Born Bad…
AARON ANSAH-AGYEMAN
BORN BAD
A ChrisEffe Thriller
CHAPTER 7
Meanwhile, Chris is released, and he walks out with his friends. As soon as they walk round a bend in the road and the police station is out of sight, an enraged Elaine rounds on Chris and hammers him in the chest with both of her fists.
“Who the fuck was that girl, Chris-Love?” Elaine asks, her voice traumatized. “I don’t want any of your bullshit lies! Who the fuck is she?”
Chris regards her coldly.
It is evident that he is very strung up, and his jaw works tightly as he looks at her with suppressed fury.
“Let’s get home, Elly, and I’m gonna tell you everything!” he says calmly.
Elaine pushes him hard in the chest this time, and Chris almost topples into a gutter.
”None of your bullshit lies again, Mr. Bawa!” she says furiously. “Who is she? One of your numerous girlfriends? Are you sleeping with her?”
Mike Crankson puts a hand on Elaine’s shoulder and speaks as calmly as he can.
“Elaine, we’ll be home soon. I think –”
Elaine knocks his hand off her shoulder and points a stiff finger at him, her face wrathful.
“Keep your thinking to yourself, Mike! This is between me and this bastard who doesn’t seem to know when a girl loves him and thinks he can screw anything that has a slit!”
“Now you’re insulting me, Elly,” Chris said calmly.
“And why wouldn’t I, Chris? That girl accused you, and you were arrested, and she appeared hateful and spiteful! So what did you do to her to warrant that kind of mean reaction from her, huh?”
“She’s a new doctor at the Eden Clinic, Elly. She was on the site of the hit. She recognized me and made a complaint to the police.”
“Recognized you? You were in a mask, weren’t you?” Elaine asks angrily. “The whole time? So how the fuck did she recognize you?”
“How the fuck would I know, Elly? I don’t know! But she did, okay? She fucking did, and called the bloody police!”
He tries to walk past her, but she puts her hands on his chest and pushes him hard against the side of the building behind him.
“And if that is so, what marks was she talking about, Chris-Love? I’m not a fool, Chris! The cops had you roasted, and somehow, based on your statement, they let you go! I spoke to one of the constables, Chris-Love, and he told me not to worry because evidently that girl was your former girlfriend who told a lie about you. So, for the last time, Chris-Love, have you ever slept with that whore of a doctor?”
“Look, I don’t know her, and I haven’t ever seen her, okay? She got me figured out, okay, and she recognized me. I was arrested. One of the police quickly made a call to the Big Boss. You know the big man has some top brass cops on his payroll. The Big Boss called me, and instructed me on what to write down. I did exactly that. Seems the Big Boss really knows the girl, and whatever he made me write panned out. They released me, and that’s the end of the whole mess. So, stop harping on me already! My Mama is fighting for her life, so give me some space to breathe!”
Elaine is still staring, but it is evident that her violent jealous rage is dissipating as she lets Chris’ explanation sink in.
After a while she sighs and puts a hand on Chris’ shoulder, her face quite remorseful.
“I’m sorry, darling boy. Please forgive me. It is my love for you, and my insecurities, darling. I’m so very sorry. Please forgive me.”
“It’s okay, Baby Girl,” he says with a sigh.
She folds her arms around him and puts her face on his chest for a few seconds, and then she releases him, reaches up and kisses him gently.
And then she steps away from them.
“Thanks, my love. I’m passing through the hairdressing salon to fix my hair. See you guys later.”
She walks in one direction, and the two men begin to walk in the other direction.
“Damn, I need a high, man. Shitty day this has been.”
Crankson indicates a path that leads off the main road.
They turn unto the path and follow it for a while, and then they branch sharply into the bushes.
They walk through the cocoa trees until they reach a huge fallen tree.
They sit on it.
Chris brings out a shiny golden cylindrical case from his pocket and opens it.
Nestling inside are about six rolls of marijuana. He selects two and gives one to Crankson.
