THE 6TH FLOOR: BLOOD IN THE BATHROOM

The Bathroom.

By Olumide T. Agunbiade

AT about 11am on one of those days that was both beautiful and excruciatingly sunny, my typical impulsive schedule led me to one of the Real Estate Marvels in the city of Lagos. Comparable to some enviable destinations in the world, say Beverly Hills Estate, for example, Osborne Foreshore Estate is an array of high end architectural masterpiece in design and finishing, even Donald Trump would fancy a place right here!

It was no surprise that I had to undergo a lengthy security procedure at its main gate. I did get slightly impatient having to go through the same procedures on arriving my destination but the sight of several edifices all beautifully laid out, a well paved road and the beautiful landscape  made it worthwhile.

As I was ushered into the magnificent mansion at Osborne, my eyes took in the gardens below with a conscious pleasure. Palm trees waved in the slight breeze, water gurgled in the fountains, and the scent of mimosa was heavy in the air, it was exquisite!

I had been informed that the client I came to see just came back from London and her friend who introduced me to her insisted I pay her a visit. When I finally set my eyes on  her, she turned out to be the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

Sitting in a tastefully furnished abode in the company of two gentlemen was a woman that appeared to be in her early 40s. Her hair was one of her astonishing features, very blonde and cut in a rare style. It was long enough to hang between her shoulder blades, yet short at the front, layered and feathered at the side, framing a face of considerable beauty.

I sat down on the leather sofa after exchanging pleasantries with her and the men. “Olu, meet Johnson and Murphy,” she said and we exchanged handshakes. Johnson was showing her pictures in a brochure and was carefully explaining the details to her.

     “Over the next three years, 120 housing units will be completed. We intend to put up more buildings in the future,’ he said, ‘right here in the heart of the city.”

    “What’s it going to cost me?”

    “It will cost you N200 hundred million,” he replied while Murphy nodded.

    “That’s quite expensive!” she exclaimed.

    “Madam, we….!”

    “Please, call me Lara!” she said.

   “Lara, in real estate the name of the game is borrowing. Many developers put up buildings with almost no cash of their own,” said Johnson.

   “How?” she asked.

   “The idea is to rent or resell the building to raise enough money to pay off the loan, and still have enough left to buy more properties. It’s a real estate pyramid that you can start with very little initial investment,” Johnson explained.

  “Okay. How about the waterfront property?” she asked.

  “We’ll set up a joint venture for you. I’ll talk to my boss about it. If we cannot handle it alone, we’ll go to a mortgage institution. You can access a N50 million mortgage loan. They will take the first ten percent of the earnings, but you will get your property fully financed,” he explained.

  “What if I repay the loan?” she asked.

  “Then you can keep one hundred percent of the depreciation,” he said.

  “Are you with me so far?” she asked smiling at me.

  “Yes.” I replied smiling back at her.

The two men were both wearing black suit. While of excellent cut, was most conservative. They could have been Lawyers or Accountants, or even prosperous businessmen. The difference between them was that one was short and muscular than the other.

  “Can we check the property on Alexander Avenue now?” she asked them.

  “Yes.” They replied.

Few minutes later, I was sitting beside Lara in her SUV while the men drove ahead of us in their Honda. I noticed the men were not comfortable with my presence, since Lara was, I felt at home.

As we drove, I had a chance to introduce the properties for sale at Bourdillon and Lekki Phase 1 to her. She listened carefully as I described the facilities that both properties contained and the arrangements I had made for the inspection of both properties that day.

Lara explained her plan to invest in real estate and revealed that the apartment she currently lived is owned by her friend. I complimented her on her looks and she explained that her father is a Nigerian while her Mum was British.

   “My friend spoke very highly of you,” she said, flashing her beautiful dentition.

   “Thanks.” I replied.

When we eventually arrived at Alexander Avenue, Ikoyi, I saw the men staring at me with the corner of their eyes. Lucky me, It is not everyday that one shares a ride with probably the most beautiful woman in the world.

Lara alighted from the SUV in here high-heeled silver shoes, carrying herself with a touch of arrogance and elegance that seemed to say: Take me or leave me. The house we came to see was a magnificent mansion.

    “A 5bedroom mansion, all rooms ensuite, with front office, a 60kva generator, a garage, swimming pool, gym, guest flat and a penthouse,” began Murphy, as he led us into the compound.

    “Take me to the bedrooms,” said Lara.

    “This way!”Replied Murphy. We toured the mansion, checking every facility in the mansion except the penthouse. “Let’s check the penthouse,” said Johnson.

The penthouse was beautiful, like every other apartment in the mansion, and Lara was looking satisfied until she suddenly opened the bathroom door of the penthouse and let out a wild scream!

We all rushed to her side and witnessed the sight of thick….fresh….BLOOD flowing on the bathroom floor. It was a shocking and horrible sight…comparable to a bloody scene of a horror movie.

Lara was visibly shaken as she walked as fast as her sexy legs could carry her downstairs. Johnson and Murphy ran after her to calm her down. Just before she walked into her SUV, she looked at both men, while pointing her fingers furiously at them, she said: “Did you do this to me because he is evil or because you are?”

She beckoned me and we drove away from the mansion leaving both men in shock!