(Season 3): GENEVIEVE COLE. E4

To read the previous episode, click Resolution, Sonia and Emotions

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Episode 4 Title: Searching For Answers

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“Hello,” Jennifer said after she answered Genevieve’s call. “How are you?”

“I don’t think I am fine Jenny.” She said on her bed in Oscar’s house early in the morning. She was not nervous about breakfast for Yvonne, her nanny always resumed work in the morning every weekend to attend to her.

“What happened?”

Genevieve explained about the break up between Quincy and herself.

“Are you for real?” she asked in a surprised tone. “Why didn’t you tell me, mummy or Aunty Bimbo about it? I am sorry he never told you about it but if he is truly apologetic about it, you didn’t’ have to break up the relationship.”

“It was the right thing for me to do Jennifer,” she said and sighed. “There is a problem.”

“What problem dear?”               

“We slept together… in his office!”

Jennifer burst out laughing loud. “You slept with him in his office? When?”

“Yesterday! I couldn’t look him in the eyes. I didn’t even know what was happening until we finished making love.”

“Hmmmm… I think he was irresistible for you to say no. He must have tasted like honey and sugar mixed together, yummy and too sweet!”

“This isn’t funny!” she uttered but giggled like a teenager in love with her secondary sweetheart.

“Of course not, it is serious because you still love him and the both of you should get back together. What really happened after having sex?”

“I left him in the office without saying a word!”

“Just like that?”

“Yes! I don’t know how I will face him on Monday morning! I will have to pretend it never happened.”

“After you have enjoyed him and absorbed his strength?”

Genevieve smiled hard, shook her head and waited before she said with seriousness. “I don’t know what to do?”

“Answer me and don’t ask me any more questions,” Jennifer said thoughtfully. ”Do you still love him?”

“Yes!”

“Then talk to him! The two of you have to talk about what happened and work towards being together as a couple again. You have every right to be with him as long as that other woman is no longer in his life. Look at my situation now, after my friends, you, mother and Aunty Bimbo said that I should leave my husband after he apologized for beating me several times. He has stopped hitting me after he fell on his knees before he travelled out of the country. Chinedu is truly regretful for what he did in the past. He has been back for close to a month now and he has been the sweetest partner ever! He has changed Genny. I gave him another chance and he has proved to everyone that doubted my marriage that I made the right choice by staying by his side. I will be going to the hospital in the afternoon.”

“Are you sick?”

“I have been feeling feverish for some days now,” she replied. “I need to see a doctor.”

“Maybe you are pregnant.”

“I pray so but I don’t want to put my hope high and at the end of the day, it’s nothing but fever.”

“I understand.”

“What I am trying to tell you is,” she said. “Some people deserve a second chance, not everyone though. There are some men, and women that are not ready to change, and those are the ones you should give up on, if Quincy is remorseful for keeping such from you, be with him, and forgive him for his ignorance. You should be by his side as his girlfriend and not only as his partner at work.”

“What about Oscar?” Genevieve asked in a concerned tone. “How can I tell him I have to go back to Quincy, I have not seen him this morning, I have not gotten up from my bed and he will be wondering what really happened after Quincy walked him out of his office.”

“Who is Oscar?”

“Oh! I don’t think I have told you about him. Aunty Bimbo knows about him.”

“I do not care who Oscar is and I don’t want to know. I am more concerned about you and Quincy Harvey. Get back together!”

“Thank you sis.”

“You are welcome.”

“My regards to your husband and don’t forget to share the good news!”

Jennifer grinned. “I hope so and I will. Don’t make a mistake my sister, give Quincy another chance. He deserves it.”

“I know.”

*****

Quincy was still on his bed, thinking of Genevieve, the sex and the sweet words she said to him. He wondered why she left his office without talking to him. He noticed she was a bit shy when the sweet lovemaking was over. She could not face him, instead she walked out from his office after she wore her pantie and adjusted her skirt. He wanted to ask if she could follow him home and talk but she was in a hurry to leave his atmosphere. He let her be.

The heavy bang on his door released him from smiling. He got up in his black sleek pajamas and went to check who was knocking.

He did not ask but opened the door to scream at the person. The two of them were astounded to see each other.

“What are you doing here?” Quincy asked him.

“I…I thought Bridget still lived here.” Oscar stuttered. He turned his back, to leave.

“Bridget is no longer in Nigeria. She has gone back to where she came from.”

He rotated back to face Quincy. “She has what?”