Crankson brings out a match box and strikes a match.
It is a bit windy, and so he bends and cups his hand hands to stop the flame from going out.
He lights his roll of ganja, inhales and gives it to Chris.
Chris uses the burning end of Crankson’s joint to light up his marijuana, and then he hands it back to Crankson.
They smoke their joints for a while.
Finally, Crankson takes the ganja joint out, exhales a wild cloud of smoke, and looks Chris with questioning eyes.
“That story you told about the Big Boss sending you the facts to write down at the police station is bullshit, you know. How the heck did you know that doctor girl?”
“Met her at Cherensua two years ago, in a fucking brothel.”
Crankson begins to cough on marijuana smoke as he looks at Chris with stunned eyes.
“No shit! Is that the girl? The whore you fell in love with? The one you rented that room at Bomofo for?”
“Yeah, buddy. Same old piece of cunt! Recognized her at the hit site, you know, and I was so stunned. But she was with some asshole, also a doctor at the clinic.”
“Wow! What a world! Now she found someone to take care of her, and ditched her former life. That’s why she recognized you, the whore!”
“Well, fuck her! Life goes on, Rasta…we hustle on!”
Crankson puffs on his joint for a while, and then he stares into the sky and smiles divinely.
“Woooow! I can see some angels doing shoe-tapping on the clouds, dude.”
“You’re high, bro! Riding straight like an iron lion to Zion!” Crankson says with a giggle.
They both laugh.
“You know I’m a good reader of persons, right, Chrissy?”
“Yep. Know you got some vibes about the character of some people.”
“So, what would you say if I tell you that doctor is a genuine item? Either you got her mixed up with this whore of yours, or you forgot how the whore really looked like.”
“I’d say you’re doped up, bro. That’s her. That’s Eyram.”
“Heard them calling the hot doctor Effe, bro. Fante name. Eyram sounds Ayigbe root. Plus, the doctor is squishy clean, good manners, well-behaved, a patriot enough to report a dangerous armed-robber when she saw him. Qualities your Eyram, from the way you described her to me, ain’t likely to exhibit.”
“She looks different, yeah. She confused me a bit, you know, by her genuine lack of even the tiniest spark of recollection. But she had the marks, bro, birthmarks. One on her ass, one near her pussy. If I had been wrong about the marks, the cops wouldn’t have let me go.”
“That’s deeeeeeep. Ah, well, maybe she had a trauma of sorts, you know. Maybe she lost her memory. Or they could be twins, for all you know. Whatever the case may be, she may have the same birth marks, and look the same as this Eyram, but they have absolutely different characters. It’s fascinating, really fascinating.”
“You’re high, bro. Come down to earth!”
They both laugh for a moment, but there is a slight frown of uncertainty on Chris’ face. Twins? Can that be even remotely possible? Can this Effe girl be different from the whore he had slept with? Is it possible for twins to have the same birth marks?
***
Aku Norvisi stops the car.
Effe is sitting beside her, still a little bit unsteady.
“Do you want me to come in for a moment, Effe? I can make some hot cocoa for you. Always calms down the nerves .”
Effe shakes her head slightly and tries to smile.
“I’m okay, really, Aku. You’ve been such an angel. You must be angry with me, because you and this Chris seem to be close .”
“I like him, like a kid brother. He loves his mother to death, yes, and he has a good heart,” Norvisi said with a smile. “You know, he and his mother have been taking in homeless kids and taking care of them. That, alone, is commendable, isn’t it? But I don’t condone crime, so if he did something wrong, then he definitely must pay the price. What I don’t understand is why you attacked him. You were evidently so distraught. Did he do something to hurt you ?”
“No, no, no, at least not physically. I’ll tell you about it later, Aku. Thank you so much for today. God bless you .”
Effe gets out quickly and mounts the stairs to her door. She lets herself in quickly and closes the door.
Aku shakes her head sadly and drives down to her bungalow.
