Chapter 55: Chapter 55

Wednesday 3:00 pm

"Good afternoon, sir", the two officers saluted the D.P.O as soon as they entered his office. He was busily going through a file and comparing two statements concerning Salamat's case when they came in.

"Good afternoon, Detective Uche and Sam", he answered raising his head. "I've been expecting to hear from you all morning. Where have you been? You haven't given me the information you got from yesterday's investigation."

"Yes, that's why we are here", Sam answered.

"Please sit."

"We went to Graceland today", Uche offered to explain.

"What for?" The D.P.O was with a confused look.

"Mr. Ademola's residence", Sam replied.

"Okay?" The D.P.O said more like a question, expecting them to explain more.

Detective Sam stated. "We found three traveling bags in the room that did not belong to neither Ayoade nor Bimpe."

"And we also found the knife and a phone. The phone seems to belong to Salamat", Uche added.

"Oh! That's good. Please let me see the phone. She offered to explain what happened earlier this morning and from the statement, I have with me here, she said Ayoade texted her to come over this morning."

The two police officers were quiet as the D.P.O went through the inbox. The last message was a credit alert and the second to the last was from her network provider.

"No message concerning what she claimed" He huffed as he gazed at them. "You said you found three traveling bags?"

"Yes. Only one of the bags belongs to Salamat", Uche uttered.

"And the other two belong to who?" The D.P.O questioned.

"Someone called Raliat Usman from the exercise book we found in the bag", Sam said.

"Hmmm. Raliat is the name of Ayoade's fiancee. What was she doing there?"

"We have no idea", they both responded.

"Did you come with the knife?" The D.P.o requested.

"Yes. We've taken it to the forensic department", asserted Sam.

"Please let me know the result as soon as possible."

"Of course, sir."

"Where is Raliat now? I think we should take her into custody too", he muttered.

Sam and Uche stared at each other and Uche declared, " Raliat is missing."

"What?" The D.P.O almost screamed in frustration.

*****

Thursday 10:00 am

"Salamat Omowumi Ademola, I am your lawyer Deji Ademoye", the lawyer introduced himself to the silent-looking girl.

"Good morning sir", she greeted politely.

He rewarded her with a smile. " I want you to tell me everything you know."

Salamat stared at the lawyer and then at the police officer behind him and she said, "I have told them everything I know already."

"You still need to tell me. I am your lawyer and I will be the one to defend you in court. Therefore, I need to know every detail, and I'd advise that you leave no stone untouched so our opponent won't have anything to use against us."

She gulped and began, letting go of her arms formally wrapped around her bosom. "Ayoade asked me to accompany him to Raliat's home on Sunday."

"Who is Raliat?" He demanded.

"His fiancee", she answered and continued, "We left there and Ayoade and I chatted for a while at the junction of my home before we bade each other goodbye. On Monday morning, I saw a message from a strange number. I thought the message was from him because he thanked me for the day before and said he needed to tell me something about Raliat."

"What about her?"

"I have no idea. I got to meet him in a pool of his blood."

"Have you been visiting him before?"

"Of course not. Ayoade and I saw each other twice since he came to Zaria. The first day was when he requested for my number and the second was on Sunday. Monday happens to be the third."

"Since he came to Zaria? How long have you known him? Where do you know him from?"

"I've known Ayoade all my life. He is like a brother to me. We used to stay in Abeokuta before my parents relocated here when I gained admission into the university here."

"What was he doing here then, all the way from Abeokuta?"

"His sister, Bimpe also schools here and Raliat is her friend. He came to visit her."

"Visit Raliat or Bimpe?"

"Bimpe", she replied.

"And within that short period, he fell in love with his sister's friend Raliat?"

"I guess yes."

"Are you sure you didn't spend the night there" the lawyer inquired with doubt.

"Of course not", she retorted.

"Some officers went to your residence and they met with someone popularly known as Oga Buks who told them he saw you entering your house that night."

"Oh Goodness! I didn't go out that night", she cried out.

"I was worried about Saleem and I kept calling him but he wouldn't pick. Then I got a message saying he was outside, though the message was from a strange number, I thought it was from him."

"Who is Saleem? And what makes you think he was the one that messaged you by that time of the night?"

"Saleem is my fiance. We fought on Saturday and I guess he was still mad at me, that's why he didn't pick. It was when I gave up trying to call him that I got the message. So I just concluded that the message was from him."

"So you went out to meet him?"

"He wasn't the one."

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't see anyone. The whole street was in pitch darkness that night that it gave me goosebumps. I became scared and quickly turned back to go into the house when Oga Buks called my name. I jumped up in fright when I heard a voice. I know Saleem would never do such hide and seek by that time of the night."

"Who is your witness?"

"My witness? I was already in my nightwear ready to sleep when I got the message. I can't possibly go out by that time of the night in my nightwear."

"Don't deviate from the question I am asking you Salamat."

She sighed. "I got back inside to see my dad in the sitting room watching a movie. He was surprised and he asked me what I went to do outside. I couldn't tell him the truth because I wasn't sure. I told him I went to get fresh air. We even chatted for a while until his wife appeared and I stood up to give them privacy. Immediately I got to my room, I slept off. I woke up the next day to the beep of my phone and that was when I got a message from Ayoade asking me to come over."

"There are no such messages on your phone. I've gone through it thoroughly", he said handing over the phone to her.

She was with a puzzled look as she checked her inbox. The last message was a credit alert from her father. She looked up at the lawyer as the reality dawned on her.

'I am in deep shit. I have fallen into a trap.'

"What is happening?" She questioned the man who only shrugged.

"Ayoade had sex before he was killed", the lawyer stated.

"Yes", Salamat stated sharply.

"You know?"

"It was obvious from the way I met him. He was half-naked."

"Do you know who he had sex with?"

"How am I supposed to know that?" Salamat retorted.

"That doesn't answer my question, Salamat."

"Of course not, I don't."

"All evidence is pointing at you."

"What?" She exclaimed.

"Why are you surprised? It looks like he forced himself on you and you tried to defend yourself but you ended up killing him innocently."

"No. That's not it."

"Then, what is it? Tell me the truth and I will help. If you killed him while defending yourself, we would plead guilty and ask for pardon."

"Ayoade is like my brother. Such kind of thing can never happen between us."

"More reason why you would want to kill him because it is not allowed."

"Subhanallah!" She muttered.

"Have you ever had sex before?"

"Of course not."

"Not even with your fiance, Saleem?"

"No. We barely hold hands."

"Bimpe said she saw you hugging Ayoade on the first day you met with him."

"That was a harmless hug. I consider him as a brother."

"So what are you insinuating now? He looked at her as she was on the verge of crying.

"I've never had sex before....."

"So that means you are a virgin right?" He glanced at her.

Salamat gazed back with red-eyes and finally said, "Yes, I am a virgin."