Sam and Nneka left Ghana two days after. As they came back to Nigeria, they had only one mandate and that was to find Chike's killers and put them away for life. Nneka was determined to do all in her power to achieve that and her husband was solidly behind her. They were not only interested in avenging Chike's death, but they also wanted the society to be rid of criminals and corrupt people. Who knew who the next victim would be?
When they arrived at Murtala Mohammed international Airport, they noticed a lot of changes. The airport now had a serene and welcoming ambiance. The environment was very clean unlike what it used to be. Sam had dreaded using the conveniences at the airport in the past because they were always very dirty, irritating and nauseating. But this time, the convenience he used was so neat that he wouldn't mind having a meal therein. He also noticed that the usual harassment and extortion of travelers by immigration officers and other security agents were missing.
"There is so much decorum in this airport today," Sam said to Nneka as they entered the cab that would take them home.
"I was just going to say that," Nneka concurred. "Everywhere is so clean and orderly."
"That's because there is a new sheriff in town," the taxi driver interjected as he set the vehicle in motion, glancing at the couple through the rear mirror. "Ever since the current president took over, things have changed for the better. Security has improved and corruption has reduced to the barest minimum. There is no more police extortion on our roads. The national Assembly has passed a bill that criminalizes extortion by police officers. The president has since assented to that bill. So far, more than a hundred policemen have been discharged from the force and jailed for extortion." The driver was quite happy with the positive changes taking place in the country and he relished sharing the good news with Sam and Nneka who were delighted to hear that things were getting better. "I am sure you won't want to go back to your base after spending few days in Nigeria," the driver said, thinking that his passengers were living abroad. "You will prefer to stay here now. Naija don better," he conluded happily.
True to the driver's words, the policemen they saw on the roads carried themselves with lots of dignity. They had passed many checkpoints and no policeman had demanded for bribe. They only asked for vehicular particulars when necessary and they were very professional. Right now the police had truly become the friends of the citizens.
Sam and Nneka were so surprised at the transformations. They couldn't believe it. "How did they get the police to become this professional within a very short time? We have only been away for about two months." Sam wondered.
The driver looked at him through the rear mirror and smiled. "Our new president has thought us that it doesn't take so long to effect positive changes. All that a leader needs is technical knowhow and political will. Our man has these attributes and much more." That the citizens were happy with the president wasn't in doubt. Sam and Nneka could see it through the cab driver.
"He sacked the rank and file of the police and asked them to reapply," the driver continued. "Those that had the requisite qualifications, experiences and clean records were re-engaged while the rest were paid off. The current minimum qualification to be enlisted into the Nigeria police force is OND. He raised their salaries and because they are now comfortable, they don't need our fifty naira anymore. Besides, no one wants to lose a well-paying job and don't forget that that take bribes might also go to jail." The driver was indeed very current with regard to happenings in the country. Sam was quite impressed.
The shocker of them all came when they drove into a filling station to buy fuel. Sam noticed the #50 on the metre and thought that he only saw part of the price for a litre of PMS which used to be #150 before they left for Ghana. But on a closer look, he discovered that it was actually #50. He barely waited for the driver to set the cab in motion before trying to confirm the pump price.
"Yes, a litre of petrol now sells for #50," the driver responded, glancing back at his passengers.
"What?" Sam couldn't believe it. Just before the former president died, the GMD of NNPC had claimed that the landing price of PMS was #265 and suggested the need to hike the pump price.
What had happened within the last few months that caused a drastic reduction instead of a hike?
"Shortly after the swearing in, the president contracted some experts to assess the capacity of our refineries. After a painstaking and meticulous exercise, they discovered that the refineries could produce enough petrol for local use and much more. They also realized that it would cost just #41 to produce a litre of petrol in our refineries," the driver explained.
"So, these guys have been lying to us. They claimed that the refineries were not working at full capacity so they could continue to loot the country through subsidy," Nneka analyzed.
"Exactly!" Sam and the driver chorused.
"All the former petroleum ministers since 1999, the former NNPC group managing directors, and top ranking officials of NNPC and ministry of petroleum resources have been arrested. They are currently awaiting trial for economic sabotage and embezzlement," the driver supplied.
"I hope they rot in jail. Selfish, evil men!" Sam cursed. "They must pay for all the hardship they caused Nigerians all these years." Sam's anger was not in doubt.
