...continued
Soon his oga’s assistant came and he released
Okezie to go. Okezie shivered and left amidst ‘sorry’ that everybody kept
telling him. When he was far away from the office, he walked fast and kept
looking back to know if someone was running after him to call him back. At the
major road, he entered taxi drop back
to his house.
When he was alone behind closed doors, he brought
out the money and counted it. It was nine thousand five hundred naira. He
thought about what to do with it, whether to give it to Nkechi like that or to
buy something with it. After a while, he picked his ‘torch’ phone and called
Ebuka who told him to hold on till he comes.
After
Okezie left the office, office work continued as usual. No one noticed any
wrong doing. Okoro help Okezie out as usual by cleaning his assigned section of
the whole office and also doing Okezie’s section. The office accountant came
later in the afternoon and that was when the missing money became an issue. He
needed to take it to a bank and brought out the envelop. The envelop was not
exactly how she left it the previous day. He was surprised. He hurriedly opened
the envelop and counted the bundles, and noticed that some money was missing.
It was then that he raised an alarm.
“Some money
is missing from here,” he announced.
All
the staff were shocked. They wondered what had happened to the money. The Oga came out.
“What is
happening here?” he asked.
“I left
some money in the drawer yesterday,” the accountant said. “Now it is not
complete”
“Why didn’t
you pay it in yesterday?” the oga asked.
“By the
time we were true, it was late and I didn’t want to go home with it. So I left
it in the drawer”
“and you
locked the drawer?”
“I think I
did.”
“Are you
sure of what you are saying?”
“Very sure
sir.”
The Oga asked every staff one by
one but they all denied knowing anything about the money.
“Who was
the last to leave the office yesterday?” he asked.
The accountant accepted being the
last. “I wanted to be sure no one else was left here because of the money I
left behind,” he said.
“Then who
was the first to come here today?”
“It is
either Okezie or Okoro, the cleaners,” the secretary told him.
“call them
here,” he roared.
The junior staffs scampered out
in search of the duo. Okoro was found in mama janet’s kiosk sipping dry gin.
With the way he was told that oga was
calling him, he threw away the gin and ran with them to answer the oga.
“Sir..oga..good afternoon sir..” he stuttered.
“Where is
Okezie?” oga asked ignoring his greeting.
“He went
home early in the morning sir.”
“Why?”
“He was
sick so he left. I worked for him today. I cleaned everywhere for him today,”
he added, trying to curry favour.
“Who
permited him?” He looked around at the staff.
“I did,”
his office assistant said. “He was so sick, I let him go.”
The
oga turned back to Okoro and asked him, “You said you cleaned all the offices?”
Okoro answered in the affirmative.
“Then you
should know what happened to the money that was left in the drawer this
morning.”
The
grin on his face disappeared.
“Money
kwa?”
“Yes money”
“from where
sir?”
“what kind
of stupid question is that?” The oga
was getting angry. “Where did you keep
the money you took from the accountant’s office?”
“Sir..i did
not clean the office sir?” Okoro was shaking at this point.
“But you
said you cleaned everywhere?”
“Sir..no
sir..”
“Rubbish. Security!”
“No sir. I swear
I didn’t clean this side.”
Two
of the security men in the compound came to the office and stood waiting for
the next instruction.
“What are
you looking at?” the oga shouted. “Arrest this man.” He pointed at Okoro
Okoro
went on his knees begging.
“Sir I think
we should also apprehend Okezie,” the assistant said.
“I though
you said he was sick and had to leave?” Oga asked him.
“It may
have been a plan to escape.”
“So how do
we get him? Who knows where he lives?”
“His address
is in the file,” the secretary said.
“Go get him
immediately. Try calling him first”
“No sir,”
Okoro said. “If you call him, he may
know that something is wrong and may run.”
“You call
him since he is your friend.”
“Sir…”
“yes. Don’t
let him know we are after him.”
Okoro
brought out his phone and dialed Okezie’s number. It went through but Okezie
did not pick. He dialed five more times but did not get any reply.
“Maybe he
is too sick to pick.”
“Sick my
foot. Guilty conscience will not let him.” Oga turned to his deputy and said, I
don’t care what it takes, make sure Okezie or whatever his name is, is brought
here and the money recovered.”
“Yes sir.”
He
went back into his office and banged the door.
“How much
is missing?” the deputy asked the accountant.
“nine
thousand five hundred naira,” the accountant replied.
“Only?”
Okoro blurted out.
“shut up,”
one of the security men said and hit him on the head. “Thief.”
“It is not
about how much was taken. We do not condone stealing here.” He turned to the
security men and said, “keep him in holding, then you come let us go and arrest
that criminal.
“Yes sir,”
they replied and dragged Okoro out.
“Tell the
drivers to get their vehicles ready,” he told one of the staff.”
“Yes sir,”
she answered and left.
In
less than five minutes, they were on their way to apprehend Okezie.
(..to be continued...)
Chinedu Isaac
