CHAPTER TWELVE
An employee of the newspaper wanted to sue the Head of Human Resource for what he referred to as Intense harassment. The case was between a certain Elvis Odong from IT and Sebunya Josephat, the HOD. As a representative for the paper her first duty was to her client, The Daily Tribunal. Celina came to the conclusion that the two parties could solve this amicably without involving the courts of law. That would affect the image of the paper. At
the same time cost Elvis his job and the company a good employee. Both parties were visibly angry.
After listening to the HOD for close to an hour she came to the conclusion that he was a total prick. He wreaked of ignorance and arrogance. In his small mind he owned the paper thus all the employees bowed to him. The HOD believed that he could fire any one if they were not willing to bend to his will.
She wondered why no one else had ever found the balls to sue the man. Someone had to clip Sebunya's wings before he got the newspaper in more trouble.
Celina had summoned the other party expecting to feel more repulsion.
A tall dark skinned man entered Celina's office. He was the most outrageously handsome man she had ever met. He had a very deep voice that she felt vibrations in her spine in it's awake. His eyes were just the right size. He was very polite and charming. He was so down to Earth. He spoke to her with respect as though she had a brain, something that her husband forgot. His fingers were long. His hair was well cut. He was dressed in jacket and slacks. He didn't look like he spent his weeks in the gym but he still looked strong. Elvis had an amazing smile and unique laughter. In short, he was everything Henry wasn't. She had never seen him before because she was sure there was no way she could have forgotten such a man.
And she hadn't forgotten him.
Sharon sat in the office at the station in Mukono analyzing the latest information they had received that day.
Once the name "Bridget" came along it hadn't needed a scientist to know this was a another suspect.
On the board before her were the suspects and information they had been able to collect so far. "Butterfly tattoo" last seen with the victim, "Loan shack" whose details and whereabouts were unknown, "Bridget" madam of the house. "A married woman" his other lover and "husband" jilted husband to the married woman. It's like they were moving in a maze with no way out.
"She's ready to talk, boss." Frank said at the entrance to her office.
"Cease your sarcasm this instance. I am beginning to think we're in over our heads. We might need to turn this case over to CID."
"My same thoughts exactly. But I have some good news, boss. The information on the memory card has been retrieved this morning."
"And?"
"He was sex texting someone called Celina. We tried calling her but her number is out of service. I'll have you know it's a Kenyan number. What I saw was mainly their archived conversations."
"When was the last time he texted her?"
"About two weeks before his death. I have a copy of the messages here." Frank said as he placed some documents on her table.
"That's not enough, Frank." Sharon now exasperated almost screamed.
"There are some videos and pictures too. But I warn you, her face is not included but we do have our butterfly tattoo."
Those few words got Sharon's undivided attention.
"They're mainly x-rated videos, I am worried what they might do to your prudish nature."
Sharon got flustered, "I am not a prude. Bring and I see."
It was good to see her out of her despair. Frank handed over the small memory card which was quickly shoved into the card reader before it was inserted in the laptop by an extremely impatient Sharon.
After watching 6 home made porn videos, Sharon was indeed worried about her marriage. If that was what making love was then she was in trouble. Her thoughts were clear on her face for Frank to see. He smirked,
"Don't you dare try to think I am interested in whatever direction your silly mind must be taking you."
"Okay, then…. I think Celina is the lady with the butterfly tattoo."
"The main question is..what is her second name?
On every side there was animated talk as they were talking over each other. They decided that Sharon would go first.
"Did you try finding out using the network? We could find out under what name the line is registered."
"My team tried and I am sad to say that the line is not registered"
"Think about it, her face is hidden in all the 6 videos. Either it was done intentionally or the videos were edited. Elvis' face is visible but the woman's is not. He calls her by name and she does him. So they were having an affair. Why do I get the feeling that Celina is the married woman Elvis was banging?"
Meanwhile in Bunga.
Clad in his stylish suit, Henry stood at the window in their living room gazing at their compound. It was in pristine condition just as he was. The birds flew helter-skelter from one tree to the other. The grass was cut short and the flowers were trimmed to their best condition. The walls of the house were washed and the gate had been repainted. He wondered how the people outside viewed his castle. Was it perfect to them? Did they long to reside in its walls? How many women wanted to be the mistress of such a place?