By the time Sam and Nneka got home, they had no doubt that Nigeria was on its way to Eldorado. Hitherto, the journey from the airport to their house took more than four hours, not because of distance but due to gridlock mainly caused by recklessness on the part of drivers coupled with police activities and blockage of part of the roads by trucks. But it took them less than 40 minutes to get home. They noticed that the trucks that used to line the roads had been evacuated. And of course policemen no longer blocked the roads unnecessarily and Nigerian drivers now obeyed traffic rules. With Sam's observations within the short time he had been in Nigeria since his return, he concluded that Nigerians were good followers. All they needed was good leadership.
Just as Mr. Ado said, there were three manila envelopes waiting for them on the centre table in the sitting room. A shudder ran down Nneka's spine when she saw the envelopes, which was a confirmation that she had been encountering a ghost. She hadn't been hallucinating about it after all. Her body was filled with goose bumps when she remembered that she was supposed to handle some documents kept by a ghost. She wished she had an option but there was none. She had to do the ghost's bidding otherwise he would torment her to her early death.
She summoned up courage and picked up the envelopes. The first contained a letter in which the ghost apologized for putting Nneka through both mental and physical torture, promising to let her be once his killers were brought to book. The second envelope contained names and contacts of all the witnesses she would need in order to win the case for him. And the last envelope contained the investigation report in which Chike had indicted the inspector general of police, an action that led to his victimization and exile.
Tears welled up in Nneka's eyes as she relived the psychological and emotional trauma she endured as a result of Chike's travail and eventual death. Sam noticed the tears and took her in his arms and held her in a tight embrace.
"I am so sapped …, and afraid," she confessed to her husband. "I hope I can pull through this," she cried, clinging tightly to Sam.
"You will," Sam assured her. "Remember you are not alone. I am solidly behind you and together, we will pull through this."
"Are you sure?" she asked, looking up at him.
"Very sure," he nodded.
Nneka and her husband arrived at Mr. Jerry Jacob's house around 11am the next morning. When they asked to see the retired comptroller, they were ushered into a modest but tastefully furnished sitting room. The old man who was seated at the far corner of the room, watching TV, stood to welcome his guests with handshakes. He was expecting them as they called earlier to book an appointment.
"Please, do sit down and make yourselves comfortable." He said, motioning them to the chairs.
"Thank you, Sir," the couple said as they sat down and within a split second, Nneka had taken inventory of the sitting room. Sam felt uneasy when he noticed how she was scanning the entire room with her eyes. She was so open about it that Sam feared that their host would notice what she was doing. In the end, Nneka concluded from her findings that JJ was a very honest man. His house was very modest and it was obvious that he lived a very simple and decent life. An attribute that was rare for a man in his position, considering the government under which he served.
"What do I offer you," JJ asked, indicating the small bar in the room.
"Nothing, Sir," Sam said as Nneka shook her head. "We didn't come for a drink, Sir. We are here to obtain some pieces of information from you. We must thank you again for giving us this opportunity. Most people in your position would have said no but you made it seem like nothing. We appreciate, Sir."
"Thank you, Sir," Nneka interjected.
"You are welcome," JJ smiled. "Those that make a big deal out of nothing do not understand that life is meaningless and miserable when you fail to see your neighbour as your brother. I believe in the communion of men," JJ said and smiled again.
What a nice old man. Nneka said to herself. With people like JJ, realizing the ghost's bidding would be very easy.
"Thank you, Sir," Nneka said again and cleared her throat. "Just as my husband said earlier, we are here to hunt for information." She paused for a while and then continued. "About ten years ago, a certain young prisoner was shot dead at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison when you were the comptroller of that prison. The reason given by the prison's authorities for killing him was that he tried to escape from the prison. Do you remember that case?"
Mr. Jacob narrowed his eyes and caressed his beard. He had a bushy beard and he liked caressing it especially when in a difficult or emotional situation. His gaze was at a distance and it was obvious that he was trying to remember the case Nneka was referring to.
