by Kiru Taye
Dismissing his wistfulness, he headed back into his office and shut the door.
“So what is going on?” his friend asked as he went to the cabinet and took out a bottle of whisky with some glasses.
He returned to the sofa and poured each of them a shot of whisky. He waited until they’d both sipped some before he spoke.
“You remember Lara Johnson, right?”
“Yes, the girl from Hillcrest.”
He nodded. “Remember the day I called you to that I wasn’t going to make the meeting with the commissioner?”
“You said you would explain later.”
“I was with Lara that day.”
“You were?” Henry looked surprised.
“She works for TI now. That was the day she came for her interview and I drove her home. Anyway, she was behaving strangely and I called Dr. Jocelyn Okoro who said Lara was suffering from the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder.”
“Huh?” Henry’s brows went up.
“That was exactly my reaction when she said that. It turns out that Lara could have been the victim of sexual assault, rape, or abuse, and it is linked to the night of the Zik Hall party.”
“You mean something happened to her that night?” Henry scrubbed a hand over his head. “Oh, no! And we left her there. What exactly happened?”
“I don’t know. She won’t talk about it. That’s why I’ve got Mr. Bode investigating. It would’ve been good to have Malcolm Ibeh to question because I know he has a hand in it. And finding out he’d been convicted of sexual offences only cements my conviction.”
“Shit.” Henry gulped down the rest of his drink and poured some more. He corked his head as if thinking. “You know, Gloria stayed back that night after we left. She had the car with the driver and claimed she would head off soon after us. But she was there when we got in the car to drive back.”
Ike waved a hand in the air dismissively. “She says she doesn’t know more than we know.”
Henry closed his eyes, sucked in a deep breath, and opened them again. “Look, man, I know she’s your fiancée, but don’t take everything she says as gospel truth.”
Ike narrowed his eyes. “Why would you say such a thing?”
“Gloria has a way of wrapping people around her fingers. I’ve seen her in action. Just don’t trust everything she says.”
He shook his head. “If this is because you still have a thing for her, then just stop it. I know she rejected your advances years ago, but you need to let it go.”
Henry balled his hands into fists. “You’ve been my friend for more years that I can bother to count. I’ve always had your back and I always will. It doesn’t matter what happened between me and Gloria. I would never allow a woman to mess up our friendship. I know the reason you’re marrying her more than anyone else. So don’t accuse me of anything that isn’t true.”
Ike sighed. “I’m sorry. It’s just that it’s a shock when people say bad things about Gloria.”
Henry raised his brow. “Who else said bad things about Gloria?”
“Well, Lara said Gloria practically bullied her when they were in school together. I know Gloria can be haughty, but she knows better than to bully people.”
Henry shrugged. “Well, if you trust me and you trust Lara, then perhaps you should pay a little more attention to your future wife. We can’t both be making things up, can we?”
Ike frowned. His friend made a valid point. While he could dismiss Lara’s individual accusation or Henry’s comment about Gloria not being truthful, when he weighed them up together, they seemed valid enough to investigate.
Also, Gloria had shut down too quickly when he’d asked her about the party. He’d felt at the time she could’ve been hiding something, but he’d had no proof. And he’d still been feeling guilty for cheating on her so he hadn’t wanted to push his luck.
Did she really know more than she’d revealed?
He’d wait for Jimoh to arrive and hopefully give him some more answers. Jimoh had been in the same class with Gloria and Lara. If there’d been enmity between the two, then he’d probably know of it.
Chapter Eighteen
“Thanks for coming at such short notice,” Ike greeted Jimoh as he exited the lift onto the foyer.
“It’s not a problem,” Jimoh said as they shook hands.
“My office is this way.” Ike led the way down the aisle to his office in the corner. He walked in and waited as Jimoh followed.
Ike introduced Henry and the men shook hands before making themselves comfortable on the sofas. He offered a drink to Jimoh who accepted a bottle of malt.
“So Jimoh, I don’t know if you remember in your final year at Hillcrest, Malcolm Ibeh had a party at Zik Hall,” Ike said.
Jimoh’s lips widened in a big grin. “Of course I remember the party. After our final exams, most of us stayed behind to attend that party instead of heading home to our parents. I was one of those. It was the hottest party of the year.”
“Good.” He smiled encouragingly. Perhaps he would finally get somewhere tonight. “Do you remember anything specific about that night? Anything unusual.”
Jimoh tilted his head. “Well, I remember that it was a fun party. It was packed. Anyone who was anyone around in school or in campus was there that night.” He shrugged.
“I’m looking for more specific information about Malcolm and Lara. Did you see them that night?”
“Yes, of course. I saw you two, too.” Jimoh nodded in both Ike’s and Henry’s directions.
Ike’s face heated up as he remembered what he’d done that night.
“But yes, I saw Malcolm. I was there quite early. I know that Malcolm didn’t come at the beginning. He arrived about an hour after I got there, with Gloria.”
“Gloria? Are you sure?” Ike exchanged looks with Henry.
“Yes, they’d both arrived in a chauffeur-driven car. I remember because I was expecting to see Christy, you know, Gloria’s friend, with them. I had a thing for Christy in those days although she never gave me time of day. But I’d been disappointed that I didn’t see Christy at that time. But she came not long after that.”
