The Man in the Photograph

Nobody said a word after seeing the photograph.

Damilola zoomed in on the bearded man.

The image was old and slightly blurred, but there was something about him that felt familiar.

“I’ve seen this face before.”

Chief Adebisi collected the phone.

The moment he looked at the picture, his expression changed.

“Oh God…”

“You know him?” Damilola asked.

Chief Adebisi nodded slowly.

“I prayed I was wrong.”

“Who is he?”

His voice became heavy.

“His name is Patrick Okoye.”

The room fell silent.

“Who is Patrick Okoye?” Fiyin asked.

Chief Adebisi sighed deeply.

“He was our accountant.”

“Our?”

“Mine and your father’s.”

Damilola frowned.

“I’ve never heard Dad mention him.”

“Because after your father’s death…”

“…Patrick disappeared with millions of naira.”

Mama Bose’s eyes widened.

“I thought he ran away.”

“So did I.”

Chief Adebisi looked at the photograph again.

“But if someone is sending us his picture today…”

“…then he never disappeared.”

“He was hiding.”

Damilola’s phone vibrated again.

Another message.

Stop looking for Patrick.

The dead should remain buried.

Fiyin looked at Damilola.

“That’s impossible.”

“What is?”

“If Patrick is alive…”

“…whoever is texting you knows exactly where he is.”

Damilola immediately called the number.

It switched off after one ring.

He tried again.

Nothing.

The number no longer existed.

“This person is always one step ahead.”

Chief Adebisi leaned back in his chair.

“No.”

“He wants us to think that.”

“What do you mean?”

“If he truly wanted to stay hidden…”

“…he wouldn’t keep contacting us.”

Damilola frowned.

“So why is he doing it?”

“Because he wants to control where we look.”

Fiyin nodded slowly.

“He’s feeding us pieces of the truth.”

“But never the whole story.”

The room became quiet again.

Then Aunty Ronke suddenly spoke.

“I remember something.”

Everyone turned toward her.

“What?” Damilola asked.

“The last time I saw Patrick…”

“…he wasn’t alone.”

“Who was with him?”

She closed her eyes, trying to remember.

“Your father.”

“And?”

“They were arguing.”

“What about?”

“I couldn’t hear everything.”

She paused.

“But I clearly heard your father say…”

‘I won’t sign those papers.’

Chief Adebisi stood up immediately.

“Papers?”

“Yes.”

“What papers?”

“I don’t know.”

“But Patrick was angry.”

“He kept saying…”

‘If you don’t sign, you’ll lose everything.’

Damilola felt a chill run through his body.

“My father never told anyone this?”

Chief Adebisi shook his head.

“No.”

“He probably wanted to protect us.”

Fiyin folded her arms.

“So this isn’t just about a hospital mistake anymore.”

“No.”

“It’s about money.”

“And maybe murder.”

Nobody argued with her.

For the first time, they all considered the possibility they had been avoiding.

What if Damilola’s father hadn’t simply died?

What if someone had benefited from his death?

That evening, Damilola visited the cemetery alone.

He stood before his father’s grave for several minutes.

“I finally know you were protecting us.”

He placed fresh flowers beside the headstone.

“I’m sorry I didn’t understand sooner.”

As he turned to leave, he noticed an elderly groundskeeper watching him.

The old man slowly walked over.

“You are Adewale’s son, aren’t you?”

Damilola nodded.

“You knew my father?”

The groundskeeper smiled sadly.

“I buried him.”

Damilola’s heart tightened.

“There was something strange that day.”

“What do you mean?”

The old man looked around to make sure nobody else was listening.

“Your father’s coffin…”

“…was opened after everyone left.”

Damilola froze.

“What?”

“I wasn’t supposed to see it.”

“Who opened it?”

The groundskeeper lowered his voice.

“A man in a black suit.”

“Did you know him?”

“No.”

“But I heard him say one sentence before they closed the coffin again.”

“What did he say?”

The old man’s face became pale.

“He said…”

‘Make sure the file is gone.’

Damilola felt his blood run cold.

“What file?”

The groundskeeper shook his head.

“I never found out.”

Just then, a black SUV drove slowly past the cemetery gate.

The tinted window rolled down for only a second.

A man wearing dark sunglasses looked directly at Damilola.

Then the SUV sped away.

The same dark sunglasses.

The same beard.

The same face from the photograph.

Patrick Okoye was alive.

And he had just confirmed that he was watching them.

To be continued…

Engagement Question: If Patrick has been watching Damilola all this time, why do you think he revealed himself instead of staying hidden?