“Left.” He replied. “She’s no longer interested in your deal.”

“But… but she never told me that.”

“Well, she never had the time to do that because I offered her a better deal to leave me alone for the rest of my life.”

Oscar tightened his hard face. His eyes red were reddish. “She has backed out from our plan?”

Quincy stepped out, closed his door and stood a bit closer to him. “What did you offer Bridget?”

“That’s none of your business!”

He smiled broadly and scratched his scanty beards gently. He brought down his hand and pointed at him. “It is my business because you went behind my back to bring a heartless crazy woman back to my life. I am delighted she can no longer give me headache anymore. I know Bridget loves sex, travel, and money.  Did you offer her money and even if you did, you can’t pay her huge. Tell me what she agreed to collect from you?”

He shook his head.  “I have nothing more to say to you.”

“Of course you do because you are after my happiness! You made sure Genevieve broke up with me but I promise you, I will win at the end.”

“You are the one after my happiness!” Oscar screamed. “I have endured enough and I will make Genevieve mine by force if you don’t back out!”

Quincy Harvey laughed aloud mockingly to spite Oscar. “Genevieve has always been mine. She can never be yours and you can go and ask her.”

“She has refused to come out from her room before I came here,” he said. “What did you discuss with her after I left your office?”

“Genevieve never told you what happened?” he asked and folded his hands.

“What happened?” he asked.

“Ask her yourself and leave my house now!”

“You think because you are my boss, you suspended me and got away with it,” Oscar said annoyed. The veins on his forehead were visible. “Wait and see what will happen.”

“You don’t scare me. I will simply let this conversation stay here in the premises of my house. I might pardon you and reduce your suspension to a week.”

“I don’t care! You can suspend me for a whole year, that’s your business. I am happy as long as Genevieve stays in my house. She lives with me, cooks for me and make sure I go to bed early!!”

Quincy smiled. “Stop barking like a dog! It will not be for long and I trust my Genny, she can do all that but she will never, ever betray my trust or cheat on me with a desperate man like you. Run along, your daughter needs you.”

Oscar scowled. “This is not over!” he growled and hiked towards his car. The director waited for him to drive away before he entered his house to make his food.

*****

Genevieve heard a knock on her door. She checked the time and it was 9:30 am.

“Who is that?” she asked.

“It’s me Aunty Genevieve.” The tiny voice of Yvonne answered.

She rose up on her bed and motioned directly to her door. She hugged Oscar’s daughter.

“Good morning ma.”

“Morning my love.” She closed the door and the two of them went to sit on the bed. “Have you eaten?”

“Yes. The nanny has given me food.”

“What about your dad?”

“He has gone out and he forgot to lock his room.”

She thought it was a great opportunity to check the things Oscar carried when she noticed a white cloth. She was curious to know. She pecked Yvonne on the forehead. Genevieve told her to go to her room and play with her toys. She would join her after she freshened up.

She waited for close to two minutes before creep out of her room as quietly as possible to enter Oscar’s room. She went in, shut the door gently and searched. She saw the big nylon close to his bed. Genevieve took it and brought out the white cloth. She was dazed.

“What is he doing with a wedding gown?” she asked softly.

She heard footsteps, in a rush, kept the gown back into the bag, and went to hide inside the toilet. The nanny entered the room to tidy the place up. Genevieve was very nervous and concluded on what to do. She flushed the toilet and came out.

The woman was startled to see Genevieve come out from her boss restroom.

She greeted her. “Good morning madam.”

“Good morning but I have told you to stop calling me that.” She said. “My name is Genevieve.”

“I know ma but my boss said you are the madam of this house.”

She smiled. “That’s okay.” She left without an explanation why she was there.

She called Akin on the phone to inform him about the wedding gown.

“Maybe it’s for somebody else.” He said to her over the phone. “I don’t think you should worry about that.”

“I don’t know if I should tell Quincy.”

“Is it really necessary?” Akin asked and kept silent and spoke. “If you want to, you can but did you wear the wedding gown?”

“No but why did you ask?”

“Nothing really, I was thinking maybe it might be your size.”

“Meaning he must have bought it for me even when I told him I cannot marry him?”

“Did you ever tell him anything that would make him feel he has a chance to make you his girlfriend or wife?”

Genevieve recalled instantly. “I told him he should give me three months to forget about Quincy!”

