2
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October 4, 2009.
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Kay watched the young woman he had been tailing for the past month, jog from his vantage point across the road. Jasmine Adewole-Smith, the only surviving relative of Mr. Donald Adewole-Smith. It hadn’t taken long for Kay to decide that Jasmine, would be the easiest bet to get close to his target.
Since Kay had been contracted by some of the bigwigs in the political space, funds were not an issue. For this reason, he was able to afford the rent on a house in the highbrow estate where Jasmine Adewole-Smith resided. He had moved in a month ago, into the house at the far end of the street she lived in. In his mind’s eye, Kay had envisioned Jasmine as a drab, dour-looking specimen of a woman. He had been taken aback, however, when he’d set eyes on her for the first time. Jasmine Adewole-Smith was far from drab, and could even be labelled exotic.
Her glossy brown skin and long, ebony-black, natural hair fell in waves over her shoulders. The baggy clothes she wore frequently, did nothing to conceal the comely figure which lay underneath. On one occasion, he had been spying on her using his binoculars and he had given in to the overpowering urge to zoom in. His curiosity had been rewarded with a close-up of the delicate features of her face. She had slender, eyebrows and scrolled ears framed her thin pointed nose. She had been on the phone that night, and her sudden burst of laughter had given him a glimpse of her heart-shaped lips and sparkling white teeth. Watching her that night had set his heart a thump and he resolved not to do a close-up on her again.
Determining Jasmine’s routine was easy. She went jogging at exactly 6:00 am every morning, and left for her office at 7: 30 am sharp. She always returned home by 4 p.m. and by 9 p.m. on days when she worked late, which was often. Lights out by 10 p.m. She rarely entertained visitors either, except for a friend of hers with a kid who visited quite often. It was obvious that she was a very private person with practically no social life.
In four weeks Kay had built up a profile of Jasmine, made easy by her predictable lifestyle. He compared her to an onion he was gradually working to peel. The skin- which was how she showed herself to the world – an aloof young woman going about her daily routine while minding her business.
Next were the second and third layers- the casual and relationship bonds she had. For the former, she was acquainted with one or two of her neighbours and colleagues. As for the latter, the kids she worked with at her NGO and her best friend visited often. Her uncle, however, did not belong in this category. Kay wondered why the only two surviving members of the Adewole-Smith clan were not as close as expected. Jasmine and her uncle rarely ever saw each other. This piece of the puzzle intrigued Kay a whole lot.
The final and most important layer was Her Core. He was determined to find out every secret and thought that she shared with no one. Unravelling whatever made her tick.
Discover what made Jasmine, Jasmine.
Kay decided to make his first overt move by pretending to exercise. In fifteen minutes, Jasmine would be on her way back home, so he waited. He soon spotted her returning at the far end of the deserted street. He began to jog towards her. When he was close enough, he pretended to trip on his shoelaces and fell to the ground in a less-than-flattering heap.
Jasmine made no move to cross over to him.
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He gave a loud yelp.
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Nothing.
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This lady is one difficult nut to crack, he thought.
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It was obvious that she was going to go past him without stopping and Kay didn’t want to miss this chance so, he upped the ante.
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“Oww! Arrgh!” Kay was sure he’d awakened half the neighbourhood in their beds.
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The trick worked. Removing her earpieces, Jasmine crossed over to him and crouched beside him.
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“Are you alright?”
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“I think I may have sprained my ankle”. Kay winced loudly for effect.
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“Oh sorry. You did sound like you were in a bit of pain.”
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“Yes, I am” He lied.
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“Okay. Point me in the direction of your house. I’ll help you get there.”
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“Thank you. You are very kind.”
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Kay winced again and made a show of standing up. She rushed to support him by putting his arm around her shoulder and hers around his waist.
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“My house is just down the road.” Kay pointed.
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“What a coincidence. You live on my street.”
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It was no coincidence, but Kay did not tell her that.
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They were silent the rest of the walk to his house, Kay tried not to lean into her so she wouldn’t have to bear too much of his weight, although her grip on his waist was firm and sure. At the gate to his house, he stopped and turned to her.
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“We are here. Thank you very much for your help. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t come along.”
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“It’s not a problem. Happy to help.”
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Jasmine turned to leave. Kay cleared his throat. His chance was now or… later. He couldn’t afford to settle for later, because his employers were already breathing down his neck, demanding results.
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“My name is Ben. What’s yours?”
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She smiled. “I’m Jasmine.”
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“It’s my pleasure to make your acquaintance, Jasmine. Thank you, once again.” He paused just for a heartbeat before he continued: “I have a favour to ask: Can I get your contact details?”
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Brows furrowed, Jasmine inclined her head, fingers stroking her chin. Kay had seen her assume that stance a couple of times. It seemed to him like she was sizing him up. Weighing the options to determine whether he was worthy of the information or not. Kay held his breath.
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A few minutes later she nodded.
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“Why not? We are neighbours after all.”
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From her back pocket, she retrieved a card and handed it to him.
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Kay chuckled. “Who goes jogging with their call card?”
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Jasmine regarded him with a stony look. “I do.”
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With a final nod, she left him standing at the gate. Kay’s eyes followed her retreating back until she turned the corner.
