Banky

Chapter 16

Bukky’s pov: Hide and seek was our thing right from the start, he always made me be the seeker every time and he always hides perfectly.

As they entered the street, Bukky and Florence took their time studying the street, it was what some people would call ghetto or the slums. The only attractive building there was the bif pharmacy and provision store, being a ghetto, there are a lot of houses in each other, a lot of compounds and it seems like every compound they see is like another street or passage entirely.

According to the reports, the passage besides the pharmacy/provision store leads to the murder scene, so they took the path, they passed a lot of people on the path, some children was playing, some women were just sitting outside, some guys were talking among themselves, someone even asked them if they were lost but they said they are not that they knew where they were going.  

“Bukky, bring out your phone” Florence whispered to her

“Why?” Bukky questioned

“Because if what we read in the report is true, then I can’t bring out my phone. It’s expensive and big. It will attract people but your phone is normal, no offense” Florence explained

“None taken” Bukky replied as she pulled her phone from her cross bag and gave it to Florence, Florence used to pictures from the report to check which of the buildings there the incident occurred.

“There” Florence pointed at a building at the far end of the passage, they walked as quickly as they could but not to attract suspicions. They got to the building, they discovered that it was a building but it was a fence, according to the reports and the pictures Banky’s body was found beside the wall.

“So, what do you think?” Florence asked Bukky

“It’s not possible that his body was dumped her after he has been killed because of how his place is, it’s lively and loud” Bukky stated

“And this fence is too high for someone to climb through, not to talk about all the broken bottles and nails on it” Florence added

“So, the killer must have escaped through the way we came in” Bukky turned to the path which they entered

“I think it’s a lost cause Bukky, it’s been six months, you might not find anything” Florence stated as softly as she could.

“You think we can ask around; someone might have seen something” Bukky asked

“I don’t think that’s a good idea Bukky. It will be suspicious for two teenage to ask about a murder that happened six months” Florence explained

“So there’re nothing we came do?” Bukky asked defeated

“let’s go and regroup, we can think of something” Florence explained and Bukky sighed “let’s go”

The teenage girls walked back to the path which they came from as they got to the pharmacy/provision store, the dusty harmattan wind blew and they had to protect their eye, Bukky and Florence used closed their eye and still used their hands to cover their eyes, as Bukky lift up her face to protect it from the dust, the sun affected her eye and she opened her eyes carefully, she caught something.

“Are you okay” Florence asked

“CCTV” Bukky stated

“What?” Florence asked

“CCTV” Bukky pointed at the CCTV camera that was pointed at their direction      

“A CCTV, how is that possible?” Florence asked in pure disbelieve “the report didn’t say anything about a CCTV?”

“An investigation wrapped up in two days, surely won’t say anything about a CCTV” Bukky scoffed

“Yeah, you have a point” Florence agreed. Bukky took her phone, she took a picture of the camera, and she dialed ‘Edet’ on her phone

“Who are you calling?” Florence asked

“A hacker” Bukky stated as if it was obvious “Hey……. what’s up………. I’m fine and you……. How’s Edit?......... I miss her too…… and you too” Bukky smiled softly “I need your help………….do you still hack stuffs…………. A CCTV……………. a*****e………………. I need information from July……………. I know it’s been long but it’s important, it’s hum about Banky………. I will appreciate that………. I will send you the picture, the location on what’s app now………………thank you…………sure goodbye” and she hanged up the phone.

“What was that?” Florence asked

“I just called someone to hack the camera” Bukky explained

“You should have asked me if that was cool? Jeez why am I here” Florence snapped

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. Gosh I’m so sorry Florence I thought that you will be cool with it” Bukky explained

“Of course I’m cool with it but can we trust the guy?” Florence asked

“Yeah, he attends my formal school and he’s also my ex” Bukky blushed

“Hope you he’s not bitter” Florence asked

“No, he is not” Bukky told her, they broke up because they Bukky doesn’t eat that much. Silly

“How long did he say it will take?” Florence asked

“A few days” Bukky answered

“We don’t have a few days, we need clips and photos from about six months ago, the longer it takes the more difficult it will be” Florence reasoned

“Do you have another idea?” Bukky asked

“Yes, but first let’s go and buy something” Florence told her

“Why?” Bukky asked

“Don’t worry. Let me handle it and after that we go home, it’s getting dark” Florence answered as she led Bukky to the Pharmacy/provision store.

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Dami wondered why Shola would call her so they could hangout after what happened in school during lunch, if not for that fact that she dying to leave to leave the house and her obsession for ice-cream, she wouldn’t be come out because she was still pissed at Shola.

“Hey” Dami greeted Shola who was standing beside the cashier at the eatery

“Hi, I hope you don’t mind I ordered” Shola stated and Dami snorted so typical of Shola

“like I have a choice” Dami scoffed

“What? You came late and the people around here has been looking at me one kind” Shola snapped

“I would have made it her earlier if you had told me about your plans in school” Dami fired back. Shola was about to talk back but she stopped when the cashier returned her card and the receipt for payment. Shola accepted her card, the receipt and they went to the desk to take their tray which had their order.

Shola sat down and Dami follows suit “Here, I ordered strawberry, isn’t that your favorite” Dami collected her ice-cream from Shola and Shola took hers which was chocolate flavor.  No matter how angry Dami was, she was not angry at the ice-cream which she dug into, the brain freeze that followed was worth it, her mother won’t let take ice-cream because it was early January and the harmattan is a bit harsh in Abuja.

“So, I know you didn’t call me here just to feed me gelato, so what’s up?” Dami asked after she swallowed a bite.

“I have a bit of situation with Toby” Shola answered honestly “nothing I do impress him anymore and now all of his attention is on that new girl. She even slept at his house on Friday after Debby’s party. I need your help”

“I think you came to the wrong person; you know I have an experience or anything close to that when it comes to relationship” Dami told her

“I though you have something with that boy, that bully, what’s his name again” she cracked her head, then she pointed her hand to Dami “Alen right?” 

“Alex. And he is not my boyfriend or anything close to that” Dami rolled her eye

“Okay, you two are close that’s all. I just though. Anyway to my problem you know I would have asked Debby but you know her situation na” Shola explained

“Yeah” Dami took swallowed another bite of her ice-cream “But this is advice I can give though, how about you make him jealous”