(Continued from Potiphar’s Wife II)
Peter stops at the door, realizing that he cannot go out naked. He instinctively knows what is coming. He has worked with Jane long enough to know that the photos will leak within no time. The girl acts without thinking. The first thought that crosses his mind is not even his boss or the Bishop or the President. It is his wife, Rehema. The lovely woman he has fought so hard to remain faithful to for the years they have been married. Is this how it ends?
Tears of guilt and frustration start welling in his eyes.
*
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations has issued a press statement saying that it has uncovered the identity of a notorious drug dealer and gold smuggler. The name on the on the list is shocking:
A coast-based tycoon called Mwangoye.
The Bishop takes Nancy’s phone and reads the article silently while she stands a respectful distance away. Just as he is concluding, the President calls. He can tell that she is upset even on phone.
“Yes, Madam President…he is in my house…do what you have to do Madam President. I am behind you,” the Bishop tells the President, after listening to her.
*
After Jane leaves, Dorothy pulls Peter back in and continues fondling his naked body. But Peter is distracted.
“Madam, that girl has taken photos and she is going to leak them online.”
“Don’t sweat it handsome, I will deal with her when we are done here. Come on, let us finish what we had started.”
But just as they are getting sexually aroused again, Dorothy’s phone rings. She pushes Peter away and takes the call. She listens without talking before finally saying ‘yes chairman’. After terminating the call, she makes a call of her own.
“Mwangoye, the Chairman is not happy that your phone is off. He says that cops are coming for you here, but he says you should play it cool and cooperate with them because he has a plan to get you out.”
*
“Do you think they will come for him tonight, Bishop?” Nancy asks. She has correctly guessed that the President wants to have Mwangoye arrested over the allegations of drug dealing. Nancy understands: if the President doesn’t act quickly, she will be accused of protecting her friend. She is always warding off sexist attacks from male opposition leaders, and she certainly doesn’t need a scandal, especially one that she can avoid.
“I don’t know Nancy, but I think so. It would be bad politics for the President if Mwangoye is arrested on his way to State House tomorrow.”
As if on cue, the sound of sirens is heard from a distance. Nancy and the Bishop look at each other. They quickly leave the room and head towards the gate. They arrive at the parking lot just as the police cars are parking.
“Good evening officer, are we in trouble?”
“Good evening Bishop. As far as I can tell, only your guest is in trouble.”
“Why? What has he done?”
The Bishop asks the question so innocently that Nancy has to stifle a giggle. If she wasn’t the one who gave him the story to read, and if she hadn’t been there when the President called, she would have believed that he had no clue on what is going on.
“Well, allegations have been made that he is involved in drug trafficking and gold smuggling. I hope you have nothing to do with all this, Bishop,” the cop says pointedly.
“I am hearing all this from you, officer.”
“I am glad to hear that Bishop. I have always seen you as one of the few sincere clergymen. So, where is Mwangoye?” the officer asks.
“This way,” the bishop replies, leading them to the guest wing.
They find Mwangoye in the company of an Asian woman; the police superintendent smiles.
“Today must be Christmas Day. We finally meet again, Miss Kumar. Trust me this time you will not slip from my custody,” the superintendent says, then turns to the Bishop and Nancy. “Miss Kumar here is an accomplished drug trafficker. We arrested her two years ago but she was granted bail by the court. She paid and skipped town and we haven’t been able to re-arrest her. Until now.”
He leads the arrests and they pile into their vehicles and head back to the police station.
*
Peter and Dorothy watch the drama unfolding from his apartment window. Immediately Peter sees the police cars, he suspects that his boss is in trouble. He has always suspected that Mwangoye is involved in shady deals. But Mwangoye has never involved him in any deal that was not above board. Peter is the face of Mwangoye’s legitimate business. Every now and then Mwangoye gives him off days and goes off on a business trip with the senior most of his goons, Gerald. Now, after the call Dorothy made to him, Peter is sure that they are involved in some criminal activity.
Peter is not surprised, therefore, when Mwangoye walks across the lawn to the parking lot in handcuffs. He quickly puts on his jeans trousers and a T-shirt and starts for the door. But Dorothy stops him.
