PART 7: CRIME AND PUNISHMENT.
David had never gone beyond the sitting room but he was
sure he could find his way around. All he needed was to get to ifeoma’s
bedroom. He was absolutely certain he would find cash there. If not, he would
take jewelries. Madam had quite a lot.
He
felt no regret as he searched for her room. He knew this would be his last time
here but the rewards of having Nkechi far outweighed the crime. That madam had
been good to him meant nothing anymore.
He
found the room upstairs. First he opened the dressing drawers. No cash in them.
He searched the bedside drawers and found nothing. He then proceeded to the
large wardrobe. Sure he would find money there, he opened them and dived in…
“David!!!”
The
shout froze him. His heart went wild with fear. It was clearly unexpected. He
had been caught.
“What
are you doing in my room?!”Ifeoma stood there at the door, a wad of money in
her hand. She was shocked at the sight before her.
David
stood very still. His brain had gone AWOL.
“So
all the apology was so you could steal from me? I helped you. I fed you. I paid
you. So this is how you repay me? By robbing me?!”
David’s
mind was racing. It was the end for him.
“Why?
And I only came back to give you the 50,000 you asked for.”
The
last information brought him back to his senses. At that point he knew he had
done something terrible. “Madam, abeg. No be so. Nah the devil cause am. Abeg
ma.”
“Devil?
Well the devil has destroyed you. You are finished! You’re a criminal and you
must pay for this!”
In a
flash Ifeoma remembered that horrible night…the last words of her husband…the
sound of gunshots minutes later…the sight of his bloodied body and hour later.
No. criminals should never go free.
She
searched her bag and pulled out her phone.
“Madam,
abeg”, David pleaded, kneeling.
She
was dialing fast, tears running down her face.
“Madam,
I take God beg you…”
“Commissioner”,
Nkechi started, “Good morning Sir…”
“Madam,
no!”
David
lost all sense of reasoning. Prison flashed through his mind. It was not the
prospect of being locked up that feared him but the thought of losing Nkechi
forever. It all happened so fast…
He
rushed at Ifeoma, struggling with the phone…
They
both lost control…the phone flew off…money scattered all over…handbag fell…and
Ifeoma lost her balance…the sound of glass shattering filled the room as her
head hit the dressing mirror. All David was aware of was blood splashing
against him as a shard of glass embedded itself into ifeoma’s throat, cutting
through her windpipe. She struggled for breath. It didn’t last long…
Ifeoma
was dead.
David
panicked. He held her, trying to revive her. He cried and called out to her.
She was gone. He mourned for a moment. But his dark mind took over as Nkechi
flashed through his brain. It would not be long before the commissioner sent a
team to investigate. He needed to escape. He needed to see Nkechi again. He
started picking the scattered money. Then he saw the handbag. Opening it, he
hit a jackpot.
Bundles
of money. Not less than 500,000 naira. He was rich! He would finally live his
dream. With such wealth, he could buy Nkechi’s love. They would run away and
live in Lagos. He would open a business and she would complete her education.
They would be happy. The thought of being with Nkechi overshadowed his remorse
for the crime he had just committed. Such was the power of his lust and
obsession.
So
he took the money, stuffed it into his pockets. He grabbed a cloth from the
wardrobe and cleaned off the blood on his body. There were splashes on his
clothes but they were not much.
He
made his escape.
As David ran out of the compound, he failed to notice
Diana seated quietly in the car waiting for mommy. Diana knew something was
terribly wrong. She watched him as he made his hurried exit. Moments later,
after waiting for mommy, she went inside…
The
sound of her screaming filled the entire house.
David reached home breathless. He made sure no one was
loitering in the compound before he sneaked into his room. Fast he removed his bloody clothes then
cleaned himself. Next he went to take a shower. Only after that did he relax a
bit. He shook with fear and anxiety as he went to search for Nkechi.
It
was Friday and he knew she never went to school on Fridays. He had never been
to their house but now there was not a moment to waste. He needed to take her
away immediately. His heart was almost exploding as he knocked on their door.
“Yes?”
Came her voice from within. Moments later she opened the curtain.
“Baby”,
he whispered, his voice choking with a mix of complex emotions.
Nkechi
was surprised to see him. She looked back in the house then stepped out.
“Why
are you here? My mum is still around”, she whispered.
“I
no fit wait”, he breathed, “I don get money.”
Nkechi
stared at him in disbelief for a moment. “Wait for me in your room.” She
disappeared back inside.
David
went to his room, shaking. He would finally get his reward. He had totally lost
his mind because of her. At that moment, ifeoma’s dead body was not in his
mind. All he cared for was Nkechi’s flesh. To make love to her was the ultimate
desire.
Soon
she knocked. He let her in and quickly bolted the door.
“Why
are you locking the door?” She asked, alarmed.
David
held her. “baby, my love, I want dey alone with you for this world.”
“Is
this what you called me for? Please leave me alone.” She pushed him off.
“Baby,
I get money. I go give you anything.”
“Which
money?”
David
quickly pulled out the bundles. Nkechi was stunned as she stared at money she
had never seen before.
“Baby,
make we run go Lagos. I go care for you. I go love you. I go marry you.”
“Love?
Marry? Where did you get this money?”
David
fidgeted. He looked away. “E no matter. Wetin matter be say I do am for you.”
“For
me? Did you steal?”
“Baby,
I love you. Make we just run away.”
For
all her mischief and her waywardness, Nkechi was still too innocent to condone
crime. The thought of how he got the money instantly scared her.
