The Devil wears Okirika (Chapter 22)

The briefcase contained documents and pictures. Amara was very hasty as she leafed through the contents. The notepad was the first thing she saw but there wasn't time to go through it. underneath the notepad were some newspaper clippings. The newspaper was foreign and she guessed it was from Steve’s country.

However the headlines made her blood run cold.
Man stabs his wife to death
fresh evidence as police discover slain wife was brutally raped
Underneath the headline was the picture of a beautiful woman. She had a lovely smile.
What on earth is Steve doing with these newspaper clippings? She thought to herself
A particular page caught her attention
College professor still on the run; by Salander Ljunberg
College professor Patrick Kristenssen is still on the run after strangling his wife to death. Police determined the cause of death to be asphyxiation and further investigation determined Christie, 32 was brutally raped and the semen fluid matched D.N.A of her husband Patrick, 43. It is unclear as to what caused the murder and friends and families have professed their shock stating that the couple was very much in love and hardly fought. Police have offered a handsome reward for anyone with any news concerning the whereabouts of Mr. Patrick.

Last spring Mr. Patrick was involved in a scandal when his nudes ending up in his female students possession but managed to hold onto his job by claiming his phone was hacked…
If Amara had any doubt as to who Mr. Patrick Kristenssen was then the attached picture cleared the doubt. It was Stevenson alright. He wore his hair in a ponytail and wore medicated glasses and had very long goatee.

According to the newspaper he was 43 when this had happened. A quick scan at the date confirmed her suspicions. It was two years ago.
Stevenson was a killer, and a rapist. He must be the devil and she was sure it wasn't just research that had drove him here.
She leafed through the contents hoping to see the love letter but then she heard the voices getting closer. She could hear her father laughing as both men approached the living room.
She hurriedly replaced the documents and snapped the case close.

She had seen enough. Stevenson was definitely the killer, case close!

The ministers meeting consisted of four individuals: pastor Batholomew, his brother Sofiri and two other men Osi didn’t know. Although he could remember seeing their faces from the virgil service. Pastor Batholomew was pleased to see him and introduced him excitedly to the rest.
Osi took a seat beside Sofiri and tried to focus on the matters arising as pastor Batholomew put it.

So, according to our budget we can kick off our building project next month, our plan to move to an even bigger premises, the architect has submitted the plan and everything is in place

Please¦.sorry for interrupting but I feel this current location is still very okay” Osi said
yes I understand¦but you know this place was once a supermarket with stalls? The walls were taken down to make it bigger but its time for the church to grow”
Osi shrugged. It wasnt his church afterall.
One of the young men who Pastor Bartholomew had introduced as Michael spoke up. Sir, one other thing that has been bothering my spirit¦I feel the people might have shifted from their faith. Ever since the death of Okudili they have gone back to their traditional ways. They believe some kind of deity carried out vengeance on their behalf. Take last Sunday for instance, weve never had such a low turnout on a Sunday before and I only fear its going to get worse
Pastor Batholomew was nodding I admit it didnt escape my notice and Ive been thinking of the different ways we could counter it¦on the bright side the killer is gone and its only just a matter of time and things would get back to how it was before
actually I believe Okudili was not the killer” Osi spoke up

He was murdered and I believed he was killed by the killer because he knew something
What! But thats ridiculous Sofiri sounded surprised Everybody knows Okudili was responsible for the hideous crimes

What exactly is the evidence? The declaration of a
dibia? unless God himself assures me that Okudili was the killer then Im not buying it”

An uncomfortable silence followed as everyone seemed to chew on what he said. Finally pastor Batholomew sighed “Honestly pastor, I sincerely hope you’re wrong”

Osi nodded So do I
He skipped lunch after the meeting offering the excuse that he was pressed and didn't eat yam porridge.
youre missing pastor, my wife is a terrific cook”
He didnt doubt it. The aroma was something else, but he couldnt wait to see Amara. The lesson should have been over by now and he earnestly hoped that Steve hadnt gone through with his promise to kiss her.


Osi shouldnt have worried. Amara didn’t know what her father had told the European but he had entered the house, carried his briefcase and bade her goodbye. She couldn’t even escort him or reply because the words she had read kept on dancing behind her eyes. At first she wanted to tell someone so bad. She was jittery and almost spilled the news to her father immediately Steve had left but she controlled herself. That would be very rash and her father might not believe her and the worst case scenario it would be her word against his.
She almost blurted it out to Joy but then she thought: why burden her sister with such news. Although she could see it as a strategy to get the gossip mill turning because Joy was bound to talk to her friends and the bush fire would spread no doubt but that still didnt seem wise. Steve was a man of the people, the peoples favourite so she held her peace.

When Osi came by later in the afternoon she waited impatiently as her father joked with him. “Young man I can see you no longer want to leave us¦youve fallen in love with my village havent you?

Osi smiled and looked at Amara “Actually sir I’ve found something priceless and I cant afford to leave it behind just yet

Deâ Nwachukwu seemed to read the hidden meaning and he laughed heartily. He really liked the sharp young man and he could tell his daughter did too.

Okay Amara, let me go and see Pa Kenneth…we are making plans for a general meeting”
The minute they were alone Amara asked Osi: “Did you find anything?”

He shook his head in disappointment. Nothing¦its like he knew I was coming he brought out his phone and scrolled through the pictures Actually I saw this photograph in his drawer…what are your thoughts?”
Amara studied the picture and gasped. She could see the clearer picture now. Its her its the same woman”
What woman?” Osi asked. He was getting confused
Shes his wife¦or she was his wife…shes dead



To be continued...