FicStorm's The Chase

Chapter Five

12:42

“So the dude wasn’t joking when he said his friend’s name is also Richard Chase.” Benjamin said as he saw Detective Chase approaching. They were back at the precinct now and Benjamin was seated at the cubicle he shared with Chase. He was seated in Detective Chase’s swivel chair. The detectives of the homicide division had their cubicles on the fifth floor of a twelve story building in Ikeja which was donated ten years ago by a multimillionaire named John Okigbe. A man who felt it was time to give back to the country. The senior detectives had their own cubicles and shared it with their partners. The commander of the Homicide Division was the only one that had an office on that floor. His office had a door which he opened frequently to bark an order or to summon any of his subordinates. The plate glass windows that formed the walls of the building gave a clear view of the city and its enchanting flyovers. Detective Chase always looked absent mindedly from his cubicle at the traffic whenever he was lost in his thought with his chair swiveling left and right.

Chase and Benjamin shared a cubicle as Benjamin was Chase’s partner. Benjamin dished out information from the big computer they shared. It had a see-through monitor that had a mirror display and so Chase could see what was on display from across the table if he sat on Benjamin’s chair but he didn’t like Benjamin’s chair. It was low, didn’t have wheels and it didn’t spin like his.

“How often do people bear the same name and surname?”

“It gets more interesting. It states here that Richard Agwu Chase was born on January 19. Isn’t that your…”

“Get up.” Chase cut in and walked over to his chair while Benjamin got up and stepped away for him to seat.

“You would find out that he’s from Rivers state as well.” Benjamin said with a broad smile. He was enjoying the moment.

Chase settled down and adjusted the chair so he could read from the virtual file. He used his hands to make a gesture on the monitor and it zoomed in so he got a clearer view. The file contained the bio and fingerprint they had gotten from the National Bureau for Biometric Data (NBBD). The NBBD was an agency responsible for collecting and arranging bio-data of Nigerian residents and citizens. It gathered its data from network providers, academic institutions like universities and also from government bodies like the NIS, INEC and FRSC. It was also responsible for solving disparity in acquired data. That is, if the data provided by the NIS was different from that provided by the FRSC or the other institutions, the NBBD would carry out investigations. The NBBD rendered services to law enforcement alone, but it didn’t bend its red tape for them. It would take more than forty eight hours to get information from the NBBD even with all the appropriate requirements but Detective Chase had gotten it in less than an hour.

“You’re sick, Benjamin.” Detective Chase said after going through and finding out that all Benjamin had said was spurious. The only thing they had in common was first name and surname.

“His record is clean, save for a parking ticket.” Benjamin said.

“I can see that right here.”

Detective Chase dragged the fingerprint from the NBBD file to the top right corner of the monitor and pulled out his tablet. He unlocked it with his fingerprint and immediately opened the file he had received from the lab. It was a clear image of the fingerprint from the crime scene. He swiped at the image and in a split second the computer beeped. It had received the image. Detective Chase put away his tablet, dragged the new file his computer had received and overlapped it with the one he had dragged from the NBBD file. The computer took care of the rest.

Accessing Software…

Adjusting image…

Analyzing…

“You won’t wait for the lab results?” Benjamin asked and got a grin as response. “Man, you’re the coolest detective on this planet.”

Loading result…

100% match

“Bingo!” Detective Chase said and looked up at Benjamin. Their attention was drawn immediately to the sound of the commander opening his office.

“Busted.” Benjamin said.

The commander stepped out of his office, looked around and complained that his computer had gone off without warning and wasn’t powering up. He asked if anyone was having the same problem and when he got negative replies, he summoned Smith the computer geek assigned to the fifth floor to help him check it out while he went to get coffee.

“So, what now?” Benjamin asked.

“We still have Henry Paul Junior.”

“Then let’s have a word with him about Richard Chase Junior.”

“Don’t call him that.” Chase said and got up. Benjamin laughed.

The door to the interrogation room opened and Paul who had been sitting alone looked up to see the two detectives walk in. Paul had been told he was free to leave anytime he liked but he was not ready to leave until he got news that Richard was still alive and alright. He had remained in the interrogation room dialing Richard’s number over and over again but his call went unanswered. He had left several voicemails.

As the detectives took their place-the younger one leaning in a corner of the wall behind him and the other leaning into the table, Paul put away his phone. He was hoping to hear some good news.

