"At least I need to know." Carly looked at the receptionist who in turned looked away.
"I'm sorry miss," She looked at Carly again. "That case had been closed. And the doctor issue had been deleted from our documents..."
Carly grimaced, she turned the other way and walked out of the hospital. She had visited the doctor's office according to the direction given to her by the other hospital. As she kept moving she noticed someone running after her, she paused and turned to face the person. It was a young fellow on a nurse uniform.
"Excuse me miss."
Carly nodded, with hands akimbo.
"-alright," he breathed out madly. "I know who can tell you the doctor's whereabouts…" his gaze peered at Carly.
Carly's ear stood, her brows knitted.
"-okay…I'm all ears."
"Okay." The fellow moved closer to her. "The doctor has a personal secretary."
"Okay...?" Carly became more immersed.
"So I think it best you approach the secretary. If you do so, she will direct you to the doctor. Or she could put word across for you to the doctor…"
Carly was surprised, pleased and at the same time, tensed with the information she just got.
"-does he works here?"
"Not he…but she. Not anymore but I can give you her address or cell number."
"-address please…"
The man collected Carly's phone, and typed the address.
"-here," He handed the phone back to her.
"Thanks a lot." Carly smiled and hurried in to her car. She drove out of the premises in full speed.
On getting to the place the address had led her to, she parked. It was a flat. She hurried into the building. When she had arrived into the building, she began to knock gently on the door.
"Who is that?" a male voice barked from inside.
"Me-" she smiled, despite that the person didn't see her.
"Do I know you…?" the voice came again.
"Please I'm looking for the doctor's secretary that lives here..."
The voice suddenly changed, a feminine voice called out now.
"-yes I'm in…"
"Please, can you come out…?" Carly inquired.
She got no response. She should be on her way, she thought. A minute later, the door squealed open and a young woman came out. She was light skinned but not fair, and she was plump in stature although she was tall.
"How can I help you?" the lady spoke out with her facial expression void.
Carly narrated her story to her, starting from the death of her father to the will. She told her everything that had transpired between her and Charlie Benedict. Carly concluded and fixed at the latter to know what her reaction would be.
The lady assured Carly that she will help fight her enemy; she assured her that she would lead her to the doctor's office in person. She told Carly to return in few days because she had not resumed work with the doctor.
Happy with the favor, she turned and worked towards her car after thanking the latter. She had gotten to this point; she just couldn't give up now, she'd come back again. She opened the door to her car and entered gracefully while the secretary looked, she drove out of the place after waving the lady goodbye.
∆∆∆
Eddy with so much enthusiasm, walked into the Antonia Empire. He had rushed in to grab a bite. The eatery was full of happy family and friends, lovers and cheaters, and the likes of prejudiced people like the owner of the eatery. He inhaled the breeze that wafted across to him with the flavor of all the spices housed in the eatery.
As he kept on walking towards his choice of seat, his eyes met a man making phone call just adjacent to him. He glared at the man closely and knew who he was at the instant. It was Gordon, the one that Charlie had claimed to be his personal secretary.
"What the hell is he doing here?" Eddy walked quickly towards him. With his looks, Eddy had concluded that he was up to something bad.
"You bastard." Eddy grabbed him by the collar. "What are you doing here…?"
Gordon turned quickly and his eyes met that of Eddy's. He wiped Eddy's hands away with his gaze still tight on Eddy. His suspicions were turning out to be true. First, he stopped coming to their secret meeting with Charlie, now he's questioning him why he was in the place that would belong to them. This is more than a suspicion, it's in fact true; Eddy is no longer on their side. Gordon still kept his gaze on Eddy.
"Why are you here?"
"I asked first."
"I came to meet some friends."
"-lies, you're taking note of something…"
Gordon didn't argue.
"-how's your assignment…?"
Eddy narrowed his gaze at him; his anger was forming beneath his heart.
"-you dare ask me about my assignment!" eddy hollered and everyone in the eatery turned to face them.
