“Who is Rita? She is the main pivot in all of this” Mrs Lokko said.

“I don’t understand Mum. Rita is an usher at our church and she is very committed to her work,” Mansa said.

“You won’t understand my daughter. Don’t worry, the time will come and all will be revealed. For now, I’m just happy my daughter has finally returned to me. Look, let me take you home and show you around” Mrs Lokko said.

They got ready and left the office.

Chris, on the other hand, had found a buyer for his merchandise. He was required to supply N8,000,000 worth of drugs. That was higher than usual.

But he was up for it. He agreed to meet the person to seal the deal. He was going to deliver the goods, get his money and eventually pay Alice off.

He left Alice’s and went home to get ready for the rendezvous.

He wasn’t aware Derek had been released.

Chris got a phone call just as he got home. It was from the police headquarters where Derek was supposed to have been held.

On Phone:

CID: “Mr Chris, Good day. ”

Chris: “Yeah, Good day, how may I help you?”

CID: “I just called to inform you that your brother Derek was released this morning.”

Chris: “What! How could you do that? Who authorized the release?”

CID: “We found no evidence against him. Besides, the victim has not testified or made any formal report.”

Chris: “No! no! you can’t let a criminal to be walking around like that. What about the phone lines that were cut, was that not enough?”

CID: “We are going to look into it but until then, he is not our primary suspect. I will let keep you posted. Bye.”

The CID hung up on him.

Chris was not happy with this news. Apparently, he was the one who made the police report and got Derek arrested.

“I see you are not happy about my release, Chris. So you actually made the report for me to be arrested,” Derek said. He was standing at the door to his room. Chris hadn’t noticed he was there listening to his conversation.

Chris was surprised to see him. He knew he couldn’t cover up anymore.

“What were you thinking of, Derek? You were supposed to meet her and tell her your feelings, not rape her!” Chris said.

“How could you, Chris? Despite all I’ve done for you? Tell me, that handkerchief you gave me, was it really from Mansa? And who was behind the phone lines being cut off? I know I didn’t do that. Chris, did you frame me up? Derek asked.

“You can think whatever you wanna think. I wonder how Mansa will feel when she finds out you were the one who put her into this mess. She didn’t believe me when I told her you did it but she definitely will find out soon enough.” Chris said and walked out on him.

Derek was shocked. How could his own brother do such a thing, considering all he had done for him in the past.

However, what he was more concerned about was how Mansa would take it when he confessed to her.

Mrs Bernard came out of her room when she heard Chris’s voice. She looked like she was going out.

“I thought I heard Chris’s voice,” Mrs Bernard said.

“He is in his room” Derek answered with a bitter tone. That was unusual of him. His mother noticed it.

“What is wrong with you boy?” she asked.

“Nothing” Derek answered with a straight face.

“Why are you giving me attitude young man? Remember I am still you mother. I demand some respect!” Mrs Bernard said.

Derek ignored her.  He kept mute and just stared at her as she talked.

From his actions, Mrs Bernard could tell that Derek had really heard something from her conversation with Rita earlier on. She wasn’t sure what exactly he’d heard and now wasn’t the time to pursue it.

“Anyway, I’m going for a meeting.  I will see you when I get back” Mrs Bernard said.

“Should I drive you? Derek asked since he was the one who usually did that when he was around, even though they had a family driver.

“No,  you need some rest.  The driver will take me” she said and left.

Derek instantly knew that she was up to something and he intended to find out what. He quickly came up with a plan.

Mrs Lokko and Mansa had arrived at her house. The house was so huge that you could easily miss your way around.

The compound was large and had a lot of cars. Indeed, Mrs Lokko was a very wealthy woman.

From the look on Mansa’s face, Mrs Lokko could tell that she was amazed at what she saw. She smiled…

“Mansa, welcome to your home. This my house and as a matter of fact, your house.  All I have belongs to you. God blessed me with all these after I ventured into exportation of our home-made goods. Mansa my daughter, I have built all this wealth for you to take over some day” Mrs Bernard said

“Wow! That’s impressive. I am just happy to have found you, mother. ” Mansa said

“Listen my daughter, nobody needs to know who you are or even know of my existence. You will go back and anytime you need something, just call me” Mrs Lokko said.

“But why mother?” Mansa asked. She didn’t understand what was going on. She had just found her biological mother and she wanted to shout it out on the rooftop.

“The more you know, the more I put you at risk. Trust me, the right time will come”  Mrs Lokko said.

Meanwhile, Chris was getting ready to for his rendezvous. He had agreed to meet with the buyer within the next hour.

He dressed up and left the house without telling anyone.

He arrived the meeting point 10 minutes early. No one was in sight.  It was an uncompleted building in an isolated place… Secure enough for the kind of business he had come to transact.

The time they had set for the meeting finally came and the buyer still hadn’t arrived. Chris tried calling his number but the phone was switched off.  He was getting uncomfortable. After a few minutes, he heard footsteps approaching him.

He thought it was the buyer. He turned around and to his amazement, there was Obed.

Before he could open his mouth to talk, a bunch of policemen started coming out from their hideout. Chris had been ambushed and now he was surrounded.

To be continued…