“After three months he might present you the wedding gown and a ring and you won’t have any excuse to say no to him. Why did you tell him such a thing in the first place? You lied to him.”

“I lied to Oscar to get him off my back!”

“Let us not conclude the gown is for you,” Akin said. “Just let him be and focus on your personal life and job.”

“Thank you Akin.”

“You are welcome Miss Genevieve Cole. Take care.”

She ended the call.

*****

Oscar came home late and the three of them spent the weekend together. Genevieve and Yvonne cooked and played in the kitchen on Sunday afternoon. Oscar snapped them with his phone.

Genny was cheerful because she was always receiving beautiful love text messages from Quincy. Oscar felt she was getting closer and comfortable around him.

***** 

On Monday morning, all the detectives except Oscar waited for the director at the conference office where they held their meetings.  A worker at the cafeteria served them a hot cup of Tea with snacks. Quincy opened the door and Genevieve removed her glance at his direction and looked away. He smiled hard.

 “Good morning ladies and gentlemen,” he said. “I know you all are aware of the award show coming up soon and the sponsor is one of the governor aspirants. He also donated some vital items to the NIB and for that, we are going to show him support in the upcoming election. The nominees list will be sent to you later in the day to know who you should be voting for.”

“How do we vote?” a lean female detective asked.

“How to vote is written on the list that will be sent to you. You can only vote once.”

“Is there a dress code sir?” Leroy asked in a stern tone. Genevieve looked at him.

“Men will be dressed in a black tuxedo and the women in a white or black gown.”

“Is it compulsory to attend?”

“Yes it is.” Quincy replied and stared at Genevieve. “Don’t you have any question for me?”

She gazed at her right side, which happens to be where Akin sat. “No sir.”

“You should look at me when I am talking to you.” Akin chuckled lightly.

Genevieve frowned at him and peered into Quincy’s eyes. She fell in love with him all over again. “I don’t have any question.” She responded and sipped from her tea.

“You can bring your date along.” He said still staring at her. “He or she must not be from the NIB. Your wives, girlfriends, even your brothers and sisters can come. I also want to appeal to all of you to vote with a clear conscience. Vote for the right person, vote for the detective you believe deserves the award. There is a huge prize for the last award. The overall best detective of the NIB in Delta state will be awarded not only the award but an amount of money and a car will be given to that person.”

The detectives applauded except Leroy. Genevieve looked at him again.

Quincy continued, “Apart from that, without winning the overall best detective, one of you might be lucky to receive an amount from the candidate.”

The clapped their hands but Leroy joined them this time when noticed eyes were on him.

“That will be all for now.” NIB director said. “Any more questions?”

Some of them shook their heads and Jasmine raised her right hand.

“What is it?”

“We know Oscar has been suspended for two weeks,” she said. “Is he authorized to attend?”

“Yes he is and I have decided to make it one week suspension. I will send him a letter today.”

“Thank you sir.” She said.

“Thank you all and do have a great day,” he said with a smile on his lips and focused his stare at Genevieve. “See me in my office now.”

“I will.” She took a bite from her snack and drank her remaining tea.

Everyone touched his or hers except Leroy who walked out from the office without saying anything to anybody. Genevieve stood up and motioned to her boss office. She knocked and entered, Quincy was already waiting for her. He held her gently by the right arm, closed the door and pushed her mildly against the wall. He gave her a wet kiss and she had no choice, she touched him on his face and kissed him deeper.

“I miss you.” he muttered. She pushed him backwards and cleaned her lips with her palm.

“We shouldn’t be doing this in your office!”

“Then come and stay in my house.”

Her eyes turned wild! “You are back to your house with Bridget?!”

“Hold on babe and don’t kill me with those sexy eyes of yours.”

“Answer me!”

“Bridget has gone.” He said and walked towards his table.  

“What do you mean she has gone?”

“Please come and sit down.” he said and stood beside the chair. She obeyed him and relaxed herself on it.

“What happened?” she asked.

“My lawyer informed me this morning he has sent the divorce papers to Bridget today and I will receive my copies by next week.”

“I still don’t understand.”

Quincy narrated what happened.

She widened her eyes and got up on her feet. “You did all these behind my back and you never told me?”

“I want anything that has to do with that woman away from me.”

“But I have every right to know!”

“And I have told you. I am sorry….”

Genevieve never waited for him to finish his statement. She took him by surprise when she hugged him.

“What was that for?” he asked.

“Thank you Quincy.” She said and looked at his face. “Thank you for doing this to make me happy. I love you and I will always love you.”

