(Season 1): GENEVIEVE COLE. E9

To read the previous episode, click Twist and Turns (part 1)

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Episode 9 Title: Twist and Turns. (Part 2)

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The following day, I went directly to Quincy’s office to ask if we were still going to see the victim’s girlfriend. He told me that he was still trying to get in touch with her through phone, but her number remained switched off. We scheduled to drive to her house at noon.

I went to my own office and I saw colleagues except detective Akin. He was not around and I guessed he was still trying to retrieve vital personal information’s about Jimmy Aderenle. Oscar made an eye contact with a smile on his lips. I smiled back. I asked the three of them why they did not come over to my place during the weekend to see my aunt. 

“My wife and I were very busy,” Leroy said. “Remember she’s going to have a baby soon.”

I grinned. “I know and I can’t wait to be a god mother.”

“I thought I was going to be your child’s godmother?” Jasmine asked staring at Leroy.

He made a face and replied. “All of us knows that Genevieve is the one.”

“Meaning I am not classic enough?”

“What does that mean Jasmine?” I asked her with a big frown on my face. I was very angry at her statement.

She looked at me with furious eyes.

“I don’t have to explain myself to you.”

“I can see you want to start a conversation that you won’t be able to finish. I will not come to your level and argue with you. I don’t have the strength to talk with a nag.”

Jasmine stood up instantly with an aggressive behavior. “How dare you call me a nag? How dare you!!”

“I never called you a nag,” I said, still seated on my seat. “You have simply classified yourself a nag.”

Leroy and Oscar were on their feet. They went towards her to calm her down.

“How dare you!!” she yelled at me. 

I said, “Bitch.”

“What they f**k did you say?”

“You heard me bitch!!!”

Leroy hiked towards my direction. “You should keep your voice down.” he said to me.

“Why didn’t you tell her to respect herself and keep her big mouth shut!” I told him.

Jasmine said with an angry voice. “You are simply jealous!!!” 

I gazed at her with a surprised expression on my face. “Jealous? Jealous about what?”

“I don’t need to tell you because you already know. Your plan won’t work!”

“My plan?” I asked confused. “What are you talking about?”

“I thought you are brilliant? I thought you know everything!!” 

Oscar spoke to her. “I think you should keep your voice down. This is an office and I do not see any reason why the both of you should quarrel or argue over becoming Leroy’s unborn baby godmother.”

I glared at him. “I do not think this is about becoming his unborn child godmother.”

“Then what is it about?” he asked.

“Ask your partner!!” I voiced, uplifted on my chair and sauntered to the entrance door. I walked out on them. 

******

I knocked and entered into my director’s office.

“We can’t just seat and relax,” I said. “We need to look for the victim’s girlfriend.”

Quincy peered into my annoyed eyes. “Who got you angry?”

“No one!!”

He began to laugh.

“What’s making you to laugh? I didn’t say anything funny.”

“Tell me the person that got you angry Genny.”

“There is nothing you can do. I want to leave.”

“To go where?”

“To find out what really happened to Jimmy Aderenle. I want to know who killed him.”

“We will catch the monster that took the life of that man.”

“Then what are we waiting for?!”

Quincy rose of his feet. “You need to tell me what is going on with you Genny,” he said and moved to my direction. He stood in front of me. “I heard loud voices in your office, what happened?”

“Did you tell Jasmine anything about me?”

“I don’t understand your question but I will answer you. I have never discussed about you with Jasmine.”

I sighed. 

“Did Jasmine quarrel with you?” he asked.

“No.” I lied because I didn’t want to talk about it with him. There was nothing to discuss with him, it won’t change anything about what Jasmine thought about me. I knew it was because she was interested in him. “What about your dinner with her.”

He cleared his throat and shook his hands inside his pockets. “It’s supposed to be this weekend but it’s cancelled.”

“What?” I exclaimed. “She cancelled it?” 

He smiled faintly. “No.” he replied. “I cancelled it. I sent her a text last night that I can’t have dinner with her. A relationship cannot work.”

“But why?”

“I have told you already. A relationship cannot work. I am not attracted to her.”

“But she’s beautiful.”