“You
stole the money, abi?”
He
looked away, guilty. If only she knew what he had done for her. He loved her
and had killed for her.
“No.
I’m not touching that money.”
She
made for the door. He grabbed her. “Baby, abeg. I love you.”
“Love?
I don’t love you. I never will. I won’t run away with you. Dirty pig. Useless
thief. Idiot. I will not talk to a thief. A common criminal. Leave me alone
before I shout. You know what they do to thieves? They burn them.”
The
words stung him. All his efforts were in vain. He had killed an innocent woman
for her. He had become a criminal for her and this was what he got in return.
Threats and insults.
He
grabbed her tighter and flung her to the bed. Before she could scream, he had
dropped the money and was on top of her, covering her mouth. As she struggled,
her left breast flung out of her flimsy top. The sight instantly aroused him.
This
was it, he thought. He was going to have her there and then. He had already
committed murder. Rape was a lesser crime.
“You
know wetin I do for you?” he whispered coldly as he struggled with his
trousers. “I kill person for you.”
Nkechi
turned white.
“I
love you. And nah so you want bone me?”
Nkechi
saw something in his eyes – murderous rage. That was when she knew she was
dealing with a psychopath. She struggled for freedom. He held her tight,
closing her mouth with one hand while pinning her hand with his elbow. The
other hand was both holding hers and struggling to remover his trousers. But
despite his superior strength, she was hard to hold down.
She
fought wildly. All she thought of was escape. She clawed and kicked him. Her
hand came free. She lunged for his eyes. He ducked and struck her a blow across
the face.
She
tried to scream. He landed a hard blow on her throat, cutting out her voice
instantly. Stars exploded in her head. She felt dazed. Then she felt his hands
close on her throat.
He
struggle was feeble as she fought to breathe. Her eyes bulged as she stared
into the cold, murderous eyes of the boy who claimed to love her… Unlike what
they said, life didn’t flash through her eyes as she died. Instead there was
unbearable pain then nothing…
Nkechi
was dead.
He has settled on the short, thin prostitute. There were
many but that was who he wanted. She was ugly but he was drunk. He grabbed her
wrist as she passed by his table.
“Wetin?”
She asked like he was scum and she was a princess. Her breath oozed but he
didn’t notice or didn’t care.
“How
much?”
She
looked him over. “15K.”
“Only?”
He laughed.
“If
you no fit pay, leave me.”
“Okay,
I go pay.”
Minutes later, they left the crowded Bejoy Entertainment
Center. She supported him as he staggered drunkenly. She stopped and whispered
to a Keke driver then dragged him into the Keke. As the Keke moved away, he
noticed that there were two other men in it. He had wanted a drop but he was
too drunk to care. He patted his pockets. His money was still there. 543,000
naira. He was rich, he thought. Yes, he was rich.
Moments
later, he was pushed off the keke. His body hit the road as the keke sped away
with the three criminals and the prostitute 543,000 naira richer. Not bad for a
night’s work. He lay by the side of the road drunk and bruised and poor. A lot
had happened more in one day than in his entire life. Then he passed out.
When he woke up, David found himself handcuffed in a
stinking police cell.
EPILOGUE: RECKONING.
“So, do we appeal or not?” the public defender asked.
David
was jolted back to the present. Appeal? What for? The trial itself had been
long drawn. The case against him had been easy. Nkech’s dead body had been
found in his room that same day by a curious neighbour. Apparently, when he
escaped, he had failed to lock the door. Perhaps if he had, perhaps if he had
taken a night bus to Lagos that same day, he could have been free. But being
naïve and foolish, he had gone to Bejoy Entertainment instead, to relieve the
stress of his actions. When Nkechi’s body was found, it was quickly reported to
the police and a manhunt ensued. At first it was not connected to Ifeoma’s
murder.
It
was the neighbourhood vigilante that first found him passed out. Unknown to
David, in his alcohol fuelled delirium, he mumbled incoherent confessions. So
they took him to the police. He had quickly confessed to both murders during
interrogation. But when he was charged to court, as most people do, he pleaded
not guilty. So began a long drawn 3 count case of double homicide and robbery.
The case could have been dealt with in months but with countless adjournments,
it lasted for 5 years.
Finally
it was over.
The
little girl, Diana, had been the prosecution’s chief witness. Even David had
cried when she haltingly and tearfully narrated how she found her dead mother.
She was described as a poor soul, a kind, generous heart, a woman who reaped
evil for her good. His confession was tendered as evidence. Neighbors were also
called to testify against him. His lust for Nkechi was not a secret. Nkechi’s
bland girlfriend stated that he had stalked the dead girl.
At
long last the case was over. He had been sentenced to death for first degree
murder in the case of Nkechi, life imprisonment for second degree murder in the
case of Ifeaoma, and 5 years imprisonment for stealing. His life was over. And
for what? Lust. A lust he never even fulfilled.
Now
this underpaid public defender was asking if he wanted to appeal. For what? He
had lost his will to live. He was worse than the devil. This world was no place
for him. He deserved and was ready for his punishment.
“No”,
he said, “no appeal.”
“You
will die”, the lawyer warned.
“I
am dead”, he said and looked away.
The
lawyer shrugged. His work was done.
David
smiled sadly at him. He was no more the child of yesterday. He was a man and
would accept his fate.
But it would be 9 years and 10 months before the governor
of Anambra State would sign the death warrant that would terminate David’s
life.
THE END.
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