Lawless

By Ruthie Omomo

Nigeria woke up to the news of barrister Makinde's disappearance, a renowned lawyer in the country. As detective Tunde and his team try to unravel the mystery, they get more than they bargained for.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ruthie Omomo
• Release date: Aug 21, 2020
• ISBN: 9781005184636

Book preview

LAWLESS

RUTHIE OMOMO

This book is purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is coincidental.

No part of this book should be reproduced without the authority of the author.

DEDICATION

For my family.

PROLOGUE

This is it! Makinde said aloud. He was fifteen minutes late- as usual. But this time it was worth it, he told himself. He stared at the alley which he had become accustomed to over the past few months. He shivered remembering the first time he had to come here. The strong stench of a mixture of blood, alcohol, drugs and sex hitting his nostrils should have made any sane person turn back, After all he wasn’t suited to this kind of environment. But that strong desire that only her could elicit from him turned his sense of reasoning numb. She was all he could dream of. Strong, beautiful, ambitious and young. Her name sending his blood rushing in all the wrong areas. She had become his life line and now she was to become his undoing. Maybe, just maybe if he tells her how much she had grown to mean to him she would understand and stop her madness. Maybe they could… they could what exactly? He asked himself. He picked up the cash filled case that was sitting on the passenger seat and got out of his car quite determined. He got himself into this mess and he wasn’t going to leave until everything was sorted, one way or another. He had barely taken two steps when the heavy feeling of unease that he had felt earlier rested in his stomach. The looked back frantically and went back to check if the car was locked. This should not take so long. I would be in and out. No need to panic. He held the case tightly as he strolled down the lane, making sure to keep his head down to avoid being recognized. He had just walked into the clearing when he noticed the figure crotched in the corner.

What are you doing here? he asked, annoyance gradually taking over his initial surprise.

What do you think? came the reply. It didn’t take him long to realize that it was no joke. They were a thousand kilometers away from the city and something definite was going to happen in this beat up community and it was going to happen to him.

CHAPTER ONE

It was a bright April Saturday afternoon. The rains had not fallen in a while leaving the air dry. The day was perfect for outdoor games and picnics. Clara had been up for the last two hours cleaning the house and doing the children’s laundry. Clara was your typical African woman, she had a thick mass of black hair falling just beneath her chin, cradling her oblong face. She had the skin of burnt clay, while also having the typical figure ‘8’ attributed to African women, leaving her a very attractive woman even after two children. Clara Makinde smiled to herself just thinking about her kids, Jennifer 6 and Nicholas 4. The house was a bit peaceful as Clara kept the kids busy with their favourite cartoon series ‘Teenage Mutant Turtles’. Her phone kept ringing and she had asked Jennifer to pick the call and answer the person. They were both on the floor watching the cartoon like their lives depended on it. At least it helped keep her sane since the children’s holiday began.

Mummy! Mummy! Jennifer shouted, pulling Clara out of her thoughts. She had caught herself countless times this week staring into air in deep thoughts.

Yes baby, I am coming. Clara shouted back.

There is someone at the door, hurry mum. Clara ran water over her hands before drying them on her jean shorts. She wondered how the person made it to her front door without the Security officers alerting her, or had the kids answered the intercom? She was still pondering over it when she opened the door to see a uniformed policeman standing on the stirs, looking out through the yard.

Yes? Can…can… I help you? she stammered.

Are you Mrs. Makinde? officer Adamu asked.

Yes, Clara answered as she noted the name tag on his chest.

I am officer Adamu from the mainland police division, we’ve gathered that your husband is not around?

You are right, she said looking perplexed, you can check if you want. Is there a problem officer?

No, he said, intentionally trying to avert her gaze. Please you will have to follow me to identify a body.

"Ehm, I don’t understand, a body?"

I just said that. Officer Adamu replied sounding irritated. Clara took a deep breath trying to mask her annoyance.

You show up on my door step on a Saturday morning asking me to identify a body like it’s my day job, help me understand please. She said. Clara could tell that he was a young boy with the false confidence that only the uniform could afford him. She was sure he was intimidated by her wealth as she was supposed to be intimidated by his uniform. What kind of people get into The Nigerian force nowadays? And what business do I have with a body? She thought to herself.

There is nothing to explain again ma’am, it is plain English. We need you to help identify a body, I mean, a corpse. Your details including your picture was discovered in the car of the deceased so we will like you to follow us so as to identify who the person is. Adamu said gesturing to the other officer in the car who Clara had not noticed till now. A thousand thoughts crossed her mind, at first she tried to make sense of it all, it’s not like she hadn’t understood what he said the first time. She just needed time to process the information. The word ‘deceased’ and her details should not be in the same sentence, and then the fear, something serious was up. What had her husband done? This had to be him up to something again. She had covered up for him countless times. The dirty lawyer, the politician’s lawyer. He just had to keep dragging her into his mess. But what was she his wife for? This was the life she chose against all odds. She sighed.

I will join you soon. She finally replied. I need to get someone to watch my kids while I’m out.

No problem ma’am, I will wait in the car. Clara entered the house like someone walking on air, her mind played a thousand scenes in her head. A body? Her husband had not been home since he left the house angrily after their heated quarrel yesterday morning.

Mum, what is the problem? Jennifer asked tilting her head slightly to the left as if the angle gave her the ability to read her mother’s mind.

I want to quickly go out to get something, she replied with a shaky voice. I won’t take so long.

I will follow you. Nicholas said.

No honey, I will be back very soon. Clara quickly dashed upstairs to put on something presentable and then went with the officers, leaving the children under the care of her part-time babysitter.

CHAPTER TWO

It’s not that he had a thing against Saturdays, nothing particularly alarming. It was just not his favourite day of the week. Saturdays meant rest for so many people but for him it meant more paper work, longer office hours and the likes. Of course he didn’t expect his friends to understand. Jane couldn’t understand it or she still would have been with him. Tunde sighed to himself, he had promised himself not to think too much about his private life, certainly not while he was working on a case like this. Everybody always expected him to perform magic, he recalled how grudgingly he took up this case. This morning Mr. Wale called him to his office, telling him that he wants this case closed in less than a month especially with the caliber of person involved, and the media attention it would generate. When Tunde reminded him that he presently had his hands full with the ‘Ide’ cult massacre of last week, he waved it off saying this was of greater importance, making sly remarks of his expertise being better utilized with the new case. Sure thing, with his BSc. In logic and philosophy from university of Ibadan, finishing at