He clutched his arms around her and carried her up excitedly. “I love you too.” He put her down and pecked her on the nose.

“Over to business,” she said. “Why do you want to see me?”

He pointed on a file on the table. “That’s Annie Ayiri’s file.”

“Who is that?”

“Honorable James Ayiri’s sister that was kidnapped.”

“Oh! The case your father was solving before he was killed.” She went over and carried it.

Quincy explained the conversation between Ayiri and him. “I think this case has something to do with my dad’s murdered.”

“I think so too. You suspect him?”

“Yes. This award show is even a distraction, we have to concentrate more into this case and find out what happened. I need answers.”

“Me too and there’s something strange about Leroy at the meeting. I don’t think he is happy about it.”

“He told me he thinks the award show is unnecessary.”

“Leroy said that?!” Genevieve asked surprised.

“When I told him everything was set, he said the deed has already been done.”

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t know!”

“My instinct tells me he is planning something and the earlier I confront him for lying to me, the better for us!”

Quincy touched her by the right shoulder. “Don’t do that. If we can solve this, we will have answers to the mystery behind the murder.”

She glanced at the file in her hand without opening to read. “What can you tell me about it?”

He removed his hand. “Nothing specifically, my father wrote she was kidnapped by a man unidentified and killed for reasons unknown. He never gave names or anything that we can use to solve the case.”

Genevieve opened the file and it mistakenly dropped from her hand. The two of them bent down to arrange them and she noticed something at the back of the file.

“What does this mean?” she asked him. They rose up together.

“What?”

She showed him the words written at the back of the file. EMAN: KECBY ILOKO

“I have no idea what it means.” Quincy said.

“Could it be a puzzle?”

“Maybe!” he said enthusiastically. “Akin is good at solving things like this!” He went and picked up his phone to call the homicide office and asked for Akin to come to his office.

Akin came and Genevieve handed the file to see if he could solve it. He balanced himself on the chair, took a biro from his pocket and concentrated on the words. He took him thirty seconds for him to be able to set the words together correctly.

He wrote on a paper. NAME: BECKY OKOLI

He gave it to his boss. “Who is Becky Okoli?”

“We will find out but Akin has one more thing to do for us.” Genevieve said.

“What is it ma?”

“Can you find out who Becky is? Her address and what she does for a living?”

“Yes. Give me two days to find out about her. There is no picture and there are many Becky Okoli’s out there.”

Quincy pointed at him. “No problem about that.” Akin left the office. The director turned to his partner. “If not for you I would never have seen that.”

“Don’t say that but I am happy we have gotten a name. When he is able to tell us about Becky Okoli, we will pay her a visit.”

“Sure.” He said and they embraced each other.

*****

“Who does Quincy Harvey think he is?” Oscar asked in an angry tone when Genevieve gave him the news about the award and the letter. “He should have increased it!”

“Your partner misses you.”

“But I don’t miss her. I hope Jasmine is happy! She is the cause of my suspension!”

“She is not,” Genevieve said. “She only said the truth.”

“She should have covered it up.”

“Forget about it,” she said and gave him a cup of hot Lipton tea. “You will be back to the office by next week.”

Oscar scornfully looked the other way.

*****

Two days later, Akin told Genevieve, he had information about Becky Okoli. They both went to the director’s office. He gave them the address of the office of Becky.

“Who exactly is she?” Genevieve asked.

“She was the best friend of Annie Ayiri before she was nowhere to be found. She is the general manager of the biggest modeling company in Delta state. You should pay her a visit and hear what she has to say.”

“But why should my father keep this away from the investigation. Was she an accomplice or what?”

“We will know when we get there.” Genevieve said. It was already 4pm and the two partner concluded to see her the next day.

*****

Genevieve and Quincy went to the location of the company. The mean looking female secretary told them they could only see the manager if they had an appointment. Quincy introduced himself as the director of the NIB and the lady quickly went to alert the manager. She came back and informed them to go in. They motioned at the door, knocked and entered.

They saw a chocolate-skinned beautiful woman talking on the phone. She had nice hair, was richly dressed with a lovely white neck piece around her neck.

The two of them waited for her to end her conversation before they could sit down.

“What can I do for the two of you?” she asked with a straight face after she ended her call and placed her phone on the table. “You can sit down.” They did.

“I am the director of the NIB, Quincy Harvey,” he said politely. “Here with me is my partner, Genevieve Cole.”

