The Devil Wears Okrika

Chapter 24

The briefcase contained documents and pictures. Amara was very hasty as she leafed through the contents. The notepad was the first thing she saw but there wasn't time to go through it. Underneath the notepad were some newspaper clippings. The newspaper was foreign and she guessed it was from Steve's country.
However the headlines made her blood run cold.

-Man strangles his wife to death
-fresh evidence as police discover slain wife was brutally raped

Underneath the headline was the picture of a beautiful woman. She had a lovely smile.
What on earth is Steve doing with these newspaper clippings? She thought to herself
Then a particular page caught her attention:

College professor still on the run; by Salander Ljunberg
-College professor Patrick Kristenssen is still on the run after strangling his wife to death. Police determined the cause of death to be asphyxiation and further investigation determined Christie 32, was brutally raped and D.N.A found matched that of her husband Patrick, 42. It is unclear as to what caused the murder and friends and families have professed their shock stating that the couple was very much in love and hardly fought. Police have offered a handsome reward for anyone with any news concerning the whereabouts of Mr. Patrick.
Last spring Mr. Patrick was involved in a scandal when his nudes ending up in his female students possession but managed to hold onto his job by claiming his phone was hacked...

If Amara had any doubt as to who Mr. Patrick Kristenssen was then the attached picture cleared the doubt. It was Stevenson alright. He wore his hair in a ponytail and wore medicated glasses and had a very long goatee.
According to the newspaper he was 42 when this had happened. A quick scan at the date confirmed her suspicions. It was two years ago.
Stevenson was a killer, and a rapist. He must be the devil and she was sure it wasn't just research that had driven him here.
She leafed through the contents hoping to see the love letter but then she heard the voices getting closer. She could hear her father laughing as both men approached the living room.
She hurriedly replaced the documents and snapped the case close.
She had seen enough. Stevenson was definitely the killer, case closed!

.·.·.·.·.·
The ministers meeting consisted of four individuals: pastor Batholomew, his brother Sofiri and two other men Osi didn't know. Although he could remember seeing them during the vigil service. Pastor Batholomew was pleased to see him and introduced him excitedly to the rest.
Osi took a seat beside Sofiri and tried to focus on the 'matters arising' as pastor Batholomew put it.
"So, according to our budget we can kick off our building project next month, our plan to move to an even bigger premises, the architect has submitted the plan and everything is in place"
"Please....sorry for interrupting but I feel this current location is still very okay" Osi said
"yes I understand...but you know this place was once a supermarket with stalls? The walls were taken down to make it bigger but its time for the church to grow"
Osi shrugged. It wasn't his church afterall.
One of the young men who Pastor Bartholomew had introduced as Michael spoke up.
"Sir, one other thing that has been bothering my spirit...I feel the people might have shifted from their faith. Ever since the death of Okudili they have gone back to their traditional ways. They believe some kind of deity carried out vengeance on their behalf. Take last Sunday for instance, we've never had such a low turnout on a Sunday before and I only fear its going to get worse"
Pastor Batholomew was nodding "I admit it didn't escape my notice and I've been thinking of the different ways we could counter it...on the bright side the killer is gone and it's just a matter of time before things would get back to how it was before"
"Actually I believe Okudili was not the killer" Osi spoke up "He was murdered and I believed he was killed by the real killer because he knew something"
"What! But that's ridiculous" Sofiri sounded surprised "Everybody knows Okudili was responsible for the hideous crimes"
"What exactly is the evidence? The declaration of a dibia? Unless God himself assures me that Okudili was the killer then I'm not buying it"
An uncomfortable silence followed as everyone seemed to chew on what he said. Finally pastor Batholomew sighed "Honestly pastor, I sincerely hope you're wrong"
Osi nodded "So do I"
He skipped lunch after the meeting offering the excuse that he was pressed and didn't eat yam porridge.
"you're missing pastor, my wife is a terrific cook" Sofiri said opening about four different huge coolers.
He didn't doubt it. The aroma was something else, he believed he could even perceive stocked fish, his personal weakness but he couldn't wait to see Amara.
The lesson should have been over by now and he earnestly hoped that Steve hadn't gone through with his promise to kiss her.

.·.·.·.·.·
Osi shouldn't have worried. Amara didn't know what her father said to the European but he had entered the house, carried his briefcase and bade her goodbye. She couldn't even escort him or reply because the words she had read kept on dancing behind her eyes.
At first she wanted to tell someone so bad. She was jittery and almost spilled the news to her father immediately Steve left but she controlled herself. That would be very rash and her father might not believe her and the worst case scenario it would be her word against Steve.
She almost blurted it out to Joy but then she thought: why burden her sister with such news. Although she could see it as a strategy to get the gossip mill turning because Joy was bound to talk to her friends and the bush fire would spread no doubt but that still didn't seem wise. Steve was a man of the people, the people's favourite and the rumours would be discarded immediately so she held her peace.
When Osi came by later in the afternoon she waited impatiently as her father joked with him. "Young man I can see you no longer want to leave us...you've fallen in love with my village haven't you?"
Osi smiled and looked at Amara "Actually sir I've found something priceless and I can't afford to leave it behind just yet"
De' Nwachukwu seemed to read the hidden meaning and he laughed heartily. He really liked the sharp young man and he could tell his daughter did too.
"Okay Amara, let me go and see Pa Kenneth...we are making plans for a general meeting" with that he was gone whistling happy. His village was gradually regaining its serene atmosphere and he was happy.
The minute they were alone Amara asked Osi: "Did you find anything?"
He shook his head in disappointment. "Nothing, its like he knew I was coming" he
brought out his phone and scrolled through the pictures "Actually I saw this photograph in his drawer...what are your thoughts?"
Amara studied the picture and gasped. She could see the picture clearly now. "It's her...it's the same woman"
"What woman?" Osi asked. He was getting confused
"She's his wife...or she was his wife...she's dead!"