HOUSE OF SECRETS – Episode 7

HOUSE OF SECRETS EPISODE 7

He wondered who was trying to kill him, had Helen found out about his affair with Rose? But he quickly dismissed the thought, Helen had acted very fine, she was happy, even the way she spoke with her husband while he drove them showed nothing had changed about her, or had her husband been the one?
‘You’re late’ the blogger spoke without looking up as Nelson neared his table. Nelson had finally decided to meet with him, and he suggested a hidden venue for the meeting.
‘Tell me what I want to hear and be quick’ Nelson pulled a chair backwards and slid in.
‘Oh, don’t be too fast, we have a lot to talk about’ Kachi lit a cigarette.
‘What do you want from me? Why can’t you face your stupid blog and leave me the hell alone’ Nelson scowled.
‘Uhhmmm, remember I have your secret, so you should mind the way you talk to me’ Kachi pointed his index finger in warning.
‘Why are you doing this? No one would believe you, so whatever game you’re on is not going to work, just stop it right now’ Nelson advised.
‘You’re sleeping with your boss’ wife, it’s been going on for years, I know this for sure and I have proof, if you’re willing to work with me, I promise not to expose you, but if you fail, I shall leak all videos of your love making and don’t ask me how I got them’ Kachi smiled satisfactorily as he saw the fear on Nelson’s face.
‘How did you know this’? Nelson’s heart pounded against his chest.
‘That’s because I am a blogger, we love to buy and sell information’ Kachi replied.
‘So tell me about the person trying to kill me, maybe after that I’d consider working with you’ Nelson said.
‘You really think you have an option do you? Now look at these’ Kachi handed him an envelope.
‘What’s in,side’? Nelson was afraid to open it.
‘Go on, open it’ Kachi said.
‘S–t! What’s all these? Why do you want to ruin my life’? Nelson shivered as he watched the pictures of Helen and himself k-ssing unclad.
‘Now sit still and listen to every word I say, I promise not to expose you if you obey my every word’ Kachi ordered.
‘Just tell me what you want’ it dawned on Nelson that he had no choice but to comply.
‘I need you to spy for me, I need information about the Ita family’ Kachi started.
Kachi Romeo had relocated to the city of Calabar many years back, he’d beed drawn to Pastor Ita’s ministry and even had a crush on his daughter but Rose rebuffed him strongly, he’d taken it in good faith knowing a girl from such a high class could never settle for him but he never knew the real reason behind her rejection.
‘There was a maid working for the Ita’s, I have not seen or heard from her for months now, she worked very closely with me and I paid her handsomely for it, but she just vanished, her phones are not reachable and I have a strong feeling something bad happened to her in that house’ Kachi added.
He’d picked interest in a certain young girl in church, she was meek and good humored, he later found out she was the Pastor’s maid, that got him more interested in the friendsh¡p, he still yearned for Rose’s attention and he begged her to put in a good word for him, that was when the curtains fell apart.
‘You can never have her, please forget about her and find someone else’ Grace’s mood had quickly changed at the mention of Rose.
‘Why? Does she have someone’? he asked.
‘No, not that, it’s just that, she’s…I’m sorry we should not talk about my employer’s daughter’ Grace evaded the subject.
Her behavior that day had triggered his curiosity, he pressured her till she began to open up about the Ita’s.
He couldn’t believe it, that a father would sleep with his own daughter, it disgusted him more than anything else, but they had no proof. Grace had planned to take pictures of the evil pastor and his daughter but she never showed up again.
‘Grace? So it was Grace that was your snitch? Oh my God, I’m doomed’ Nelson rose to his feet.
If Grace was truly Romeo’s snitch, it meant they had s€× videos of himself and Helen, if they were to be released, the scandal would be enormous.
‘Yes, and I paid her more than her employers ever did, the Ita family are a bunch of fakers just like most families of our religious leaders, I intend to make a big story out of everything, you’ll be rich if you work with me, all I need is your co-operation’ Kachi said.