"The young man was a detective, who was arrested, prosecuted and convicted, and jailed by a compromised judge after he was accused by the IGP of character assassination, conspiracy, and bribery and …,"
"Oh! Oh! Oh!" Mr. Jacob exclaimed, cutting Nneka off. "I now remember. How could I have forgotten a fine young man like Chike, the best our CID had ever produced," he said and Nneka was proud to hear that. JJ shook his head ruefully and thought briefly. "It is so unfortunate that such a brilliant and brave officer existed during our dark days as a country; an era when wolves were masquerading as our leaders. Those vampires wanted to kill him because he exposed their evil deeds. I am sure you know all that happened until he was sent to jail but what you might not know is that he was never shot dead while in prison." JJ said and Nneka and her husband stared at each other.
"Yes, he wasn't killed," JJ reaffirmed. "You see, after he was convicted and sentenced, the IGP wanted him dead at all cost. So he approached me and requested that I kill him and claim that he tried to break the jail. I couldn't say no to him because I knew what that would portend. A no would have meant my end. But I couldn't do what he wanted since I believed in the sanctity of human life, especially the life of an innocent man." Mr. Jacob went on to narrate to the couple how he faked Chike's death and smuggled him out of the country. ���I hope he comes back now that we have God fearing men at the helm of affairs."
Nneka and her husband glanced at each other again.
"He is dead, Sir" Nneka said and heaved loudly.
"What?" JJ screamed, exploding out of his seat. Though he was old and retired, he still had lots of energy in him. He paced around for a while. "What happened to him -, accident?"
"He didn't have and accident, Sir," Nneka answered. "He was assassinated."
"Assassinated? How, when and where?" JJ was standing akimbo with his head drooping. "Is it possible that the secret leaked out and they followed him to the country he sought asylum and killed him?"
"They didn't follow him, Sir. They killed him here," Sam said and JJ raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, Sir," Sam continued, "he came back to the country after about three years in exile. I think someone saw him and informed the IGP who sent his boys after him. And this time they succeeded.
"What a waste!" JJ cried. "He shouldn't have come back. I told him never to."
"I guess he got tired of missing his friends and family. Remember he had aged parents and his only sibling was killed in the course of the investigation that ruined him." Nneka defended her one time heartthrob. She still loved him and missed him occasionally. It could have been worse but Sam was a perfect replacement. Sometimes she found it difficult to believe that it wasn't Chike that reincarnated in Sam and came back to her. Both men were similar in many ways. The only differences were in their physical characteristics.
"I understand," JJ agreed. "Poor him!" he said mournfully, as he sat down heavily.
"Thanks for your time, Sir," Nneka said and rose to her feet. Sam stood too. We really appreciate your cooperation and hope that you would appear in court as a witness if need be. We are planning to reopen Chike's case against the former IGP. Justice is the only thing that will make him rest in peace."
"You can always count on me," JJ said, rising to his feet as well. "Call me any day, any time, and I won't hesitate to come," he added as he walked his guests to the door.
"We are happy to hear that, Sir," Sam said and shook hands with their host. Nneka genuflected and they left.
Nneka was very happy that their first move yielded a huge result. Mr. Jacob knew a lot and he was ready to testify in court. Despite her excitement at the revelations by JJ, she couldn't deny the fact that her fear concerning who fathered her first child also heightened. After she got that phone call on her wedding night, she continued to believe that somehow someone was playing a prank on her until the child came and happened to be a spitting image of Chike. That was enough confirmation that Chike was the person that made love to her that night but a small place in her mind still had doubts. Chike was killed while trying to escape from jail. It was in the news and his corpse was identified and captured by the cameras. So how could he be alive? How could he have made love to her? As a ghost?
But with the revelations coming from Mr. Jacob, she was now fully convinced beyond doubts that Chike was Ikem's father. She glanced at her husband and felt guilty. How could she have slept with another man especially on her wedding night? It wasn't my fault. I thought it was my husband. She reminded herself. But even as she tried to exonerate herself, she quickly reminded herself that ignorance was no excuse. Besides, excusing herself wouldn't undo the wrong that had been done. Her child was fathered by a man other than her husband and that was the fact of the matter. Even if Sam never found out, she would have to live with that secret and guilt for the rest of her life. It wasn't fair to keep it from Sam but telling him would wreck her world and that of her children, and even Sam's. Sam would feel so disappointed and devastated. She had no option other than to seal her lips and hope that he never found out. Not revealing the truth would put her conscience in a perpetual turmoil but she would rather suffer alone than allow her whole family to suffer.
