Vaults of Secrets - Chapter 1

Read Chapter 2 here

“I don’t care. DISPOSE THE GIRL AND BRING THOSE FILES BACK!” Chief Bankole screamed, ending the call abruptly.

He sat down rubbing his forehead, looking every bit of his 60-year old self. It has been a long week of no sleep.  How could I have been so careless? He thought. He could not believe he lost their sacred files ‘vaults of secrets’, which was the name his wife, Omolade jokingly called their piling files of secrets five years ago.

Two weeks ago, he asked Omolade to get him the vaults so he could add an important document— and he did. But he got a call from a new client just before he returned them into the safe. He hurried off and left the files on the table. If Omolade had not needed it last week, I wouldn’t even know they were missing.” he thought, clenching his fist.

He immediately knew it was her— his mistress for the last six months until three weeks ago. She was angry after he broke off their affair, and when she resigned last week, he didn’t give it a second thought. How could I have known the little wench found a way into his office in his absence? He thought.

He stood up abruptly, pacing the room. He wondered if she would sell the files to the press or just leak the information to get the revenge she once threatened.

“I still can’t fathom how you forgot those files on your desk and didn’t even realise they were gone.” His wife, Omolade said, breaking into his thoughts, as she walked into the room.

“You know the implication of this, right?” she continued.

“Our lives will be over if those files ever see the light of day. We will be destroyed. I can see the headlines, ‘Top Child Rights Advocates, Chief, and Mrs. Bankole Nabbed for Drugs and Child Trafficking’”

“Stop being so negative, Omolade!” he snapped. “I am doing everything to fix this and your negativity is not helping.”

“Pardon me, dear husband. I won’t be so negative if you were not so careless!”

“Twenty years, we have been in this business, I have never been careless with those files. One time that I give them to you, and specifically reminded you to return them into the safe, this happened” she shouted heatedly.

“Fix this mess, Aderogba Bankole! That slut of yours has our vaults and that puts us at her mercy. If I lose my Senior Advocate of Nigeria title, you wouldn’t like what I would do” she threatened and stormed out.

Chief Bankole sat down looking as helpless as he felt. He knows what was at stake, and if his men cannot locate that girl in time, the whole world is about to find out that their favourite child- right- advocate couple has been trafficking the children they all thought were being adopted by foreign parents.

Prison is looming, he thought, breaking into a cold sweat.

*Originally published 11 August 2020