Chapter 2: Umaru Disappears

One month later, my pikin, Umaru, own entrance exam result come out.

He perform well, by miracle pass the cutoff for normal secondary school, bring pride come house.

I ask am wetin he want as reward. He say make I carry am go mall go play for inflatable castle—say he wan feel like small pikin again.

He smile that day, teeth white like e mama own. E rare make Umaru happy like that; my wife even snap picture put for fridge.

Me, I no too gree, but I still carry am go.

You know as papa dey do, sometimes you gree for your pikin just to make am smile. I tell am, 'No go break leg o!' He laugh, say, 'Daddy, I be iron man.'

But as I step out go buy cigarette, na so my pikin disappear.

For that five minutes wey I go outside, my mind no touch ground. As I return, everywhere just dry, Umaru shadow no dey.

I find everywhere for the mall, but I no see any sign of am.

I call the cleaner, I beg the security, even check toilet. My body dey shake, my mouth dry.

That day, he carry cordless phone. I call tire, the phone just dey off.

Each ring dey break my heart. I call, call, even try WhatsApp, nothing.

I call my wife, Aunty Zainab, ask whether Umaru don reach house.

Aunty Zainab confuse: “No. No be you carry am go mall?”

She begin cry, her voice dey shake for phone. My hand dey tremble. I feel as if ground dey open under my leg.

Serious fear catch me.

For this our work, the thing wey dey fear us pass na if bad people come after our family.

No police fit calm if e own pikin dey missing. Na so fear enter bone, cold catch me for neck.

After almost thirty years as police, I don jail enough criminals to fill one container.

Murderers, kidnappers, rapists, ritualists...

I remember all their faces—one by one—wicked, desperate, eyes like hyena. Some of dem swear for me, say I go suffer.

Their wicked face dey flash for my mind like film.

My body cold.

I call my apprentice, Musa Lawal, tell am make him bring team.

My voice dey shake, but Musa sabi say the matter heavy. He move sharp, call others, arrange.

Officers split up search, me and Musa check CCTV.

We dey sweat for AC room. Musa dey rewind tape, I dey look screen. Every shadow dey look like threat.

For the blurry video, we see shadow sneak behind inflatable castle when nobody dey look.

We zoom, pause, rewind. E clear say somebody dey target my pikin.

Behind the castle na mall back door. For one small alley nearby, we see Umaru keychain wey break, im cordless phone wey dem don scatter, and one scaffolding pipe for ground, sign of struggle dey. One security dey shout, "No be my work! Call manager!" while another dey dial police. That sight weak my knee. I remember the way Umaru dey always play with that keychain; e mama buy am for Sallah.

We carry the steel pipe go forensics for fingerprint.

Plenty fingerprints full am. We run am for database, quick see match—Baba Chinedu.

My chest tight as I hear the name. Old memory begin dey surface.

I remember Baba Chinedu well.

Four years ago, na me arrest am for rape, na me interrogate am.

I remember the smell of sweat for the cell, the way im eyes dey dodge mine. Some men dey wicked, but this one get another type darkness.

After dem release am, he dey run scaffolding shop for next local government.

Scaffolding work na dangerous one, na why I remember am quick. Even market women know am for that area.

Im pikin, Ifedike Okoye, na Umaru classmate—the same one wey jump for exam last month.

No doubt, na our number one suspect be that.