FATAL DISCOVERY

Episode 2


“Hi! Get in.” said the husky voice. Amanda did not answer. Instead, she resumed walking on. The shocked driver waited for a few seconds and then drove forward, closing up on her.
Amanda stopped, waiting for the car to come at par with her. The rain continued to fall with zeal. Using her left hand, she tried to shield her eyes away from it. But, it was an exercise in futility. The car reached her.
“Young lady, I mean you no harm. I just want to be of help. A beautiful young lady like you should not be walking in this kind of weather all alone” the driver of the car, spotting a bald head, said. Again, Amanda ignored him by resuming her walk once again. The driver of the car decided he had had enough of the young lady's impudence so he drove away with a sudden burst of speed amidst screeching tyres.   Amanda walked on nonchalantly. Not that she would have accepted the lift if she was not in the mood she was in at that material moment. Lifts were one thing she could never bring herself to avail herself of. How could she board a vehicle being driven by a total stranger? Of course, she knew taking lifts was the in-thing for many a young lady who is hoping to grab a suitable young man for a relationship. However, she was not into that.
A tipper truck came passing by, splashing a 'decent' amount of muddy water on her. She did not stir or protest. Why would she when she could not protest being denied a Christmas holiday with her fiancé? Armanda continued walking. There was no hurry in her steps. But then, when the rain suddenly intensified, angrily lashing against her body, she began to look around for a place she could seek refuge for a while. There were no buildings in sight. She began to hurry, hoping to come across one form of shelter or the other. The intensity of the rain was now too much for her. She quickened her pace, suddenly wishing a taxi will come by. But, she had no regrets refusing the lift from the driver of that Mercedes Benz.
Armanda was just about resigning herself to the fate that she would not get any place to seek refuge when she spotted a building about fifty metres away to her right. She broke into a run, wanting to get there and take refuge quickly. Finally, she made it there and stepped onto the veranda. It was a simply building, small in size. She had wanted to knock on the door but then decided otherwise. She stood on the porch, wiping water off her face when she heard voices from within.
She turned to the door and walked towards it, intending to knock but when she got to it, she stopped; through the mosquito net of the trap-door, she could see two men seated at a table. Thanks to the light in the room, she could see the two men clearly.
Amanda nearly gasped when she recognised one of the men as the Prime Minister. At first, she thought her mind was playing tricks on her. She looked away for a couple of seconds and then looked back in, hoping  she will realise that after all, it was not the Prime Minister who was in there. But, it was him alright. Amanda had never heard that the number one citizen of the land was a twin so as far as she was concerned, the fellow in there was undoubtedly, Prime Minister Robert Aggrey. But, what would the Prime Minister of the country be doing in such a simple house in the rain with no bodyguards around? Amanda's attention shifted towards the second person. He recognised him too – Isaac Brenya, a popular businessman who was rumoured to have made his millions from illicit drug trade. The rumours have never gone away though Mr Brenya has never been cited in any drug case either. What everybody sees him visibly do is run the affairs of his Real Estate cum Export and Import business.
Amanda wondered what the Prime Minister would be doing with the business magnate at such an obscure place. She looked on with interest. She saw the Prime Minister reach for a briefcase which he placed on the table. He opened it and then took out a sachet containing some substance. Amanda gasped – she could see the white powdery substance alright and needed not be a rocket scientist to know what it was.
“Cocaine!” she said quietly to herself. Every good journalist could sense it when a very good story begins to unfold before his or her very eyes. Gently, Amanda reached into her handbag and pulled out her little camera. Though little, it had served her well for a long time, taking very good pictures for publication. Lifting the camera gently, she pressed a button to switch off the flash-light so that when she takes pictures of the two in there, the flash-light will not give her away. Her heart began to beat faster. She could sense she was on to a blockbuster story. The Prime Minister of the country, plus a businessman plus cocaine all equals to an exclusive story that will stun the nation