“So were Malcolm and Gloria friends, dating perhaps?”
Jimoh shrugged. “Well, I don’t know that they were dating exactly. At least, I don’t think so. After all, Malcolm declared Lara his girlfriend that night, so it couldn’t be possible. But Malcolm and Gloria were very close, anyway. They were both referred to as the king and queen of Hillcrest. Malcolm was the most popular boy and Gloria was the most popular girl; it was easy to pair them. So yes, they were friends.”
Henry tilted his head slightly at Ike as if to say ‘I told you so.’
This was certainly a new revelation as far as Ike was concerned. He hadn’t known that Gloria was friendly with Malcolm. Although they’d been in the same year, they’d been in different classes. And he couldn’t ever remember seeing Gloria and Malcolm together alone.
“So tell me more about that night. Did you overhear anything being said about either Malcolm or Lara or Gloria?”
Jimoh thought a bit more. “I remember there was lot of energy in the air, especially among Malcolm’s group of close friends. We used to call them the Hillcrest Four gang. Anyway, that night, there was a lot of whispering about them getting fresh meat. But it was a party and there were loads of people popping their cherries that night, so it wasn’t a big deal.”
Dread curdled Ike’s stomach.
“After the big argument between you, Lara, and Malcolm, things quietened down for a while. Malcolm took Lara out of the hall. She looked distressed before they left so I thought he was taking her home or something. But they headed for one of the rooms. After a while, I saw Gloria coming from the directions of the rooms. I don’t know if she was with Malcolm or whoever, but after that, I didn’t see Malcolm or Lara that night.”
There it was. Lara was definitely with Malcolm that night, and Gloria was definitely tied in somehow.
&nbs
p; “You don’t know what happened between Lara and Malcolm?”
“No. As I said, I didn’t see them again until I left.”
“Okay. Thank you,” Ike said. “You’ve really been very helpful.”
“You’re welcome, Mr. Thomas,” Jimoh said. “Can I ask why you’re interested in what happened that night?”
Ike sighed. He didn’t want to betray Lara’s privacy. It was tough enough for her as it was. He didn’t want her to have to deal with public scorn for something that happened years ago.
He tried a different approach. “I don’t know if you know this already, but I’m engaged to marry Gloria in a few months.”
“Really, congratulations!”
“Thank you,” he said. “I’m just trying to find out as much about my fiancée to help me plan a surprise for the wedding.”
“That’s interesting. If there’s anything I can help with, I’ll be happy to do it.”
“You’ve already done so much. Thank you. If you remember anything else, please feel free to call me.” He handed Jimoh one of his business cards as he stood up.
“Of course, I will.”
The men discussed a little of the local politics before Jimoh headed out. Afterwards, Henry and Ike sat drinking quietly, each lost in his thoughts.
“There’s one common denominator in all this,” Ike said finally as he put this glass back on the table.
“Gloria,” Henry said.
He nodded and headed over to his desk and grabbed his jacket from behind his chair. He lowered the cover on his laptop, unplugged it, and placed it in his chestnut leather satchel.
“What are you going to do?” Henry asked as he grabbed his jacket, too.
“I’m going to talk to her.” He pulled out his phone and pressed the button to call his fiancée.
“Hi, honey,” she said when she picked the phone. “How are you doing?”
“I’m doing okay. It’s been a long day at work. I’m just heading home. Will you be there?”
“No. I’m sorry. I’m with my friends and we’re discussing wedding stuff. Not sure when we’ll be done. I’ll come over tomorrow. Is that okay?”
“Sure. Enjoy yourself. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Bye.” She hung up.
“I’ll guess I’ll have to wait.” He grabbed his things and headed to the door with Henry following him. “I’m going over to Lara’s house to see if she’s okay. I didn’t see her all day today.”
“Is that a good idea?” his friend asked as they got into the lift.
“Perhaps not, but I just need to know she’s okay. I’ve been a little unsettled all day not seeing her.”
“You still have a thing for her.”
“I do.” He rubbed his face with his free hand. “Seeing her again has been amazing. Touching her. Kissing her. Intense.”
Henry stared at him, eyes wide. “You had sex with her?”
“I did.” He sighed. “It was a one-off. I told Gloria about it and she forgave me.”
“She forgave you?” Henry narrowed his eyes. “You do realise Gloria never forgives anything. If she forgave you, it means there’s trouble coming your way later. She has an ulterior motive.”
The lift doors opened and Ike didn’t say anything as they walked out and said goodnight to the security guard. Outside in the humid night air, he sucked in a deep breath.
“You know, I think you’re right. I thought Gloria gave in too quickly after I told her. It was so unusual for her.”
Their cars stood ready for them.
Henry turned to Ike. “It’s the wedding. You know she will do anything to marry you.”
Ike tilted his head and looked up at the dark sky. “Are you saying she loves the idea of marrying me more than she loves me?”
“That’s about the sum of it. Be very careful with this one.”
He nodded. “I will.”
They bid goodnight and he got into his car. He gave the driver the address for Lara’s apartment and relaxed back into the soft leather.
