Chapter 5: Block Secrets and Police Memory

Na only eight people dey for this furniture group.

Because na new building, many never move in yet.

Some flats still dey smell fresh paint. Dem never even fix protector for window for some floors. Night breeze fit blow anyhow for corridor.

The building get six floors, four flats per floor, but only ten people don dey live here, mostly single men.

Na so new estate dey be for Lagos—you go see empty flat everywhere, but the ones wey don enter na men wey dey rush go work, rush come back.

For fourth floor, na three houses: me for 401, the strange family for 404, and one normal single guy for 402.

We dey always greet each other for stairs, sometimes play draft for corridor on Saturday.

After 504 talk, 402 reply quick:

[No dey overthink am, e go strangle him own pikin?]

E add that 'LOL' wey no really mean laugh, just as person dey take brush off bad thought.

601 come enter:

[No sure o… Few days ago, I see the 404 guy kill cat.]

That kain statement fit scatter group chat. For Naija, if you kill cat, people go dey reason jazz or bad belle.

402 shock: [Abeg, no dey scare me!]

E add eye wide emoji, show say tension don catch am.

But 302 counter am quick: [Even if e kill cat, e no mean say e fit kill person. And na him own pikin o.]

E reason am well, no be every cat matter dey end for crime.

601 quick explain with plenty messages:

[No be like that o. I just dey talk say the guy get violent character.]

[And again, you no notice say him and him wife no dey gel? I never see them waka together before.]

[Since we dey talk am, who don ever see him wife before?]

That question just jam all of us for chest.

For group chat, e be like say everybody pause, dey reason am.

Me sef reason am well, as him neighbour, I never see the woman before.

True true, every time I waka pass, na only the man voice I dey hear or small baby sound.

504, 402, 302—everybody say the same thing. We agree say e strange.

Somebody even drop 'eye' sticker as if dem dey peep from window, dey suspect something deep. Another person just joke: 'Maybe she be witch, na why she dey hide face.' That one scatter laugh, but the laugh dry like stale garri—fear still dey inside.

At last, 302 talk: [Make we call police?]

E type am slow, as if e no sure whether na overreact.

But 504 ask: [We no get evidence o, no be waste of police time be that?]

You know say police for Naija no dey like false alarm—if you call them, dem fit vex, fit collect transport money. Last time police enter our block, dem collect money for pure water before dem move. Block people never forget that embarrassment.

I shock, because I think say na him dey worry pass.

My mind dey do arithmetic—person fit call police if wahala dey, but if no evidence, na you go explain tire.