Chapter 1: The Neighbours’ Secret Death

CCTV full everywhere for our estate, but still, our next-door neighbours die finish—no trace, no clue, just wahala. Rain wey suppose cool ground just dey threaten, but heat of fear dey everywhere.

Na so people for estate begin dey talk with mouth low, like say if dem shout, the spirit of the dead fit hear. Even the estate WhatsApp group wey before dey buzz with giveaway and NEPA complain, now dry—only admin message dey hang like ghost. Some neighbours no even fit sleep again. Dem dey count ceiling like say mosquito dey organize party for their head. Dem dey check their doors and windows two, three times before night. Some dey call their pastor make dem come pray for their house. You know how fear dey spread for Naija, especially when wahala big pass normal police matter. People begin dey pour anointing oil for their doorstep, children dey sleep for one room with their parents, and estate chairman don call emergency meeting. For Naija, this kind thing na serious gbege, wahala pass ordinary police hand. Everybody dey reason, dey whisper, dey fear say 'juju' or some kind dark thing dey involved.

Police try every angle, but all dem see na the people head inside fridge—no other body part, nothing wey show say who kill dem...

The news quick spread reach area, as police siren wake everybody, even people wey dey go work stop to look. Local pepper soup joint mama begin dey gist customers, "Una hear am? Them don carry head put for fridge for this estate! Omo, this world don spoil."

1

Early morning, I dey carry my pikin dey give am formula, na so I hear noise outside. Before I know, dem knock my door.

As I dey shake bottle, the tin never even dissolve finish for water, na so the knock come sharp sharp. My heart skip small—this kind early morning, person dey knock with force, no be normal. I use one hand carry my daughter, use the other open door small, peep first.

As I open am, na two police officers dey stand for there. The security door for my neighbour house, Flat 16B, wide open, police dey waka in and out. Near the staircase, crowd full everywhere—estate security plus our neighbours—everybody dey look worried.

I smell the faint odour of disinfectant wey dem spray, and for air, you fit feel tension. Some women tie wrapper dey whisper, men dey shake head like say 'chai, wahala dey o.'

“Anything happen?”

I ask with fear.

The officer wey be middle-aged point the CCTV wey dey my door. “Oga, abeg, that your camera still dey record? Na big matter we dey face.”

The way the man talk, e sound like say na urgent matter, but I no too trust police for Naija—sometimes them dey use style collect info. I look the man well, notice im badge shine but im shoe get dust, sign say dem don waka up and down since.

“No wahala, I go cooperate. See the backup from my house camera. Make una check.”

I rush bring out my phone, open the camera app for playback.

As I dey open the app, my hand dey shake small, not because I do anything, but because for Naija, even innocent person dey fear police wahala. My pikin grip my shirt tight, her small hand cold—she no sabi say her papa dey face police wahala. Na my baby dey look me with big eye, no know say big thing dey happen.

The young officer collect my phone, the middle-aged one just dey look me. As if say na small talk, he ask, “I fit enter come sit small?”

I shift, allow am enter the parlour.

He look around, then eye land for my daughter. I fit smell faint scent of sweat mix with Dettol for im uniform—sign say dem don waka estate tire. “This your baby fine o. How old she be?”

“Eleven months.”

“E don almost reach time for her ‘Picking Day’ ceremony, abi?” he talk, refer to that traditional first birthday celebration where pikin go choose item wey go show her future. He play with my daughter small, then suddenly ask, “Na only you dey house? Where her mama?”

I see say he dey try lighten the mood, maybe make I relax talk. But for Naija, police sabi use soft talk enter person matter. I watch am well.

“She vex go her people place.”

The officer laugh. “Young couple no suppose dey fight like that. By the way, wetin you dey do for work? Today na workday, but you dey house.”

His laugh be like say e wan draw gist, but me I no gree. My eye just dey on am, my daughter dey suck finger. "Wetin police dey find for my house early momo?" I dey think.

“I dey write for internet. I dey house dey write, dey take care of baby, so I no dey go out.”

Him face change, like say he dey envy me. “Na better work be that. That time when I young, I wan write novel too, but this police work too busy. But I like read. Wetin you dey write? Wetin be your pen name? Maybe I go check am.”

As he dey talk, I remember how for Lagos everybody get side hustle, even police. The way him eye shine, I feel say he dey try connect with me.

“I dey write different things, but now na suspense I dey focus on. My pen name na ‘Skywriter.’”

He nod, like say he dey put am for mind, then ask again, “How you and your neighbours dey relate?”

