being together. I will give you time to think about it but please accept my gift.”

I shook my head. “I can’t.”

He looked at me in a saddened facial appearance. “I know you will wear this special gift. Someday you will.”

I had nothing to say to him. My phone rang and it was Leroy calling. I received the call.

“Hello,” I waited for him to talk. “Are you serious?....Okay, I will be right there.” I ended the phone call. I rose on my feet.

Oscar stood up too and asked me, “Anything the problem?”

“Detective Leroy called to inform me of a murder case.”

“Where?”

“In a hotel. A body was found in the room.”

“How did he find out about it?”

“Leroy took his wife there, remember today is valentine.”

“Someone was murdered on a valentine’s day?”

“Yes and I am about to go and investigate the case.”

“Yvonne will not be happy.”

“I know and that is why you will be the one to tell her I am gone. Please explain things to her.”

“I will.” He leaned close and pecked me on the right cheek.

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I arrived at the location of the hotel and one of the hotel attendants took me to the crime scene. I saw Leroy and Quincy at the doorpost of the room. I greeted the two of them.

“You and I will investigate the case,” the director said to me. “Leroy should go home and be with his wife.”

“Okay sir.” Leroy said.

“Where is your wife?” I asked him.

“She has gone home.”

“Send my regards to her.”

“I will.” He gave me a peck on the cheek before he left. My boss and I entered into the room, doctor Ibinabo’s team were there for DNA evidence. I saw blood littered every corner of the room. I felt like vomiting, I have never seen a crime scene so bloody except in a horror movie. 

The victim, a young man likely to be between twenty five to twenty eight years old had severe injury on his forehead. One of the walls in the room had a huge amount of blood on it and that could be where the victim’s head was smashed on. He bled through the injury on his head and a sharp object unknown thrust inside his stomach. The room was scattered, the chairs, table turned upside down without the murder weapon in sight.

“What could have happened here?” I asked.

“I am thinking the victim and the penetrator fought.”

“The amount of blood here might not be only from the victim.”

“That’s why the forensic team are here to collect evidence from the blood.”

“Valentine’s day is supposed to be a day of love,” I said. “This is bloody valentine.”

“Only God knows what caused this bloodbath.”

“Do we have a witness?” I asked.

“One of the cleaners, a woman said she saw a man rushing out from the room. She didn’t look at his face and that means she won’t be able to identify him.”

“A man is the killer.”

“Exactly.”

“Did she see him injured?”

“She did not take note of that.”

“Was anything stolen?”

“I don’t think so.” he replied and cleared his throat. “I think everything is intact but there’s something you need to know.”

“What?”

“We saw some pornographic magazines on his table.”

I looked at him surprised. ”So? Today is valentine, maybe he does not have a girlfriend and wanted to pleasure himself.”

“They are gay magazines.”

I widened my eyes. “He was gay?”

“I think so. I have called the first person I saw on his phone received record and he is expecting us.”

“And who is that?”

“He’s elder brother. He screamed when I told him the news. I have called doctor Ibinabo to help us inform her forensic team to hasten the blood test. I need the result as soon as possible.”

I checked the time on my wristwatch; it was 2:30pm. As we walked outside together, Quincy asked me a question.

“You don’t look like someone coming directly from your house,” he said. “Are you coming from somewhere?”

I halted and he did the same. We faced each other.

“I am not your girlfriend.”

He smiled cheerfully. “This is me asking as a friend.”

I told him I went to Oscar’s place.

“I never knew you were very close to him like that.”

“I am close to the three of them. Oscar asked me out today. He gave me an expensive gift but I rejected it.”

Quincy did not look surprise. “You have a good heart. I am sure it's not only Oscar that is interested in you, others in the NIB will but can’t reveal it to you.”

“He knows I love his daughter and that is what he is using to get to me.”

This time he looked at me with a puzzled expression. “Are you going to consider him?”

“I don’t know.”

“But I thought you said you don’t believe in love.”

“Of course I don’t but I believe in marriage, I believe two people who understand each other, think similarly can come together and live in harmony. I want children and I know it will happen in future, I have never thought about getting married but having my own kids.”

“How do you intend to do that if you have never thought about marriage?”

“Don’t really know.”

“Will you consider Oscar?” Quincy asked me in a low voice.

“I don’t know, all I want to do for now is do what I know how to do best. Let’s go catch the murderer.”

******

We arrived to see the victim’s brother, a female housekeeper led the way to meet him in his large living room. Mr. Ken was seated on a single sofa and he appeared distraught with the bad news.

The two of us remained standing.

“I am sorry for your loss.” I said to him. “Do you have any suspects?”

“Not really. The only person he was having issues with was my personal assistant.”

“What issues?”

“I think it’s over money.”

“Are you aware that your brother was gay?” Quincy asked.

He looked at him surprised. “How did you know my brother was homosexual?”

“I want you to answer my question.” My partner said in a serious tone.

“I never approved of his lifestyle, in fact we quarreled in the morning over his sexually, that's why he left the house and went to lodge in a hotel but l loved my brother so much! I never should have allowed him to leave, maybe he would still be alive. If you want to point me as a suspect, you are wrong because I will never do anything to hurt him.”

“Did you go out today?”

“No.”

“What about your parents?’ I asked.

