MARKED

Tonight, tonight I’m walking home alone from the gym. Martin, my only best friend and whom we worked out together is dead. He was attacked two days ago at his place by two men. The police are working on his case already but they are holding the truth. Well, I think they are and I can’t take it anymore. I need to know who those guys are and why they shot martin in the head and walked away without taking anything, which is still a mystery to me. I’m trying to think but my mind is hazy. Thoughts have been  accumulating in the last forty eight hours and they have now blocked my mind completely that I can no longer get new ideas to solve this matter the police are sitting their balls on. I take my phone from my gym bag. I need to talk to someone but I don’t know whom to call. If martin was still alive I would have called him. Now he is lying in a cold room, probably naked. I don’t want to think about him but I cannot help it. He was a very close friend. To me, he was a brother I never had and I miss him so much. I wonder how much his family could be missing him too.

I press the red button on my phone and it comes alive. The first thing I notice is the time. Today I stayed at the gym longer than usual. But I feel that I worked much less than I did every day. It is seven fifty five on the dot. Generally, I’m supposed to be at my place, shower then go and see how martin’s mother is doing today. The death of her only son devastated her and she has not been out of her bed since Friday.

I punch in four digits memorized in my head and pause. I stare at the screen of my phone until it goes off. That night martin was killed he had phoned me at 10:00pm but I was out on a date so he left me a message. He wanted us to meet immediately at his place and talk. I got the message two hours later but when I got to his apartment, he was gone. The image of his gory face that stared at me as I walked in still lingers in my head and I cannot get it out. There are many things that I can’t get out of my head, now that the police are investigating me too for the murder of my best friend. I received a call today morning from the inspector in charge of martin’s case. He wanted to see me in his office and when I had time during my office hours I called and we agreed to meet for lunch. An a*s that lived next door to martin had called the police earlier and told them he thought he had seen a black Mercedes packed outside the building during the time of the shooting, and according to the description and the number plates given, the police had tracked the car right to my door step. I’m now their prime suspect. What the hell? Martin was my best friend, and I was the one who gave you the call when I found him dead. Didn’t I?

‘He was your closest friend and partner in many things we don’t deny, neither do you’ the inspector had said and I nodded.

‘Martin was a brother to me’ I said calmly.

‘And that’s where the problem comes in’ the inspector continued looking directly into my eyes as if he was searching for something. If it was truth he was looking for, then I was giving it to him.

‘I don’t understand you inspector’ I said, always keeping my voice low so that only him and I heard our conversation.

‘Me neither. I don’t get it how you were the first at the crime scene and what your car was doing outside the apartment late at night when he was killed’ he said with the same tone that told me he thought I did it. Rage started boiling in me but I kept my cool. Are you looking for a scapegoat since you can’t find the real killers or what?

‘I was there because he called and asked me to see him at his place. Second, he was my best friend like you said so why should it bother you that my car was seen outside the apartment?’ I said and sounded louder than I imagined. The inspector ignored me and went on.

‘according to the phone message, martin  wanted to see you immediately to discuss something’ he said and I shook my head’ he also said that he didn’t want to do it anymore, whatever that was. And he apologized too’.

‘Have you been spying on me?’ I shot back angrily. This b*****d was accusing me of killing my friend and now he had gone through my conversations with martin?

‘Part of my job’ he said with an equally hostile tone. I could feel the tension rise between us but the inspector seemed unaffected. He was composed and ready, breath fire if I breathe fire and calm down if I did so. I decided to go the calm way. I was innocent so what the fuss?

‘So is that what makes you think I killed him?’ I asked, trying to be calm as possible. The inspector looked me in the eye, this time, closer.

‘We don’t think you did it, we are just suspecting that you were involved just like I told you. But don’t worry you have a right to an attorney and if you can’t afford one the state will provide’ I just sat there and watched him as he went on telling me all my rights as if I was being arrested and for a moment I thought I was.

‘I have a lawyer’ I said immediately. I did not know why I did it. Things were getting serious now and I panicked. Probably that was why.

‘Then good, that makes it easy’ he said and smiled at me ‘like I told you, you have the right to remain silent, but if you want you can trust me’ he continued. I knew exactly where the conversation was headed and I also knew that he was wired and someone or people were listening from the other end. I had seen that on TV and couldn’t believe that he expected me to confess. …but if you want, you can trust me. How stupid did he think I was?

‘Trust you, why?’ I decided to play their game. I was innocent and I wanted everyone to hear it hoping that the recording would be produced in court, if we ever reached that far.