He don dey dig, as e be say na normal talk, but this na the real matter. For Naija, question wey go start as play, fit end as statement for court.

I no hide anything. “We no too dey relate. If to say we dey relate well, I no go even put camera for my door. That couple na wahala for this estate. Dem sabi chop people thing, if dem no get wetin dem want, dem go dey complain. To get dem as neighbour, na my bad luck.”

As I talk finish, I ask, “With all this wahala, na wetin happen to dem?”

“Dem don die,” the officer talk, eye me well. “How long you don get that your camera for door?”

My heart beat fast. You know for Naija, when police dey ask you time and date, dem wan pin something. My pikin just dey play, no sabi say trouble dey hover for her papa head.

“Almost one year. February that time, my pikin get colic, dey cry for night, dem come knock my door, talk say we dey disturb, wan force us comot. I argue with dem, one even slap me. After estate security settle us, I put camera.”

He press, “True? Any other fight after that?”

“Of course,” I reply, my voice crack, anger dey my chest like pepper. “I don call estate security like five or six times. Every time, na just to settle us, but dem no dey change. Na why my wife vex go her people place.”

For my mind, I dey remember that last quarrel, how Old Musa wife dey shout, call me 'bad neighbor.' Some estate women gather, dey form panel, still the matter no settle. Na that day my wife say she no do again, carry small bag go her mama side.

He raise eyebrow. “When last una fight? Wetin cause am?”

I answer with impatience, “I no remember. You dey suspect me? You dey question me like suspect?”

For Naija, police sabi ask question wey go make you forget yourself. I dey try cool down, no wan make dem see my anger as guilt.

He smile. “No think am like that, na normal question. You sef dey write crime novel—you know say if person die, we must check every angle.”

I reason say this one dey try do good cop, but my mind dey alert. "Na so dem dey start," I think. For my mind, I dey try arrange my face make I no show vex.

“Then you dey ask wrong person. We never talk for months. I dey waka comot when dem dey house. I no sabi anything about their life. If nothing dey again, I need put my pikin sleep.”

I dey hint am make e comot, but I still dey form polite. Na Naija style, you no fit pursue visitor, even police, anyhow.

As I dey hint am make he comot, the officer no vex. He call him partner, wey finish with my phone and return am.

By afternoon, after I feed and put my daughter to sleep, I sneak comot small.

The sun don hot, but everywhere still get that tension. Estate mamas dey gossip for corner, small pikin no dey run for compound. Everybody dey talk low, some dey peep through curtain, others dey call family for phone.

Police still dey busy for 16B. I see my neighbour for 16A, I call am, “Uncle Sani, abeg, wetin dey happen? How murder take happen for this our fine estate?”

Uncle Sani na the estate gossip king, him dey always wear one faded Chelsea jersey and carry bottle water wey never cold. Everybody dey run to am for gist. He don dey watch since morning, sabi pass me. As I ask, he start:

Uncle Sani adjust him cap, look left, look right, then draw me close. "My pikin, e shock everybody. This one pass film!" E clear say he dey enjoy the attention.

“Who know who Old Musa and him wife offend? The killer wicked o. I hear police say na only Old Musa and him wife head dem find inside fridge—nothing else. Nobody know where the body waka go.”

Na so some women gather join, dey say, "Chai! God abeg o!" Somebody cross sign of cross, another whisper say na spiritual matter. For Naija, any time something pass normal sense, people dey call prayer and anointing oil.

I frown. “E no possible. CCTV full everywhere—staircase, corridor, compound. How body go just disappear?”

My mind dey flash all the James Bond film wey I don watch. But for here, even rat wey cross corridor dey show for camera, so how?

Uncle Sani lower him voice. “Na why the killer get sense. Estate people tell me say police don check all the CCTV backup—dem no see anybody enter Old Musa house recently. Now police dey suspect say na person from our floor do am, chop body, flush am for soakaway. Dem wan pump septic tank now.”

He look me eye to eye, voice low. "Na soakaway dem dey go pump next. E fit smell everywhere, wahala go double."

He slap him lap. “Ah, dem go soon cut water for that. I need go store water. Your pikin still small—you sef prepare. Who know how long water go stop.”

People for compound begin carry bucket, some dey even drag hose from tap. Lagos style—if water dey go, everybody dey rush fetch like say na war.

As Uncle Sani rush go, I turn go my house too.

Before I enter, that same middle-aged officer stop me. “Gbenga, wait.”

He call my name—e mean say he don check my info.

