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- POLICE STATION
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Detective BajoWho killed them?
- Slams his hand on the desk and leans forward.
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Iya SadeAhhh! Not us, sir.
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Detective BajoThen who did?
- Iya Sade looks to her speechless, confounded husband, his fila lopsided.
- Gloomy and slouched in his seat, Baba Sade doesn't see her.
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Detective BajoHim?
- Detective Bajo points a bony finger at Baba Sade.
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Iya SadeNo o. Mi so be rara. I no tock laidat, sir.
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Detective BajoSo who did?
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Iya SadeI no know, sir.
- Detective Bajo exhales loudly and stands upright.
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Detective BajoDescribe your room to me.
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Iya SadeWhich one?
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Detective BajoYour bedroom. Describe it.
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Iya SadeE be like bedroom, sir. There is bed and there is wardrobe.
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Detective BajoWhat of TV? No TV?
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Iya SadeWe no have that.
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Detective BajoFan or air conditioner?
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Iya SadeWe get fan.
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Detective BajoAnd carpet?
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Iya SadeThere is tiles.
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Detective BajoGood.
- Iya Sade's eyes squint. Her forehead creases.
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Detective BajoOh. You're wondering why I asked all those questions?
- She nods.
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Detective BajoIt's because your cell won't have any of that.
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Detective BajoJust wait until I throw you inside.
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Iya SadeAhhh! Ejo sir. No be us that kill them.
- Baba Sade looks up and starts pleading, rubbing his palms together.
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Baba SadeNo be us, sir.
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Sergeant ParfaAbeg shut up before my oga go vex.
- Detective Bajo raises an eyebrow and gives Sergeant Parfa a stern look.
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Sergeant ParfaHaha, no vex oga.
- Detective Bajo returns his gaze to Iya Sade.
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Detective BajoYou forget there are witnesses.
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Detective BajoDid you not give ileya rice to that family?
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Iya SadeWe share, sir.
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Detective BajoSo, do you now see the connection?
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Detective BajoYou give food to an entire family, next morning they turn up dead.
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Iya SadeAhhh. Ta lo so be? Who talk it?
- Baba Sade shakes his head aggressively in dismay.
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Baba SadeNo be what happen, sir.
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Detective BajoYou're still lying? Don't worry. You will soon start talking.
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Detective BajoJust wait until my boys start to torture you.
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Baba SadeEjo sir… Please sir. No be us.
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Iya SadeTrue to God.
- Iya Sade touches a finger to her tongue and holds it up to the ceiling.
- Baba Sade drops down to the dusty station floor and lies prostrate.
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Baba SadeI swear sir. With my papa grave.
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Iya SadePity us, sir.
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Sergeant ParfaYou want pity ehn?
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Sergeant ParfaWhy you no pity the family wey you kill like fowl.
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Detective BajoParfa!!!
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Sergeant ParfaAh! Sorry oga.
- Detective Bajo turns back to Iya Sade.
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Detective BajoIf you want my pity, you know what to do.
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Iya SadeOK sir. We go tock.
- Baba Sade nods in compliance
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Detective BajoGo on.
- Detective Bajo taps his fingers impatiently on the table.
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Iya SadeThat Friday of ileya, my husband say that make we share food.
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Iya SadeBecause we use to share food every ileya, I no surprise.
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Iya SadeSo I go market. I come back. I cook it.
- Baba Sade grunts and nods in affirmation
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Iya SadeI cook it very plenty.
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Iya SadeWhen the food is ready, I start to share.
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Iya SadeI call Taiye make she dey go give it to our neighbors.
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Detective BajoWho is Taiye?
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Baba SadeOur daughter.
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Iya SadeI call Kehinde too. And Sade.
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Iya SadeDem share it for all our neighbors.
- Iya Sade begins to count off her fingers, beginning with the smallest one.
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Iya SadeDem give to Amadi family.
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Iya SadeDem give to Baba Jay-Jay family.
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Iya SadeDem give to Mummy Sikira family.
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Iya SadeDem give to Oga Uche family.
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Iya SadeThen they now give to dem Akinlade family.
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Detective BajoYou mean Taiye, Kehinde and Sade right?
