I looked at Belindah as she went about preparing breakfast for me. She had settled now in my house you could think she owns the place. In fact, she was now the boss. Whatever she said I followed lest I found myself back in police custody. She had made sure I grasped this reality by calling a police officer into my home one morning.
We had just woken up well. As usual, I found that she had prepared my bath. I went to take the shower while still formulating an elaborate plan on how I would sneak out to go and look for Vicky wherever she was. I had hatched this plan for an entire night and I wanted to try it out. First I was to pretend that everything was okay and nothing out of the ordinary would suffice. Then I would ask her to allow me to go to work. Nowadays she demanded that I get her permission before leaving to go to any place.
Luckily for the past few days I had not received any demanding work at the studio and the few videos that I was to edit I took them home with me. For most of the week I was working from home. This was not unusual for my boss because most of the time we did this at work. My boss could ask all the employees to work from home wherever traffic was less in the studios. Only the receptionist remained in her station to receive any new clients or dispatch finished products. At times we requested the boss on a personal level to let us stay at home, when one didn't have a lot to deal with.
When Belindah brought me home from the police custody, she accompanied me the following day to the studio. I met the boss who was still not yet in terms with what had just happened to me. He barely asked me the progress of the case and I realized that he needed to be involved in the case as little as possible. When I told him I needed some days off and to work from home for some times, he readily agreed.
"Provided any backlogs you have are cleared within the deadlines, I shall have no problem with you Edmund," he had said.
He did not know Belindah since he was not in the office the day she first came with Vicky and Caroline.
"I am glad you behaved yourself in there," Belindah told me while we were leaving the studios,"Nobody should know that you are under any pressure! You get that?" She added sternly as we entered the taxi she had hired.
"Yes mum." I timidly answered.
Therefore that was how life started between the two of us. I did not have much of an option by then since it seemed all too clear to me who the boss was. Furthermore, I still had a case to answer.
I therefore, tried as much as I could to be submissive to her and bow at her every word. However, you can put my body in chains but not my mind! Neither can you detain my thoughts. Every minute I spent with Belindah I was hatching a plan on how I would get out of this hole and go looking for Vicky. On that particular morning I decided to try my luck. It is better to die on your feet than live on your knees. So, a week into this slavery in my own home I decided to try my luck.
"Darling Mum, today I would like to go to the studio. Would you kindly allow me." I tried to sound as innocent as possible.
"And what is it that you want to go and do there?" She asked, her tampers already shooting up.
"I needed to check on the progress of the work, you know as the assistant manager."
"Has the manager called you and said your services are needed at the studio?"
"No! But it would just not be prudent of me to sit idly here at home while absconding my duties. I have a contract to adhere to failure to which I might end up in prison!"
The moment those words were out of my mouth I regretted. Belindah started throwing conundrums. She screamed all sorts of harsh words to me. How I considered her as being of less importance, how I did not consider the help she was offering me considering the case that was before me. She made sure I remembered that I was the only suspect in the disappearance of Vicky. She said my breach of the work contract between me and the studio will be nothing compared to the case about Vicky.
Belindah, however, reminded me that I could soon walk free of all charges if only I would listen to her. She claimed to know where Vicky was and that soon enough Vicky would be found and I would be able to walk free.
"Then the two of us can live happily thereafter, don't you see that my love?" she insisted.
Deep within me I detested her every word. how could she think that I could possibly ever fall in love with her. There was only one woman whom I loved. And the one I love was missing! How could I sit here anymore at the comfort of her cuddles while Vicky was undergoing only- God -knows -what. No amount of sex could ever bring my heart to loving Belindah in the same way that I loved Vicky.
"Well, if you must go then I will let you go. But you will not be going alone!" she finally said after all her fuming. "I will give you somebody whom you will be accompanied from here to the studio and back. And don't try to fool him for he won't take it lightly." She said and she picked up the telephone. She dialed a number and simply told the person from the other side to come to the house for a short errant in town.
I sat there wondering who the person that was going to accompany me would me. Belindah did not give me a hint of anything. She was so meticulous! This whole thing seemed to have been properly planned. But why? Why would someone just target me? Who was Belindah working with and to what gain? All these questions went through my head as I sat there waiting. Belindah did not say anything much but went about her duties around the house.
Seeing I had no other alternative I went into the bathroom and took a quick shower. I decided to plan for something that I could do to distract whoever the person would be my escort to town. But then i remembered Belindah's warning, "do not try to fool him for he won't take it lightly!"
When I came back to the living room I met an unexpected guest. A police officer was sitting there at the couch. I recognized him as one of the officers from the police station where I had spent the week before Belindah came to bail me out. My heart skipped a beat upon seeing him and it started beating so loudly that anyone could see how my shirt heaved up and down with every beat. I thought he had come to take me to the cells once more. I looked at Belindah who was setting a cup of tea before him. She turned and saw my look of surprise. I swear I saw her smiling at my fear.
Then the policeman spoke up, " Ah Mr. Edmund, how are you? Hope you are enjoying your freedom, right?"
At first I could not find my voice but after a short moment I managed to utter a barely audible "yes, sir!"
"Oh good! I see you are ready for a short outing, can we set off?"
I got startled and I looked from the police to Belindah and back to the police with my mouth ajar. Belindah then laughed and said;
"You two can have your breakfast already. Let my Ed eat well, I wouldn't like to see the one I love starving. Come here baby!" The manner in which she insisted those words was in itself as a sword piercing through my soul. I didn't want to hear her ever mentioning that I was the one she loved. I didn't love her. She should not love me! And she knows that the one I love was Vicky! However, without a word, I moved to the dining area and silently took my breakfast.
I tried to keep silent during the meal but the police officer wouldn't let me. He kept asking me a lot of questions some of which were intimidating, others probing. For most part of his talk I started seeing something of a collaboration between Belindah and this police. But I couldn't let my thoughts be known to them.
Finally the meal was over and I decided to go along with Belindah's man. Deep in me I knew I was not going to give up easily. This was the day I was going to look for Vicky, come what may.
So on that day we had left together with the police officer and headed straight to town. All these while I was wondering how I was going to slip out of the police's hands and disappear. I decided to engage him in some talk.
"Ah...eee..Officer!" I timidly started. His hands still on the wheel he turned to look at me. It was as if he was surprised I had spoken to him.
"Yes, Edmund!" he starkly responded. Now what should I say next? I suddenly found my mouth dry and couldn't get a way to start the conversation.
"I hope you are not going to say you want to take a pee! I am not pulling up just yet!" he said with an air of finality. I weighed his words and decided to take the chance. I laughed out loudly and said,
"No, I am not taking any pee!" I said and continued laughing, he looked at me then turned his gaze to the road ahead while joining me in the laughter. I wondered why he was laughing because for me I was only trying to start a conversation and also relieve the tension that i was having. He laughed even loudest and continued driving