From Mr. Jacob's house, the couple went straight to Mr. Okoli's office. The former C.I.D boss had retired voluntarily following the injustice meted out to Chike coupled with the fact that his conscience continually pricked him for pushing Chike to his early death. He later established a security guard company which had become the best in town. Given his experience and former position, it was very easy for him to make a name for his company and himself.
He met Nneka and her husband at the reception and invited them into his office.
"What do I offer you?" he asked as they sat down. "I have some hotdogs in the fridge. My secretary would microwave it for you if you don't mind."
Nneka looked at her husband and saw hunger on his face. She was equally very hungry. They had left the house without eating breakfast and it was 2:30pm already. Sam's body language showed that he wanted to eat and she had no problem with that. Mr. Okoli was Chike's boss but beyond being his boss, the two men had a very cordial relationship which Nneka as Chike's fiancé was part of. Mr. Okoli was like a father to them. Nneka was always very comfortable around him and wouldn't mind a hotdog and a drink.
"We will appreciate it," Nneka answered at last.
Mr. Okoli informed the secretary and after a short wait, she served them some steaming hotdogs and some chilled fruit juice. Sam pounced on the snack and Nneka followed suit. There was no doubt that they were very hungry. They had thought of grabbing something to eat after their meeting with Mr. Jacob but couldn't risk missing their appointment with Mr. Okoli.
"Though belated, I still need to apologize for playing a role in snatching your love from you. I am very sorry," Mr. Okoli said in a voice filled with regret. "I could have come to commiserate with you immediately after the incident but you were indisposed, besides, I couldn't face you. My conscience tortured me for months. Even as I am talking to you, I am still heartbroken. I still feel a pang of pain whenever I remember that incident. I wish I never called him back from his vacation. If I didn't, maybe, he would still be alive today. Those evil men wouldn't have jailed and later killed him. I know he didn't try to escape from the prison. They only used it as an excuse to eliminate him because he was a threat to them."
"He wasn't killed in jail, uncle," Nneka informed Mr. Okoli and he jumped to his feet jubilantly.
"But they later killed him, Sir," Sam added, cutting short Mr. Okoli's celebration.
The old man returned to his desk, supported his elbows on the desk and covered his face with his hands.
"You see, uncle," Sam continued. They had finished eating and the secretary had cleared the table. "After Chike was found guilty and sentenced to prison, the former IGP wanted him dead at all cost. So he mandated the comptroller of the prison where Chike was serving his jail terms to kill him. The comptroller's conscience wouldn't let him do that but he mustn't disobey the IGP. He therefore smuggled Chike out of the country, procured an unclaimed corpse and poured some blood on the corpse's head and face. He then fired some shots in the air and convinced the world that the corpse was Chike's remains and that he was shot dead because he was trying to escape.
"How did you get that information?" Mr. Okoli asked, surprised.
"We just finished talking with Mr. Jacob. We came straight from his house. And he told us everything," Nneka explained.
"Mr. Jacob?" Mr. Okoli said repeatedly as he tried to remember who he was.
"The immediate past comptroller of the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison." Sam supplied
"The man that smuggled chike out?"
"Yes, Sir," Sam concurred.
"So how did they kill him later if he was smuggled out of the country? Did they follow him?" Mr. Okoli wondered.
They didn't follow him. In fact everybody thought he was dead," Nneka answered.
"So how did they kill him?" Mr. Okoli was getting more confused.
"He came back to Nigeria after three years of exile. That was when they killed him. Someone probably saw him and informed the former IGP, who then sent his boys to kill him and this time, they succeeded." Sam clarified.
"Why did he come back?" Mr. Okoli cried. "He should have remained wherever he was. Those bloodsucking demons! I hope that one day they will meet their waterloo." Mr. Okoli wished.
"That's exactly why we are here," Nneka said as she folded her arms on Mr. Okoli's desk and leaned forward. "You may not believe it but it was Chike that sent us to you."
"I don't understand," Mr. Okoli was totally lost. "I thought he was dead."
"He is dead but his spirit is very much around," Nneka said and hesitated for a while. "His ghost has been appearing to me," she said suddenly and Mr. Okoli started looking around him probably to ensure that Chike's ghost wasn't lurking somewhere in his office.