Eddy smiled and parted Gordon's shoulder. He took his hands of him and peered at the customers smiling. He tried to play cool. Seeing that all eyes were no longer on him, he returned his gaze back at Gordon who was yet to recover from his own smile.
"You are yet to answer my question…" Eddy muttered. "Why are you here?"
"-none of your business..." Gordon retorted without looking back at him.
Eddy tried to deal him a blow, but remembered where they were. He brought his hand down and fiddled the latter's clothing as if he was trying to dress him.
He watched Gordon walk towards the other end of the eatery dining hall; he knew he was up to something. He watched him as he settled on a table.
Eddy knew that Gordon would report him to Charlie owning to what he had done to him, but he was not afraid. He knew that Charlie might want to kill him, but again, he was the killer anyway.
Eddy made his way slowly to the seat closest to him. With his gaze on Gordon, he settled down. Eddy was certain that Gordon had come into the eatery to spy it for Charlie. He needed to do something, at least; a kidnap. He was a killer, and kidnapping Gordon out of the eatery would not be a problem only that that was not why he was there.
Eddy ate his food with his eyes still on Gordon. For a while, Gordon's phone rang and he picked it up speaking casually into it. Eddy watched him briefly as he nodded and stood up and walked out of the eatery.
Outside the eatery, Gordon stood in front of a gentleman with his smiles in display. He walked the gentleman towards his car, but it seems the strange man resisted him from taking him to the garage. With a frown visible on his brow, he walked the latter into the eatery.
Gordon talked with the strange fellow as they walked. Due to the fact that he talked earnestly with the latter, they soon approached his previous seat and sat without taking notice of Eddy. The gentleman saw Eddy, but he thought he was just an ordinary customer; so therefore, he didn't border to call Gordon's attention. The gentleman knew that the meeting was meant to be private, seeing Eddy made him look nervous. Seeing that Gordon was not tensed, the latter assumed that he saw Eddy. He opened up; spilling what was meant to be a top-secret.
"-so tell me, what's delaying the deed?" The man turned with a smile.
Gordon smiled towards the latter and Eddy feigned ignorance.
"-very soon it will happen, dear D.P.O" Gordon beamed.
"Very soon you say…" the latter took his gaze away and peered at Eddy.
Eddy quickly shoved his food down his throat and began to drink without concern.
"The boss said it will take place soon...." Gordon reassured the latter.
"Rick...call me Rick Warren." the gentleman spoke and smiled.
Eddy thought how cruel Charlie had been to hire a legal police man into his bad game; not just a police man, but a district police officer!
Gordon brought out a little recording device and placed it on the table before the D.P.O. He felt unsecured, Charlie might doubt the report he would give to him, so to make everything trustable, he ought to record it as happened.
Eddy watched without uttering a word, he was in fact having a good time. He pretended to be eating, but his full attention was on the two men.
Gordon pressed a button on the recording chip and beckoned on his companion, he was ready to hear what the man had to say concerning their deal.
Rick peered at Eddy again, he ignored him; munching on his food.
"We are good to go…?"
"-of course…?" Gordon peered at him.
Eddy stopped eating and began to drink his bottle of juice.
"-let's begin by saying the price..." Rick scooped his luncheon into his mouth.
"I suggest we talk the main thing." Gordon retorted.
Rick slowly lowered his gaze on him and fiddled with his chin.
"-the price or I get out!" he hollered.
In attempt to know if anybody had noticed them due to Rick's holler, his eyes collided with that of Eddy. He kept glaring at Eddy but he was not worried, he took his gaze away and Gordon did same. Now, he's not himself at all, and there's no way he could avoid the on-going conversation. He glared at Eddy and he took his gaze away once more. Eddy was in fact taking his gaze away so that the police officer won't notice the surprise in Gordon's face, but Gordon was not getting it.
