Chapter 1 Vera Tor

CHAPTER ONE

Vera Tor is what anyone can call a complete Port Harcourt Babe. She wasn't your typical billionaire's daughter. While others in her circle moved with entourages and bodyguards, she craved solitude. She often wandered the city alone, finding a strange comfort in blending with the crowd. She was a regular at exclusive nightclubs in Port Harcourt, Abuja , New York, and around the world. She was also a regular in the tabloids for attending late-night events and extravagant celebrations.

Known for her lavish lifestyle and glamorous appearances, she was often spotted at Bela club in Port Harcourt each time she was in Nigeria. Bela Club is located in the Tambia Area of Port Harcourt. Vera so much loved the place. The air of the club smells of cigarettes and expensive drinks. A disco light rotates above the dance floor, showing various colours of light across the walls. It is a place where people get connected by lights, music, and the promise of the night ahead. The dance floor was always alive with people moving under the strobe lights.

Port Harcourt is the capital of Rivers State in Nigeria. It is a busy city. So many high and mighty in Nigeria reside in the city. Vera walked into Bella Club, weaving through the crowd, her presence commanding no attention.At the bar, she ordered her usual, a Campari and sipped her drink while she took a moment to observe the scene, the laughter, the dancing, the unspoken rules of the night.She wasn't here just for the music or the drinks. She was here hoping a man would ask her out. She really wants a feel of a real man, not a two minute man like Charlie.It was multiple times of her stepping into Bela nightclub alone. She got engulfed by the flashing lights, the pounding bass, and the mingling scents of perfume and spilled whiskey. She wore a deep white dress that hugged her figure.The music seeped through the walls.

Her eyes looked through the hall, landing briefly on a tall man leaning against the far wall. He offered her a smile, she smiled back. Tonight wasn't about playing it safe. It was about going home with a man at all costs. She was here for pleasure.

By the end of the night, she was sure she'd be by the side of a real man who would escort her into the cool night air and beyond.

A rugged man in a black jacket was at a corner sipping whiskey, watching her. He watched as she sipped her Campari, her eyes occasionally drifting towards the dance floor. Timing was everything. He waited.Yet, as the night wore on, no one had approached Vera. She danced with some girls , laughed at the bar. She remembered the guy she'd smiled at, the one she thought might approach her but didn't.

She lingered at the bar longer than necessary, and danced with an extra flair, all in the hope of catching someone's attention.

No one approached Vera and it was already 2am. She had walked into the club hours earlier, full of hope and excitement.Now reality sets in. No man is going to come for her tonight. She straightened, brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, and walked out of the club. The rugged man in a black jacket that was at a corner sipping whiskey and watching her, stood up and silently left the club. She wrapped a cloth tighter around herself as she walked along the cracked pavement of downtown Lulu Bright Street, her stiletto heels clicking rhythmically. She left the high-profile Bela club, tired. The streets were empty, lit only by a few streetlights. She walked briskly, her phone in her hand.

She could have called her driver, but the thought of the quiet ride back to her family's palatial mansion without a man by her side felt suffocating. Reluctantly, she decided to walk through the city's streets, hoping to get home in a short time. Ahead, the rugged man in a black jacket stepped out of the shadows. Vera's heart quickened, but she kept her composure. He studied her, watching her gentle undulations as she walked.

She studied him too. He followed her at a distance, his steps deliberately quiet.His pace matched hers, staying just far enough to avoid suspicion. But every so often, she glanced over her shoulder. He had been watching her all night.

She didn't know what he wanted. To talk to her? To scare her? Or was he the man sent from heaven to give her a quick one for the night? A quick one with him, she thought, would be sensational. You never can tell with Vera; she has a crazy urge for sex. But when the man crossed the road and she lost sight of him, she jerked her mind back. Maybe no quick one for her. No free man for her for the night.

Lulu Bright Street was deserted, one of those freak lulls that sometimes occur in the streets of Port Harcourt. At a corner, Vera stopped, brought out her phone and called someone. Unknown to her, the Rugged man remained in the shadows, watching her . Then she felt the weight of something unspeakable in the air, and glanced back but she saw nothing out of the ordinary, only an empty street. She quickened her pace.Every step she took, he took in his, perfectly, matching her pace like a shadow that never left.

As she cut through a corner, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She noticed the man still following her, his footsteps deliberate and heavy. She got scared and increased her pace. The man too increased his. She was alone, unprotected and he wasn't ready to miss this chance.

She listened to the sound of his naked feet padding over the floor. An inner voice, distorted by static, whispered to her, "Run. He's coming for you." There was no time to question, only to act. Then she started running. She knew she was within only a few heartbeats away from harm. Her breath came in ragged gasps.

The bush that bordered the town loomed like a dark, welcoming blanket. She ran towards it, knowing there was a chance to lose him in the bush. But as she darted into the thick underbrush, she heard the unmistakable sound of his footsteps pounding behind her. She began to scream.

Lulu Bright street was too lonely at that time of the morning for anyone to hear her. The man was not far behind. He knew the town, just as she did, but she had one advantage: she had always been fast, agile, and familiar with the terrain. But tonight, the town felt like shadows, and the ground seemed to shift beneath her feet.

For a moment, she thought she had escaped. But when she looked back he was standing right behind her . He jumped on her, punched her, sending her staggering back. He drove the blade of his knife forward and down on her over and over.Her scream was swallowed by the empty streets as the blade flashed under the streetlight.

