All about the perfect murder

‘Yes I am. Do you want to pop in for a late afternoon chat?’ I asked jokingly. ‘It’s more like I want to pop you out for a late afternoon mission.’ Maryam replied. ‘I’m not sure I’m available for an outing right now.’ I replied.‘I know it’s time to cook dinner for your darling Tahir, […]

‘Yes I am. Do you want to pop in for a late afternoon chat?’ I asked jokingly.
‘It’s more like I want to pop you out for a late afternoon mission.’ Maryam replied.
‘I’m not sure I’m available for an outing right now.’ I replied.
‘I know it’s time to cook dinner for your darling Tahir, but even he might not be opposed to you helping out in this emergency. Besides, it won’t take longer than 30 minutes, I promise.’ Maryam explained.
‘Actually Tahir has nothing to do with it. In fact he is out of town. But I’m just about to go and help Cook with my iftar meal. I am observing the 3-days in a month fast, which I started yesterday. I missed observing it on the recommended white nights (13th ,14th,15th days of the lunar month) because of all the weddings we had this month. So with only two hours to iftar you know it’s unwise to leave home. What kind of an emergency is it?’ I asked.
‘Balaraba, my younger sister just called and was screaming in my ear about her husband plotting to kill her. She kept saying something about him planning the perfect murder, and her being lucky to find out just in time, but sounding totally upset in the process. I told her to calm down that I will be there immediately. I was actually on my way to her house when I thought of inviting you along. You know you are better at such things Bint, because I could get angry with her or the two of them and do something regrettable. That’s why I decided to have you along. Do you think you can spare the next 30 minutes so I can branch there and pick you? We are just two minutes away from your house, but I can tell the driver to turn back if you can’t make it.’ She said.
‘No please come along. Just honk as soon as you arrived I will join you down there because this sounds like a real emergency. Let me get ready before you arrive.’ I replied, getting up from my bed to put on my outing veil.
‘Were they having problems or is this murder allegation something out of the blues?’ I asked as soon as I joined Maryam in the car.
‘She hinted at a problem the last time she visited me, then she called two days ago and said all was well, that he had come over and they had settled their differences so she will be going back to Kaduna where they were based before. You know the house Balaraba lives here is the one she inherited from our father. When we all sold our inheritance to solve our problems, she renovated hers and gave it out for rent. But she retained the guest wing which she made her guest chalet. Whenever she’s in town she stays there and only goes round to visit us. The last time she came she said she wasn’t going back because he was taking advantage of her and she planned to walk out on him and move back here with her children. I tried to talk her out of it but she seemed very determined. This is why her phone call of two days ago took me by surprise. She said they had ironed out their differences and were ready for a fresh start. I congratulated her and said I will be visiting her before she returns to Kaduna. Then about half an hour ago her call came in, she was screaming into my ear “He wants to kill me, he planned the perfect murder.” And here we are.’ Maryam suddenly announced when her driver turned into a side street. Balaraba was in the sitting room, her eyes blood-shot when we knocked and entered.  
‘Wa alaikumussalam, you are welcome’ she said in answer to our salams.
‘So what was all that noise about?’ Maryam asked as soon as she sat next to her sister.
‘Do you remember Gambo, our late father’s driver?’ Balaraba, sounding much calmer than I expected, asked her sister.
‘Yes I do. What about him?’ Maryam asked.
‘He went to see our brother Yakubu, an hour ago and told him everything.’ Balaraba said before she burst into tears again.
‘Gambo told Yakubu everything about what? Look you better stop crying and tell me what this is all about. Right now you are not making much sense.’ Maryam declared angrily.
‘Apparently, after father’s death Gambo had taken his family to the village and returned to rent a one-room apartment from where he works as a company driver. His neighbours in the one-room apartment were a group of rowdy young men. He confessed that he never knew what they did for a living and was never interested enough to ask. Yesterday he saw one of them with my picture and immediately asked who I was. The young man replied that it wasn’t his business so Gambo shouldn’t pry into their affairs. But Gambo was very curious and because he noticed that the guy seemed high on drugs, he kept cajoling and begging till the young man gave in and said he didn’t know me, personally, but that they had been contracted to take care of me.
‘Take care of her, how?’ Gambo asked.
‘She must have made some man very angry. Anyway the man contacted our group and told us to finish her off as soon as she comes into town. She is expected back by the weekend. He has given us her flight details and the car that will be coming to pick her and everything we need to make it a clean and fast hit. With all the killings going on we will make it look like another strike by the regular suspects. Meanwhile we will just escape and share our money. No one will trace it to us.’ He boasted, sounding even more drugged than ever. In total confusion Gambo asked the first thing that came to his mind.
‘Do you know who the man is, I mean the one who wants her killed?’
‘No we’ve never seen him, he’s been speaking to us on phone. We only knew he was serious when he delivered the fifty percent deposit we asked for at the exact spot we told him to keep it last night. He will be paying us the remaining as soon as the job is done.’ The hit-man disclosed. After hearing this, Gambo left the house and went to look for Yakubu because he didn’t know how to reach me. He told him everything and Yakubu didn’t even call me until he had alerted the police and the gang members had been arrested. When he called to tell me, he asked who it was that knew about my travel arrangements. I told him it’s only my husband because he had been here two days ago to ask me to please come back and give the marriage another chance. When he left he had promised to arrange my flight and have me picked up from the airport. No one else, apart from you Anti Maryam, knew that we had reconciled. And even you didn’t know when I planned to travel and by what means. On hearing this Yakubu said he had some upsetting news for me. He told me all about his encounter with Gambo, father’s loyal driver, and the hit-gang that had been arrested. I couldn’t believe it at first, but everything fell into place after my initial shock. Maikudi and I had been fighting over my money which he squandered. Suddenly he came back here all apologetic and promising to turn over a new leaf. I believed him because I don’t want my children brought up in a broken home. I actually looked forward to having another chance with him. I was so happy because I thought my disappearing act had taught him that he needed me in his life and therefore ought to reform. I had no idea that he planned my trip home along with my perfect murder. By the time they killed me on the way home or followed me right up to the house and killed me who will ever suspect he had a hand in it?’ Balaraba asked, tearfully.
‘Please, stop crying’ I said, speaking for the first time. ‘Nothing has been proved yet. So your suspicion against your husband might still be wrong. He might still be innocent, even though everything points in his direction right now.’ I added.
‘I’m afraid it’s too late to wish so Anti Bint. After we spoke, Yakubu collected the number of the man who contracted my killing from the arrested hit-men. Because he feared the man might not pick a strange number, he decided to call him using their phone. The voice that answered was Maikudi’s. Yakubu actually called his name and heard him answer before he hung up the phone. The police are after him now.’ She said.
‘Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un’ was all Maryam and I were able to say, in a chorus.