THE OTHER ME – THIRTEEN

Daniel had thought he was seen, vaporized breath swirled around his head at once as he quickly bowed his head. He was wondering right there who the guy was. He swallowed as he managed to breath, is this the house of that woman or this guy? He had asked himself the third time. 

He raised his head up slowly, in a bid not to die at that spot. He was already sweating and his heartbeat had increased rapidly. He saw Adeolu hop into his car and drove off. Daniel shook his head giving a glassy stare at the guy. 

Daniel ruffled his hair as the guy entered the house. He kicked the engine and turned back, off to the Hospital. He was on his way when Felix called him. He quickly pulled out of the road and picked his call, staring at the steering blankly. “Hello, Officer.”

“Really? That’s amazing!” He grinned, pausing for a moment to hear from him. “Adeolu just left a place now with a Brown envelope. I overheard him in the hospital while he was on a phone call that he was coming to collect money and I followed him. It seems that guy has been bribed already.” He explained. 

The call ended and he drove on. Felix had just called to tell him his boss had made him to officially be in charge of David’s case. 

He rushed into the hospital as soon as he parked his car and his eyes darted around. He couldn’t find Michael and Oyin. “Hello, please where are they?” He asked the nurse. 

“They’ve gone.” She replied him. 

He tweaked his nose. That outrightly meant that David was still unconscious. “Thank you.” He said and turned back, going to his car when he remembered the patient that Adeolu came to see. He made his way back and drifted closer to the nurse. “Hello, sorry. Please I want to know the ward where the man that was brought by officers is. I think he’s now conscious.”

“Yes he is. He’s in ward 6A.” She told him. 

Daniel wondered how she knew so quick without even checking the book. He shrugged. “Thank you.”

** ** **

Daniel knew Mike must have gone home or maybe he dropped Oyin off. He was on the road while thinking about how everything was. The scene of Continental Palace flashed back to his head again, the lady that wanted him and the guy that he saw there with another lady. 

He snifled. He hit his hands suddenly, smiling. Soon, he got home freshened up, waiting for Mike to come back if he could give an idea. As he stepped into the living room, Mike honked. “Good.” He nodded. 

“I never knew I’d meet you at home. How far, Daniel?” Michael asked as he stepped inside. 

Daniel shrugged. “Perhaps I got to the hospital as soon as you left.”

Mike sat down. “Doctor said he’s still unconscious.” 

Daniel sighed. “When will he now be conscious?” 

Mike chuckled. “Am I the Doctor or David?”

Daniel smiled. “I had to follow that guy, didn’t you hear his conversations that time?”

Mike shook his head. “I wasn’t paying attention to him.”

Daniel drifted forward. “He was talking to that William’s wife, I’m sure of that. But when he came out of the house where he went to collect the money, it was a guy that followed him outside.” He replied. 

“Perhaps the son of that woman?” Michael asked. 

Daniel looked away, lost in thought. “That’s true, Michael. He might be the son of that woman! He was the same guy I saw at Continental Palace yesterday arguing with a lady like that.”

Michael scratched his head. “And we never can believe that too much too. He might be a gigolo.” Michael added. 

Daniel nodded. “That’s also true. He might as well be a gigolo. But if the guy is this woman’s son, what was he also doing in Continental Palace? Even if he’s a gigolo, why was he there yesterday?”

“We never can tell, he might have come to have a nice time too like others. At the same time, he might also be the doer of these things.”

“But a lady is responsible!” Daniel rolled his fist and hit the sofa. 

“Didn’t you say he was arguing with a lady yesterday, what if that is the lady? Did you hear what they were talking about?”

Daniel brushed to his feet, nodding consecutively. It was making sense poco-a-poco as Mike was predicting. “I can’t really remember what they were talking about. But it seemed the lady had a plaster in her hand. It was very obvious and I think she was talking about betrayal or so.”

“Plaster?” Mike swallowed as he began to think. “Let’s wait for the result, Daniel. If two blood prints are found in the evidences, then she can’t be spared.” Michael said. 

“Wow! That’s really nice, Mike. How come you joined everything together like this? Even me that was there all along didn’t think this way.”

“It’s  not about gun them down, it’s about the brain.” Michael pulled out his tongue and grinned. 

Daniel moved closer to him and punched him. “Who told you? As if you are that wise, if not for someone like me.” He laughed. 

Mike just grinned as he stood up. “You don bath, I wan go shower too.” He said, going inside. 

Daniel sat down and continued brewing on what Mike had said. “It might be true.” He said as he picked his phone and called Felix. 

“Please when will the result of the experiments on those evidences be out?” He asked. 

“We can go and meet the lab attendant today, maybe by 12.” Felix replied him. 

Daniel ended the call, looking forward to 12pm. He’d really want to know if Michael was right.

