THE SURPRISE 3. THE STORY CONCLUDED.

...Krestal did not sleep at the hotel that night, he was too furious. As he left the room with his luggage, two security personnel of the hotel accosted him and enquired if he was no more interested in the room he already paid for. He looked at them with disdain, hissed and replied he was leaving for another hotel. He, obviously, could not tell them the reason for his anger, harsh tone and sudden change of mind. Of course, they were aware but pretended not to know. They offered to help him get a refund, an offer he quickly accepted. They led him to the cashier, who, without any argument, gave him back his money in cash and took the receipt earlier issued from him. The cashier had already being instructed by the manager to refund his money, no reason was given, once the security personnel bring him to her. She simply complied without knowing the reason. 

He went to a night club to drown his sorrow with beer and club girls. He stayed two days in one of the rooms available for guests who might want to lodge for a while or frolic with club girls. After two days there with good rest, his mind cleared. He confided in one of the club girls he was sleeping with and told her what Alero did to him. She suggested a revenge plan. She gave him an address of a man and asked him to contact him. The person will know what to do. 

Two weeks after, a customer walked into the bank where Rustus, Alero's husband, work as a customer issues supervisor. He oversees customer registration, loan application and complaints. Several male and female staff report to him. A middle-aged woman walked into his office with a business proposal. She introduced herself as Madam Rose. She needs a corporate account for her business and was ready to deposit 2million dollars immediately. Rustus, a busy man, asked one of his female staff who walked in at that moment, to attend to her and proceeded to do other things. The female staff, Lovette, promptly attended to Madam Rose, did all her registration, checked all her papers and was satisfied. She took the papers to Rustus for his signature in the relevant places for account activation. Rustus simply asked, "is everything correct ?", and she answered "everything is okay, the business is legit." Rustus trusted her judgement, she's been with the bank for a while doing a good job with customers. He just looked over the papers briefly and signed. Madam Rose account was activated. Immediately, a sum of two million dollars was transferred into the account from another bank. Several days passed and more money moved into the account from other sources. Money also kept moving out too, since Madam Rose seems to be a heavy spender. She was both debiting and crediting. Rustus had completely forgotten about her, they have many customers to attend to. 

Three weeks after, Madam Rose walked in with a loan request for an urgent payment for some goods. Her account balance was 3million dollars, she needed 7million to pay for her goods. She requested for 5million dollars short term loan and came with title deeds of lands as collateral. Rustus department carefully went through all details and title deeds and they were all legit. He approved the loan, secured the collateral and the 5million released. Madam Rose made her purchases and returned the loan in full within three weeks, saying "sales were good." Trust was established between her and Rustus. Two or three other short term loans were approved for her on other occasions and she paid them back in full. Those loans fetched the bank some income in interest payments too. 

Several months had passed, she was already a familiar face in Rustus office and a friend to most staff in his office. Lovette had resigned and relocated to another place. Nobody heard from her again. Madam Rose came for another loan, but this time around, she told Rustus to partner with her in this business that promises to make him a cool 20million dollars in profit in about two months. Rustus knows she can pull it off since her business records with the bank confirms her profit making wizardry. She told him that the people she wants to buy from deals only with two, three or four man business. You must have a business partner or they don't deal with you. The business partner must also make payment to them to convince them he is part of the business or no deal. Since she trusts Rustus and also being a banker in charge of her accounts, she feels comfortable with him on board. All he needs to do is cough out 10 million dollars, she will add 15million. Of course, the money goes into her account in the bank where he can monitor it. She will sign any paper he wants as guarantee and also provide new collaterals for the 15million she wants to borrow from the bank. He will approve the purchases before payments are made. She will run the business while he face his banking job. His share of the profits will be paid directly into his bank account. Of course, she cannot run since her title deeds as collateral are even worth more than the aggregate of the 25million dollars they will both be investing. It all appeared reasonable and Rustus agreed. 

Rustus took a quick loan from the bank and credited Madam Rose' account. Two days after, she invited him to her warehouse to see the goods. Rustus went, saw them and was satisfied. 

