Drama as Governor’s Wife Seduces Agric Commissioner

28 Dec Drama as Governor’s Wife Seduces Agric Commissioner

Camp had spent a sleepless night in his father’s house on the outskirts of Limi. It sat inside a walled estate on a hill overlooking the town, and like all the moneyed residences there, it had its own deep well. As Camp sipped his coffee, he felt a twinge of guilt, knowing so many were praying for water, a commodity of which he had in plentiful supply.

This only motivated Camp, made him that much more determined to uncover the corruption. An aide had brought him a morning paper in which more accusations were published, more evidence leaked, and more statements made by Governor Huud.

“We are looking into the accusations,” he said. “Of course, I’m shocked. I know Idi Camp as a man of integrity. I am praying this is all some terrible mistake.”

Camp shook his head. Sure you are. The phone rang and Camp hoped it was his wife. He missed her and the children and wanted to return that afternoon if possible. The same aide who had delivered the paper entered.

“Rika Huud is on the phone, sir. What should I tell her?”

A few choice suggestions immediately sprang to Camp’s mind, but he merely got up and moved toward the phone in the adjoining room.

“I’ll speak to her,” he said.

Camp picked up the receiver. “This is Camp.”

“Commissioner, I hope you enjoyed the party last night. I was sorry we didn’t get a chance to do more than exchange greetings.”

“It was very impressive, Mrs. Huud. You’ll have to excuse me for leaving early, but it was a stressful day, as you can imagine.”

“Of course. These accusations are terrible, and my husband and I are certain they will be disproved.”

Camp wondered when she’d get to the point. This exchange of false pleasantries was tedious, and he didn’t want to tie up the line if Theodora called.

“What can I do for you, Mrs. Huud?”

“It’s what I hope I can do for you, commissioner. Since we’re both here in this God-forsaken place, what if we were to meet, say over lunch? I might be able to help you.”

“I’m sorry you consider Limi God-forsaken, Mrs. Huud. I grew up here and love it.”

“Yes, I would too if I lived on the hill with my own well.”

Camp had to give her that one. “True, but my goal is to help these people.”

“Mine too. Look, we can sword fight all day, but we both want the same thing. Or at least we want complimentary things. We want your help with our programme, the global warming issue. And you want to clear yourself of these charges. I’m inside the government, very deep inside. Maybe I can help you.”

Camp knew there was a hidden agenda. The offer of help was bogus. These charges came from the government, and she wasn’t going to cross her husband or Tiko. But he wanted to know what their game was. She had some reason for calling.

“Fine, Mrs. Huud, let’s meet for lunch. Would you like to come here?”

“No, I don’t want to impose. I have the use of the Beauleu Estate. Do you know it?”

It was the biggest most impressive piece of land in Limi, owned by a family with colonial ties. They were now connected to big oil and had more money than they knew what to do with. It occurred to Camp that they could easily fund the drilling of wells, as many as necessary to help these people. But, of course, the well-to-do rarely make those kinds of gestures.

“What time would you like to meet?”

“Say, one o’clock. I’m sure we can help each other.”

Camp hung up, the idea of dealing with this woman incredibly disturbing. On top of his lack of sleep, it put him in a very bad frame of mind. He only brightened when the phone rang five minutes later and he heard Theodora’s sweet voice.

 

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Peter Abel finished a breakfast of mango and yogurt, which Billings rejected. He was a meat eater, he said and managed to scrounge up some cured pork from a woman he had befriended from the kitchen of their hotel.

“Meat eaters, boss. We are meat eaters. Yogurt makes your bones soft. And your head.”  Billings seemed serious about this, and Abel didn’t bother to contradict him. He was otherwise occupied.

He had just gotten off the phone with Chief Benson who told him of the additional accusations and rumours swirling around Camp. Benson was worried that they would call for his resignation soon and thus end not only the Commissioner’s control of agriculture, but his ability to help with the ongoing investigation.

Benson wanted Abel to get back to Lagos and switch gears.

“Forget investigating Huud and Tiko. I want you to go after these accusations against Camp. Prove they’re trumped up. Do whatever you have to do, my boy. But this takes precedence.”