“My parents are no more. Now my brother is gone and I am all alone.” He said and cried out.

I waited for a minute before I asked, “Where is your personal assistant?”

“He is not around, I gave him a day off because today is valentine and I don’t think he will do such a heartless thing.”

“Why would you say that?”

“How can he kill his boss brother? I pay him well.”

“What is your profession?” Quincy asked.

“I'm a business man. I sell cars.”

The housekeeper came to give her master a glass of cold water to drink. She looked straight into my eyes and I wondered why?

“Do you mind if we conduct a blood test for you?” I asked.

“Are you still calling me a suspect?”

“Don’t you want us to find who killed your brother?”

“Of course I want you to find out who murdered my brother!”

“What did your brother do for a living?”

“He worked as my manager.”

My director spoke, “We need the phone numbers of your employees.”

“That is not a problem.”

He shouted his housekeeper's name. She came and he ordered her to bring his phone, a biro and paper. She went and came back with them. Mr. Ken searched for their names and phone numbers and wrote them down. He stretched his hand and gave it to his housekeeper to give my partner. She gave it to him and still peered into my eyes before walking away.

“Thank you for your time.” Quincy said to him. “We will be back.”

He refused to stand up and walk with us outside. That did not bother me because I was wondering why his housekeeper made those eye contacts with me. I told Quincy about it and we decided to come back the next day. We entered into our own cars and I drove behind him.

We reached one of the workers of Mr. Ken, Paul, he had an alibi, he was with his girlfriend but he gave us a shocking news.

“Mr. Ken personal assistant is dead.”

“What!!” My partner and I exclaimed.

“When? ?” I quickly asked.

“In the morning.”

“Who told you?”

“His sister called me because we are friends.”

“But Mr. Ken did not say anything about it.”

“The time she told me, she said she tried to reach him on the phone but could not.”

“What is the cause of death?”

“He was stabbed in the stomach. The police is investigating the case.”

I gazed at Quincy. “I don’t think this is about the sexuality that killed the first victim, this cannot be a coincidence. What do you think?”

“Mr. Ken might be hiding something.”

“Maybe that’s why his housekeeper kept looking at me. I am sure she wanted to say something.”

“Let me call Dr. Ibinabo, maybe she might have something to help us.”

My director placed a call to her. They spoke for few minutes before he cut the call.

“What did she say?” I asked.

“I want us to drive in my car,” he said. “We will come back for your vehicle. Is that okay by you?”

“Yes.”

We got inside his car and as we drove he said to me.

“Doctor Ibinabo said the victim had defensive wounds.”

“That means he fought back.”

“Yes. There were also damages on his right fist and that tells us that he must have injured his killer.”

“I noticed something about the victim’s brother.”

“What did you notice?”

“All through we were there, he was seated in one position. I can tell he might be going through pain. He did not even stand to walk us to the door at least to motivate us with words to help find out who murdered his brother.”

“If really he is the killer, he lied about loving his brother. I am sure his sexuality really upset him and that made him turn his hate for his brother homosexuality into rage.”

”The only thing to prove our theory is to find something to link us to his brother’s death. But what about his assistant?”

"We will find out the truth when we get there."

We arrived at Mr. Ken’s house and his housekeeper welcomed us inside.

“Where is your boss?”

“He’s in the bathroom. Let me tell him you are both here.”

I refused to let her go but ask her a question.

“Was your boss really at home throughout today?”

Her eyes were sad. “Please don’t tell him I told you anything.”

“I promise not to say anything.”

“My boss left the house this morning and came back in the afternoon. There was blood on his shirt.”

"Do you know anything about your boss PA?" Quincy asked. 

She turned her back to check If he was coming. She looked at us. "I don't really know if I am right but I suspected my boss brother and the PA to be having an affair. 

My partner and I stared at other. 

We heard Mr. Ken screamed her name. She ran and left us to answer him.

After few minutes, he came to meet us.

“Any latest?” he asked.

“I want you to open your shirt.” I said in a strict tone.

“For what?!”

“My partner just ordered you to pull your shirt and as the boss of NIB, I command you to remove it.”

“I did not kill my brother!!! You have no evidence.”

I said to him. “If you don’t have any injury on your body, you can sue us.”

Mr. Ken had no other choice, he unbuttoned his shirt, without removing it completely, my partner and I saw his bandaged abdomen. 

"You killed your brother you murderer!!" I bellowed and pressed his wound. He wailed in pain. I was very angry! Quincy held me back.

I asked. "We know about the death of your Personal Assistant. Why did you kill him?"

"I warned him to stay away from my brother!!"

My director said,"It was their life, you don't have the right to take someone's life. You have no heart. Where is the murder weapon?" 

"I threw it away. I don't regret killing them. There were an embarrassment to me!" He laughed. 

I said. "You are under arrest for the murder of your brother and personal assistant."

After we got him arrested, we took him to the cell before he will be taken to court for his verdict.. 

On our way back to get my car, Quincy talked about the case."How Can a brother kill his own flesh and blood? It's pathetic!" 

"I am not in support of their sexually but they deserved to live."

"It's 7pm already, should we hang out?"

I shook my head. "I want to go home and rest." 

"We need it."

I thought quietly to myself as Quincy drove, If I told him I killed my father, will he understand? Will he still be attracted to me? 

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To be continued on Wednesday evening.