Meanwhile, hearing was continuing.
“Yes, IPO, what did you do with the clues?” Barr. Nwaka asked.
“With the fresh clue we obtained a search warrant and went to the accused person’s house where we met the accused person and his mother at home. We explained our mission and the mother kindly obliged us access to the accused person’s room. Like the first time, we searched the accused person’s room, with his mother watching, but this time we went to the accused person’s ceiling where we found this bag.”
“This bag?” Barr. Nwaka asked, raising a rucksack.
“Yes, my lord.”
Turning to the judge, Barr. Nwaka said “My lord, I wish to tender this bag as evidence.”
“Any objection, defense counsel?”
“Yes, yes,” the defense said, rising to his feet. “I will like to ask for adjournment to study the contents and source of the bag.”
“My lord, the source of the bag is the accused person’s ceiling and the content of the bag is so interesting that when the mother of the accused saw it, she passed out.”
“Objection over ruled. What is in the bag?”
“My lord, the bag contains condoms, used condoms,” Barr. Nwaka said, pouring the contents of the bag on the table.
“Oh my God!” someone let out a scream.
“Jesus!” shouted yet another.
“This is unbelievable,” the judge cried, taking off his glasses.
“My lord, 36 used condoms of different types, shapes, makes, colors and sizes used on different girls. My lord, they all have one striking feature and an interesting trade mark. They are all used. They were all used on different girls by the accused person. They all have sperm deposits on them. Some are still intact while some are broken. My lord, the accused has made our job easier by writing the names of the girls on the condoms for easy identification. That’s it. Just look at this; this was used on Rose, this Elaine, Chioma, Folake, Ugo, Bena and so on. However, one is of special interest to this court. One was used on Miss Frankie Nnamani, the complainant. It is used. It has sperm deposit in it. It is torn or broken. It is also a gold rimmed tyrex condom just like the complainant said,” he paused, and then went on. “What happened, my lord was that there was a two thousand naira bet where the accused person boasted of being able to sleep with the highest number of girls within a stipulated time.”
“A two thousand naira bet?” the judge asked, surprised.
“Yes, my lord. A two thousand naira bet and our investigation reveals Tony won the bet. These condoms are proofs of having slept with them.”
“Gaddem,” one man muttered.
“Oh my God!” echoed yet another. And all at once the entire court room was in an uproar. Everybody was talking at the same time. Some aggrieved persons stood up and began to leave the court room.
“And to think she has been telling the truth all this while,” muttered an elderly woman as she left the court room. 
“Order!” the judge bellowed, ramming his gavel. “Order”
“Yes, IPO, what happened when you found this bag?”
“My lord, the accused person’s mother was so shocked that she went into coma. In fact, as I speak to you, she is still in the hospital.”
“Yes, go on IPO,” Barr. Nwaka said.
“On further investigation, we discovered the accused has just recently opened two separate accounts with over N5m in each account. The accounts were opened a couple of days after the case came to court.”
“N5m naira each?” the judge asked, his mouth hanging open. “Where on earth did he get that kind of money?”
“Search me.”
“Thank you very much IPO,” the judge said.
“It’s my pleasure,” my lord, Barr. Nwaka said, “My lord, it is because of the activities of people like this,” he pointed at Tony. “That AIDS, unwanted and teenage pregnancies are on the increase. Because the society do nothing to the boy child and the government’s inability to bring boys who deliberately get unsuspecting, young girls pregnant, dumps them and contribute little or nothing to the upkeep of the babies they fathered to book, that are making our fight impossible.”
“Wrap it up, Barrister Nwaka, wrap it up. I got it,” the judge said, nodding knowingly.
***
Inspector Uhuru was as mad as a tiger with a sore head as he paces up and down his office restlessly. He was mad at everything and with everyone, including himself. He was mad that Tom took him for granted, mad because he was not as smart as he thought he was and madder because he knew this little slip on his part could jeopardize Chief’s chances of winning the case. He was equally worried because he knew the consequences of failure. How will he explain to Senator Nnamani that the stupid, scheming detective had him fooled? He felt humiliated and incompetent. He knew any moment from now, Chief will summon him up or he might decide to…He couldn’t fathom its consequences. He closed his fist in a tight clench and banged the table hard. What am I to do? He asked himself for the umpteenth time as he paced up and down the little office. Instinctively, he picked up the intercom, “Get me detective Tom now,” he barked into the mouthpiece.
