THE WITNESS

Chapter 19

A Week Later.
The judge had heard the prosecution's and defense's argument. Now it was time for him pronounce his judgement. A lot of people came to witness it. Ben, Adriana and friends. Samuel and his partner, members of the police force and the public.
As the entry of the judge was announced, every one stood as a sign of respect. They didn't sit until he sat down.
"Anything to say before I make my judgement?" He asked the two lawyers.

They both said 'no'.
"Very well then. This is my judgement." He began putting on his glasses, "Mr Oluwole Matthew. For the charges against you: Murder and thuggery. You are hereby sentenced to life imprisonment with no chances of parole."
Olu wasn't surprised as he had expected it. He lowered his head. While the spectators were applauding the judges pronouncement.
"As for the rest of you. For your offence of being an accomplice to murder, threatening of life and property. You all are hereby sentenced to ten years imprisonment with hard labour."

He slammed his mallet on the board. Which signified an irreversible judgement and exited the court room. Every one present were happy with the judgement. They were singing praises of the judge and the police who captured the criminals.
The crowd booed them as they were being taken to prison.
"Whatever a person sows he shall reap." An elderly woman among the spectators said.
"It is done." Jane said to Samuel.
"Yes. It is done." He sighed.

The medical  examiner who also  attended approached them.
"Good day detectives." He greeted.
"Good day." They both replied.
"How does it feel having victory?" He asked Samuel.
Samuel smiled before answering.
"The feeling is priceless."
"I have some business to attend to. See you later." He told them then left.
Just then something about his voice disturbed Samuel. His voice sounded familiar. He then recalled the other suspect he was looking for.

Jane discovered that he had become restless.
"What is the matter?" She asked.
"I think I have heard that voice before." He said,
"Whose voice? His?" She  asked gesturing towards the medical examiner.
He nodded.
"We hear his voice every time."
"It is not that. It's....."
He stopped and brought out his phone. He played the recording again an listened to the voice again. He had been listening to the recording everyday and night so he had stored it in his memory.

He played the recording and listened once more.
"Is he the one?"
"There is no doubt about that."
He looked around to see if he would find him. But he was nowhere to be found.
"We have to find him." He said as he started walking.
"Should I mobilize the men?" Jane asked him.
"No. We will do this on our own."

***
By the time they got to his lab, they found he wasn't there. His things were also not there. It was as if he had run away. So it seemed.
"I guess we came late." Jane said.
"No. No" Samuel said pulling out his phone.
He dialed a number and the phone on his ear. He waited for a few minutes before speaking; the call went through.
"Hello! Alex"
"Hello! Detective"

"Did you happen to see the medical examiner around?"
"The medical examiner?"
"Yes. What is his name?"
"Gabriel! Gabriel Walter. He just left the station."
"How long has it been?"
"It has been three minutes.....no make it five minutes."
"Do you happen to know where he lives."
"Uhm...."
Samuel was getting impatient.
"Tell me already!"
He almost yelled it. He signalled to Jane to follow him as he was going out to find the guy.

"I know his address but i doubt you will fjnd him there."
"Why?" Samuel asked.
"He said he'd be travelling out of the country today."
"Really?"
He hung up the phone and got outside to find Gabriel boarding a taxi.
Samuel started running after the taxi. He ran for after it for a while then got tired.
Jane who had gone to take their car drove there that instant.

"What took you so long?" He asked breathing heavily.
"Get in already." She told him.
She opened the front passenger seat and he got in. He looked around in front of him for the taxi.
"There!" He pointed, "two cars ahead."
Jane drove the faster than she usually did. It was important they catch him.
It was only a car between them when they got to the intersection. But another car was coming from the left hand side and Jane didn't see it.

It took her all her strength to stop the car as incoming car almost collided with theirs.
"Sorry." She said to the driver of the other car.
Samuel looked ahead when they continued their journey. He was looking for the taxi but didn't see it. It was no where to be seen.
They decided to go to the airport. They might still catch him there.
When they got to the airport they saw numerous of people. People of different tribes and race.

They could see that searching would be difficult.
They went on inside looking carefully at every person they met. Then a security official approached them.
"Excuse me." He said to them.
They stopped to listen to what he had to say while still looking around.
"You are Detectives Samuel and Jane?"

They looked at each other.
"Yes. Why?" Samuel asked.
"A certain man said you would be here. He said to give this to you." He said handing a parcel to them.

***
Samuel opened the parcel to find only a letter. He brought out the letter and shook the parcel but there was nothing else in it. He looked and saw that something was written on it. Probably a name.
Looking carefully, he his name ' detective Samuel ' written there.
Opening it,  it read:

" hello detective. I know you must be looking for me but by the time you get to the airport, i would have gone far away. I always wondered when you will find out about me. It took you long enough. It was great working with you - with you all."
While still reading the letter, they saw that the plane had taken off.
" Whatever I did was just business. So no hard feelings. It is just business. My work here is done. Goodbye forever."

He finished reading the letter and sighed exasperatedly. They had lost the battle.
"He is gone. Let's go" he told Jane.
They turned around and started going back to their car. Samuel looked back at the airport and sighed.
If he had looked carefully he would have seen that someone was watching them.

When they had left, he came out and smiled. Gabriel never boarded the plane. It was just a diversion of some sort. And it worked for him. He found out that he had been discovered the day he received a call from Samuel. He knew it was Samuel but pretended not to know. He informed his friend - Alex - about the fake journey, and the travelling out of the country.

It was hogwash but he didn't know. He believed and fed that information to Samuel. He also gave the parcel to security official and showed him a picture of Samuel and said to give the parcel to him.
He then hid until they read the letter and left before he went on his actual journey.