Previously On The One I Love.
Credit Temitope Daniel
“Open the gate for others.” He instructed her, threatening her with the knife.
She had no choice but to dance to their tunes.
She opened the gate immediately, shivering. She was pushed forward to head them inside the house. One of the guys stood by the gate, looking so scared.
Not quite long after, the guys returned carrying Stella and left with her that night.
****
“Stella?” Tolani rushed down to her place that night, sweating profusely. What next would he do? Who would have done that?
***.
“Hope you aren’t Mr Tolani?” The cop asked him.
“Yes, I am.” He replied as he stared at his phone number as the person who loaded the recharge card in question. It was his exact picture that was printed again as the owner of the mobile number.
How come that happened?
“How did it happen?”
“How would I know?
“But if you had done that how come we found it in her house?” The cops asked again.
“How would I know? It might be a set up for me.
“You think so?”
“Excuse me!” Tolani stood angrily.
“I’ve told you it might be a set up! Immediately I heard she was kidnapped, I heeded to the call and I’ve been running helper skelter just to get things right. How would I have kidnapped her?” He was getting cheesed off.
“Sir, be patient. I’m just asking you questions, you’ve not been detained or arrested so be calm.”
CHECK THE PAGE FOR EPISODE 20
Episode 21
Paul was standing by the door of the room sadly. He hated causing someone sadness because he wanted joy. At least his share of the money would soon be given to him, but he was pretty sure his conscience wouldn’t let him be.
He was waiting for the other guys by the door, so they could give him his share of the money and quickly pay for his sister’s operation. The guys stormed out with cruel and threatening faces.
“What do you want?” They questioned him.
He exhaled deeply. “Money of course… my own share.” He added.
“Do you think I’m so foolish to the extent of letting you join us? Who here doesn’t know you as a coward? You were just used because sniper wasn’t around. You better leave!” One of them shouted at him.
He was really a coward. He started walking away because if he should start shouting with them, the guys were so deadly that he’d be wasted.
They were laughing wickedly as he left.
It was after 10 minutes he left one of the reasoned that he might try to implicate them. He didn’t even utter a word neither did he show he was annoyed.
“Do you know his house?” One of them asked the other.
“Sure. It was at the front of his house i saw him weeping the day I brought him here.” He replied.
“Let’s go and deal with him, I guess he should also be wasted.” The guy suggested and both stood up before he would take any action.
********
It was immediately after Paul left that he headed to the hospital, weeping. There was no one who would give money for the kidney transplant and his sister was in pain.
He got to the hospital and met the sad news that his sister just died when the agony was too much. He couldn’t control his tears as he headed home. He didn’t even wait to take his dead sister away, he just kept weeping till he got home.
He just sat at the entrance of the door to the sitting room weeping profusely when the other guys arrived.
“He’s there.” The one that lead whispered to the other who stood behind.
“Shoot.” The other guy also demonstrated.
“Alright.” He said still facing his colleague when he shot.
“Yeah!” He grinned and both ran away.
************
The guy didn’t face his business, he was facing the guy he came with as he shot so he missed his target. He didn’t know he had made a mistake as he hurriedly left with his friend.
Paul almost collapsed on hearing the loud gunshot around him. He wanted to rush out but he felt it would be dangerous, the best thing he could do was to pretend as if he was dead so that he wouldn’t be disturbed any longer. In case the guys came back, they’d meet his dead body.
He never believed the guys could do that. He was betrayed, yet what they wished him was death. After many minutes that he guessed they might have left, he rushed to Stella’s house immediately.
Paul didn’t meet anyone at home but he made sure he waited till Favour came home with one of the cops to get Stella’s handbag because it might be useful. They met him by the gate, his eyes were already red, he had wept his eyes out because of his sister’s death.
He didn’t care if he was arrested, the truth must be told.
****
Paul got up on seeing the two, approaching him. He still recognized Favour and knew it was her immediately he sighted her. Tolani was still at the station sorting himself out with the cops when Favour arrived.
“Hello.” He greeted the two.
“Hi, can I help you?” Favour wasn’t in the mood to laugh with anyone.
“Yes ma. I have a solution to where your friend is.” He stopped and wiped his tears.
“I know where she is.” He added.
“You do?” The cop quickly asked.
“Sure, I really do. I was part of the guys that came to get her but my conscience hasn’t been at rest since the deed had been done. She’s in the Senator’s house.” He explained.
“Senator? Don’t worry, you’ll be able to explain well at the police station, I don’t think we need the bag again, let’s go.” The cop said, grabbing Paul.
Paul started the explanation of how he was invited into the operation because his sister was dying and told them where Stella was.
It was the Senator that called her in the hotel, the day she was disgraced that planned her abduction. Paul explained how he met them and gave them money, he also explained how much the guys had been trailing her as well as Tolani because he was the one suspected to be dating her.
They were coming from behind when Tolani loaded the recharge card and threw it away. It was them who picked it up to implicate him during Stella’s operation.
“I’m ready to take you there. The earlier the better because that Senator is very deadly and I’m sure he’d want to marry her with force.
*****
The case was getting solved as they headed to the Senator’s house. The car was parked at a distance while they walked to the gate so that they wouldn’t be noticed easily. They knocked at the gate softly and put Paul forward because he’d be easily recognized.
The gate keeper opened the gate for him on seeing him, then the cops gained entrance.
Paul had told them the best thing that could be done was to eliminate the guards at first because they were dangerous. Stella was in a room, up in the house.
The gate keeper was guarded by a cop while others walked in. Tolani and Favour were at the junction waiting for the return of the cops.
The cops entered into the living room gently and met two huge guys. They brought out their guns and got them arrested immediately. Paul continued leading them till they got to the room where Stella was kept and got her out.
She was already weak.
No one could believe that getting Stella would be as easy as it was, the cops still went to the kidnappers’ place and got them all arrested, though one tried to play a funny game and was shot on his arm.
The case was solved.
It was from the day Stella turned the Senator down he had been trailing her and Tolani. Some other cops had gone to his office to get him arrested while Stella was taken to the hospital.
**********
Tobi was sitting on a three seater sofa in his friend’s house when his friend, Shola came out, fully dressed.
“My babe dey wait for me at the playground.” Shola grinned as he walked out.
“Idiot, I pray prostitution won’t send you to early grave.” Tobi chuckled.
“So how far with you? Will you come with me?” Shola enquired, adjusting his belt.
“You know I’m not into that kind of stuffs..” he smiled.
“Wait oh, since you arrived, you have not gone anywhere with me except church services. Who turned your life around?” He grinned and sat beside him.
“What brought me to Lagos?” He questioned him.
“According to you, a lady who you said you fell in love with.” He replied.
Tobi hissed. “Then who else?”
“That babe must be a bad one… so she changed this criminal’s story around.” He laughed.
“Hey! Talk wisely, Stella is not bad.” He frowned.
“Abeg oh, I was just playing na.” He laughed.
“Na you sabi but don’t dare term her bad again.” He hissed again.
“Anyway.” Shola stood up, ready to leave. It seemed Tobi was already taking it personal.
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