Then the unspeakable happened. Madam Rose expended all the money in her account and simply vanished. No trace of her. Rustus visited her office address that staff members were familiar with and even saw her there with her staff, and there was no one there. It was completely deserted. A check on her collateral shows both past and present title deeds were never genuine though certified valid by relevant government staff in the offices they visited to confirm them. All names, signatures and registration were forged. All the government staff who certified them genuine have simply vanished without a trace. When he visited the offices, other staff there said they are as shocked as he is. He discovered that they were all recently employed just before Madam Rose approached the bank to become his bank's customer and forwarded to title deeds departments. 

Rustus was shakened, all the loan he took from the bank gone, Madam Rose disappeared with the loan he approved for her, all collateral fake....no trace of her or any of her staff. He checked her account opening records and details, obviously they were all fake too. He never checked them, Lovette did, checked and said they were okay, but where is Lovette? No one has seen her since she resigned. Her phone lines have all been deactivated. She since relocated to where? Rustus sat in his air-conditioned office and began to sweat. His BP began to rise. He is just one step away from disgrace and prison. The management will soon call for enquiry, all his money will be taken, his property confiscated to get their money back since he is a business partner to Madam Rose. The Police will interrogate him....his family will be disgraced, etc. Drops of sweat began to drop on his shirt, he loosened his tie, he felt hot.... 

..suddenly, Alero his wife walked into his office. Rustus was still shakened, he didn't even see her enter. He was seated at his desk, his head bowed. She walked up to him, lifted up his head and said "cheer up, I know everything". Rustus looked at her, shock written all over his face. He whispered "know what ?". Alero smiled, and said "follow me, come and see". Rustus, not yet understanding, stood up, wanted to start telling her everything about Rose, money, loan, etc, but she told him not to bother, he should just follow her outside the bank to see. As she led him out, the staff in his office became curious, but said nothing. Well, that is his wife. No big deal. 

Outside the bank were ten Police officers with arms, four Police vans, a few senior management executives of the bank stood around the vans smiling and happy. Inside the vans in handcuffs were Madam Rose and her supposed staff, the government office staff that ratified her collateral with fake title deeds, other people Rustus do not know, Lovette, Krestal and a few other men. Rustus opened his mouth in disbelief. He shouted "what, how on earth, what is going on here...?" One of the senior management executives interrupted him, "just thank your wife Alero. She alerted us months ago, but asked us to keep it a secret, we cooperated with her. The few of us here were watching, but couldn't let it out since we did not know the extent of the conspiracy and who and who were involved. Let your wife explain." 

Alero, held her husband close, cleaned the sweat on his face with her handkerchief and explained "Krestal is a bad one, he was the guy I put in jail and stopped from messing up Lisa's sister. He planned the whole thing. I never stopped watching him. We in the security agencies knew he was up to something big, but didn't know what, thus we waited for his move. There is a huge fraud ring, they have operatives in many places, no one knew the extent of their reach, we knew a few of them and nothing more. Krestal contacted one of them, the one we knew and we got interested. They moved Rose in from another country to destroy you just to get back at me. Krestal paid them. Her name and other details are fake. They set it up well. Lovette is one of them. She was a spy in the bank. They have them in many places working for them. There was no business. They supplied all the evidence of goods purchase and business deals. They produced all the documents and title deeds. Their agents in the government offices deceived you. They paid a top official to put them in those offices before they commenced operation against you. We did not know Rose, she came in from another country. Fortunately, we intercepted her communication with one of the few of them we knew and were watching and placed her under surveillance. We got fully interested when she came into your office to open an account. We let it run. Sorry my dear, I couldn't inform you, we needed to let it play out so we can know all her accomplice and arrest them all. We told the management to play along and give you the loan. They kept it among themselves. Well, it's all over now. We have rounded them up, thanks to interpol who arrested and flew some of them back here. Investigation continues. Go back to your work my dear. All money have been traced, we have secured them. You are safe." 

Rustus looked at Alero, he held her in a loving embrace and began to cry. 

Copyright Tosin Oke 

All names fictitious.

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