His mind whirled with all the information he’d found out today. Malcolm in prison. Gloria’s involvement with Malcolm. Gloria’s ease at forgiving him. He thought back to his time in Enugu. Gloria had been there the day he’d split up with Lara. She’s also been there the night when he’d had the argument at the party.
He was now convinced more than ever that she was involved somehow, which made her forgiving his affair with Lara all the more strange.
His skin prickled and he swallowed. He needed to see Lara and make sure she was okay.
Luckily, the traffic flow had lessened at this time and the drive out didn’t take too long. The car pulled in through the gates and parked in one of the visitor spots. He didn’t wait for the man to open the door. He strode to the entrance and pressed the buzzer for Lara’s apartment.
“Who’s this?” a female voice asked.
“This is Ike Thomas. I’m here to see Lara.”
There was a pause. “Lara isn’t here.”
He didn’t believe her. “Can I come in?”
“Okay.”
The door buzzed and he pushed it open. He took the stairs two at a time until he got to her floor. Her front door was open and a different woman stood there.
“Mr. Thomas, it’s a surprise to see you here.”
“You must be Ada,” he said, smiling.
“Yes.” She smiled back. “Lara isn’t here.”
“Do you mind if I see for myself?”
“Be my guest.” She waved him in.
He strode in, glanced into the living room. There was nothing there except the flickering TV. He glanced into the kitchen. The light was off and he switched it on. He kept walking until he got to Lara’s room. He knocked on the door. There was no answer. He twisted the knob and opened it.
The room was also in darkness. He turned on the light. The bed was made and the room looked tidy. But no Lara. He opened the wardrobe door and closed it.
He turned around. Ada stood by the door.
“I told you she wasn’t here.”
“Where is she?”
She shook her head. “I can’t tell you.”
“Why? What’s wrong?” His heart was pounding hard against his chest.
Ada shook her head again and turned away, walking into the living room. He followed, panic rising.
“Ada, tell me what happened,” he snapped, losing his control.
“Your girlfriend came here.”
“My girlfriend? You mean Gloria?”
“Yes, Gloria. She said something to Lara that triggered her. At least, that’s what Dr. Jocelyn said.”
“Oh, no!” He remembered how Lara had gone into a catatonic state the last time. “Where is she?”
“You have to call Dr. Jocelyn for that information. But you better warn that girlfriend of yours. If she comes near Lara again, I will kill her and I’ll be happy to serve the time. This nonsense has to end.”
Ada’s vehemence shocked him. She really cared about Lara. And Gloria must have done something bad to trigger Lara.
He gritted his teeth. “Trust me. I’ll take care of Gloria. She won’t hurt Lara again.”
“I hope so,” Ada said.
“Thank you.” He headed for the door and pulled his phone out as he descended the stairs.
Outside, he called Jocelyn.
“Ike, hi.” She gave him her usual greeting.
He didn’t waste time on preambles. “Is Lara with you?”
“Not right now.”
“Where is she? I went to her apartment and her friend told me to call you.”
“Ike, calm down. Lara is being taken care of. Ada called me last week and I had to go over to their apartment. Apparently, Gloria had been to see Lara and something she said sent Lara’s mind into shut down. Unfortunately, when she woke up, she went into a manic state. I had to sedate her because she would’ve hurt herself. We took her to a clinic and she’s getting the treatment she needs.”
�
�I have to see her. Tell me where she is.”
“I’m sorry, Ike. But she doesn’t want you to visit. She doesn’t want you to see her in that state.”
“No. No!” He was pacing now. “I have to see her. Please.”
“Ike, calm down. You know I can’t break her trust. Go home. She’ll come to you when she’s ready. Just give her time.”
He deflated, his shoulders humped, and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Okay. But if you need anything, call me.”
“I will.” She hung up.
He climbed back into the car and slumped into the seat, shutting his eye as all his fears came to roost. He didn’t know what he would do if he lost Lara for good this time.
Chapter Nineteen
Ike pulled out one thousand naira note from his wallet and tipped the bellboy who had brought their bags into the hotel suite.
“Thank you, sir,” the man said before walking out and shutting the door.
“I don’t know why you dragged me out here,” Gloria complained as she flounced onto the sofa.
Ignoring his fiancée’s complaint, he pulled his phone out of his back pocket and checked for messages. Seeing none, he placed the gadget on the table and sat in the armchair.
“I told you I had to come to Enugu for a meeting,” he said, trying not to let her whining bother him. He’d done the hard work of convincing her to come out here with him. The rest should be easy.
“Yeah. But I don’t need to be at your meeting.”
He reached across and covered her arm with his hand and softened his voice. “My meeting won’t take too long, and we’ll get some time to spend together without other people interfering.”
She smiled at him. “When you put it like that, perhaps it won’t be too bad.”
“Anyway, Enugu should hold good memories for you. You spent six years here in school.”
She shrugged. “I had no choice in the matter. It’s because of my step-mother that I came to boarding school here. She wanted me far away from Daddy.”
His breath hitched at this revelation from his fiancée. “Are you saying you didn’t enjoy your time here?”