I stand for door, dey look am.

He show him ID, smile. “This morning rush, I no introduce myself. I be Inspector Dapo from CID, na me dey handle this case.”

Inspector Dapo voice deep, im handshake strong—typical Naija police wey don see plenty thing. E no get time for joke.

“Good afternoon, Inspector Dapo. Anything you need?”

I smile small.

Inspector Dapo point my parlour. “We fit talk inside?”

I block door. “No, my pikin dey sleep.”

For my mind, I dey suspect this one no wan just talk, e dey find waiting to hold.

“True, small pikin dey wake easy. Make we no disturb am. I just get some questions.”

He come closer, point body camera for me, ask, “Since you put that camera, you ever move am?”

I say, “I give una backup, abi? You no fit see from there?”

Inspector Dapo say, “We check, but na only last seven days dey. Before that, everything don wipe.”

I shrug. “Nothing I fit do. I just put am so dem no go disturb me. Wetin exactly you wan ask?”

For my mind, I dey tire. This man dey push matter like suya seller wey no wan leave you till you buy.

Suddenly, Inspector Dapo voice change. “You sabi the password for 16B door lock?”

He look me direct, no blink. The kind question wey no get play.

...

I roll my eyes. “Inspector Dapo, abeg. Who go give outsider him door password?”

Then e dawn on me. “You dey suspect me?”

Inspector Dapo no answer, just dey look me like say he wan read my mind.

For estate, this kind silence mean say dem dey weigh your soul. I see small pepper for im eye, like say im dey enjoy the wahala.

I vex, “Abeg, reason am well. I get wahala with dem, yes, but to kill person, chop am, abeg! My pikin still small—how I go throw my life away because of neighbour fight?”

Inspector Dapo wave hand. “No vex. Na just question.”

“Just question? This one na pure suspicion! That murder wicked. I resemble person wey get mind for that kind thing?”

Inspector Dapo just talk with straight face, “You go medical school, abi? You sabi cut body, no be so? For you, to do this kain thing, e go easy.”

My mouth hang open. "See accusation! Na so e easy?" For inside, my mind dey boil, but I still dey form calm.

“You... you...”

As I see the ‘na you kill dem’ look for Inspector Dapo face, my body dey shake with vex.

I remember how people dey warn say, 'No argue with police, dem fit twist your mouth.' I grip my hand, hold my mouth, still reply.

But I calm down quick, reply with sarcasm, “Oga, una check well. Yes, I be doctor, I dissect well for school, but e mean say I go kill person? Why you dey suspect me? You get any evidence?”

Inspector Dapo point 16B door. “We check the scene. Door and window never break, so only one way remain...”

He talk like teacher wey dey give final warning. My body cold, but my mind dey sharp.

I cut am, “Person sabi password, use am open door, abi? And because I put camera, you think say I sabi their password? Abeg, check camera position. I put am for south wall, their door face north. No way you go see their lock.”

I grit teeth. “Inspector Dapo, next time, check well before you question me. You dey suspect say I kill, chop dem, flush body for soakaway? Then check our water usage—see if e change.”

Inspector Dapo suddenly smile. “You sabi this thing—even mention water usage. True, we check am. Nothing strange. Na why I dey here.”

His smile carry small respect, but still no remove suspicion for im eye. For Lagos, na so police go dey talk sweet, but mind dey hard like block.

Before I fit talk, Inspector Dapo pat my shoulder, dey smile.

“Okay, no vex. I believe say you no do am, but na my work. I must follow process.”

He talk am like person wey wan end wahala, but for my mind, I no trust am reach that level. For Naija, 'process' fit mean many things.

...

Inspector Dapo quick change of mouth confuse me, so I ask, “If nothing dey, why you dey find me?”

He look small embarrassed. “I wan ask you for help.”

I raise eyebrow—police dey beg me for help? This one no normal.

“Help? Which kind?”

I confuse.

He chuckle. “I glance your novels today. All na perfect crime—dey impressive.”

Before I fit answer, Inspector Dapo continue:

“To tell you true, your neighbour case hard. Apart from the two heads, nothing remain. Floor, wall, furniture—clean. Even the CCTV for estate, I check am, nothing. The killer just vanish. So...”

He pause, smile for me.

“You write plenty perfect crime story, you go sabi criminal mind and method. Take am say I owe you, help me reason how the murderer enter, take make body disappear like that.”

He dey smile, but my mind dey reason, 'Na set-up?' For Naija, you no fit trust police smile anyhow.