C8 EPISODE 8 : ON THE RUN AGAIN

🎁🎁VIVIAN🎁🎁

As soon as she stepped out of the bookstore, she shuffled through her hand bag to get a hold of her phone.

I needed to call the police right away. She needed to tell them that who she had just seen.

Jasamina McCully.

The run-away wife of Ludale McCully. The wife of the state's congressman and a multi millionaire who had absconded from home and had her husband searching frantically for her. And their baby.

She wasn't mistaken in recognizing the lady even though she was hiding under a disguise. She lived almost close to where she resided with her husband so she do see them often.

Moreover, the news of her disappearance was splashed all over the news and a huge some of money was promised to whoever had news about her whereabouts.

So, she couldn't afford to keep mute. She needed that money badly.

A hundred thousand dollars would surely go a long way in clearing some of her outstanding bills.

So, it was time for her to act fast. Before another person recognizes the lady and calls the police before her.

She moved about two metres away from the store and dialed. She didn't want anyone to overhear her conversation over the phone.

Most especially Jasamina.

The phone rang, and was picked up at the third ring. She took a deep breath and spoke.

"Hello, Am I talking to the Commissioner of The Police Department?"

"Yeah. What can we do for you?" Came the gruff bored voice.

"Well, my name is Vivian. I'm calling from WILSON'S LIBRARY AND BOOKSTORE. Jasamina McCully is here. The wife of the state's congressman. She works here. I think I recognized her."

Silence. More silence.

"We are tired of prank calls, you know."

"It's not a prank! I'm telling the truth." She rushed through, conviction in her voice.

"Are you sure of what you are saying? If we find out that you are lying, we will arrest you so you had better not play with us." Came the voice, more interested this time.

She replied almost immediately, her voice very serious. "Yes. I just saw her. She even attended to me when I wanted to buy some books. She is wearing a denim overall and a white shirt. I guess she dyed her hair black. In order not to be easily recognized. I'm telling the truth. I just saw her now and I'm still standing in front of the store."

She heard the ruffle of pen and paper "Ok. You know what? Just quickly describe the place. My men and I will be there in a jiffy ."

Vivia looked around looking the environment to make out a proper description. "The bookstore is about twenty metres away from that primary school that collapsed on West Avenue. The colour is green and it's a storey building with corrugated zinc roofs."

"Oh, West Avenue? I think I know the place. I'll be there soon. Thanks for the information. Please ensure that you hang around the area. We need to get to see you and ask a few questions."

Feeling satisfied, she nodded. "Yeah sure. I'll be at your service. No problem.

️

She rounded up with the call and smiled smugly to herself as she put her phone back in her bag and paced, waiting impatiently for the police to come.

To get this done and over with. Not forgetting collecting the hundred dollars.

🎁🎁🎁JASAMINA🎁🎁🎁

I saw my world tearing apart right in front of me.

I shivered where I stood as streams of fear and shock found their way down my body, threatening to shatter me.

I had just gone to return a book into the library in one of the rooms westside of the store when I overheard a lady's voice I recognized it immediately. It's Vivian!

She must have recognized me. She'd called the police.

"Oh my God? What do I do now" I sobbed, my eyes blinking back fearful tears.

"I'll give you the address." I heard her say, as I leaned towards the window and strained my ears to hear what she was saying over the phone.

She's very cunny. So wicked! She even pretended not to recognize me but I still had my doubts. Because I had always seen the way she would stare curiously at me whenever she came over. Trying to get familiar with me.

If only I had listened to my instincts, I would have scurried away before she even made that stupid call.

Leave....I have to leave with Jaimie! Now. I have to act fast.

I hurried back into the inner room and scooped a sleeping Jaimie into my arms. I quickly put the book back in the shelf and tiptoed out of the room to the back door facing the other street.

The back door was far way from the entrance and shielded by shelves so no one would easily see me running away.

I would have gone back for my bag but I thought against it. Thankfully, there's nothing important in it. Only a few books, my baby's diapers and formula.

Luckily, my house keys and my purse were in my denim. I hurried my way out and straight to the way home.

🎁🎁🎁POLICEMAN🎁🎁🎁

We arrived there after what seemed like a long weary ride away from the station.

It's tiring this past few months, running around and looking for the congressman's wife. It's good to finally see what seems like a good opportunity.

At least it doesn't seem like a prank call this time around. We had to grab this opportunity to get a hold of the mentally unstable Mrs McCully, lest her husband would start his usual tirades , threatening fire and brimstone.

The man has connections and power, and we, the police can't afford to be in his bad side. Not unless we want to be out of job.

We finally arrived to the location we were giving. As soon as we got there, they walked briskly to the entrance of the book store and a lady scurried towards them, probably the caller.

"Hi, I'm Vivian, the woman who called. I've been here forever waiting." She said to the my colleague, offering him her hand for a brief shake.

He took it, his face rather serious." Ok. Let's get to business. Let's go in and make our findings. "

He requested that some of us should guard the area. While some went in with Vivian trailing closely behind and she directed them to the owner of the store.

My colleague turned to his men as they walked in. "Ensure that you don't allow anyone to walk in or go out . Start searching everyone and their belongings."

That order giving, he turned to the old man who owns the bookstore.

"Good afternoon. I'm a senior police officer of West Avenue. Here is my I.D card." He said, handing over the card to old man as they walked briskly to the counter where he perched.

The old man glared at them behind his spectacles, staring at them through his nose. He took the I.D card and examined it through his boggled spectacles.

"Is there a problem, Officer?" He asked at last, his voice scratchy and old.

"Not really. But we are looking for someone here. Do you know this lady?" He queried, giving her the picture they've always searched with.

After utter examination, the old man handed the picture back to them. "I don't know her." He stated.

The old man didn't want to cooperate. Just then, another woman came into the store. "Who are you?" We asked the woman.

Fear gripped her when she took in our uniforms. "I'm Taylor. I'm a part-timer."

"Do you know this woman?" We shoved the picture to her face.

She stared at it for a full minute before she cocked her head to the side. "Well, it looks like Mina, the full-time employee." The woman frowned a little. "But she has a black hair, unlike the lady in this picture."

Now, we're getting somewhere, I thought.

"Where is she? We need to specifically find her and search through her belongings." My collegue stated firmly, then continued, his face serious as he turned to Vivian.

"Tell her what you told us."

"She's not Mina. She's Jasamina McCully. The wife of Ludale McCully. She just dyed her hair black to cover up her identity. I live around here, so I know her very well. Even the baby is not a girl but a boy. And I overheard when she called him 'Jaimie'. That's the name of the McCully's son." Vivian explained to the people in the library.

There were gasps and shouts. The customers and everyone looked so surprised apart from the old store owner.

The part-timer stammered, stunned. "How...how...did you come up with this? I never even suspected a thing...."

"Boss." A sergeant cut her off, coming out from an inner room. "Here's what I found in one of the bags here. But I guess the owner of the bag is not here now. She must have left before we came as said by her colleagues."