He knew many men that envied him. His house. His cars. His child. His wif...
Henry's fingers were pocketed trying to conceal any sort of anxiety he felt. It wasn't in his nature to show any kind of weakness. Failure and Defeat were not his portions no matter how dejected he felt.
This morning he had seen Celina religiously taking her birth control pills. Everything was supposed to go his way but it seems she wanted to make it hard. She's the one that had strayed yet he is the one being punished. Sometimes he wanted to put her through the kind of pain he had felt the last two years. He wanted her to know what he felt as she looked at him with a smile on her eyes yet she had spent the afternoon in another man's hand. More than once he had wanted to bring another woman to their bed just as she had done. For Christ sake she had slept with another man in his bed while their daughter slept a few doors down. The anguish came again as it had done on several accounts through out the miserable years.
He smelt her perfume before he heard the click of her shoes. Her curves were pronounced as they had widened from Child birth. The dress she wore flattered her immensely. He felt his dick harden and wondered at what point he could look at her and not get turned on. She was trying to avoid his gaze as she had done so recently.
"Celina we need to talk."
It was only a matter of time before he brought that issue up again. Celina felt angry and scared all at once. She hadn't wanted to have anyone else's child apart from Elvis'. Now this monster was making demands as if she were a heifer.
"For two years, Celina I've watched you make a fool of me. You've cheated on me, brought your lover in our bed and introduced him to my daughter as uncle. I would like to think I have been very accommodating."
That was not what Celina had expected. He knew. All along he knew!
"You've taken money from our joint account to pay that fools debts, dinners, rent and what have I done in exchange? Been patient."
"Hen…Hen..Henry.." she stuttered.
"Shut up! Sometimes I don't know what I ever saw in you. Did you think about what the public could say, if this ever came out? Unlike you I have invested a lot in my image."
"I..I..I am.."
"The man was sleeping around on every with
creature as long as it was female. Did you.." Henry noticed that Celina's eyes were wide in disbelief.
"Wait, don't tell me you thought you were the only one? After all I have taught you and you didn't think you should do a background check on your lover?"
"Elvis loved me, Henry. He wasn't the cheating type. He respected me. Everything being said about him is by some rival paper. Please, don't be spiteful."
Henry looked at his wife with pity. He loved her. How could she choose another man over him? How could she do this to their home, to their family? He had been faithful. He had given her everything she had ever wanted and how does she pay him back, by destroying his home! He felt like punching the wall. The storm within him was raging fiercely. He was capable of anything. Ever the gentleman, Henry elegantly moved to the study and brought a brown envelope and handed it over to Celina. Celina noticed the stiffness of his movements. She didn't miss the clenched jaws or the way he avoided any skin contact between them.
"Those photos were taken 14 months ago."
He watched as she perused through the photos and documents gathered. These photos could destroy her career. It was a case compiled by her husband against her. Some photos were recent before Elvis' death. Including those of her tattoo removal. There were receipts from hotels and travel agents. Documents with her signature including those from the loan shack. Celina wanted to throw up. These images didn't show her in any flattering light. She couldn't believe Henry had been sitting on these. Not for the first time she wondered what kind of man she was really married to.
"When I saw you come from upstairs, I wanted to blackmail you, bend you to my will but now..."Henry felt dejected. Nothing had gone as planned. Maybe there was a first time to fail at something. But not today, damn it. Not at marriage. Not today. It was time he got back on track. He had to teach her a lesson.
"The police is looking for you. I suggest you report yourself before it's too late. I personally know the inspectors working that case and believe me one way or another they'll find you."
Celina was now shaking because she knew her husband. He wasn't the kind to let this kind of humiliation go. He had to have been planning it for all this time and whatever he had planned was probably going to be worse than her worst case scenario.
"When I get back from work, I don't want to find anything that belongs to you in my house. Don't touch my child or I swear to God I'll hit you with everything I've got and believe me you'll not win against me in court," he took a deep breath. It's like all the anger of the past two years was coming back all at once. He continued, "I am going to counsel all cards so you can't get anymore money from me. You once told Elvis that you married a monster; you better start running because once the police finds that man's murderer, I am coming after you. Believe me when I am done with you, you'll never be the same."
Henry picked his briefcase and stormed out of the house.