"His ghost has been appearing to you?" Mr. Okoli has never seen a ghost. In fact, he was so afraid of ghosts that when he was younger he always had difficulty sleeping after watching horror films in which ghosts were involved. "Is he here?" He asked, still looking around.
"No, sir," Nneka said with a laugh. "When I encountered him the first time, no one believed me. They thought I was mad. They even invited a psychiatrist to review me. They gave me drugs that made me sick, yet I played along because I knew that insisting that I was alright would make them think I was really losing it. I later had another encounter, this time at a shopping mall. And as before, everyone thought I had gone mad. My husband narrated to me how people speculated that I killed my rich husband in order to inherit his wealth. I wasn't taken to the psychiatrists after the second encounter. My husband had earlier promised never to take me to them again. Instead he took me on a vacation in Ghana. He felt that my problem was caused by an environmental factor, that with a change of environment, I would recover. And true to his suggestion and belief, I had a peaceful stay in Ghana. I was so at peace that my husband had already started planning to relocate us to Ghana for good.
"But funnily enough, the ghost came back the night we had that discussion. So, I had a total of three encounters and each time the message was the same…, 'AVENGE MY DEATH'! He never gave me a clue to who he was. At first, I thought it was my cousin, Chinwe, who was assassinated few days to her wedding. It was in Ghana that we learnt the identity of the ghost. He revealed himself to Mr. Ado and he told us."
"Who is Mr. Ado?" Mr. Okoli asked, interrupting Nneka's story.
"He is my husband's Ghanaian friend and business partner." Nneka explained. "He received a phone call from the ghost and the ghost told him to warn me against ignoring his message; that the earlier I brought his killers to justice, the better for me." Nneka heaved a heavy sigh and paused as Mr. Okoli gaped at her.
"We had to return to Nigeria immediately and when we came back, we saw three envelopes containing all the information we need to reopen Chike's case against the former IGP, prosecute it and finally give him justice. He wants the former IGP to be brought to book as soon as possible. He was the one that directed us to Mr. Jacob. There are many more people that he directed us to for more information and we hope that they will all accept to testify in his favour when the case comes up in court. I hope you won't mind standing as a witness when eventually the need arises," Nneka pleaded.
"It would be my pleasure to do that," Mr. Okoli said without hesitation. He could do anything in his power to appease his conscience and also placate Chike's spirit. That young man needs to rest in peace, he said to himself. He was happy that this was happening when the judiciary had been rid of corrupt judges. Chike would surely get justice, albeit, posthumously. Better late than never!
Emeka heaved a deep sigh and then resumed pacing. He had been pacing since Nneka finished narrating her encounter with the ghost. Nneka and her husband had gone straight to his office after speaking with Mr. Okoli. The office was just next door. Emeka had closed from work but stayed back to receive Nneka and her husband. He needed to see them as much as they needed to see him.
"I also had an encounter with him", Emeka said suddenly and Nneka's jaw dropped.
"You did?" Nneka asked, looking from Emeka to Sam.
Emeka nodded as he went back to his seat. "Yes, I encountered the ghost three days ago. That was my first time of seeing a ghost and I must say it was a terrifying experience." He heaved a noisy sigh again. "Yes it was", he emphasized. "You can imagine waking up in the morning and seeing a ghost standing at the foot of your bed. Initially, I thought I was imagining it; that I was hallucinating because when I closed my eyes and later opened them again, the ghost was nowhere to be found. But I later saw a message on my mirror, written in blood, urging me to advise you to avenge his death. Few moments later, I got a call from a private number and the caller claimed to be Chike. He said that I should advise you," Emeka said fixing his gaze at Nneka, "to avenge his death. He said that you would never have peace until his killers were brought to book."
"Really," Nneka said.
Emeka nodded. "I didn't call you because I didn't know how to call and begin to talk about a message from some ghost. You can then imagine how relieved I was when you called to say you would stop by the office. I knew it wasn't a mere coincidence. I believed that you already got a hint."
"We are planning to reopen Chike's case," Sam said, "and we hope you will join hands with us to ensure that those that killed him and his brother face the full wrath of the law."
"It will be my pleasure," Emeka responded. "Chike wasn't just a colleague, but also a mentor and a friend. In fact, he was like an elder brother to me. Bringing his killers to justice will be a dream come true."