‘What do you want me to do’? Nelson exhaled, he was a trapped animal and he needed to find escape by all means possible.
‘Are you aware the Pastor Is having an affair’? Kachi raised his brows.
‘Not really except for the photoshopped pictures you sent to me last weekend of him and some girl k-ssing’ Nelson replied. What was he getting at?
‘What makes you think the picture was photoshopped? You see the problem with Nigerians is this, you’re all too gullible, you see these men of God as actual gods and in fallible, all perfect and invincible but you’re all wrong’ Kachi reached out for his phone.
‘Well, I don’t know if he’s faithful or not, what does that have to do with me’? Nelson frowned.
‘He’s having an affair with Rose’ Kachi paused and watched his face.
‘Rose? Who’s Rose’? Nelson wondered.
‘His daughter’ Kachi replied and Nelson burst out laughing.
‘It’s okay, I didn’t believe it too but it’s real, Grace never lied to me’ Kachi was slightly pissed by his laughter.
‘You’re a good comedian, why don’t you change jobs? Seriously, you mean the pastor is f—–g his own daughter? And his sneaky wife don’t know about it? Come on man, stop being paranoid’ Nelson rose to his feet, obviously the blogger had nothing else important to say.
‘Sit down Nelson, we aren’t finished’ he drawled.
‘Sorry Kachi or Romeo or whatever you call yourself, I would not be part of this stupid game, as for the pictures, you’re free to release them, what do I care? But I think you are a coward, you would’ve released them if you really want to’ Nelson replied and swirled round, ready to walk away.
‘You never asked about your enemy’ Kachi’s eyes gleamed wickedly.
‘Who is my enemy’? Nelson quickly turned round.
‘The woman you’re sleeping with’
***
‘What are you doing here? don’t you know this is very risky’? Helen couldn’t fathom the foolishness of his action.
‘I’m so sorry Madam but I had to knowing the operation failed, I came here to explain everything and to warn you’ Oliver replied.
‘Warn me’? that got her. She had not used thugs before, but she had their contacts long before now, she knew Nelson would become a threat, that was why she needed to eliminate him.
‘Someone knows about our deal’ Oliver paused and scanned around, they’d decided to meet in her garden.
‘What are you talking about? I gave you and your boys directives via phone so how would anyone suspect that’? Helen wondered.
‘We don’t have any answers to that, but someone sent us a message and I think you should read it, it’s like a warning, I think you should give up on this guy for now, lay low’ Oliver advised and showed her the text.
‘I KNOW WHAT YOU DID, IT MAKES ME SICK, A PASTOR’S WIFE AND A BAND OF THUGS, I AM GOING TO TELL’
‘What’s this’ Helen backed away from the man, what was happening?
‘I think there’s a snitch living under your roof, monitoring your every movement, I have to go now, just be careful’ he replied.
‘My God, this isn’t happening’ she pressed her hands on her beating chest. She had never felt such fear not even while they were burying Grace. Someone had been tailing her and she had to know who.
‘Nelson!’ she considered but she shook her head, she had sent her daughter to go call him while she made the call to the thugs, so it couldn’t be Nelson.
‘Oh my God, that girl is leaving my house tonight’ Helen realized it could be the maid, but her heart insisted it was her lover boy.
‘Someone is coming’ Oliver whispered.
‘Yes, I need your help Oliver, this last time’ she replied before he ran deeper into the garden.
***
‘Darling…’ she heard his voice, the voice that once turned her on but was now a sound she dreaded.
‘Nelson, you scared me’ she gasped.
‘I’m sorry, I miss you so much and I just want to be here for you, I know what you’re passing through’ he warmed up to her.
‘Thanks Nelson,I have to sleep now’ Helen replied.
‘You know what? I know something that could make you relax real good, do you know what that is’? Nelson car-ssed her face. He had his plans, he had to know the truth, what if the blogger was lying?
