Chapter 7: Darkness Fit Hide Many Thing

By ten, only few staff dey work for station.

The place quiet, only sound na fan and typing for one desk. The way darkness fill office, e resemble shrine.

I carry pen, draw relationship diagram for board.

I dey connect name—Okafor, Musa, Maryam, Halima. My hand dey shake small. My heart dey beat.

Okafor family body scatter after dem die. Later, police only see part of the body for refuse dump. The rest don enter stray dog belle, digest finish. At the end, the three bodies no fit piece back.

E be like puzzle wey miss piece. Even forensic dey complain say nothing dey complete.

The killer get beef with Okafor family. To cut body fit mean anger, but why throw body for refuse dump?

Tunde dey munch instant noodles, look me blank: “Of course, na to shame them. Make stray dog chop their body show say killer hate them well.”

He raise fork, talk like professor. But for my mind, I dey reason say no be only shame fit make person do that kain thing.

I nod. “No be only that. Another reason fit dey: something dey for their body wey killer wan hide, wey don enter stray dog belle.”

As I talk am, Tunde pause, look me. "Guy, you mean say evidence wey fit expose everything don disappear?"

Killer must know Okafor family.

I dey write, dey reason—na only person wey get secret go try erase all trace. If na ordinary thief, why the extra work?

Police check tire, never see any link between Musa and Okafor family. We wonder if we miss something.

Every file wey we don see, I dey reopen. My eye dey red, Tunde dey sleep for chair.

But truly, Musa no get any connection with Okafor family—never jam, no beef.

Na there my mind dey worry. Na who gain from this wahala?

Tunde shake head. “We don return to square one—Musa motive. If we clear all, then na random killing. Maybe life tire am or e wan feel high.”

Tunde rub face, sigh. Everybody for station dey tired.

“Another angle. Remember the pepper soup just now? You like shaki, I like goat meat, so we swap. Or, you no like goat meat, I no like shaki, we trade.”

As I hear am, my mind open. Na swap!

To solve murder, na motive be key. CCTV fit dodge, look fit change, but na motive hard to hide.

Old DPO always talk say, "If person no gain, him no go stress." I dey remember am now.

So, reason am different: kill stranger, no motive, dodge CCTV—na that be perfect crime.

You fit help person remove their own wahala if dem help you do your own. Swap enemy for enemy. Na there perfect crime fit hide—two people, two beef, nobody fit connect them.

‘You kill my enemy, I kill yours.’

For this Naija, some things dey pass ordinary eye. For night like this, when Harmattan breeze dey slap window and generator dey hum for compound, person fit reason say true darkness dey inside human heart. Na so this case enter my soul, make me fear pepper soup for many months.