She takes her phone and dials Jonathan’s number to inform him that Effe is in distress, but his phone is off.
“Stupid prick! Probably cheating with Baaba as I speak!” she says angrily.
Effe locks the door and leans against it.
She is trembling, and she is so broken down. She tries Jon’s number again…still switched off.
“Where are you, Jon? Where are you when I need you most.”
She drops her bag and shirks her clothes.
She walks to the bathroom and draws herself a cold bath. She puts in soap and essential oils, and then she slips slowly into the caressing folds of the water.
She wraps her arms around her knees and puts her head on her arms, and then the tears slowly fall down her cheeks.
Damn you, Chris Bawa, whoever you are! Damn you to hell!
***
It is 01:00 a.m.
The moon is up, casting an eerie silver sheen over the cold tombs of the OLD CEMETERY of Densua.
The cemetery is full, and moreover the land has started caving in, so a new plot had been allotted, and that one has become the NEW CEMETERY.
The old cemetery, as a result, is almost always completely abandoned.
At the centre of the cemetery that unholy dawn, eight figures wearing loose white clothes are standing, surrounded by all those overgrown gravestones.
They are wearing white masks over their heads, made with exactly the same filmy materials, but with slits for eyes, so anybody who sees them from afar will be spooked by the sight of them, because they look scary, like some apparitions from the grave.
One man is standing at the head of the group.
He is a big man. It is evident, even from the bulbous gown he his wearing, that he is indeed muscular and a giant of a man.
His name is WAILER VROOM, and he is the Big Boss’ most trusted friend.
He has packed some packets on the stone slab of a broken grave. He picks up a packet, speaks shortly, and hands it to one of the men in white, who accepts it quickly, turns and leaves the cemetery.
A tall figure in white with a mask also soon emerges from the darkness and joins the group.
Because he is the last to arrive, Wailer Vroom continues to hand parcels to the others, who accept and move off quickly.
The last man to arrive is Chris Bawa.
The others are the men he had robbed the Bullion Van with.
Chris knows that each packet will contain their share of the money from the Bullion Van, and also a satchel of cocaine they have to sell.
More men take their parcels and leave.
Soon it is left with only Chris and a man with shifty eyes inside the mask. This man, Chris knows, is Steve Hollison.
Wailer serves Steve, but Steve doesn’t move away.
He just steps aside and motions Chris to go forward. Wailer picks the last packet and gives it to Chris.
Chris takes it. He hefts it.
“Late again, Mr. Stone,” Wailer says icily.
As part of their security requirements, The Big Boss has codes for each of them. They do not mention names, and so they use pseudonyms for themselves.
Chris stops.
“Sorry, one of the little ones was very sick and I had to sort him out.”
Wailer glares at him from within the mask.
“How did the girl make you out, Mr. Stone? The Big Boss wants to know,” Wailer says coldly.
“Girl?” Chris asks nonchalantly, coldly.
“Don’t play dumb with me!” Wailer said sharply. “Effe Kedem, the new paediatrician that made the police arrest you today! How did she make you out? And none of your bullshit stories about her being your ex. We checked her out. She’s genuine. So how did she make you out?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. She just saw my eyes, she recognized me. But I countered her claims, and I was set free. No big deal.”
“We decide what constitutes a big deal, Mr. Stone. There is a huge unexplained bullshit going on, and believe me, The Big Boss doesn’t like it. Especially when Mr. Condor here told us about how you took a necklace from him and gave it back to her.”
Chris is suddenly not feeling comfortable.
There is something in Wailer’s voice that bodes evil, and he takes a step back so that he can see both Steve and Wailer. He wonders if there are other armed killers inside the dark bushes.
“Like I said, it was a mere coincidence. She’s sorted. She is of no danger to us. She’ll keep her mouth shut.”
The atmosphere is charged.
The three of them glare at each other.
Chris knows that The Big Boss is out there somewhere watching it all or listening. No one has ever seen The Big Boss, but Chris is convinced that either he always hides somewhere in the dark recesses of the cemetery, or Wailer is wired with hidden recorders and microphones that make The Big Boss listen.
