ℂ𝕃𝕆𝕊𝔼ℝ 𝕋ℍ𝔸ℕ 𝕐𝕆𝕌 𝕋ℍ𝕀ℕ𝕂

║TWENTY～EIGHT║

LIFE WENT ON AS usual for Nicole, she got back to work and every staff was elated to see her back, hale and hearty. She worked her butt off with new homicide cases. Most of the cases she had to deal with were slightly similar to the McBride. At least, these ones were easier to solve unlike the previous case.
Due to the case she was working on presently, she had to travel all the way to Nigeria, a country in a different continent entirely. She had never been there before and she couldn't wait for the new experience. It was going to be an adventure for her. A place where she would meet new people and eat new food.
Amidst her excitement she was still as nervous as a cat. Insecurity is a big issue in the country she was going to especially with the recent news of abducted school children.

                   ☬ ☬ ☬

"Good morning, Mr Darwin. Wasn't expecting your call early this morning." Nicole said over the phone as she walked briskly down the quiet road.
"Just wanted to know if you arrived in Lagos safely."
"Yeah, I did. I arrived here yesterday afternoon. I couldn't place a call 'cause I was exhausted. I am sorry." she apologized. She heard him sigh from the other end.
"So, what's up?" she said light-hearted.
"Eating. I've been eating all day. Well, you know I'm on leave so, my wife says she wants me to get fat before I resume."
Nicole laughed, "Really! You better don't develop a potbelly. We'll talk later, I got to go now." she said when she arrived at the hotel where she was going to be interogating one of her suspect.
"The room on the left." The receptionist told her, giving her a visitor's book to sign
"What number?" she said after signing.
"The room on the left." the receptionist said rudely and returned to what she was so on the computer.
"Oh, I see you're forced to work that's why you don't have respect for people. I ask you a question politely and here you are..."
"Are you my boss? See, if you don't have any business here, I'd advise you to use the door." the receptionist eyed her and hissed.
"Wow!" Nicole was shocked. She wouldn't let her words get to her. Never.
"Human beings are full of surprises." she said aloud and left, looking for the right room herself.
When she turned left into the broad hallway, she was confused on the exact door to knock on so, she decided to do a guess game and then decided to knock on the fourth door with the room number 111.
After a few minutes, the door opened revealing someone she never expected to see in this hotel, not even in Lagos, Nigeria of all places.
"Oh my!" she exclaimed awestrucked. "Mr Ryan Stanford, are you stalking me?" she blurted out.
Ryan was also surprised to see her. He flew his plane to Nigeria to drop off his passengers and he was going to fly to Italy the next day.
"Stalking?" he laughed as he stepped out of his room where he had lodged in, closing the door behind him.
"I should be asking you. Hey, Miss Harper it's nice to see you. What brings you here?" he stood there grinning. He looked down the hallway to see if she came with anyone.
"My work brought me here. It's also nice seeing you. I never in my what wildest dreams thought I would find you here."
"I flew in some hours ago so I'll be resting for some hours before leaving very early tomorrow morning."
Nicole smiled, nodding her head.
"I will be staying for a week. I hope to see you when I arrive." she said taking a few steps backward.
"That won't be possible because I won't be back by then. I'll be away for months and I don't know how long." he said sadly.
Shrugging her shoulders, she looked away from him disappointed.
"I will be leaving. I want to interrogate someone." she muttered and then walked away.
"Bye, thanks for stopping by." he said before entering his room and locked the door
"Wait. What? I didn't." she rolled her eyes and laughed and left.
She knocked on the next door and the door was opened a moment later. She introduced herself to the woman without adding detective to her name because she wanted to go undercover. She has finally seen the human trafficker she was looking for.
"

I wasn't expecting anyone. How did you know I am here?" the woman asked, locking the door behind her.
"I...um. You work for my friend, Abdul." she was dealing with a woman involved in human trafficking.
"Yes, we've been business partners for ten years. How do you know him?" the woman stood with her hands on her hips. "Did he tell you where I am? I told him not to tell anyone. The police are after my life." she paced around the room, panicking.
"Calm down, Abdul sent me here to help you." Nicole smiled.
"Why didn't he tell me? This is not what we planned and I can't call him now because the police would..." the woman sighed in frustration.
"you know what, call him."
"I can't."
"Why?"
"The same reason why you can't call him. You have to leave this hotel now. We need to be at the airport, now. We got no time to waste."
"No. Why?"
Nicole's felt her phone vibrate in her hand bag. She brought it out and answered.
"We've caught him." Neil told her
"Hold on. I will put it on loudspeaker." Nicole said, "It is Abdul. I told you, he is waiting for us at the airport. Do you have any contraband with you. Guns, drugs..."
"Nothing. Can I speak to him?"
"You have five seconds." Nicole warned.
"Abdul, why did you change the plan? Why would you want us to travel when the police are looking for us?"
"Bimbo, just do what you are asked to do and stop being stubborn. I'm sorry plans have to change."
"Abdul,..."
Nicole ended the call before she could say anything.
"Let us go." Bimbo opened the door and waited for Nicole to come out before locking the door behind.
"Why would you not allow me carry my things?" Bimbo whispered to Nicole as they walked hastily down the hallway.
"It will be suspicious. Remember there are CCTV cameras everywhere. Don't worry I'll sort it out."
"Thank you for helping me." Bimbo looked at her as they came out of the hotel looking for a taxi.
"Muritala Mohamed international airport." Nicole told the taxi driver before they hopped in.
"I never wanted to be a human trafficker. Poverty made me do what I'm doing, I am even fed up of the life I'm living. Each time I see my two daughters, I feel guilty for ruining other girl's life." Bimbo confided in Nicole.
"We have power to make choices. Abdul, wanted me to do the same but I refused. I make clean money. You should have rejected."
"Look, I don't know what to do. I'm filthy rich now and what I want is to give my two children good lives something I never I enjoyed."
"What about your husband?"
"He died fourteen years ago."
Nicole sighed, shaking her head.
"I feel so sorry for your daughters."
She felt sorry because her innocent daughters will never see their mother again. She was going to spend the rest of her life in prison.
"Thank you." Bimbo mumbled.
They arrived at the airport and Nicole flashed Neil to signal to him that she was around. Two policemen approached them and Nicole exhaled fulfilled as they handcuffed Bimbo. Bimbo looked at Nicole surprised but, she looked away. She smiled at herself at how well she acted. She had completed another case and she was proud of her accomplishment.