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Iya SadeYes. My children.
- Detective Bajo brings out his notepad, licks his pencil and starts writing something
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Detective BajoThey assisted you?
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Iya SadeEh Y..Yes. They help me.
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Detective BajoKehinde, is that a boy or girl?
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Iya SadeNa boy.
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Detective BajoAge of the twins.
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Iya SadeThirteen.
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Detective BajoAnd Sade?
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Iya SadeTwenty-one.
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Detective BajoOK. Carry on.
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Iya SadeNa the same food that I give all the other family that I give Akinlade family.
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Detective BajoBut you could have laced it with something.
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Iya SadeEh? I no wear lace o, na ankara I wear.
- Detective Bajo rolls his eyes in disbelief.
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Detective BajoI mean… you could have slipped something in it.
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Iya SadeNo oh. No sir. I no put anything.
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Iya SadeNa for that kitchen I share everything.
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Detective BajoYou cooked that plenty food inside your kitchen?
- Iya Sade shakes her head vigorously
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Iya SadeNo. I cook it for outside.
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Iya SadeNa on top firewood. But when it have done, I carry it go inside house.
- Detective Bajo's eyes widen. He leans forward as if he has just learned something new.
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Detective BajoWhy didn't you just share it outside?
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Iya SadeI no fit share food outside because of flies.
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Iya SadeAnd because I no fit put the plates for sand.
- Detective Bajo nods in agreement.
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Detective BajoFair enough.
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Iya SadeSo that is why I share it from my kitchen.
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Iya SadeAnd na from there my children carry all the food dey go.
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Detective BajoSo there was no time when you left the food unattended?
- Iya Sade thinks for a moment then shakes her head.
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Iya SadeNo. I dey with it throughout.
- Detective Bajo purses his lips contemplatively, then mumbles.
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Detective BajoWell, except for when your children distributed it.
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Iya SadeYes… Ah. You say what?
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Detective BajoDid you go with them as they distributed the food?
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Iya SadeNo. I siddon for my kitchen. I still dey fry meat.
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Iya SadeBut my children no fit do that type of thing.
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Detective BajoYou trust them?
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Baba SadeYes, we trust them.
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Detective BajoWell, nevertheless, I'm going to bring them in for questioning.
- Detective Bajo stands up and starts walking to the door, then he turns around.
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Detective BajoAnd this time, I'll do it individually.
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Detective BajoLet's see if your stories add up.
- Sergeant Parfa rushes to open the door.
- NEXT DAY
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Detective BajoDo you know why you're here.
- He fiddles with a lighter, sliding his thumb in one quick motion and producing fire.
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SadeYes.
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Detective BajoTell me. Why?
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SadeBecause you want to ask me questions about my parents.
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Detective BajoNo. It's because you've now also become a prime suspect in this case.
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SadeWhaaaaaaat?
- Sade's eyes widen with horror as she jerks back in her seat, causing it to creak.
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Sergeant ParfaNo dey shout for here!
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Detective BajoWatch your tone. You're not in your father's house.
- Again, he fiddles with the lighter.
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SadeHmmm... Sorry. But what do you mean prime suspect?
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Detective BajoYou're a fine girl. And you look smart. I'm sure you know what it means.
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SadeI didn't do anything. My parents didn't do anything.
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SadeWe're not like that in my family.
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Detective BajoI wish I could believe that.
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Detective BajoThere's hard evidence of bad blood between your family and the deceased one.
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SadeBut people quarrel all the time. Then they make up.
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Detective BajoAnd some harbor the hate irrespective.
- Sade shakes her head profusely.
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SadeTrust me sir, we're not like that.
- Detective Bajo grunts and flings open his palms indifferently.
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Detective BajoIf you say so.
- He retrieves a gold-colored pack of Benson & Hedges from his trouser pocket.
- He pulls out a cigarette and sticks it between sunburned lips.
- Then he ignites the lighter and holds it beneath the white end.
- It takes. The end glows orange.
- Detective Bajo takes a long drag and puffs out plumes.
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SadeYou said I'm now a prime suspect. Why did you say that, sir?
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Detective BajoThe real question is 'What did you do?'