‘Because I want to help you’ he said but did not smile to his joke. He must be very good at his job, I thought. Probably the reason they chose him to trap me.

‘You are losing me’ I said. The face features of the inspector changed and he was staring at me again. In the eyes.

‘Look, we have some useful material that we can use as evidence against you. We have three witnesses, both out of their will, that will testify in court. We know that martin was your business partner but at the time of death you were on separate paths. We also know the secret he was holding so you don’t have a chance here. If you want to play it by your rules, fine, but you will lose. I’m here to help you’.

Help me from what, if you want to sue me go ahead and do it arseholes.i thought. It was true that martin and I had been business partners but we had broken off. He wanted us to invest with a friend of his that I did not know or ever saw but I was reluctant. I grew suspicious with the deal and when I refused, he asked for his share in our business. We fought but I finally gave him what was rightfully his. It was his money after all, but we were still on right terms till his death. He even wanted my help before he died.

‘How do you intend to help me?’ I asked. I wondered why I was still talking to him but I did not have the guts to walk away. I was getting scared each and every second I sat before him.

‘By helping us. First, tell me the motive behind the murder. Second, three guys. Two that came before you with masks and now you, the third guy. All caught on cameras. Tell us who the others are, help us arrest them and testify in court against them and we promise you that nobody will come after you. Martin was your friend and we may decide to go with your story, say that you went to see him and found him dead. We’ll keep with us whatever we know and no one will know you’re involved. Just make the right decision and walk free’.

I swear that I nearly shoved my plate to his face. Anger boiled in me like milk in a pot. I just lost a friend and now I killed him?

‘I don’t know what to tell you’ I said and it was true, I had nothing more to say to the b*****d.

‘let’s start with the motive’ he said as if I had confessed to the crime’ why did you do it?’ he asked. I just looked at him put my fork on my plate and rose.

‘Talk to my lawyer ‘ I said, put a business card with the name and the number of my lawyer on the table beside him and walked out leaving him staring in the direction I went.

I did not hear from him again, but I did hear from my lawyer. The inspector had called him and he wanted an interrogation with me. First thing in the morning, I agreed and that is what has taken all my attention from the phone.

Something hits my hand and I drop my phone to the ground. As I bend to pick it up I knock something and I raise my head.

‘Watch where you’re going a*****e’. The person I accidentally hit says and walks past me.

‘I’m sorry sir’ I apologize but he is in a hurry to hear. I pick my phone and get up again. The battery is slightly off and I return it back. I switch the phone on and redial the number, now adding more to the four digits I had punched in earlier. I push the call button and wait. The phone rings three times before someone picks it up. It is a woman and from her voice, I know I have exactly whom I wanted to talk too.

‘Hallo!’ the voice is faint and sad and I immediately know that the poor lady has not yet recovered from her loss. I remain silent reconsidering my decision. Probably it’s not right to talk to her about her son’s death. She needs time to recover and maybe I can tell her what I wanted later.

When I spoke to my lawyer in the afternoon about my accusation he advised that I start searching for my witness since he was sure  I would get sued. This was the reason I was calling martin’s mother. She had known me for a very long time and she could testify that her son and I were still friends during the time of his death and that there was no motive for me to kill martin. We had even had dinner at her place a week ago before martin was killed and two weeks before that it was martin’s youngest sister’s birthday. We bought a car together for her and we were still paying for her college fees together. Martin’s family was my family too and there was no way I would kill family.

‘Hallo, who is there?’ she asked again and I realized that I had not said a word.

‘It’s me ‘I say

‘Allan?’

‘Yes’

‘How are you Allan?’ my call seems to have cheered her up and her voice changes. She sound happy to hear my voice.

‘I’m fine, just checking on you. I wanted to tell you that I won’t see you tonight’ I say and feel bad for doing it. Ever since martin died, it had become my duty to visit the family and stay with them until it was too late to drive home. Then I slept over and now saying that I would not see them tonight makes me feel like I’m turning my back on them.

‘Why? Are you alright?’

‘everything is okay. I just came from work and I’m so tired. I should rest then I’ll see you tomorrow’ I lie and that makes me feel terrible.

‘Okay, see you tomorrow then’ she says and pauses.

‘Uh! Can I talk to you about something?’ I ask before she hangs up. What the hell am I doing?

‘What?’

‘I can’t tell you on the phone. Got time tomorrow?’ I ask knowing that she would not say no to me..

