Damaged Goods (Part 11)

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I promise this is the last post on this story.

Please follow the story from here.

The Real Killer

Oladimeji groaned in pain as he climbed into the passenger seat of the commercial mini bus that his police officers had impounded that afternoon. They had hurriedly staged a stakeout to nab the main suspect and culprit. Nothing would please Oladimeji more.

The bus was parked across the road at a safe distance from Glory who stood behind a kiosk waiting. Disused tires were heaped on the roof of the bus to make it appear less obvious, while its sliding passenger door had been yanked out to give it an impression of abandonment.

He had assembled a ragtag group of four plain-clothed police officers, hidden from view, in and around the road adjacent to the hotel exit gate. He wanted to be very careful not to spook the criminal.

All they had was a thirty minutes head start with very little to go on with. He praised the efforts of his team in getting into their positions in good time.

He left behind only a handful of the lower ranking officers at the hotel, to make sure all the other witnesses and suspects could not stage a grand escape in his absence.

To make matters worse, they had no idea what he looked like, the CCTV recording that Nnamdi had shown them before they hurriedly left his office, after Glory’s confession, did not provide enough facial details to identify him. The TV screen was indeed of no good. But they could tell that he was tall and lanky and that he sure appeared imposing, that in itself, was a cause for concern.

He wondered whether all four policemen could handle Nelson if the situation degenerated into fisticuffs. After giving some thoughts, he was certain they didn’t stand a chance. A quick glance at the officer seated next to him in the minibus did nothing to assuage him.

He touched the cold steel of the weapon he tucked into the glove compartment for assurance, it was likely he was going to need it. Police surveillance was a waiting game of patience and vigilance; the only virtue required to see it through.

His choice was already made for him. He had to rely solely on the girl, who appeared smarter than she behaved.

He didn’t like to cede control in the sort of situation he was in, it made him helpless and useless. Nonetheless, he watched Glory as she waited beside a kiosk on the side of the road, peeking to see if her boyfriend was anywhere nearby.

His eyes were fixed on her every move. He couldn’t risk taking them off her. One of the officers closer to her had been given strict instructions and the sole responsibility of jumping in on her, the moment he suspected that she was up to something. That or he would lose his job.

He had her phone with him, hoping that Nelson would send a text with further instructions about the rendezvous. He was soon tired of checking for alerts as none was forthcoming.

All the officers carried a weapon, but none had a walkie-talkie. They basically relied on their instincts to manage the situation, no matter how bad it got.

And so, they waited.

An hour later, after the strain of looking at every car that passed, parked or waited, he started to feel the toll of the lethargy, coupled with the soreness in his stomach, on his attention. He had to stay focused.

Looking intently, he noticed some strange movement at about 50meters away from the kiosk. It was a motorbike that sped by in a flash with one rider and a passenger. The passenger was a tall lanky man who wore a leather jacket over a white tee shirt. The motorcycle had a red colored rear mudguard, making it an easy mark.

Then the motorcycle returned from the other direction, with just one rider; the lanky man rolling the motorbike slowly towards the kiosk. Just then, Glory appeared confidently by the roadside away from the kiosk.

That was a positive sign.

The girl was acting according to script, Oladimeji submitted, as half his worry withered with the realization.

The motorbike rolled to a stop just by the road curb. Glory was hesitant as she approached her boyfriend.

In one quick moment, she glanced in the direction of Oladimeji as he alighted from the minibus opposite the road pointing his gun at Nelson.

“Stop there.”

Nelson, sensing the ambush, with the speed of lighting, reached for the side pocket of his jacket, pulled out a jagged knife which he buried deep into Glory’s lower abdomen, at the same moment that she reached for his arm to help her straddle the motorbike.

He looked her in the eyes as her face collapsed into a frowned. The move was so swift that Glory initially felt no pain, until she saw the tip of the knife after he withdrew it from inside her.

The bike revved to life with a frenzied 360-degree turn, spinning at a crazy angle as one gunshot, aimed for Nelson went off.

The sticky fluid that dripped out of her gown radiated so much pain enough for realization to hit her. Her boyfriend had betrayed her.

Chaos and fear took over the street, as pedestrians, traders, motorcyclist and customers took to their heels. The scene was that of disarray and utter confusion.

Oladimeji had fired the shot in desperation, as he raced towards Nelson in a bid to apprehend him. But his legs failed him, his lungs maxed out and his muscles could no longer stand the intensity of the rigors he had subjected them to. He fell face down unconscious, firing one poorly aimed shot before collapsing into pitch perpetual darkness.

His misfired shot had killed a nursing mother who was paying for a pair of shoes for her infant and she laid on the tarred road motionless.

Nelson got away, just as fast as he had appeared.