Abel was upset with this new dictate.

“Chief, isn’t that just what Huud and Tiko want us to do? Lose focus? I’m sure this is all a smoke screen, and that investigating the charges would take me in circles. I’ll spend weeks on it and not get anywhere. Meanwhile, they continue to steal and once the new budget kicks in next year, this becomes a non-story. They can cover their tracks. And nobody will care anymore because they will be looking at the new influx of money and what that can do for the country.”

“I know, Peter. But we can’t leave Camp hanging out to dry. Even if we just publish stories about the weakness of the case and about how suspicious this all is, it will help. We fight their propaganda with our own.”

“Doesn’t sound like a newspaper’s job, boss.”

“Not under ordinary circumstances. But things are different now.  After all, they’ve already tried to kill you twice.”

Abel couldn’t argue there. He agreed to get back to Lagos that afternoon and begin a campaign to demolish the rumours spreading against Camp.

 

á   á   á   á   á

 

Camp arrived exactly at one and was shown into an intimate dining area, which looked out onto a small garden with a fountain and lush flora. Camp was struck by the water, which looked, so clean and plentiful. Rika entered and greeted him warmly.

“Welcome, commissioner. May I call you Idi?”

“Of course.” But Camp was on high alert. Rika wasn’t dressed for a proper lunch meeting between state officials. Her dress was revealing, off the shoulder, and she smelled of perfume. She looked more like someone ready to go bar hopping.

“Please let’s sit before they serve the lunch.”

Rika lead Camp to a long couch made of soft down. When Rika sat on the cushions, her dress rode up past mid-thigh. Camp was certain this wasn’t an accident and he began to worry that he was being set up for some charge of sexual harassment. All he needed was to be accused of assaulting the governor’s wife.

Camp sat on the far end of the couch and sipped the wine he had been offered.

“So, will you be here long, Idi?”

“I go back to Bammak City this afternoon.” Camp wasn’t sure where this was leading. He thought he’d better press her. “What can we do for each other, Mrs. Huud?”

Rika moved closer to him. “Business can wait, Idi. We should get to know one another first. After all, you’ve heard negative things about me, I’ve heard things about you. Let’s clear the air. Tell me about your family.”

Camp relaxed a little at the mention of his wife and children. He told her about Theodora and his kids.

Rika smiled and nodded while he spoke. “You are a lucky man. Gorem and I have never been able to have a family. It is a very sad part of our lives. But we like to think of the people as our family.”

Camp had no idea if she was being sincere and began to wonder if perhaps she had no idea what her husband was really up to. Perhaps she too had been fooled.

“Well, Rika, the people need you, that’s for certain.”

A waiter entered and served their lunch and the two adjourned to a table near the window. There they found a salad made with tomatoes and some kind of vinegar dressing, and rice and fried plantain.

“Idi, I have to tell you, these charges, I believe someone in the political party structure is behind them. They fear you, you know. They truly do, because they think you are out to expose them.”

“I’m only interested in recovering the money that’s missing. If that were to turn up, I’d have no reason to pursue any investigation.”

There, it was said.

“What if the money doesn’t show up?” Rika said. “What if there’s no way of recovering it? If it’s been spent or allocated to other projects, and there’s no recourse? Next year things will be different. You can keep tabs better.”

Camp wondered if this was some offer. He backs off, they quell the charges and rumours, and next year everyone plays nice. It was tempting, but Camp couldn’t be certain they’d live up to their part of the agreement.

“Are you guaranteeing me that this will never happen again?”

“Together, we can make certain of it. I don’t know what occurred this year, but you can be assured we will be vigilant with next year’s budget.”

“So, the charges against me are false. Is that what you’re telling me?”

“I have no idea if they are or not. I’m saying we can help fight these charges more efficiently if we’re on the same side.”

“I thought we were on the same side, Rika. I thought we were all on the side of the people we had been elected to serve.”

