“We are running against each other.”
“Answer the question directly.”
“I don’t have to agree with his opinions to be cordial.”
Puene loved to play people’s feelings. There was nothing satisfying about his answers to the questions. I usually have less respect for people who are not able to stand up to someone like Puene, and there weren’t too many people in this room who would go up against him. He knew it, and he was enjoying it. So it felt right to put a damper on his enjoyment-and, well, perhaps my career did not mean all that much to me. “Doctor, do you want to be the governor of Rivers State?”
They all looked at me. I was speaking out of turn.
“With the help of God and your vote, yes, detective.”
“Don’t you have the best motive to blow him up? To have his assistant killed?”
His eyes grew harder than the bullets that killed Wike. He looked directly at Chief. “There is no need to be rude. I don’t have to answer this nonsense. I am a highly placed and well-respected party member. That question was. . inappropriate. I will defeat Okpara politically, you know; I hardly have to kill him.”
Chief’s eyes narrowed as he turned to me. “Lieutenant, proceed with caution. This is an inquiry, not a trial.”
I nodded. “Of course. Doctor, are you aware of the plot to assassinate Okpara?”
“I am not aware of any such plot.”
“Doctor, there is a man we know of as Thompson. Do you know him?”
“I do not know anyone of that name.”
“Fine. Did you have Thompson, or whatever his real name is, kill Stephen Wike?”
“Detective!” the commissioner barked. He went so far as to remove his glasses. “You either behave yourself or I’ll remove you from this panel.”
I met his stare but nodded in respect. “I am just doing my job.”
“Are you?” He turned to Captain Akpan. “Do you usually tolerate such an approach from a junior officer? Perhaps I should look into this personally.” He put his glasses back on.
Clearly if I said anything else, I’d be thrown out of the meeting and probably get suspended. I leaned back and closed my mouth. I’d given the doctor the message. And it felt good. I could stop. For now.
Unfortunately, for my sense of self-satisfaction, the doctor looked rather amused. He could afford to be. There was no danger to him in this room, except from me. . the “junior officer.”
“Anyone with more questions?” the commissioner asked.
No one had any. What a surprise.
The doctor smiled. “Every opportunity I have, please believe that I urge my supporters to desist from violence. Yet, there has been violence. For example, at the peace meeting we had, there was an unfortunate incident. But both Okpara and myself believe in the democratic process. We know that violence is a cancer. That is why we want to change things around.”
Good political speech, I thought.
“Thank you, Dr. Puene,” Captain Akpan said, smiling.
The commissioner joined in. “Doctor, thank you very much for coming today. We have no further questions.” He started to pack up his papers.
That was it. We all stood. They shook hands. No one shook my hand. The good doctor smiled at me and left. They all walked out, leaving me alone. I looked down at the table. Chief came back into the room a moment later.
“What the hell were you doing?”
“What you taught me,” I replied, trying to look puzzled.
“Knock off that look with me. You were way out of line. Why ask him such obvious questions, unless you just wanted to provoke him?”
“Would we not have looked foolish if no one asked him a hard question? At least now we can say we tried.”
“You did not ask him any hard questions. You only embarrassed yourself.” He looked at me, trying to figure out if I was being sincere or sarcastic. “I don’t have the authority to cover you if you persist.” He turned on his heel.
I was left alone in the conference room, and eventually walked out by myself.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
When I walked into my office, Femi looked up from the report he was writing. All he needed was a glance. “I see it didn’t go well.”
I sat at my desk. A draft report on the Wike murder faced me.
Femi was still looking at me, wanting more, so I told him, “I figured I didn’t have much of a career anyway. It’s good you weren’t there. Will you give me some money when they fire me?”
Femi laughed. “You got nothing out of him?”
I shook my head. “Without evidence, all I could do was bluster. And no one around the table was interested in my trying to pressure him. He’s too high up. Maybe I’ll give up police work and write a novel.”
Femi was used to my moods. I had started out idealistic but life has a way of changing that.
Akpan startled me, coming by my office a few minutes after, to tell me that a gunshot had been reported at Borikiri, around the time I left yesterday. He pointed out that the shooting was near the reported address for Thompson. “Bystanders told us that one man, about your age and height, was chasing a younger man who fit Thompson’s description. Some coincidence, eh?”
We exchanged a look. “Any news of Thompson’s whereabouts now?”
“I have officers working on that. They have orders to bring him in alive. And they are in good enough shape to run him down if he tries to get away.” He smiled flatly. Or was it sarcastically? “Just thought you’d like to know.”
I was thankful he was on my side. He could have been upset.
“And, Chief wants to see you.”
“About what?”
“He did not bother to tell me. It sounded. . urgent.”
“I hear you. I’m going right now.”
I stared at the open doorway after Captain Akpan left, thinking over what he said.
At Chief’s office, Stella was in the front office as usual, typing away on her old Imperial manual.
“How are you?” I asked.
“Don’t bother with the repartee, I’m busy.”
“I’m here to see Chief. Is he free?”
She nodded. “He knows you’re coming. Just go in. I know what you’re going to ask, so don’t bother. I don’t know anything.”
I asked anyway. “What’s happening?”
Stella frowned and did not look up, avoiding my eyes. Not a good sign.
I walked into Olatunji’s office. He looked up with displeasure. Another bad sign. Today was not to be a chummy day.
“Good day, sir.” I walked up to his large desk.
He had his speech ready and did not waste time. “We worked the interagency operation for eighteen months. Now Osamu is dead. And this afternoon was the final nail in your coffin. A number of people want you off the case, and I can’t disagree. That’s the best I can do to appease them.” He said it crisply. I don’t think he wanted to say it, or at least I did not want to think he wanted to say it.
“I don’t understand.”
“That’s just it. You do not understand.”
I looked at him directly. He looked back more so. “Tell me this is a joke, sir.”
He got up from his executive chair and walked to the window, his back to me, hands in his trouser pockets.
“It is no joke,” he said quietly, looking out the window.
“You’re going to let some brass-button hound you into doing this? Take me off the case in the middle of an investigation into multiple murders?”
I had every right to be angered by his decision to pull me off the Okpara case.
He turned, looked at me angrily, then returned to his executive chair. “I told you. It was not my decision. You ask why you’ve been taken off the case? That you have thrown caution to the winds is more than enough reason. I tried to slow you down and you ignored me. You’re an ingrate. I am disappointed in you, Tammy.”
I was completely taken aback by his anger. I did not know what to say-anything would be wrong. So I just nodded, accepted his summary dismissal, and left. In the outer office, Stella kept her eyes down as I went by. “Duck,” she told me under her breath.