“So how come she was wrong about those shares? Did she abandon you and trick us too?”
“The fact is that we haven‘t spoken for two weeks now. My informant disappointed me. I haven‘t been able to contact her for the past few days …”
“More fool me! I‘m more disgraced than I‘ve ever been in my entire life and it has cost me a lot of money too. I‘m going to show Edward and that Mrs. Dehinde-Ojo.”
**********
Edward followed Aunt Isioma with his eyes as she left the meeting room. Someone pushed open the door for her, and he saw a gesticulating Chief Okrika forestalled from speaking any further when she arrived at his side. She whispered to him and then they both stared at something in her hands. From where he stood, he couldn‘t make out what it was, but the industrialist looked humbled as he followed her through a narrow door opposite the hall.
Ogbonna met him halfway as he maneuvered his way to the door when the crowd began to disperse. He got stopped along the way for a lot of handshakes and back slapping because those present wanted to talk about their most dramatic meeting yet.
“Mrs. Dehinde-Ojo would like to see you. She‘s in the ante-room with Chief Okrika.”
“What are they doing in there?”
“I have no idea.”
Edward had promised himself that he‘d go straight to Gladys‘s office once he was done with the meeting, but guessed he could spare a few minutes. He hoped Aunt Isioma didn‘t have hopes of reconciling him with Chief Okrika. That wasn‘t going to happen.
“You know what to do now; wait for me afterwards. By the way, where‘s my secretary?”
“I have not seen her since last Friday. She sent me a text that she was hurt in the election violence and that was it. She never replied to my phone calls or texts. I sent a driver to check on her today who reported that her neighbors said she‘d disappeared to parts unknown.”
“She‘s disappeared? That‘s very strange.” Edward mulled the information in his mind. Taken in the context of what had just transpired, he would hate to think she had a hand in it. He shook his head, he‘ll think about that later.
He turned back to Ogbonna. “I‘ll talk to you when we get back to the office. I don‘t know what to say now but first things first…” He strode across the hallway.