Friday 13th, 3:45 p.m.;
Central Police Station,
Nairobi, Kenya.
“STUPID POLICEMAN,” LOYCE OYUGA SCREAMED. “You don’t know whom you are playing with.”
“We msichana mang’aa, nani alisema tunacheza hapa?” the policeman said.
“My father is the Chief of Defence Forces, and the Minister for Internal Security is my uncle. You will kiss your pathetic career in the police force goodbye, and to cap it all, you’ll go to jail.”
“Shut up!” Inspector Lina Mulusi snapped, silencing Loyce and startling the Anti-Narcotics Unit detectives who had brought Loyce in.
Loyce had been arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) for being in possession of Class A heroin.
“All evidence is pinned to you. It is your bulimic belly that is securely carrying a truckload of the drugs, your designer clothes that were concealing your junk, Miss Mule,” Inspector Lina said. “Not your dad’s, junkie. And if the grapevine is anything to go by, your father is retiring tomorrow. If I were you, I’d try to persuade Dad to chunk off part of his send-off package to get me the best criminal lawyers around. The judges might decide to get you a few years or a hefty fine, or both, which of course, Dad will pay, or you will rot in jail, and no one will appeal.”
“How very gracious of you,” Loyce exclaimed. “You won’t be in that tattered uniform by tomorrow, bitch.”
Inspector Lina tried not to lose her cool.
Just then, Lina’s phone rang. It was a strange number, but she picked up the call anyways.
“Inspector,” the voice was more authoritative and stern than she expected. No one would have mistaken the Police Commissioner’s voice, but she chose to play hard. After all, it was her phone.
“Yes, who’s this?”
“I understand you have a suspected mule in custody.”
“That’s restricted information I can’t divulge to third parties, especially to strangers,” Inspector Lina said. “And I have work to do, not to talk to intimidating strangers …”
“Of course not. This is the Police Commissioner.”
“Yessir.”
“That’s the daughter of the Chief of Defence Forces you have there. I understand she was arrested in connection with drugs?”
“Yes, sir. She’s been charged. She is appearing in court on Monday. She is staying in our custody over the weekend.”
“Good, Inspector. Your work is commendable.”
“You are endorsing my decision to detain her?”
“Absolutely. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be doing your work effectively if I interfered.”
“Yessir,” Inspector Lina said. “And sir, may I ask you how you came by this info to call me?”
“Inspector, it’s not in your pay grade to ask me how I come about my intel, and I am the Police Commissioner, but I’ll tell you anyway. I just got off the phone with the Minister for Internal Security. He’s your suspect’s uncle. He says he’s had enough of his niece. His brother, the CDF, runs to him whenever his daughter is in trouble. Turns out she’s the drug baron we’ve been hunting. She’s also a user and has drained the family for long. They now want her to get what’s coming to her.
“However, that’s not why I gave you the go-ahead. We won’t be doing our work if we let ourselves be controlled by the powers that be. Utumishi Kwa Wote. Sounds familiar?”
“Yes, sir,” Inspector Lina said, her palpitating heart almost jumping into her throat. “Sorry for my earlier crude …”
“Inspector, I did not promote you to be tossed around by every body, and anybody.”
“Yes, sir.”
The Police Commissioner hung up, but one question hung in the air, ‘How did the top cop get her number?’
Inspector Lina stared at the mule with disdain. Loyce’s face was a thousand shades of spite, arrogance, goad, malice, and intimidation.
“We’re done here, Loyce,” she said. “You appear in court on Monday morning. Detectives, take the suspect to the cells and hand her over to Selina, the custody sergeant.”
Now, all the walls tumbled down, and Loyce’s face turned from pale to a thick hue of blue. Just then, the reality of what was about to happen hit her, and her eyes pleaded guilty and cried meekness coupled with penitence, and would she be released? She would pay anything. God, going to those cells was an imagination she couldn’t allow.
“Please, I’ll do anything—anything—for you, but don’t take me there,” Loyce protested.
Inspector Lina just shrugged.
“Sorry, there’s nothing I can do.”
“Please, I’ll give you anything. I’ve got money. I’ll give you anything. Just name your price.”
“That won’t help. You’ve just added attempting to bribe a police officer to your charges,” said Inspector Lina.
Loyce’s eyes flashed as though they had been struck by lightning in the cloudy sky of her mind. “Please, don’t do this to me. I can pay you. I will pay you. I promise.”
“No deal,” the inspector said. “At least I won’t be naked come tomorrow; my tattered uniform will be intact.”
