"Will you give them that money Oscar? "
I ask him, ignoring his questions.
"Like hell I will. He's my son for crying out loud! "
"Let's inform his grandparents. Maybe they'll talk to their daughter to convince that man to set the boy free!"
"Do you think it'll work that way?"
"Let's give it a try. But first, let me make the money available then talk to them tomorrow."
We barely sleep that night.
The little sleep I get is full of nightmares.
Cliff seemed to be a good man when Oscar contacted him to be my driver.
He told me that he once worked as a driver for them when he was still married to Natalia.
Could he be Natalia's husband?
But the voice wasn't his.
Morning is here and Oscar goes to the office to arrange for the ransom.
He then picks me up and I accompany him to Natalia's parents home.
"What are you doing here? Where Kyle? "
"Calm down mum. Kyle will be fine. If only you cooperate with us. "
The husband is just cool, and he hardly says anything.
"They called us yesterday night. Here's the Clio we recorded.
Oscar plays the voice clip of the recorded conversation between us and the kidnapper.
"This is Barracks voice! He's Natalia's husband. We never accepted his dowry because we knew he was up-to no good. He's lazy and violent. My daughter works so hard to sustain him and his love for money! "
The woman was talking too much.
She was making sense somehow.
"Where's Natalia right now? Can we speak to her via phone?"
Oscar asks, running out of patience.
"And why should you demand to speak to me?"
We all turn to see a woman probably in her mid twenties but looking older than her age, standing next to us, arms akimbo.
"Natty? "
Oscar calls, and a wave of jealous runs through my heart.
"Why are you here? So you came to steal my son and now you've lost him?"
"When did you come back? "
Her mum asks.
"I've just arrived.... "
She says as she places her bag on the available chair.
"You guys are confusing me! So you already know your son is missing?"
"Shut up woman. I don't know what you're talking about. I just overheard your conversation! "
She defends herself.
"Oh! Why shouldn't you. It's obvious you need money more than anything else.... "
"One more word from you and I'll shut your mouth for you....forever!"
She threatens as she stands up to get inside the house.
"Natalia come back here! See where your love for money has taken you. Conniving with your useless husband to kidnap your boy?"
"Shut up mum and let me be. So you're colluding with these morons to accuse me of kidnapping my own son?"
She's so vulgar.
"I'll let you be if you bring Kyle here safely. We all know you love money but not to the extend of kidnapping your own son. Barrack is not a good person and we warned you against him. See your life now. Just from abroad with nothing but bruised face! "
Her mother's words catch my attention and I look at Natty closely.
She has bruises all over her face but she has tried to hide them with loads of make up.
I hardly know this woman.
Natalia looks disturbed as she heads inside the house.
"What do you mean ma'am? This might lead us to her husband. It seems she is into drugs and she's violently abused!"
Oscar asks curiously.
"Like hell she is! She has been trafficking drugs and she was deported two months ago. She has to do anything to survive. Barack is a lazy man who uses her for his personal gain. We have to call the police on her! "
"That'll be a good idea. At least she'll give us Barack's current location. He seems to be a hardcore because we can't locate him."
"Nobody is arresting my daughter! "
Her father finally says.
"Just get out of my house and never come back. My daughter has suffered enough! "
"Look at you! Defending a criminal? You're shameless! I'm calling the police myself!"
Her mum says, fishing out her phone from her pocket
Before she can make the call, we hear a loud bang from inside the house and we all rush in only to find Natty sprawled on the floor, her brain splattered all over the place and blood oozing from her dismantled head, a pistol lying next to her...
"Whaaat?"
We all exclaim as I rush outside to throw up.
The sight is disgusting.
I can hear wails from inside as her mother curses the so called Barack.
Minutes later, Oscar comes out, holding a piece of paper on his hand.
"Come and read this. we've found it on her bed!"
"Is she dead? "
I ask, knowing very well she can't be breathing with the mess I saw inside there.
*Dear Oscar,
I'm sorry for all that I've ever done to you. I messed up the moment I eloped with Barack, Cliff's cousin. I'm sure you never knew they were related. My decision to disobey mum has led to my current state. He used me as a money making machine and now that I've been deported and I can't traffic drugs any longer, he decided to kidnap Kyle so as to get money from you. Kyle is safe. Just call the police and lead them to ******** slum in an incomplete building next to ********* and you'll find him there with our son. I had to lie to him that I'm off to town to look for a job because if he knew I was coming here, he would have harmed me. I took his gun with me therefore he's not armed.... Take care of my son as you've been doing...Goodbye*
The note leaves us with a gleam of hope.
We call the police to take her body and we head back to the city to look for Kyle...
Chapter 28
Start from the beginning