"I vowed that I'd support Charlie if he would pay me a handsome fine…" the words came out rather lamely from the police officer's mouth.
Gordon now tensed, took his erratic gaze away from Eddy and focused it on the latter. He smiled and nodded nervously.
"-of course…he'd pay a nice fine…" Gordon beamed again, trying to keep the conversation plain.
"-so tell me, how much…?" the latter inquired.
Gordon stole another look at Eddy.
"Two million naira," Gordon peered at Eddy slightly. "That's if you give your full support."
Eddy watched as the police man grinned beyond measure, he believed the man was pleased with the sum and the terms, too. Eddy maintained as if he knew nothing. He kept on drinking his juice in good spirit. He arched his brow as the two men resumed their talk.
"-it's fair enough for me, I'm in…" the D.P.O grinned again.
"-alright then, come to the office for a brief meeting later today…" Gordon retorted trying to stop the conversation.
Rick grinned as he stood with his hand stretched out towards Gordon for a good hand shake.
"-alright then…" Gordon took the shake.
The latter sat back and watched as the D.P.O wobbled away. When the police man had advanced out of their sight, Gordon plunged himself wickedly on Eddy.
"-how dare you eavesdrop on me…!" Gordon muttered in-between a clenched teeth.
Eddy pushed him away and he landed on his seat. Eddy straightened his dress and approached the latter with disgust all over his face.
"I'm the killer, remember," he chortled. Make sure you don't tell on me, or else, all I heard would be tabled before Carly and mind you, I'll add some glitz and glamour…" he kept smiling as he shuffled off.
Gordon watched him as he walked away with his mouth gaping.
∆∆∆
The law office was more like a graveyard. The staffs had evacuated the building for the night, even the securities were not in sight. The night was bright, maybe because of the illumination that came out of the law vicinity.
In a little while, a motorcycle drove towards the building and halted just in front of the gate. The rider came down and dragged the motorcycle under a flower tree beside the gate. Slowly, the biker walked towards the gate peering around for security.
Since the gate wasn't fenced with an electric barbed wire, the man hauled himself over it without much effort. Now in the building, the man who was dressed in all black attire wobbled towards the main entrance into the law office. He was tall and had a well formed muscle which in fact was at the position of popping out of his outfits.
The man disappeared into the law office which was dark due to the lack of illumination.
Now in the reception room, he turned on the light and peered towards the walkway that leads to the senior lawyer's chamber. He quickly turned the light off, with his vision blurred; he turned and walked into the walkway leading up to the senior chamber.
With his gaze still in haze, he took hold of the door knob and turned it slightly. The door creaked and he surged forward into the room. He dabbed his hand around the wall, looking for the switch. With little struggle he found it and pressed hard on it bringing the room to life.
Feeling a bit relieved, he walked over to the heavy bookshelf that seem to house almost all the books in the world. With his gun tucked right behind his hip, he began to explore the bookshelf; searching for something so precious. He was considerate in his search; not even a loose paper flied out although he was fast as expected.
In a minute's time, after ransacking the whole shelve, he was holding a file in his hand. He left the shelf and went to sit on the barrister's desk. Slowly, he went through the file in silence.
"…to my beloved daughter, Carly," The man retorted and buried his gaze into the paper. "As a learned man, I wrote this will to serve as a weapon against lions that devours the wealth of a man once he is gone…"
The man slammed the book closed. Although he was a man; he became weak. What he saw in the will was breathe taking. So the Ben Antonio's asset was all Carly's, and the damned Charlie had the guts to claim the property?
He tucked the file beneath his clothe; he peered around the room searching if he had left any trace of evidence. He returned to the door as he walked out. He was all clean; there was no trace to his invasion.
He slammed the door closed after switching the light off. His mood was lively, and one could tell through the way he walked.
Now at the gate, he hauled himself over the fence just as he did before and went straight to where his motorcycle was. He found it just as he had left it. He sat gracefully on the bike and started out.
He ran madly out of view without being noticed.