TARASHA Episode 11 Pt 3 – Oyin Oluwatosin Emmanuel
�Evelyn is nowhere around � Henry said as he walked back into the house with his search party.
�Did you check the whole compound?� the voice at the other end asked.
�Yes, I searched with the maids and the security men� Henry answered, motioning back towards the room.
�Okay, let me check what we have from the cameras� Sylvester said before hanging up.
Henry was about to enter into his room when he looked at the door to Tarasha�s room and noticed that the position had changed from how it was left. He closed back the door and proceeded towards the room. He touched the knob, it was tight this time, it was locked. Had someone else gone in? Henry knocked.
The door was opened in few seconds and Henry was surprised to meet Tarasha still clothed in her night gown. His mouth was left agape.
�Good morning� she greeted first, leaving the door opened for him. She returned to the bed.
�Where have you been?� Henry walked in without responding to her greeting. �We�ve been searching for you everywhere�
�I�ve been in this room� Tarasha replied him, unperturbed.
�But I was here some minutes ago, I searc��
�Yes, you searched everywhere in the room and also the restroom and you called my name several times without getting a response� Tarasha interrupted.
�Were you really in the room?� Henry�s eyes widened.
�Why were you searching for me?� Tarasha asked, trying to change the topic.
A maid appeared at the entrance off the room, peeping through the opened door. She seemed surprise to see Tarasha.
�Come� Henry motioned her in. �Did you know she was in?�
�I told you I saw her earlier today and that she should be in her room�
�But I searched around and couldn�t find her� Henry retorted. He turned to Tarasha, �were you really in the room?�
�Yes� Tarasha answered bluntly. �I was in the restroom, meditating�
�Meditating?� Henry repeated, still finding it hard to believe.
�Yes, that�s why I couldn�t answer you, you don�t speak to anyone in the process�
�Meditating? The Hindu way?�
�Kind of� Tarasha smiled.
�That�s strange� Henry frowned. �I thought you were not religious at all�
�Ermm�� Tarasha stammered. �But I do believe in meditation, it helps to calm the soul�
�Mr Henry� someone called from outside, diverting their attention. �The police officers are here to pick you�
�You have to dress up and prepare, we are going for medical check-up� Henry said to Tarasha as he left the room. The door was closed.
�Thanks for your help� Tarasha smiled at the maid.
�No problem� the maid smiled back.
�Here�s your phone� Tarasha said handing her a cellphone.
�Alright, so when are you going to see me?� The maid demanded for her payment as she took back her phone.
�Humm�� Tarasha stood up and dipped her hand into her pocket, like someone who was searching for money. Suddenly she grabbed the maid by the neck and injected a fluid into the maid�s arm. The maid fell down unconscious immediately. Tarasha dragged the body into the restroom and laid her on the floor, she brought out some money and stuck it into the maid�s pocket before leaving the restroom. The maid had been injected with benryl and would forget everything that happened in the last two hours by the time she woke up.
**12pm
Henry continued to steal glances at Tarasha as they headed for the police station to take don their statement. The officer who drove the car drove slowly thereby prolonging the journey and the moment of silence between Henry and Tarasha.
Henry�s phone disrupted their peace. �Hello� Henry answered the incoming call.
�I couldn�t find anything on the tapes� Sylvester said with a note of tiredness after being asked several times by Henry to check and cross check again.
�Don�t bother, I didn�t check well, she was in the restroom� Henry said, stealing a glance at Tarasha, their eyes met.
�So why were you now disturbing me to cross check several times?� Sylvester asked angrily.
�Erm�� Henry stammered. He couldn�t give an answer as he did not want Evelyn to get the impression that he was doubting her.
Tarasha gave a short smile which later turned into a frown. She understood his trick but was not bothered. It was just a day left for her to complete her mission and she would disappear from him and from Abuja. She�ll ki*ll him immediately if he happens to resurface anytime or tries to cause trouble for her.
�Oh!� Henry exclaimed as Sylvester reminded him of the job he was supposed to give a report for by the next day. �Thanks for helping me start the job. I�ll report to the office once we leave the police station�
The drive to Division A lasted for fifteen minutes more. Evelyn and Henry were ushered into the station immediately. After taking down a written statement, they were ushered into another office for interrogation.
The interrogator, an officer in his early thirties walked into the room carrying a tablet device in his hands.
�Hi, I�m officer Ken � He introduced himself, shaking the hands of the duo. �You�re Henry and Evelyn, right?� The two nodded in agreement. �I want you guys to tell us all you know so that we can nab those criminals� Ken continued, checking through his device for the list of questions he already compiled. �How were you taken?� He began.
Henry started first. He explained how the kidnappers had dressed like policemen and come to arrest him with a fake Identity card, he also explained how they made him lead them to Evelyn. After him, Tarasha also gave her own account of the abduction.
Several other questions were asked after that and henry and Tarasha took turns to reply each question, most times individually.
�Who were those that you say helped you?� Ken asked one of his final questions.
�The kidnappers let us go� Tarasha said, surprising Henry.
�They released you and gave you the car to leave with?�
�Yes, I believe that they were ordered by the person who sent them. They released us after a big man entered and spoke in Hausa language to them�
�Hmm�� Ken sighed as he took down notes.
Henry was staring at Tarasha in surprise. She had told him that passersby helped them and not that they were freed by the kidnappers themselves.
�The man was somewhat like a boss to them� Tarasha quickly added. �He entered into the compound violently so I first thought that they were just passersby who heard our screams outside. It was later I realised that they were of the group�
Henry became calmer after Tarasha�s explanation but she still had some explanations to do to him. Why didn�t she tell him the whole story?
Ken gave a signal to one of the junior officers standing beside him. The junior officer nodded and left through the back exit. He returned in two minutes time with Mallam Jefa.
�Was this man a part of the kidnappers?�
�No� Henry answered. He stared at Tarasha�s face for confirmation.
�No, he isn�t� Tarasha confirmed, staring at the man who she remembered was trailing behind them as they escaped.
�Okay, you can process his release� Officer Ken said to the junior officer.
�Please, I have something to say� Jefa shouted as the junior officer tried to take him away.
All eyes focused on Jefa. �Bring him back� Ken said. Mallam Jefa was returned back to his position. �Yes, what do you want to say?�
Tears formed in Jefa�s eyes as he opened his mouth to begin. He let out a deep breath.