“I am in love with someone else and I have told the person I will wait for her. Do you want to know the person?”

I shook my head. I knew the answer.

Quincy Harvey didn’t say a word but kept his eyes on me. The knock on his door gave me the opportunity to sit down.

“Come in.” he said.

Detective Akin walked inside.

I looked at him. “Do you have an update about the victim?”

“Yes,” he answered.

“What is it?” Quincy queried.

“I don't know anything about his father but Jimmy Aderenle lost his mother when he was twenty years old. He was not able to continue his education when he turned twenty-two. I found something intriguing, he went back to the university four years ago at the age of twenty-nine.”

“So?”

“He was twenty nine years old when he met the first lady.”

“She could be responsible for his school fees.” I said.

“I think so too because some of his course mates said he lived a lavish life.”

“What do you expect?” Quincy asked. “He knew the first Lady of this state. Do you know anything about his girlfriend?”

“I went over to her place and her neighbor said she has not seen her since on Saturday.”

“That is the day the victim died.” I said. “Could she be the killer?”

“There is something you have to know about the victim.”

“What is it?”

“He was an intelligent student. He is among the new batch going for NYSC next month. I found out that he graduated with a first class.”

“Oh my God!”

“Are you sure about this?” Quincy asked with a disturbed look on his face.

“Yes sir.”

I felt sorry for the victim. How could someone so heartless take away a bright human away? I could not hold my emotion but burst into tears. Quincy warm arms cropped by body and his encouraging words consoled me. I stared at him as tears dropped down from my eyes. 

“How can we locate the girlfriend?” I asked. “How can we catch the killer?”

He wiped the tears away from my face and told me everything was going to be okay. He stood on his feet. “I have to see the first lady again.”

“How can you do that?”

“I will send her a message.”

“What message?”

“That if she doesn’t tell us her relationship with the victim,” Quincy said. ”I will contact her husband.”

“That will be very difficult sir,” detective Akin said. “Remember he is the governor.”

“I know.”

“It will only waste time if we don’t locate the girlfriend,” I said. “We have to look for her. She may be able to tell us something that can help us with the investigation.”

“What if she’s the killer?” Quincy asked. “She’s nowhere to be found.”

The three of us heard a knock on the door.”

“Come in.” Quincy ordered.

A female detective entered. She greeted us and spoke to the director. “There’s a lady here to see you.”

“What is her name?”

“Meagan,” she replied. “She said she’s the girlfriend of Jimmy Aderenle.”

******

The female detective and Akin left Quincy Harvey and myself with Meagan. There was no make-up on her face. Her eyes were sad and sore. Her skin was pale. 

“I did not kill my boyfriend.” she said. 

“Your phone has been switched off,” I said. “And you left your house since on Saturday.”

“I panicked! I was scared.”

“Why?”

:Because I was the last person to see him.”

“What do you mean?”

“I loved Jimmy and I will never do anything to hurt him.”

“What happened?” Quincy asked.

“I was the one that drove his car to the place he was found.”

“You mean you were the person that drove that car that day and left him to bleed to death?”

“He was already dead before I left him there.”

“Tell us what really happened.” I said to her.

“Jimmy drove over to my place that day,” Meagan explained. “He was covered in blood. He was trying to tell me something but he could not. The pain was too much. Blood gushed out from his mouth. I managed to take him back to his car so that I could take him to the hospital. On my way, I touched his body and I noticed he was no longer moving. I parked to check his heartbeat but I heard nothing. Out of fear, I drove to a remote place and I took his wallet and used the money to lodge in a hotel.”

I took a deep breath. “Jimmy Aderenle was not able to tell you who stabbed him?”

“No. He tried to but he could not.”

“Are you aware your boyfriend knew the governor’s wife?”

“Yes.”

“Was he having an affair with her?”

She shook her head. “Before Jimmy mother died, she confessed on her sick bed that she was not his biological mother. Jimmy’s real mother abandoned him when he was a baby and gave him out to the woman that took care of him. Jimmy searched for his mother and he was able to locate her four years ago. She accepted my boyfriend but told him it should be a secret between them. She said her husband must not know about him because she never opened up about having a child at a young age. She took care of his bills, paid his school fees, and bought him a car.”

