I had just told Archie I was getting married to Kashimu. As they say, the news went down smoothly like a cluster of nails. He didn’t understand it. Couldn’t comprehend it. “The guy that’s rumored to be an arms dealer?” he asked after a long time of silence. “Just rumors, Archie. He’s not anything they’ve said about him. He’s an importer, exporter.” “Really?! Perfect excuse to smuggle arms into the country and cause the deaths of many!” But I wasn’t lying. Kashimu no longer had anything to do with weapons. Captain owned it all now, under an alias that couldn’t be traced back to him. “Where did you even meet this guy from sef?” A waft of cold air blew over me. There were tiny rain droplets in it. We were at the rooftop of Léon Hotels. One of my favorite spots to chill. Drinks, barbecued chicken and one angry…
Biyankavitch #15
I had an appealing proposition for Kashimu. I wanted him to trade off his arms business to Captain. I was to be the go-between. It was hard to say no to my offer when he was appreciating the suppleness of my body. There was no sex, just good old making out, and he was losing his mind. The shipping company he formerly used for the import of his weapons had now gone clean. He no longer smuggled arms. The business disappeared into the blue like it never existed. Well, on the outside, it had never really existed. For those of us who knew, we considered it the work of a mastermind to make it vanish that way. That was how genius Kashimu was. He had told me he would do this, and he did it. No weapons, no trace. Nothing. And yet, the business was up for bid in the…
Dugo #17
If Luper hadn’t stayed so long at the mechanic’s shop, if she hadn’t come downstairs for a cup of tea, this moment wouldn’t have been happening. But here she was, granting Udazi audience again. The backdoor was open and Dugo sat there, stirring her cup of tea. Udazi had made herself comfortable in a plastic chair in the kitchen, long legs crossed. Dugo had to admit that there was something stately about the woman. Her beauty was ageless. Even in her sixties she slayed with her elegance. But maybe it was all part of her foul packaging. Her aesthetic presentation had deceived many along the years, covering the blackness of her heart, and it was still doing so. Dugo couldn’t comprehend what type of person she was. Udazi carried out her malevolent acts as if she was doing the world a favor by them. Only a short while ago, she…
Dugo #15
It rained all night. They were awake right through it. The first half was spent exploring each other’s bodies as if for the first time. Luper had come with dinner and apologies for his behavior earlier. He was simply worried about her, he explained, emphasizing why he still felt that she needed therapy to heal from all the abuse she had faced in the past. Dugo didn’t care for his speech. She cut through his words with a silencing kiss that led to another, and another, and ultimately to clothes being tossed on the floor of her bedroom. A cold meal of macaroni was waiting afterwards. Dugo hated macaroni. She opted for some of Luper’s birthday cake which was being stored in the freezer. In the kitchen, while Luper warmed his meal, she fixed herself a cup of tea. “Will this rain stop at all?” she asked, looking out the…
Biyankavitch #14
Lanre was angry. Justifiably so. I had defied his orders not to go solo by hunting down Shiloh’s men and finishing them off in a three-day job. It wasn’t that I was being directly stubborn; it was that I followed my gut instinct. And it wanted blood, so I did what it asked me to do. “What’s the point bringing my friends together to help you when you just want to do things on your own?” Lanre’s voice was quiet. His anger was presented only in his eyes. “Lanre, you know the plan.” “There was no definitive plan. Just a floating idea, a suggestion I threw into the air.” “You said, ‘it would be nice to clear her crew’ and I did just that. I also baited her.” “And where is she now?” “She’ll come to me.” “How do you know that?” “She will come, Dada. I know.” “You only…
Biyankavitch #13
Previously on Biyankavitch… The Bahagos were on a weekend getaway at Liana Resort. Things were going well until the baby of the house, Jethro, fell into a coughing fit that let him grasping for his life. Bianca’s verdict: He was poisoned. His girlfriend was the top suspect. Here’s what happened next… Facts about Jethro’s case. He didn’t die. But he was almost there. And he could get there any moment. His father had threatened hail and fire on the Bahagos if his son didn’t come out alive. Ola, his girlfriend, was not a killer – in principle. She readily confessed when the back of my hand assaulted her baby face. I didn’t tell anyone in the family that she was responsible for poisoning Jet, because I wouldn’t have been able to get information from her if I did. I knew who was responsible for the attack, and I was going…
Dugo #13
How do you break up with someone without being a monster? Ace’s text to Dugo went unanswered. Can I just ghost her instead? Still, no reply from Dugo’s end. Ace crushed the empty beer can in his hand and picked another from the fridge. It was too early to be drinking anything alcoholic, but he needed to remain in one piece when he shattered Joana’s heart. She entered the house, springy, and with all the wow of her beauty. She was wearing the same dress she had worn on the day they she dumped him, as if it was a sign that the heavens were okay with what he was about to do. “Just coming from church.” She dropped a kiss on his cheek and wiped the spot. “Not straight from there exactly. Stopped at the market to buy things for turkey stew.” Ace took the shopping bag she had…
Biyankavitch #12
Dinner, he said, but he also asked me to have breakfast with him. Asked to share his bed. It was a welcome distraction from the heaviness that clamped my chest. My mood was glum after the debriefing I had with Lanre and the boss at the home office. As I had anticipated, they took me off the Kashimu case. “In light of your weekly reports, we have found nothing that indicates progress is being made by you,” my wobbly-bellied boss said. Sitting beside Lanre who was fit, young and fresh, the man looked like he was there as a vivid illustration of how one specimen can be the opposite of the other. In the office, we called this fat specimen Director Pam. “We hereby, withdraw you from the case.” “Is this an order from the top?” I questioned. I was looking at Lanre as I spoke. The muscles on his…
Novocaine Knights #14
LEXUS She was dressed and ready for her date with Dominic. Standing by his classiest car she caught a glimpse of her reflection and felt stupid and utterly ridiculous. Save for her new edgy hairstyle, she didn’t quite appreciate the way Ehi had her in a little black dress, subjected her into fixing artificial nails and made her face up. The housekeeper said she looked beautiful, but she disagreed. She had refused the heels given to her by Ehi and settled for the most girly shoes she had – a pair of pink and ash colored sneakers. Dominic’s chauffer, a young guy in his thirties met up with her in the car park and opened the backdoor for her. She chose the front passenger seat instead. The chauffer shook his head in a smile and went behind the wheels. “Prince, where are we going?” she asked. “The Marquee.” “Huh?” “That’s…