“We haven’t found your friend.” The detective said answering the question on the tip of his tongue. “But you can help us.”

“How?” Paul asked. Everyone he had called hadn’t seen Richard or heard from him. Where was he going to start his search from? No idea. Where was he going to end it? Lagos was the definite answer.

“By telling us what you know?”

“Honestly, I…I don’t know anything. I mean, I don’t know what’s going on. I have absolutely no idea where he is.”

“Then who is he?

“He’s Richard Chase.”

“How well do you know him?”

“He’s my best friend. I’ve known him for longer than I can remember. My mother keeps telling me that he and I started learning how to walk together. I’ve known him since childhood and I know there’s no one that knows him better than I do.”

“Where is he?

“I don’t know.” Paul said with exhaustion. He was starting to wish he had left earlier. The police were an irritating slow bunch and he should have expected this back and forth questions.

“Why did he kill Dr. Boyle?”

“He did not. Who the hell is that?”

“Do you know Anderson Chase?”

“Why not? That’s Richie’s dad. He’s dead.”

“Three months ago. How did that affect Chase?”

“It did not.” Paul blurted. He realized his mistake when he saw the Detective raise an eyebrow in bemusement. In an effort to fix it, he found himself tripping over his tongue.

“No… I mean, yes. It did. It affected him, but not in anyway. As in, it didn’t change him. He’s still a good person. It didn’t have any negative effect on him. My mother who’s a psychoanalyst commented on how strong he was. She admired that he didn’t take it too hard.”

“Are you saying he wasn’t moved by his father’s death?” It was the detective at his rear speaking. Paul had almost forgotten about him and nearly turned in his seat to look back.

“That’s not what I’m saying.” Paul said picking his words slowly as though he was tired of being patient with a slow pupil. “I’m saying it didn’t change him.”

“What brought you to his house this morning?” The older detective was saying.

“Richie and I work at a Ford assembling plant. I pick him up daily.”

“So, he waits for you to come all the way from the island to pick him up everyday?”

“Yes. That’s not a crime, is it? Well, I don’t stay on the island with my parents. I’m currently living in the family house at Festac.”

“Has he ever left without you?”

“Never. A few moments before you walked in, I called a colleague at the office to check if today was an exception, but nobody had seen him.”

“You know anybody who holds a grudge against Chase?”

“I need to know what this is about.”

“This is about knowing if your friend is alright or not so answer the question.”

“No. Everybody loves Richie. Everybody.”

“Essy Boyle.”

“What’s that?”

“Who’s that?”

“I’ve never heard that name before.”

“Dr. Boyle’s daughter.”

“Where are you spitting these names from? Are they people I’m meant to know?”

“If you go to Chase’s house everyday, yes.”

“Well, I don’t. I mean, I do go to his house every day, but Richie has never mentioned them to me. I don’t know them.”

“New neighbors.” It was the younger detective again.

“Oh. That. I heard about the doctor. She moved in three years ago, but she’s never at home and when she is, you’d never know. She didn’t have a daughter. If she did, then we never met her. What am I even saying? Richie never mingled with his neighbors. He gave them their privacy with the hope that they would give him his. And they sure did.”

“Dr. Boyle was found dead this morning.” The bigger one said

“Richie didn’t do it.”

“Where is he?” The younger detective fired.

“Jesus Christ! I have no idea, man.”

“We found Chase’s fingerprint on the murder weapon and in several places within the house and also on the woman’s safe which was found empty and wide open.” The older detective had taken over again

“I know my guy. His father left him enough fortune to allow him run a state. Jeez. He doesn’t need money.”

“Not everyone steals because they’re poor. Of course, you’d never know what poor means because you’re a billionaire’s son. But, have you ever heard of the word greed, Mr. Paul?” It was the younger detective again. He had pronounced billionaire like it was a filthy word.

“Richie didn’t kill her and he didn’t take her money.” Paul said firmly

“Then where is he?” The older detective this time.

Paul swore. “By God, that’s like the fourth time you’re asking me that.”

“Third.” The younger detective corrected.

“We’ve searched his house and all we found was that blood smeared cloth which you confirmed was his favorite whenever he went jogging. All evidence points to Chase and until we prove otherwise, he’s a suspect and considered dangerous!” The bigger detective said conclusively poking the table with his index finger.