‘Amaka, meet Ibrahim, my friend.’
Ibrahim squeezed her hand. ‘We know each other very well. We even have a mutual friend,’ he said, looking into her eyes and not letting go of her.
‘It’s a small world.’
‘Yes. And it’s getting smaller all the time.’
She felt numb. Ibrahim had probably found out that she lied about the minister. Had he also found out what she was up to? They say that every big criminal in Nigeria has police protection.
‘Well, since you know each other perhaps you should stay and join us for lunch.’
Her heart pounded. Ibrahim’s grip was getting tighter. How could she have missed this? How could she have failed to check whom Amadi knew in the police? All she had to do was ask around and someone would have told her. Guy warned her not to come and now she had walked into a trap.
‘I have to go and take care of something,’ Ibrahim said. He released her hand. ‘Chief, let us continue our discussion outside.’
‘OK, I’ll see you off. Amaka, please, give me a minute will you?’ They left together.
Tom was standing in a corner, watching her. She remembered the guard that had let her in. Who else was in the house? She looked around. The paintings stared back at her like extra guards.
Amadi returned. She was standing in the same spot. She searched his face. What had he learned about her?
‘Don’t let us keep Tom waiting,’ he said. He placed his palm on her back and her body shuddered.
Her legs were moving but she did not feel them. She was walking where he led but it felt like floating. The table came towards her. Her chair slid out. She sat but everything kept moving. He was talking but she couldn’t hear him. Tom appeared by her side, placed a napkin on her lap, and vanished. Everywhere she turned, Tom was there, keeping watch over her, making sure she could not escape. She felt dizzy.
‘Amaka.’
Everything slowed down. The beating of her heart faded to the tick-tock of a wall clock behind her.
‘Amaka.’
She focused.
‘Amaka. What’s wrong?’ His face became clear again.
‘Are you all right?’
‘Yes. I’m fine. I think I sat down too quickly.’
‘Are you sure? Should I get you something?’
‘No. Really, please, sit down. I’m OK.’
‘You scared me for a moment there. I could already see the headlines: “Last Seen Alive Entering Chief Amadi’s House.”’
It was a cruel joke. He knew everything about her. He knew what she had come to do.
‘And what would they say Chief Amadi did with Amaka?’
He laughed. ‘Oh, what wouldn’t they say? A pretty girl in a rich man’s house with his family away? They will put two and two together and arrive at five.’
‘Would it be because that is what rich men do with pretty girls or because that is what you do with pretty girls?’
‘Girls? I don’t do anything with girls. I am a one woman man, I swear. Only one girl at a time. After another.’
He laughed. He was enjoying this. Should she run? And if so, where to?
‘But I hear you like having two girls at a time. I almost didn’t come to see you because I didn’t have a friend to bring along.’ She placed a palm on her chest and drew her fingers down, dragging her top with it.
He stopped laughing and watched her hand. She dragged her nails over her cleavage.
‘Well? Is it true that you only like two girls at a time, or is one enough for you?’
He looked down at the table and straightened the cutlery in front of him. He looked at the perfectly aligned silverware for a few seconds then clasped his fingers over them, shut his eyes, and slowly shook his head.
‘Amaka, you are something.’
His phone rang.
‘I have to take this. Am I excused?’
‘You are.’
Her plan, that she had not finished putting together, was to lure him back into his bedroom, away from the watchful eyes of his servant. Once that first stage was over, she would think of the next step.
As he went to take his call, he stopped at the door where Tom stood, and placed a hand on his shoulder. ‘Don’t let her go anywhere,’ he said. He turned and smiled at her then walked away, bringing the phone to his ear.