Episode 32
‘’so tell me, why are you so keen to know if your supposed friend is dead or alive?’’ the officer asked once again, fixing his trained eyes on me to read my body language. I scoffed and relaxed.
‘’he’s my friend and I have every right to know’’ I answered calmly.
‘’so what exactly is the reason why you left town on Saturday?’’ he asked seriously.
‘’my wife is heavily pregnant and I occasionally visit to check up on her just like I did last Saturday’’ I answered.
‘’so why isn’t she living with you?’’ he asked, making me a bit uncomfortable with the question. I breathed deeply and kept quiet for some seconds.
‘’it’s a private matter and I’m saying nothing else unless you tell me the reason you invited me to your office’’ I answered bravely.
‘’hmmm’ the detective breathed, nodding slowly.
‘’your friend was shot on Friday evening, immediately you left his hotel. It’s my duty to find the perpetrator of the act and the motive behind it. So tell me, are you having any issues with Henry?’’ he asked,
‘’no of course not. Actually I visited him that evening to tell him that I was travelling the next day’’ I answered. He laughed.
‘’so you drove all the way to your friend’s hotel just to tell him you were travelling?’’ he asked suspiciously, getting on my nerves with the question.
‘’do I need a lawyer?’’ I asked.
‘’you tell me?’’ he fired back. I scoffed again.
‘’I know you are a university lecturer. I know you are very educated, but I know how to catch people like you’’ he threatened.
‘’come on man, what’s your problem with me?. Did I commit a crime by hanging out with my friend?. I got nothing to hide. So you are free to investigate every aspect of my life, but mind you, it will be a waste of time’’ I said seriously. He got up from his chair, studied me for a while before breathing deeply.
‘’well Mr Caleb, I got nothing on you. As for your friend, he luckily survived the gunshot because he was rushed to the hospital on time. I’m actually about going to see him’’ he opened up, leaving me with great joy. I sprang up happily.
‘’thank God’’ I breathed.
‘’let’s go see him together’’ I offered. He shrugged, grabbed his pistol and jacket.
I tried asking some curious questions as we headed to the hospital, but the officer avoided all my questions, making the short drive to the hospital very boring.
Minutes later, we got to the private hospital where Henry was lying helplessly. He was awake when we got in. A young lady who looked like his sister was with him. I just didn’t know how to react.
‘’you are a very lucky man’’ the detective muttered with a smile as he studied him carefully.
‘’the bullet narrowly missed your spinal cord. The person that fired the shot definitely wanted to kill you. I’m glad you are pulling through. I could have questioned you yesterday but your doctor disallowed it. So now tell me, Are you having problems with anyone?’’ the detective asked while Henry shook his head.
‘’I have no enemies but you know someone like me that runs a hotel can have enemies without knowing it’’ he weakly answered.
‘’hmmm’’ the detective breathed,
‘’can you identify the person who shot you?’’ he asked. Henry weakly shook his head.
‘’it was very dark and I was shot from behind as I left my hotel to buy call cards for my phone across the street . I didn’t see anything’’ he answered.
‘’hmmm the person must have patiently waited for you to show up before taking the shot but I think it wasn’t done by a professional. Supposing it was a hitman, he wouldn’t have missed and if he did miss, would have showed up to finish it before taking off since no cop was around to challenge him as you struggled with yourself when you fell. But then if it wasn’t done by a professional, whoever took the shot must have known before hand that you were coming out of the hotel by that hour on foot. Or do you always leave the hotel by that hour every night?’’ the detective asked, while Henry shook his head again.
‘’I guess I should start leaving’’ the detective said halfheartedly and looked at me. I drew close to henry and smiled at him.
‘’brother, I have to go drop off the detective and head to my school. I will be back in an hour. We have a lot to talk’’ I said to him.
‘’I believe your friend is hiding something. I have strong reason to believe he was waiting for someone when he was shot’’ the officer said to me as we headed to his station together. I said nothing to him, instead kept my thoughts to myself.
‘’I believe he’s covering up for someone and I think you are also in it’’ he added, expecting me to say something. I still said nothing, however his words never left me all through that morning and when I headed back to the hospital I was full of curiosity.
‘’now I know it was wise of Jessica to leave this city”’ Henry said as soon as i joined him in his hospital room, further drawing up my curiosity. But no matter how much I tried to make him explain his words, he refused saying nothing more.
To be continued
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