“Yes sir,” a female voice replied.
After a brief moment, detective Tom Onyemaechi appeared in an immaculate white shirt on top of black pants. The Inspector eyed him resentfully. 
“Good day Inspector, you wanted to see me?” Tom said, pulling a chair out and sitting down nonchalantly.
“Who asked you to sit down?” he barked. “You stand up when I talk to you.”
“I’m sorry sir,” Tom apologized without making any effort to stand up.
“And what is good about this morning?”
“Is that why you wanted to see me, Inspector?”
“Well…well, who authorized the search?”
“I don’t know what you mean. Which search, sir?”
“Don’t play smart with me. Who did you take permission from before going over to search Tony’s house a second time?”
“Oh that? I don’t think I need any permission from anybody. After all, the investigation is still ongoing.”
“Now answer me; who is the boss here?”
“Boss? Of course, you are.”
“Good. Then why did you embark on a search without my express permission?”
“It was a mistake, sir.”
“A mistake, you said? Don’t think you are smart ‘cos you ain’t.”
“I wouldn’t do that, sir.”
“So fill me in with the resume,” he soft pedaled. “Any news about the 5th man? Any leads?”
“Nothing yet.”
“Don’t feed me that crap. You’ve seen the girl, haven’t you?”
“Who said I have? If I have, you will be the first person to know,” Tom said. The Inspector looked at him for a long moment, decided he was telling the truth, he let that pass.
“Well, I give you 48 hours to nail her. You can go.” 
Tom stood up to go but he stopped him.
“Wait a minute, there’s just one more thing.”
“What is it, sir?”
“I want a six hourly report. Do you hear me?”
“Yes sir,” he replied acerbically, saluting.
“You can go.”
As soon as Tom left the Inspector’s office, the Inspector picked up his phone and dialed some numbers.
“Hello Jaja,” the Inspector said as soon as the line went through. “Come over to my office right now.”
“I’ll be right there, sir,” the man at the end of the line said. A minute or so later, a dark, stoutly built man appeared before the Inspector.
“Here I am, sir.”
“I want you to keep an eye on Tom Onyemaechi. I want you to follow him where ever he goes. I also want photographs and every word he says to everyone. I want a two hourly report. I don’t want him to know he is being tailed, do you understand?”
“Very clearly, sir.”
“Any question?”
“No question, sir.”
“Good. Here,” he said giving him an envelope. “All you need is in the envelope including your expenses for two days. Now beat it.”
Immediately Jaja left the inspector’s office, his phone began to ring. It was Senator Nnamani. 
“Hello, Chief.”
“Uhuru, what’s going on?” Chief demanded as soon as the line went through.
“Em…Em…I …I it was a mistake, sir.”
“A mistake? But you know I don’t tolerate mistakes,” he barked. “Or do you want me to believe you are a mistake too?”
“I’m sorry, sir.”
“Who authorized the search?”
“I…I…I don’t know, sir.”
“Save me that. What do you ever know? I don’t want to believe you are fast becoming incompetent.”
“I’m sorry, sir.”
“Sorry? Is that the only word you know or do I pay you to tell me you are sorry?”
“I’m truly sorry, sir.”
“No doubt, you must be. Have you found the 5th man?” 
“Not yet, sir.”
“What are you waiting for? Waiting for them to find him before you do so you can tell me you are sorry?” 
“My boys are working extremely hard. They wouldn’t find him before me.” 
“I just hope for your sake you are working hard. So, what are you doing about that stubborn police man, Tom?”
“Don’t bother about him, sir. He is a write off. I’m having him tailed.”
“That’s not good enough. The dead stay dumb. He’s too smart for my liking. Let’s meet at the club by 8:00 pm this evening.”