Chapter 2 The Commissioner of Police

CHAPTER TWO

The rugged man's heartbeat was the only thing heard as he walked down the corner, his boots clicking against the wet pavement. The street was still very quiet. He glanced back once, but the corner was already consumed by shadow. The girl was gone, her lifeless body hidden in the darkness, abandoned like a discarded doll. Inspector Joel Obi has been with the force for over fifteen years. He has dealt with his fair share of high-profile cases. His phone ranged that morning and it was Deputy Commissioner of Police Larry.

Larry : Joel , I need you to listen carefully. The daughter of one of the biggest goldfish in the city has been murdered. Take some men and go over to Lulu Bright Street now.

Inspector Deema Obele and Joel Obi arrived at the scene of the murder around 9 am. Forensic photographers were tasked with documenting the crime scene in meticulous detail and Journalists were already there. With every click of the camera, they captured the rawness of the moment,bloodstains, everything. Amid the tension, the reporters received conflicting information from multiple sources, leading to the rapid delivery of inaccurate or half-formed details to the public. This is the fifth murder in one month.

Obi knelt to inspect the murdered girl on the floor. It seemed as though everything had happened in a hurry. She had several knife cuts. She was lying in a pool of blood just outside an abandoned warehouse.

"Cause of death?" Obi asked the medical examiner.

"Multiple stab wounds to the body," the examiner replied. "She bled out quickly. No sign of a struggle."

But as Obi inspected the body, something caught his eyes: the victim's phone was still in her hand and a note written nto gi. Nto gi is an Igbo language word for good for you.

" He cut her throat, " Officer Obi said. ' Is there any ID card with her?' He asked.

" Sure! Her name is Vera Tor"

Then Obi stepped away to go talk to the press. The rugged man was among the crowd of onlookers, blending into the sea of faces. He listened to the discussions from afar, taking mental notes of the theories and adjusting his next move. His boldness grows with each murder.

Rivers State Commissioner of Police Obed Ede had just wrapped up a long, exhausting meeting in the city's police headquarters when his phone rang. The number on the screen was familiar. Vera Tor has been murdered. This high-profile murder in the Lebari Tors family could shake the city to its core.

Obed calls an emergency meeting with his top detectives over the murder of the girl Vera. The meeting started with tension already thick in the air. The chief of police informed his men about the brutal slaying of this girl who was the daughter of billionaire Lebari Tor. The victim's father's connections to prominent figures in the city make this case not just a murder, but a political powder keg.

Obed slammed a newspaper on the table and asked Inspector Obi to read it. " I already did," Obi said. " Read it Loud this time!'' Obed retorts.

"Serial killer strikes again. City police boss is confused" Obi reads.

"You see that? That's an insult to me. I am not here to please anyone. I am here in the police force to solve crimes. I don't care if those who commit this murder are rich, connected, or influential. Lives are taken in my city , and it's my job to find out who is doing this and stop him or them" Obed said.

The police boss expressed his frustration with the billionaire and the media breathing down his neck. "I'm being pressured to solve this case" he says, pacing in his office. "We have to keep our heads and stay focused. I will be asking forces headquarters in Abuja to send me one of their best police officer"

"Sir we don't need any Super Cop from Abuja to interrupt this investigation'" Obi insisted.

" What investigation? Five persons have so far died the same way in one month and you are sitting here talking of investigation" Obed said.

Obi: Sir with all due respect, this is my case and I'm in charge of this investigation.

Commissioner of police gets closer to him "You are no more in charge. I'm taking over. I'm in charge now. You need to step back. I'll assign you to another case"

Obi: Sir with all due respect. If you bring a top cop from Abuja, it will send out the wrong message. It means we cannot solve crimes here in Port Harcourt without outside help.

The office room falls silent as the police men exchange uneasy glances. Inspector Obi stood firm, his voice steady. "We have to follow the evidence, Chief. No matter where it leads"

Chief Obed had made up his mind to pull Obi off the high-profile murder case. Obi, known for his dedication and sharp instincts, has been leading the investigation since the first body was found, now it's five dead bodies in one month and no positive result.

Obed: It does not matter. What matters is I get the killer and put an end to the murder of our people.

The officers were still in the meeting when Lebari's tenth call to the commissioner of police came in.He first called the commissioner minutes after learning his daughter, Vera, was murdered.

Lebari: This is unacceptable. I want the best police man on this case. If your department fails me, I'll ensure your career ends.

Obed reassured him that they'll prioritize the case. While Obed was still on the phone, Senator Amapiki had already entered the office to see the commissioner of police. Amapiki received an early morning call informing him that the daughter of his billionaire sponsor, Vera was found dead . Vera's father, Lebari, had been funding his campaign for Governor of Rivers State with enormous contributions. Amapiki's fear is that the murder will attract media scrutiny and spoil his chances of clenching his party's ticket for the governorship election.As speculation mounts, whispers surfaced that Vera was last seen at a nightclub . The governorship aspirant finds himself thinking of how to balance damage control and genuine concern.

Rumors went round that Vera was involved in a secret love affair with a member of his campaign team, Charlie and to make matters worse, Vera's father had been monitoring their affair all along. Amapiki wants quick results from the police boss. He was the one who informed Charlie about the murder and he was shocked and heartbroken. Amapiki realized Charlie cannot publicly grieve or reveal the relationship without risking his own life.