“Where do you think you are going?”
“I need to see where they are taking my boss.”
“Mwangoye will be fine. I have an assignment for you,” she tells him as she throws her night dress over her body. “Follow me.”
Dorothy takes the key to Peter’s apartment’s front door and walks to Jane’s door; she uses that same key to open Jane’s front door. They find Jane on the couch, busy on her phone; she is startled to see them.
“Take off your clothes, both of you,” Dorothy orders.
They hesitate, then they realise that she is holding a gun. Peter cannot tell at what point she picked the gun and where.
“I said take off your clothes!”
This time they comply.
“Peter, get on top of her and start kissing and fondling her.”
He complies, and Dorothy takes photos with Jane’s phone.
“Okay. Save me the pornography. You can continue after I leave, if you so wish. This is what is going to happen. I know you have already leaked my nudes, Jane. I should punish you, but I won’t. But tomorrow you will defend me online. You will say that you spent the night with Peter here, and even release these nudes. Peter will confirm that, and both of you will say you left the dinner table together and went to Peter’s room. Suggest that these photos were taken by Nancy, who had come to seduce Peter and found you two at it. The story will be that she photoshopped me into the pictures because she wants to wreck my marriage and marry the Bishop. Is that clear?”
“What if Nancy can prove she was somewhere else?” Peter asks.
“By morning Nancy will be long dead. One more thing: don’t mess with me because I will kill you and your families. Jane, I know where your parents live in Kwale. And Peter, isn’t your sweet Rehema a church secretary in Kilifi?”
Peter’s heart nearly stops. Who is this woman?
*
Nancy settles into the co-driver’s seat while the Bishop drives.
“Where is Dorothy?” the Bishop asks.
“I have no idea. I haven’t seen her since dinner time. Perhaps she is still with Tony.”
“You are a good woman Nancy,” the Bishop says after a while.
“Thank you, Bishop.”
“You are so much like my late wife Esther. I think it is time for you to take her place.”
“I don’t understand, Bishop.”
“When do you intend to get married?”
“That is really not up to me.”
“Mmmh,” the Bishop grunts.
They ride in silence for a while.
“I am an old man now. I think I need to hand over the church to a younger person. I think your fiancée is the most suitable person to replace me.”
“He is happy enough as the youth pastor, Bishop. Besides, you are the face of the church. If you leave suddenly especially after this drama, you might undo what you have built for over the years.”
“I will not leave suddenly. I will remain as the Bishop…but without administrative powers. I will make Michael the Senior Pastor. I will probably involve myself more in the charity work and let you and Michael run the church. In fact, call him up and put him on speaker right now.”
“Hi sweetheart, I was just about to call you,” a deep voice says over the phone.
“Babe, you are on speaker. I am with the Bishop in his car, heading to the police station. The Bishop’s guest Mwangoye has been arrested.”
“Why, what has he done?”
“Allegations of drug dealing and smuggling.”
“Oh. This is quite a dramatic night. So you haven’t seen them?”
“Hi Michael,” the Bishop cuts in.
“Hi Bishop. I am so sorry that your wife embarrassed you like this.”
“What are you talking about Michael?”
“Nude photos of Dorothy and a younger man are all over the web.”
“Wait a second, I will call you back,” Nancy cuts in.
Nancy hangs up and googles “Dorothy Mwangoye”. Tens of blogs have headlines promising raunchy images of the Reverend. Nancy clicks on one of them and almost chokes on her own saliva.
“What is it, Nancy? Put the phone where I can see the photos. If my wife has decided to humiliate me, I might as well see…”
Just then there is a loud explosion and the sound of heavy gunfire. Bullets shatter the windscreen of the Bishop’s car. Nancy screams, but the bullets keep coming at them. There is no way they can get out of here alive.
(I intend to finish this story on Friday, so come prepared to grab your copy of the novella).
Image by Enrique Lopez Garre from Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/photos/castle-sunset-clouds-medieval-4087360/
*
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See you all on Friday
–Edward.