** ** **

Vanessa had just finished talking to Bennie. She told him the situation of things with her then and how officers were all over her. It seemed Bennie understood her well, or maybe he has employed another person? She shrugged as she thought and sat down on the plastic chair in the balcony. 

Her mind flashed back to all that has happened so far. She remembered her relationship with Williams, who could say Williams could hide from her that he had a wife and even a child? He never told her about the second house also. That’s how some people just marry the wrong person, she had muttered as she sighed. 

She was glad she had not given Williams a ‘yes’ already, if she had, what would become of her? A second wife? She chuckled as she shook her head and picked her phone. She dialed Daniel’s number to know how he was, at least he went to Continental Palace the other night. 

“Hey, Daniel.” She greeted him and they talked for some minutes. 

Daniel had promised her he’d come and pick her up so they could visit the lab with Felix together. 

She ended the call and walked inside the house briskly to get herself dressed up quickly. She was still doing that when her phone buzzed and she got it. It was officer Adeolu. 

The words echoed in her ear again- “we’d love to see you in station by 3pm today, ma’am.” She had heard. Her heartbeat raced like one who was proposing to a lady. She just hissed and dropped the phone. Why am I scared? At least I didn’t do anything and evidences are being gathered. She had thought as she entered the bathroom. 

** ** **

Mike already came out of the room too, refreshed. As he sat down, he faced Daniel. “Guy, when are we going back to Faith Clinic?”

Daniel shrugged. “You’ll be the one to go.” He replied as he dropped his phone. “With Oyinda.” He added. 

Mike shifted his focus to the television. “The girl is even depressed.”

Daniel smiled. “Why won’t she be? Is David wise at all? One is meant to throw him slap on that bed sef, and it’s not like he loves Oyinda like that, Mike. I think he’s still playing her.”

Mike looked at him and tilted his head. “You think so?”

Daniel shrugged. “If not, what did he go to Contiental palace to do? That place is not a good place at all. If you see one lady holding on to me yesterday, she said she wanted to give me a nice time. The place is full of harlots.” He said. 

Mike sighed. 

“So, if that kind of place is full of those people, imagine if David will just go there and leave as if nothing happened.”

Mike chuckled. “So, you mean you didn’t leave the place the same way you entered too, Daniel.”

Daniel shot a look at him and he grinned. “Ode.” (Fool)

Mike laughed. “What’s on ground? What are we going to eat?”

Daniel picked his phone and acted as if he didn’t hear him. He opened his Facebook application to check the messages he had gotten from fans again and his notifications.

“Am I talking to a tree?” Mike suddenly said. 

Daniel chuckled as he lifted his head slowly. “Is there tree in this place already?”

Mike shrugged. “We can’t tell.”

Just then, Mike’s phone beeped. 

** ** ** 

As Vanessa stepped out of the bathroom in her white towel, she heard a knock. “Debbie?” She asked. 

“Sure, are we now three in the house?” Debbie replied from outside. 

“Come in.” Vanessa said as she cleaned her legs on the doormat by the bathroom. 

Debbie jammed the door as she entered and pulled the plastic chair tucked under the table and sat down. “How was your night?” She asked. 

Vanessa nodded. “It was fine.” She replied. 

“Thought you were on call this morning, any news?”

She raised her brows. “Officer said I should come to station-”

“-why? It’s early, by the way did he mention anything about the evidences?”

Vanessa stared at Debbie for a moment before she shook her head. “You didn’t let me die before you buried me.”

“Sorry o, when are you through tell me so we can start the burial.”

Vanessa grinned. “Unserious girl.”

Debbie laughed. “My friend, you better talk.”

“He said 3pm. Daniel is coming to pick me by 12, we’re going to the lab.” 

“I will follow you guys.” She said. 

“Really? Go and dress up, then.”

Debbie frowned. “It’s not even ten o’clock yet.”

“That’s your business.” 

“I know it’s because of Daniel.” Debbie winked. 

Vanessa chuckled. “Only God can deliver you.”

** ** ** 

Mike gazed at Daniel quickly, smiling. “Daniel is awake.” He announced. 

“Daniel?” Daniel frowned as he shrugged. 

“Em.. – David.” He grinned. 

Daniel smiled. “Let’s get going.” He said as he walked inside to dress up and pick some things. Mike also followed him quickly. 

** ** ** 

Daniel and Mike got out their cars, excited as they entered the clinic. Mike went to the nurse that called her, smiling. He had dropped his number with the nurse before he left that she should call him in case David woke up in his absence. “Thank you ma.” He said as he appeared before her. 

“Ooh, welcome. Do you want to see him now?” She asked. 

“Sure.” Mike nodded. 

She saw Temitope Daniel and smiled. “Hey, T.Dan.”