"Thank you very much," chorused Nneka and Sam. "We will really appreciate that," Nneka added as they stood to leave.
"One more thing …," Emeka said, stopping the couple in their track, "please, sit back."
The couple looked at each other and did as they were bidden.
Emeka sighed as he cracked his knuckles. "You see, after Chike was convicted and jailed, the former IGP mandated the comptroller of the prison to kill him and claim that he attempted to escape from the prison. But the comptroller's conscience wouldn't allow him to do that. So he smuggled Chike out of the country and faked his death so as to satisfy the blood-thirsty IGP. Chike later found his way to Ghana where he lived for close to three years before coming back to the country."
"How did you know that?" Nneka asked, surprised. From the revelations so far, it was evident that Chike wasn't killed in the prison as they were made to believe. It was very clear that he was smuggled out of the country to save his life and that he came back after some years, but Nneka couldn't believe that Emeka knew all this while and kept mute. She had been in touch with him.
The ghost must have made those revelations to Emeka, Nneka reasoned. "Was it the ghost that told you all that?"
Emeka smiled and shook his head. "I am sorry to have kept this from you all these years," he said with remorse and paused for a while. "Chike called me when he returned to Nigeria and I went to his hotel room to see him. That was when he told me everything that happened – how Mr. Jacob saved his life. He pleaded with me not to tell anyone about him as the secret might leak out and hence put his life as well as those of his loved ones in danger. His plan was to stay incognito until he eliminated the IGP and his cohorts but unfortunately they found him first and killed him," Emeka paused to suppress the tears in his voice. "I got an urgent call from him the night he was killed," Emeka said as he pulled out a desk drawer. He brought out a phone and pressed some buttons and the voice filled the room:
Chike's voice: Hello! They have come for me. The hotel is surrounded by angry-looking, arm-bearing men.
Emeka's voice: How do you know that you are their target?
Chike's voice: Who else is? Well I called to let you know that they have come to kill me. They have preempted me. Don't bother looking for me because you won't find me but you will find this phone. I am recording our conversation and I am going to hide the phone in a flower vase beside the TV. Please, make sure you get hold of it. This conversation might be necessary someday.
(Banging on the door)
Strange voice: Open this door!
Chike's voice: Who is there and what do you want?
(Some gunshots and sound of door opening. Then more gunshots)
Strange voice: Bastard! Take him out and bury him in a bush. Let's see how he comes back this time.
Nneka was practically crying by the time Emeka clicked the stop button. She had already known what happened but hearing Chike's voice and the pain therein; and the gunshots tore her heart out. Her husband tried to console her but to no avail.
"Can you send the recording to my phone?" Nneka requested when she was calm enough to talk.
"Right away," Emeka said and began to press on the phone.
After a short while, Nneka confirmed the receipt of the recording on her phone.
As they left Emeka's office that evening, Nneka's mind was occupied by the implication of Emeka's testament that Chike came back to Nigeria. That he came back to Nigeria had remained in the realm of speculation as no one had claimed to have seen him. She preferred to let it remain a speculation, knowing full well that accepting that Chike came back to Nigeria also meant accepting that he was the one that slept with her on her wedding night and indeed fathered Ikem. She sincerely wished that Chike's return to Nigeria wasn't part of the unfolding story. Now, Emeka had succeeded in deepening her conviction that her first child was a bastard. Even though she had made up her mind to fight for Chike's justice, not just to have peace of mind but also for the love she shared with him, she was sure she wouldn't forgive him for giving her a bastard; for taking advantage of her.
She would get her own justice from him someday. She didn't know how that would happen but she was convinced it would happen anyway.
Within two weeks of their return to Nigeria, Nneka and her husband had met all the people on the ghost's list, including David who was also Chike's colleague at the C.I.D. At last, they met the lead lawyer recommended by the ghost.
The lawyer laughed after listening to the story of a certain ghost on the rampage as told by Nneka. "I feel highly honoured to be recommended by a ghost to lead a case but I must tell you that ghosts do not stand as witnesses in court. The court doesn't also accept any evidence from ghosts," The lawyer told the couple.
"You are neither going to put some ghost in the witness box nor tender any evidence from a ghost in court. All we are doing is to gather evidence using the help of the ghost. We won't let the court know that a ghost is involved in this case," Sam said, looking at Nneka for corroboration and she nodded.