The Dawuni Files - A White Shadow

Chapter Nine

"Irene, you're bleeding". Dawuni said, his eyes widening just a fraction. He didn't know wether it was his words or the pain, but Irene snapped into reality looking at her palm in shock.

" Let's go to my car". Dawuni gave her a napkin, which she kept under her palm to prevent the blood from dripping onto the table. " I have a first aid kit".

He paid thier bill and steered her to his car outside, people staring at them as they made thier way outside.

Inside the car, Dawuni removed the shards of glass from Irene's hand whilst she winced in pain. He cleaned the blood away, applied iodine tincture and bandaged the palm.

" We need to get you to the hospital". Dawuni told her, after he was done with the bandage.

" But you've already treated the wounds ". Irene protested.

" I know, but we can't risk an infection, can we?"

Irene nodded her assent and Dawuni drove her to the nearest hospital. There her wounds were cleaned again  and bandaged properly. He then took her

home.

The drive to Irene's home was silent. Not the uncomfortable silence that Dawuni normally experienced with women, but one that he felt completely at ease.

He kept glancing at her once in a while. Irene was very beautiful, with dark smooth skin and a slightly curvy figure. Her hair had been done in long braids that fell to her waist, somehow enhancing her almost perfect face.

When they got to Irene's house, she turned to him." Thanks".

"You are welcome". Dawuni said. " How are you going to get your car from the restaurant?"

" I'll call my dad so that he'll send his driver to pick it up for me."

"Okay," Dawuni smiled." Good night then."

"Good night too".

Dawuni watched  Irene get inside before he drove off.

As he drove home, Dawuni wondered what could've caused Irene to behave like that. Had she lost a relation during the Lawo Collaspe? Dawuni decided it was none of his business. She would've told him if she wanted to.

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" Do you, Dawuni Ayine take Irene Hayford to be your lovely wedded wife?" The priest asked ." In sickness and in health, till death do you apart."

" Yes I do". Dawuni replied, looking at Irene and smiling. She was gorgeous in her white gown.

Irene also said her vows and they exchanged rings.

" By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

As Dawuni leaned in to kiss Irene , she started laughing hysterically. The congregation all joined in, leaving Dawuni confused. What was happening?

Suddenly, Irene's dress changed to black and she started moving towards him, murder in her eyes. The whole congregation crowded around Dawuni, pressing him. Their long nails heading towards his face, as the church bell started ringing.

Dawuni woke up with a start. He touched his face and lay  back onto his bed sighing in relief. It was all a dream. He stretched out his hand to his bedside table and switched off the alarm clock.

Swinging his legs off the bed, Dawuni went into the bathroom and took a long cold shower, hoping that the cold  will jarr his mind from the eerie dream.

After the shower he prepared a cup of hot cocoa drink, a large butter sandwich and roasted groundnuts. He had just swallowed the last of his sandwich when his phone rang.

Dawuni frowned. Who could be calling at this time of the morning?
As he picked up the phone , he noticed that the caller ID was Titus and the frown on his face was replaced by a smile. Maybe he had found something after all?

"Hello". Dawuni said.

" Dawuni, I found something," Titus said excitedly." Come over to my place, ASAP."

Dawuni quickly gulped down the last of his drink, the groundnuts could wait for later. Throwing on some clothes he rushed out into his car.

Fifteen minutes later - after breaking about five speed limits - Dawuni knocked on Titus door. Moments later, Titus opened the door beaming.

" Come on in". He said, opening the door." I must give you credit. If it wasn't for your insistence. I wouldn't have found it".

Dawuni smiled, silently hoping that whatever Titus had found would prove useful. Titus led Dawuni to his study table and flopped down whilst Dawuni stood over him.

" At first, I didn't know what I was looking for." Titus said, opening his laptop." I was too focused on the big picture and I forgot  the detail. Then I noticed this".

Titus pointed to a bright blur orange spot on one of the windows in one of the pictures.
He continued." I realized that it appears in six out of the eight pictures".

"What is that?" Dawuni squinted his eyes.

" I didn't also know". Titus grinned."  Then I zoomed and enhanced it and...voila!!"

After the zooming and enhancement of the orange spot, Dawuni realized that it was a drone.

"It looks like a drone". Dawuni said, excitement bubbling up in him.

"Exactly. It is a reflection of the drone I believe was used in taking the pictures". Titus revealed. " But this isn't just any drone but a Zeus RT-7".

"A Zeus RT-7?"

"Yep. It is a camera drone produced by Retrograde Technology, a company in the UK. The drone is pretty expensive and sleek. It's cameras have enhanced night vision and it's design enables it to reach higher altitudes. It is powered by a battery that can last for forty minutes straight after charging. You could call it a king when it comes to the world of drones."

"Whoa!" Dawuni exclaimed." So that was how the blackmailer was able to get into the house without being detected and also erase some footage from the CCTV cameras."

Titus nodded." I was also able to trace the drone to a shipment that came in a month ago. It was ordered by an electronic shop in Suapre, called Electronic Arcade. The shipment contained among other products five Zeus RT-7 drones".

"Thanks, man." Dawuni beamed." Can I get the address of the shop?"

"Sure thing." Titus wrote down the address on a paper and gave it to him. "You aren't going there today, are you?"

"Actually, I am," Dawuni replied." After I'm done interviewing Nii's wife."

"You can't. The shop doesn't open on Sundays."

Dawuni groaned. He would've to wait until tomorrow . After thanking Titus again, Dawuni drove off  hoping against hope that the meeting with the First Lady would give him more leads.