Daniel smiled. “How are you, nurse – em..” he knocked himself softly as if he had forgotten her name and was trying to remember. 

The nurse laughed. “Do you know my name before?”

He grinned. “Obviously no.”

“I’m Shade.” She introduced herself, leaving her stand to lead them to a room where they were swathed in some yellow gown-like dress and they sanitized their hands before she took them to the ward. 

“This is needed because of germs and infections.” She told them as they entered into the ward. 

“Can he talk?” David asked Nurse Shade. 

She nodded. “But slowly. Please don’t bother him too much, the wound is still very fresh.” She told them as she was leaving. 

“No problem.” Mike replied her and she left. 

“How are you, David?” Daniel asked. 

He groaned softly. “I feel pains.” He said slowly. 

Mike held his left hand. “Sorry about that. I’m sure they are good here, they’ll sort everything out.”

“Can you answer any question pertaining to this if I ask now?” Daniel asked him. 

Tears filled David’s eyes and streamed down the sides of his eyes to his hair. “About who stabbed me?” He asked as he groaned again. 

Daniel swallowed. “It seems you still have to get enough rest, you are still groaning.”

“Kate stabbed me.” He suddenly said. 

Daniel and Mike’s eyes met instantly. “Kate?” They chorused. 

“I also stabbed her by her hand with the fork I used to eat.” He added slowly. 

Daniel hardly heard what he said. He raised his brows as he looked at Mike. Mike repeated it and Daniel smiled. “Surely the blood of the lady too was in there.” He said to Mike. 

“Who’s she? How did you guys meet?” Mike asked. 

“Continental Palace.” He managed to say as he groaned again. “She’s a desperate lady, Daniel. Please be careful.” He told them as tears still flowed. 

Daniel stood upright as he gave a deep breath. “Kate.” He repeated. He looked at Mike and smiled. “Are you getting anything?”

Mike shook his head. “No.”

“You remember I told you the lady with that guy had a plaster on and David said he also stabbed her hand with fork.”

“Ooh..” Mike grinned. “That’s true.”

“She killed Williams.” David said. 

Daniel didn’t hear that again. He bent closer to him and faced Mike to repeat what David just said. 

“How did you know?” Daniel asked David as Mike told him. 

“She told me she has killed many people before, that I won’t be the first and she can never be caught.” David replied, taking him minutes to to finish up. 

Daniel heaved a sigh. “It’s well, Dave. Just take your time to rest well.”

Mike left the other side of the bed where he was and came to Daniel. “So, what’s up?” He asked him. 

Daniel bit his lower lip, clenching his fists. “I can’t wait for twelve, I really want to see the result. And I also don’t know how we’ll go about this now, maybe Felix will have an idea.” He replied. 

“Sure, that’s his work. I’m sure he’ll have tactics.” Mike added. 

Daniel nodded. He glanced at his wrist watch, it was some minutes to eleven already. “I think you should stay with him and probably call Oyinda while I leave for Vanessa’s place. She’s following me to the lab too.” He told him. 

“Okay then, no problem. Just be careful.” Mike warned.

“Sure.” Daniel said, departing. 

** ** ** 

Daniel had called Vanessa before he got to their place that he’d be waiting outside so she could come quickly. As soon as he was turning his car, Vanessa stepped out of the gate with Debbie. 

“You two?” He was surprised. 

Vanessa smiled. “Yes. Good morning.” He greeted. 

As Vanessa was making her way to the back seat, Debbie tapped her and pointed to the front seat beside Daniel. “Go and sit down there.” She said. 

Vanessa chuckled. She knew what Debbie had in mind. “That’s your business.” 

Daniel smiled. He knew they might have been talking about him and Vanessa, it was obvious. He just waved it off as if he didn’t know. “Good morning, ladies.” He greeted. 

“Hey, Daniel.” Debbie greeted as she locked the door. 

“I never knew you’d follow us, Debbie.” Daniel said, smiling. 

“Or should I go back? I guess I’m disturbing you guys’ company.” She chuckled. 

Daniel grinned. “Unserious being. I will just gun you down.”

Vanessa smiled. “I don’t know for her.”

Debbie hissed softly. “That’s how you guys went out, you only said you wanted to cheer her up, how you got to your parents’ house is still a mystery to me today.”

Daniel smiled. “You have to pray  in tongues unravel this mystery.”

“Officer Adeolu called me and told me to come to the station by 3pm.” Vanessa informed. 

Daniel smiled. He started explaining the things he had gotten so far to them as he drove on. Vanessa was smiling, her burden was been lifted as Daniel was talking. 

“How do we now go through it?”

“Felix is now in charge of David’s case, so he’ll know how to go about it.” He replied. 

Debbie smiled. 

** ** **