‘Sure’

‘I’ll come at your place then, after work’ I say. She does not say a thing for half a minute and I hang up. All the numbers on the call log appear immediately and I start scrolling them. Searching for whom to call next. Most of the people I see won’t help me much in my situation; I’m looking for someone who either knew about martin and can be useful in the court or may offer some good ideas on my situation and I’m disregarding a lot of them.

I’ll do it tomorrow. I say to myself seeing that I’m not getting much help. I really need a lot of rest. Probably a beer to help me forget my problems for the night. Or a woman, or both. I scroll more and stumble on a number and without thinking I push the call button. It is like she was standing next to the phone waiting for my call because she picks it up with the first ring. I have not called her in two weeks and I wonder if she would remember me.

‘hello handsome’ she says in her calm sexy voice she always put up for me and it always drives me crazy whenever I hear her.

‘hey sexy, are you home?’ I say and I hear her laugh. I figure out she already know what I want and I don’t mind. In fact it will ease my work now that I’m not in the mood to flirt. I just want sex.

‘yeah, why do you ask?’ she says and giggles. I’m sure that wherever she is standing, she’s biting nails and swinging one leg sideways. Or maybe I’m just imagining that. Lorraine is such a nice girl and I like her. Actually she is the only hooker I ever called back, and not once. I met her one night in club and she did not put up much of a fight. I took her home but in the morning she was gone. Missing also was five thousand shillings from my wallet but  she was kind enough to leave me a note, written in eye pencil and stamped with a kiss.

   In case you’re wondering where I went, news! I ‘m not coming

   back. And the money, is what I charged for the night. I charge

    more than that but since you’re cuter, I gave you a good deal.

            Love, Lollipop.

I never got mad at her. She was a prostitute, which explained why she was fast moving but I still thought five thousand for just a night was too much. So the next night I went to look for her. Luckily, I had her street name, Lollipop and wasn’t so hard to find someone who knew her. But she was out for business with another client and I had to wait for four days for another appointment. She is beautiful and nice to talk too and after a few beer we came to an agreement; another night for the extra amount she had taken and ever since that day we’re friends. Sometimes she doesn’t even charge me.

‘nothing. Thought you were out’

‘not tonight’ she says and I think that’s great.

‘can I come then?’ I ask and she laughs again.

‘business is closed tonight ‘ she says and continues laughing. I know she is lying. Lorraine likes flirting with me and I like it too. She told me once that I’m the only man that makes her blush. I never believed her but when I saw her do it the first time I knew it was real, from a hooker. But tonight I’m not so creative.

Maybe I don’t have to. I will use my situation to attract sympathy. I have a feeling this is one of those days I get it for free.

‘just need to talk’ I make sure I put the most sad voice on earth. Even a beggar would not help but feel mercy.

‘what’s wrong sugar?’ she asks and I know she’s terrified. I got her snared now

‘can’t talk on the phone’ I say and she responds ‘ I understand’

‘are you busy?’ I ask and she says no ‘ then do you mind if I come?. I really need to talk to someone’

‘is it about martin?’ I’m now convinced she feels me. i had told her about martin that same night it happened and of all my women she’s the only one that I’ve talked to about it. she knows a lot about me and I don’t get it why I confide so much in her. I mean she’s not my wife but I trust her like she were.

‘Related. It’s huge, and I’m fucked’ I say and there is silence

‘okay, come over. We’ll talk’ she says and I kiss her on the phone before hanging up. I’m done with the calls and I have a plan for the night. I put the phone back in my gym bag and start walking. From where I am, I can see my place. It’s about five kilometers on a hill. Martin and I used to jog all the way to the gym and that’s why I’m not driving. I miss him so much and every thought I have seem to be bringing him to the picture. He was like a twin brother, wherever I was he was. We even shared a w***e once but we were dead drunk then and we swore never to talk about it.

I walk for about five minutes before a black range rover with tinted windows passes me. It screeches to a halt about two hundred meters ahead of me and I see two strangers jump out of it. the vehicles then pulls out and parks another two hundred meters from where it had initially stopped. No one alights from it then the lights dies. The pavement I’m walking on is teemed with people so I’m not afraid. I continue walking, unsuspecting till I’m about a foot from where the two masculine men alighted and are still standing. The darkest one walks straight to me and he offers a hand.

‘are you Mr. Allan?’ he asks and I’m surprised. My feet start shaking and I can feel my heartbeats in my stomach. I look around. There are people, though minding their own business. I swallow hard trying to hide my fears before I nod.

‘yes…’ I say and shake hands with him

‘and I’m death’ is the last thing I hear the man holding my right hand say before I blackout.