“Because your husband consistently claimed the amount was altered after he approved it.”
Her breathing changed.
“And?”
“The auditors found evidence supporting that claim.”
Nkiru gripped the edge of the table.
“From where?”
“An executive terminal.”
“Whose terminal?”
Silence.
Then Farin said:
“My sister’s.”
Tami Akinwale’s office was three floors above them.
Nkiru knew that.
She had seen the name on the directory.
Tobe had told her Tami requested the 4.2-million-naira approval.
He had not told her anything else.
That changed that night.
When she got home, Tobe was waiting.
“You shouldn’t be involved in this,” he said.
Nkiru dropped her handbag on the table.
“Your former CEO summoned me.”
“Farin?”
“Yes.”
“Tami still works for him.”
“She’s his sister.”
“I know.”
Nkiru stared at Tobe.
“Why are you telling me to stay away from the people investigating the case that ruined you?”
He looked exhausted.
“Because it’s complicated.”
“Everything becomes complicated when you’re about to lie.”
“I’m not lying.”
“Then tell me the part you haven’t told me.”
Tobe was silent.
The next afternoon, he received a message from Tami.
We need to talk.
He went.
Nkiru did not know.
Tami met him in a private conference room away from the executive floor.
She looked older than he remembered.
Not physically.
Tired.
“Tobe.”
“You asked me here.”
“This has gone too far.”
He laughed once.
“It went too far eight months ago when you let me get dismissed.”
“You made mistakes.”
“So did you.”
“You approved a payment without procurement clearance.”
“Because you asked me.”
“I told you the amount.”
“You confirmed it.”
Tami folded her arms.
“You should have protected yourself.”
Tobe stared.
“You mean I should not have trusted you.”
She looked away.
He said:
“Nkiru knows you asked me to approve it.”
Tami’s eyes snapped back.
“You told her?”
“She found the laptop.”
“Does she know everything?”
Tobe said nothing.
Tami exhaled.
“She still doesn’t.”
“Don’t.”
“She needs to know.”
“Tami.”
“We were together for four years.”
Tobe’s jaw tightened.
“That ended before I met her.”
“That is not the dangerous part.”
Tobe looked toward the door.
Tami continued.
“Tell your wife we were engaged.”
He closed his eyes.
That evening Nkiru learned.
Not from Tobe.
From an anonymous message containing a photograph.
Tobe and Tami.
Years earlier.
Engagement ceremony.
Hands joined.
Family members behind them.
Nkiru held the phone up.
“Engaged?”
Tobe’s face collapsed.
“Nkiru.”
“How could you?”
“It ended two years before I met you.”
“Please don’t touch me.”
She stepped back.
“You were engaged to the woman who later became your executive director.”
“Yes.”
“The woman who recommended you for the job at Akinwale Group?”
“Yes.”
“The job we celebrated?”