I was short of words. I never thought Mrs. Rukevwe was the victim’s mother. Quincy was astounded to hear the truth, that the governor’s wife was the victim's mother.

“Before I managed to take Jimmy to his car,” Meagan added. “He gave me something. I don’t know why he gave me but I kept it.”

“What did he give you?” my partner and I asked curiously.

She dipped her hand inside her pocket and brought out a gold necklace with a teddy bear pendant.

Quincy stared at me stunned! We knew the killer.

We took the necklace from Meagan and informed her she was free to go home. Quincy and I drove to the government house to meet the first lady. She ordered one of her bodyguards to tell us to go back. Quincy sent a message through the bodyguard, that we know who killed Jimmy Aderenle. 

We were not surprised when he ordered the two of us inside the mansion. She came out to see us in the sitting room. Her eyes were red.

“Who killed Jimmy?” she asked.

“Where are your daughters?” Quincy asked.

“My daughters?” she asked in a puzzled tone. “I thought you said you both knew who killed Jimmy?”

“Why can’t you call Jimmy your son?” I asked her. 

Mrs. Rukevwe gazed at me with stunned eyes. 

“We know he is your son.”

“You don’t know anything about me!!” She shouted.

“I don’t want to know,” I said. “I want to see your older daughter. I think her name is Ese. Where is she?”

Her daughters came inside through the entrance door.

“What’s going on?” her younger daughter asked her mother.

“I want the two of you to go to your room.” she said to them.

Quincy spoke. “Your younger daughter can go but Ese must remain here and explain to us why her necklace was with Jimmy Aderenle when he died.”

“What!!” Mrs. Rukevwe exclaimed and faced her daughter. “Did you know Jimmy?”

Ese glared at her mother with angry eyes. “Yes! You were having an affair with someone old enough to be your son!”

“Oh my God!!! I was not having an affair with him! He was your brother!”

The living room was silent. I could see her daughters shocked faces as they stared at their mother. Gina was crying.

“Mother tell me this is not true!!” Ese cried out. “Tell me this is a dream! Tell me he was not my brother!”

Quincy did not allow her mother explain. He said, “You are under arrest for the murder of Jimmy Aderenle.

“My daughter is innocent.” Mrs. Rekevwe said. 

I showed them the necklace and Ese burst into tears. “I am sorry!! I never knew he was my brother. I thought you were having an affair with him.”

“You should have come to me. You should have asked me. Ese Why?!!”

“Please forgive me mother!!”

"Ese you have killed me!! You have destroyed my life!!"

Quincy and I arrested her.

*****

Back at the office, I neglected my colleagues. I was not in the mood to chat with anyone I informed my boss I wanted to come home and rest but he told me I should wait for him.

“Why?” I asked.

“I told you I have something to show you after we finish investigating the case.”

“Yes. What is it?”

“You have to follow me home.”

“Why?”

“I know you don’t trust me yet but I have to show you something that will make you believe I am uncle Freddie’s son.”

“I believe you.”

“No you don’t. You don't trust me.”

"I will follow you home." 

*****

I drove behind Quincy’s car to his house. When we got there and entered into his abode, he offered me a drink but I declined. I sat down on a single sofa. He brought a glass table in front of me and placed a laptop on top of it. He turned it on and inserted a disc inside. He pressed play.

 

A video surfaced and I saw Uncle Freddie.

He said. “Quincy, if you are watching this, it means I am dead. I have been working on a case secretly but I have not been able to solve it. I know you will come back to Nigeria to avenge my death but please don’t. The person behind my murder is a ruthless and cold-blooded human being. The only thing I want you to do for me is find Genevieve Cole. I want you to take care of her because she needs someone. Genny might be difficult to handle but you have to get close to her and watch her back. My enemy knows I was very close to her. Her life may be at risk. Tell her I love her, tell her she should not fight back. I don’t want to lose the both of you. I love you Quincy.”

Quincy Harvey gripped me hard as tears crushed my falling eyes.

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To be continued…..Saturday by 6pm.