“Okay.” She said coldly. “I am a busy woman, you have to be fast.”

Genevieve looked at her partner and back at Becky. “We are here because of Annie Ayiri’s case.”

Her eyes blinked and she stayed silent for few seconds before she spoke. “I thought it was closed.”

“It’s an open case now.”

“And how is that my business?”

“We know the two of you were best friends before she disappeared, we will like to know what happened before she went missing. Did you notice anything odd?”

“I noticed nothing.” her tone denoted pain but her facial look appeared strict.

“Are you hiding something?” Quincy asked. “Try and help us if you really want to know what happened to her.”

Becky closed her eyes and opened them immediately. “The only thing I can tell you about my friend, is … she was a very nice and jovial person. Yes, she was my best friend and we moved everywhere together whenever I was less busy at work. The only thing I never supported her for, was her love for parties, men… you know what I mean. She loved to have fun and I warned her about it.”

“Why didn’t you tell the brother?” Genevieve asked.

“You mean the Honorable James Ayiri?”

“Yes.”

She hissed aloud. “That one? Forget about him! He never had her time.”

“He wants to know what really happened to her.”

“Oh, now he cares.” She said and shook her head.

Quincy said, “After Annie Ayiri was kidnapped,  nobody heard from her again. We believe she is dead.”

“Kidnapped? That is what they want you to believe. She left on her own but I… I told her she was risking her life. She dined with an enemy.”

“Enemy?” the two partners asked the same.

“Please give us details.” Genevieve quickly said.

“I can’t and you have to leave now,” she said in a serious tone. “I don’t know how you were able to reach me. The old man in charge of this case in the past promised to leave my name out of the investigation, I told him what I knew, I did because of pity. He was eager to find out the truth and I waited and waited for the news that the person behind my friend’s death was caught and arrested, but that day never came. I regret opening up to that man. He broke my promise never to mention my name!”

“He never broke that promise,” Quincy said in an emotional tone. Genevieve patted his back gently. “For us to get your name, we had to solve a puzzle.”

“I thought he cracked the case.”

“He’s dead.”

Genevieve sniffed her nose in order to fight back the tears.

“That man is dead?” Becky exclaimed in shock. She rose up on her feet. “They killed him! I think he solved the case!”

Genevieve rose. “That is why you have to tell us what you know. We don’t want Freddie Arinze to die in vain, also with your friend.”

She rubbed her face and looked at Genevieve. “That man died and you were able to get my name. You are both alive, if I talk, don’t you think the person behind the death of my friend, that man will also have me killed.”

“You will be protected, I promise.”

“I don’t need any protection. The second time I met that man in secret, he was holding a USB flash drive. He sounded happy and promised me my friend won’t die in vain. He told me it was his last case, and he would retire and take a vacation with a certain detective.” Genevieve and Quincy glanced at each other. “He never stated her name but he was going to visit his son in America with her.”

“I am his son.” Quincy said, uplifted from the chair and went to stand beside the left side of his woman.

“You are his son?” she asked in a concerned tone.

“Yes.”

Becky studied his face and stared at Genevieve. “You must be the detective he was talking about.”

She nodded. If she spoke, tears would fall down.

“He never told you about the case?”

She shook her head.

“Where is the flash drive?” she asked.

“We don’t know where it is.” Quincy said and held Genevieve’s hand. He gave it a squeeze. "We never knew he had a flash drive."

“I cannot help you,” Becky said and went to sit down. She took a card from the table and handed it over to Quincy. “If you want to force me to talk, you will have to go through my lawyer.”

“You can’t do this Becky Okoli! Annie Ayiri was your friend!”

“I know! You don’t have to tell me!” she pointed at Quincy. “They killed your father because of the case, I don’t want that to happen to me! Please leave my office now!”

“But…” Quincy stopped Genevieve from speaking further.

“Let’s go.” he said.

They stepped towards the door, about to open it, when Becky spoke.

“I really want to help but I can’t.” she said. “If your father was able to solve it, the both of you can.”

“Why don’t you want to help us?” Genevieve asked soberly.

“I have a three years old daughter,” she replied. “I don’t want her to be motherless. My life is very important to her. I hope you both understand. The only thing I can tell you right now is, politics is a very dirty and dangerous game.”

****

To be continued on Wednesday!

The next episode title: ‘The handwriting on the wall and the murderer of Uncle Freddie’ is Next!