***

Three days later, Nelson was arrested for murder. Not for the one committed at the Henderson Hotel that weekend, but for shooting a popular pastor pointblank in front of his congregation at the end of a weekly program. Six shots fired to his face and torso left the man with very little chance of survival.

There was not enough time for Nelson to pull a quick escape this time, as the mob descended on him in their numbers beating him to stupor, before handing him over to the police.

Pastor Elisha Elisha was the founder of the largest Pentecostal church in the whole of southern Nigeria. He commanded a youthful following of over 3million Nigerians nationwide. He was highly respected in the Christendom for his charitable affairs and commitment to abandoned children in orphanages and other childcare centers.

His love for children was well-known and celebrated. He was the darling of the media and the champion for the helpless.

He was the father of the victim’s unborn child- the damaged good. Although Onono’s pregnancy held promise, like the other ladies in his congregation that he once dated, he wasn’t prepared to father any child outside his matrimonial home. Onono was a sweet but troubled lady, who was desperate to have his child that she swore not to abort it. It would have been a miasma of scandals, if he let that happen. He had contracted Nelson to silence her, and he didn’t come cheap. It cost him 2million naira; a tad more than similar jobs he had executed flawlessly in the past to salvage his waning reputation.

Nelson was his henchman, but he was also out of control like a loose cannon. He asked repeatedly for his balance, but the pastor was unwilling to pay what was due him. He admitted that Nelson had managed the last job poorly and drawn too much attention to the death at the Hendeson Hotel.

Now he would never be paid his balance.

**The End**

If you enjoyed this investigative thriller, you would love my next story – The loose end. Click here to start. 

 

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28 thoughts on “Damaged Goods (Part 11)”

  1. Pingback: Damaged Goods (Part 10)- the final Episode – Akin Akingbogun

  2. This has to be one story that had all my attention!!! Super excited to read all the twists and I’m super duper glad i did!!!

  3. He was the father of the victim’s unborn child- the damaged good. Although Onono’s pregnancy held promise, like the other ladies in his congregation that he once dated, he wasn’t prepared to father any child outside his matrimonial home. Onono was a sweet but troubled lady, who was desperate to have his child that she swore not to abort it. It would have been a miasma of scandals, if he let that happen. He had contracted Nelson to silence her, and he didn’t come cheap. It cost him 2million naira; a tad more than similar jobs he had executed flawlessly in the past to salvage his waning reputation.
    * You absolutely nailed the ending it was so satisfying.
    * This is so well researched , I’m impressed .

    1. I am happy to hear that it meets your expectations. Thanks for reading all 11 chapters and urging for quicker updates.

  4. She wondered how Oladimeji managed to survive that long. The big rats in the store lasted only a few minutes after ingesting the poisoned granules. But for him, she had increased the dose disproportionately, in hope that his death would be quick and painful.
    * The sentence really grabbed me, I wonder how he survived it

  5. Finally finished it!
    Worth every read

    Wondering if Oladimeji survived, Ekpeyong and Efe’s reaction upon finding out and if they became friends afterwards?

    1. Thank you so much Gift. Oladimeji did not survive the Poisoned food. Ekpeyong was left heart broken while Efe was charged with lesser crime of tampering with evidence.

  6. Fantastic story, full of suspense. It could win an international award if published on the relevant platform. Well done.

  7. Not a short story but I enjoyed it. It is a long winding one but worth all the wait. Next time I will wait for you to write all the chapters before reading them. Don’t want to start wondering what will be the next steps, some of us do not have the patience to wait. Another story from the master. Well done. Merci.

    1. Next time, I would put an alert that says….”long story ahead, wait patiently.” LOL.

      Thanks for always reading sir!

  8. I read all the parts from one to eleven. Onono died,, Oladimeji, DSP died, Glory was stabbed in the stomach, did she die, the 419 Pastor died. Nelson was captured. The worst of the criminals was the popular pastor with a large followers deceiving people. A wolf in sheep’s skin. He reaped what he sowed.
    No doubt he was in the ministry for popularity and wealth.
    It reminds of a trending story of a Minister that established a church but closed the church when she won 100 million Uganda Shillings. No wonder the word says not all that name the Lord will inherit the kingdom.
    May God have mercy.
    What an exciting piece.
    Thanks

  9. Sowunmi Adedamola

    What else can I say? This is a classic piece, laced with ingredients of suspense, pleasure and intertwined events which was eventually given a safe landing. The end really got me and I am glad I followed every bit of it. Thank you my wonderful Duke for making my day.

  10. Well woven…had to wait till the last day to start Damaged Goods from beginning, for fear of your suspense style.

    This can only come from a brilliant mind…well done!

  11. The ending of the novel was really impressive! It tied everything together so well, and I loved how the characters’ arcs concluded. It left me feeling satisfied and reflective, which is exactly what a good novel should do. What a great experience!

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