‘Baby, we shouldn’t do this here, what if someone sees us’? Helen whimpered.
‘It’s late and I bet your kids are asleep, the gateman is asleep, so this garden is all ours’ Nelson slipped his hands under her clothes.
‘Nelson….’ She mo-ned and couldn’t resist his touch, this was definitely their last.
***
‘Oh my God…’ I whispered as I hid in the garden. Helen had walked out with her visitor two hours earlier and Mark and Rose had gone to bed, I was the last person awake so I was curious, why was she still outside?
I was only concerned about her wellbeing, that was why I left for the garden, only to find her in an amorous conversation with Nelson and I felt disgusted by the sight of it.
Did Mark know about this? I wondered, then it dawned on me, the words of the note were beginning to make sent.
‘A house of secrets’ I repeated the words and pressed my hand against my beating chest.
How could a pastor’s wife, a famous one for that matter sleep with her personal driver? I had a strong urge to puke as their gro-ns became louder.
Grace must have known about it and I guessed that was her reason for eloping without notice, I realized.
What if she didn’t elope? What if they killed her to protect this secret? I thought to myself and got scared. I now understood why she was so afraid to see me when I showed up unannounced on her veranda, she must have feared it was Grace that had returned to spill her secret.
‘No’ I panicked, I was really being naïve, if this woman knew that her maid had an idea that she was having an affair, she would kill her to end it all.
‘Oh my God’ my breathing increased as I recalled the way she treated me on that day, like I was a ghost, that was why she poured sand on me.
I was in trouble and I needed a way out, I now wished I had listened to my mother, how could I bear the burden of this heavy secret? Who could I tell? Like Grace, I made up my mind to elope first thing in the morning.
I couldn’t take it anymore, so I sneaked and found a way out of the garden, I needed to pack my bags.
***
‘You were so good baby’Nelson smacked her a-s and squeezed it, he was fully sated and now had enough strength to think, why would Helen want him dead?
‘Thanks’ she forced a smile and touched his face lightly.
‘So, we should do it in the garden next time, what do you think? It’s so awesome here’ Nelson suggested.
‘Nelson…’ she called him gently and rose to her feet fully dressed.
‘Yes baby’ he answered.
‘This is the last time, we should stop seeing each other for our own good’ Helen said flatly.
‘What? Why? I’m I not good enough? Don’t I satisfy you? Why would you want to break up with me’? his heart raced as he watched her face, she truly had changed, she looked fierce and indifferent, he prayed the blogger wasn’t right cause women like Helen could be very dangerous.
‘Just get that into your thick skull, this is over, if you want to keep your job, then behave’ Helen replied and was about walking away when he made a statement that made her froze.
‘I’m going to tell your husband, I’ll tell everyone about us’ Nelson started, he needed to see her reaction.
‘Really? What exactly would you tell him huh’? she scoffed and turned towards him.
‘I’ll also tell him about the human hand we found when we made love in Grace’s room, I’m sure the police would be very much pleased’ he sneered at her but his plans failed, Helen’s eyes were unreadable, she was still composed.
‘Good, you’re free to tell the world anything you like but that can only happen if you’re still alive’ Helen replied and laughed wickedly.
‘So you really want me dead’? Nelson scoffed.
‘You’re already dead’ she smiled and walked away.
Her confidence scared him, so Romeo was right? Helen had sent some men after him, he was filled with fear and decided to pack and run as fast as he could but he wasn’t quick enough.
He felt a cold object behind his back and he froze.
‘Hello Nelson’ Oliver pulled the trigger and he fell to the floor.
‘Good work Oliver, now find a place and fix his body, write a note in his name, so it looks like he ran away because he felt guilty about the accident’ Helen reappeared with a bottle of scotch.
‘Why don’t we leave the body here and you call the police and make up a story of robbers? You know how greedy the police are?’ Oliver suggested.
 ‘No, that’s risky and stressful, this is the best way out’ Helen replied and poured herself a drink.

To be continued

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