“If you say so, Mr. Stone. Okay then. See you in two weeks’ time.”
“What did I get?”
“Elucidate me, Mr. Stone. I don’t understand your query,” Wailer asked coldly.
“Oh, you do alright, Mr. Eagle. How much did I get for the operation?” Chris asked icily.
“Fifteen thousand, Mr. Stone.”
Chris’ eyes flash dangerously for a second. His jaw works tightly, and for a moment it looks as if he is going to attack Wailer.
“Are you kidding me? A measly fifteen thou? That’s fuck change! We hit that van for its haul, and the way I figure it the least I should get is fifty thousand!”
“You figure wrong, Mr. Stone. We miscalculated,” Wailer said in a dangerously low voice. “The van had dumped its money at Bomofo, and was coming to Densua with just a little change.”
“You know my Mom is fighting for her life in hospital! I needed the money, man! I thought The Big Boss will come through for me! Fifteen thousand is just half of the total cost.”
“You thought wrong, Mr. Stone. The Big Boss is a businessman, and not a charity show. He is more than fair, and he has been generous with you.”
Chris hesitates for a moment.
He knows he is beaten.
There is nothing to be said.
With a little curse he turns and walks away angrily through the tombs.
Wailer and Steve watch him go.
“Cocky bastard. Hate him to the high kingdoms!”
Wailer brings out a fat envelope from within the folds of his gown and gives it to Steve.
“That’s ten thousand, Steve. Another ten when you complete the assignment.”
“Details?”
“Kill that female doctor. Tonight!”
“Effe Kedem?”
“Kill her!” Wailer hissed.
***
Effe gets up and pads restlessly to the bathroom.
She has found it very hard sleeping, mostly because she still feels a trifle angry about the way the whole police scene had panned out, and partly because of Jon’s sudden unavailability.
She relieves her bladder in the dark, wipes herself, flushes, and returns to the bedroom.
She sees her phone’s screen lighting up, and picks it up from the small bedside drawer.
She sees that it is a message from Jon.
As she flips to messages on her phone she feels thirsty all of a sudden, and pads through the darkness to the kitchen to get some water.
She takes a small bottle of water, breaks the cellophane covering, opens it, and takes a long drink.
She replaces the cap as she starts to read the text message from Jon:
Sorry, my Princess Love. Phone went out when I was in a meeting with the Director at Bomofo, about the prospect of opening an Eden Annex there. Returned quite late. Just charged it a bit. Will be there in the morn. Love you, miss you.
Effe shakes her head with disappointment and texts back:
Love u too. Miss u badly.
Meanwhile, Steve, dressed in an all-black gown with a matching black mask, has used a set of tools to break through Effe’s back door, and he is walking stealthily through the darkness of the living-room.
He is holding gun in his hand, and a silencer is fixed on the tip of the barrel to muffle the sound of the gun to just silent spit sounds.
He enters Effe’s bedroom silently.
He feels along the wall and flicks on the light, levelling his gun at the bed, ready to shoot.
But when the light comes on, he sees that the bed is empty. He curses and rushes forward, pushing the bathroom door open savagely.
Also, empty!
Effe, walking out of the kitchen, sees the bedroom door open and the lights on, and she hears the sounds from in there.
She stands, petrified with fear, and then suddenly a figure in black and a mask appears in the doorway with a gun pointed at her.
Effe opens her mouth to scream just as Steve fires.
Someone crashes into Effe from her left side, sending her crashing to the floor.
She begins to scream, but a hand is clamped across her mouth, and she looks up into the enraged face of Chris Bawa!
Chris’ right hand is covering Effe’s mouth, in his left hand is a silenced pistol which is now pointing at the figure in black in the doorway of the bedroom.
“What the fuck? Chris? What the fucking-fucking fuck?” Steve growls furiously. “What the fuck is the meaning of this?”
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