“The DPO assured me it is anopen-and-shut case. He is going to find out who the killer iswithin the next 24 hours when he gets the lab result.” It was clearshe was chummy with the DPO. This made me wonder if she was workingundercover. Had the DPO planted a mole in our midst to aid hisinvestigation?
Dinner went well. Aminasurpassed all my expectations of delicious food and impeccable service.Forks clashed with plates amidst a steady bubble of quietconversation.
“Have you setthe rat poison?” I asked Ayuba, as he was filling my glass with water. And as if oncue, the Power Holding Company of Nigeria struck. We were allenveloped in darkness.
“Sitstill, everyone,” Ayuba cautioned. “I will put on the generator now.”
I heardhim open the main door and go out. Someone was still walking aroundthe dining area, in the dark. There was the harsh scraping sound ofa chair moving across the terrazzo floor surface and the person satdown finally.
Ayuba and the generator hadanunderstanding. Theyhad known each other for years. It purred and spluttered to life. Soonafter, it was roaring like a wounded lion and the lights cameback on. I looked around at everyone, they were allsittingcalmly attheir placesat the table. I wondered which one of them had been moving about in thedark and why.
“I was asking you about the ratpoison, Ayuba,” I said when he came back.
“It's thereon …”began Ayuba pointing to a shelf. But now his mouth was agape insurprise and he couldn’t seem to continue. His hand hung in space,still pointing at the shelf, as if held by aspell.
“What is it?” I askedhim.
“The bottle of rat poison was onthat shelf just before the lights went out, but it is no longerthere now,” he explained, standing up to see better.
“Maybe someone accidentallyknocked it over, when it was dark,” I suggested. We left the diningarea and searched around the shelf and the bar area, but it was awaste of time.
“You’re sure it was here?” Iasked.
“Yes, I saw it just before thelights went out.”
That waswhen Wahimda screamed.
“Ah! My tummy!” she shrieked,clutching at her stomach.
“What is it?” I asked going overto her. She was already on the floor.
She keptscreaming, “My tummy! My tummy!”
Tonyealmost jumped out of his skin. His eyes grew as wide as saucers. Iwas also startled by the piercing scream.
“Is she in labour?” Tonye askedno one in particular. His head seemed larger than usual.
“Maybe she had an abortion?” hesuggested.
“Oh, shut up, Tonye!” I snapped.Then, I went on my knees and tried to calm Wahimda. What was thematter with her?
“The hot chocolate! The hotchocolate!” said Wahimda. “Ah! The hot chocolate!” There were beadsof perspiration and signs of agony on her face.
“The hot chocolate?” repeatedAmina incredulously. “How do you mean?”
ButWahimda groaned louder.
“She had better answer rightnow,” said Tonye, impatiently.
“Wahimda,” Icalled, holding up her head and wiping off some of thesweatwith myhandkerchief. “What is the matter?”
“The hot chocolate. It tastedfunny like insecticide,” she said weakly, her eyes became glazedand she seemed to have difficulty keeping them open. “It tastedfunny …” her voice trailed off as if she hadn’t the strength tocontinue.
“Oh, I see now,” said Tonyenodding his head sagely, as if everything was now crystal clear. Hegrinned at everyone with a moronic smile on his face. He remindedme of a cow having a good time in a grass field.
“But was it not normalchocolate?” asked Willie.
“It was,” Amina answered,looking bewildered.
“The rat poison!” said Ayuba ina sudden fit of inspiration.
“What happened to rat cousin?”asked Tonye with a blank expression on his face.
“The rat poison must havesomehow found its way into the chocolate,’ explained a distraughtAyuba.
“It is not possible!” saidAmina, with an emphatic shake of her head. “The bottle was nevernear where I made the hot chocolate. It was on that shelf until thelights went off.”
“Let’s get this young lady tothe hospital,” said John.
Wecalled for help from the policemen. They assisted in gettingWahimda into one of their police vans.
“Please,hurry!” Amina called out, as they left for the nearest hospital.
I wondered what had happened.Had Amina accidentally or deliberately put rat poison in Wahimda’shot chocolate? But why would she want to hurt her husband’s cousin?Had someone else done so under the cover of darkness? Who movedwhen the lights went off? Had the young lady deliberately poisonedherself? But she did not seem to be the suicidal type! Or was she?
The other guests wereasking questions along similar lines. But where was the bottle ofrat poison now? Empty or not, where was it?
I calledout to Tonye, “Help me look around for the bottle of rat poison.Don’t touch it if you see it. Just show it to me.”
We began searching for it.Unfortunately, Tonye was hell-bent on following me around andsearching in the very places where I put my hands to search. At apoint, we were both under the same table. I had no idea he wouldtry to get under the same table, as I was. We ended up knocking our heads together.Stars exploded before my eyes, as soon as my head struck his rockyhead. I was pissed, to say the least. The others asked what we werelooking for, when they saw me rubbing my head in pain. I stared atTonye with deadly intent; he had the nerve to watch me in surprise,as if wondering what the matter was with me! I told them what wewere looking for, then tried to get up, forgetting that I was stillunder the table. This time, when my head struck the table, I sawstars, comets and asteroids colliding and exploding. I cried out inpain. They all joined their voices in consoling me.
“Be careful,” saidPhilip.
Igroaned and carefully came out from under the table. Willie andAyuba joined us in searching for the bottle of ratpoison.
We neverfound the bottle of rat poison.
Eventsat the Lodge were getting more bizarre. I just could not sit still.We would know what was wrong