Camp saw something flash in Rika’s eyes, something that told him he couldn’t trust this woman. She was testing him, feeling him out to see how determined he was to expose them. Camp suddenly didn’t believe she was innocent in the least. She was deeply involved and her mission was to discover the depth of his commitment. But she did something next that surprised him. She got up and moved to his side.

“You are the man I wish my husband had been, Idi. You cannot be corrupted, bribed or threatened. You stand by your beliefs. Do you know how rare that is? Do you know what I would give for a man with such principles?”

She suddenly placed her hand on his lap and squeezed slightly. She moved her lips to his and tried to kiss him. Camp stood up, knocking over his glass of wine. He backed away from her as she moved toward him.

“Please, Rika. This isn’t proper.”

Rika tried to grab him, but Camp turned and fled. He pushed his way out of the door and down a long elegant foyer and then through the front entrance.  He didn’t stop until he was back in his father’s house.

Rika stood alone in the small dining area, frustrated. She was easily aroused by the aura of VIPs, and when she was in this state she needed to be serviced or she felt she would explode.

But she was also furious that Camp had rejected her advances. She’d said the right things, how noble he was and how true. What more did he want? His wife would never know of this.

Rika went to the phone and dialled. When party headquarters answered, she demanded to speak with Chairman Tiko. She had him dragged out of a meeting.

“Yes, Rika?” Tiko said, warily. He anticipated a difficult conversation.

“Camp has to be dealt with.  Today.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I just had lunch with him. He’s determined to bring you and my husband down. He doesn’t just want the money back. He wants your heads. He made that very clear. And he’s going to make a statement to the press. And he’s got evidence of some sort, which he wouldn’t tell me about. He has to be stopped. Today, dammit!”

Tiko began to stammer. “W-what evidence could he have? Did he say anything else about this evidence?”

“Don’t be an idiot, Timo. He didn’t tell me. I’m the enemy, as much as I tried to convince him otherwise. Do something!”

“Getting him in Limi will be difficult.”

“He’s headed home today. He’ll be in Bammak City by evening. Act before he speaks to the press.”

 

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Abel and Billings made one last round through the village before leaving for Lagos. They spotted Camp and two aides in the marketplace, Camp talking to an old man selling a meagre crop of guavas and avocados. Abel decided he might as well talk to Camp since things had changed so radically. If he was going to defend Camp, he’d have to interview him anyway.

“Commissioner,” Abel said, approaching and picking up one of the man’s avocados. “Don’t fret, sir, I’ve been reassigned. I’m going to write stories defending you. We can be seen together now.”

“But the investigation … I’ve gotten some leads on those names from London. I was about to pass them on to you so you can alert Peter Clarke.”

“Send the information directly to Clarke. When this is over, I’ll get back to it. But right now, we need to keep you in your position.”

Camp reluctantly nodded as Abel paid the man for the avocado. “All right, Peter. Why don’t we talk later. I’ll be back in Bammak City by evening.”

Billings tilted his head, hearing this. “We need to talk, boss.” Billings dragged Abel aside, Camp following. The men conferred in private behind the marketplace.

“What is it, Billings?” Abel asked.

“People know you going home?” Billings addressed Camp.

“Yes. I’ve called ahead to let my staff know. And of course my family knows.”

“Don’t can go. Not today.”

“Why not, Billings?” Abel asked.

“Tell you. You be killed on the way. It’s when things happen. In transit.”

“I’ll be careful,” Camp said, smiling at the young man.

“Can’t do it. Stay another day. Go tomorrow before first light. Arrive your home maybe before lunch. They won’t expect it. You be safe.”

Abel and Camp regarded one another, uncertain. “You really think there’s that much danger for me? I’m already in disgrace. That’s their intention now.”

“No, intention to kill you. If you alive, you keep fighting. Things come out. If you dead, nobody care. I’m just saying how it works. I done this before. Killed tribe bosses in Afghanistan. They be careful, but when they travel, that’s when I get them.”

Abel turned to Camp. “Maybe you should stay. Keep it quiet, let people think you’re going home today.”

Camp finally nodded and agreed. It seemed like a sensible idea. And Billings seemed as if he knew what he was talking about. After all, he’d been the assassin once upon a time.