- Sade's face contorts in confusion.
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SadeWhat did I do? How?
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Detective BajoYoung lady, I think it's time you started talking.
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Detective BajoDon't sit there and waste your time. We know!
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Detective BajoWe've been told.
- Silence.
- The creaking from the ancient ceiling fan becomes audible.
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SadeYou've been told what?
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Detective BajoLet's not forget I'm the one asking the questions here.
- Detective Bajo takes another drag from his cigarette and puffs.
- Sade scrunches her nose as she tries not to choke.
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Detective BajoWhat did you do to the food you helped your mother deliver to that family?
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SadeI didn't do anything. Who said that?
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Detective BajoYou know what, let's start with the dead girl.
- Snaps his fingers repeatedly trying to recall her name.
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SadeHauwa.
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Detective BajoYes, Hauwa. What was your relationship with her?
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Detective BajoWere you friends? Did the two of you agree on everything?
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SadeOh. So that's what this is.
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SadeSomeone told you about our fight?
- Detective Bajo nods quickly and plays along.
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Detective BajoYes. Yes.
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Detective BajoThat fight. What was it about?
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SadeIt was just a stupid argument. Nothing serious.
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Detective BajoTell me about it. Let me determine that for myself.
- Sade clears her throat reluctantly.
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SadeI saw her naked pictures on my boyfriend's phone.
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Sergeant ParfaChai!
- Detective Bajo's eyes widen. His cigarette falls out of his mouth.
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Detective BajoEh... How...
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Sergeant ParfaLike all the breastisis were open fia fia.
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Detective BajoShut up Parfa or I'll send you out.
- Detective Bajo looks back at Sade.
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Detective BajoHow did they get there?
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SadeHe said she had been disturbing him.
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Detective BajoWhat does that mean.
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SadeShe liked him.
- He bends down to pick up his cigarette and checks that it is clean.
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Detective BajoInteresting.
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Detective BajoDid he tell you this before or after you found the pictures?
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SadeAfter.
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Detective BajoAnd that pissed you off right?
- She nods quietly.
- He studies her for a minute, then scribbles something in his ever-present notepad.
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Detective BajoOkay.
- Sade realises her folly and speaks rapidly in her defense.
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SadeIt pissed me off but I didn't kill her, or anybody else.
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SadeAll I did was ask her about it and she got aggressive, so we fought.
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Detective BajoSo you're saying she hit first?
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SadeYes. She pushed me. When I retaliated, she pulled my braids.
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Detective BajoHow convenient.
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SadeSir?
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Detective BajoShe's not here to defend herself so you can say anything.
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Detective BajoIt doesn't matter anyway.
- He drops the cigarette stub to the concrete floor, this time on purpose.
- He raises his boot and crushes it underfoot.
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Detective BajoNot that it matters, but when was this fight?
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SadeLast month. But we resolved our problems.
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SadeThat's why I did not refuse when my mother sent me there.
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Detective BajoOr you just had other plans.
- Sade raises her hand over her head in a circular motion, then snaps her thumb and forefinger.
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SadeGod forbid. Tufiakwa.
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Detective BajoYou see how I'm being nice? The next time any of you see me, it will be different.
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Detective BajoYou will join your parents in the cell.
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Detective BajoI will give three of you time to decide whether you want to confess or not.
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Detective BajoBy tomorrow, if you're still not talking, we will torture the truth out of you.
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Detective BajoCan you see that pressing Iron over there? Can you see that plier?
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Detective BajoTomorrow you people will know why they're here.
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Detective BajoSergeant Parfa, take her away.
- EVENING
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Baba SadeBut, Sade, o sure pe... You sure that you no do anything to the food.
- She turns sharply to face him, shakes her head disappointedly and stays mute.
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Iya SadeYou know pe we trust you. But situation ti a wa bayi, we need to ask. Shogbo? Ma binu my dear. Just answer.
- The cell gate rattles and they turn to see Sergeant Parfa with his beret in his hand.
- His head is clean shaven with one or two prominent veins visible on it.
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Sergeant ParfaSo you people are still gisting?
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Sergeant ParfaUna still gather unaself dey yarn tales by moonlight.
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Sergeant ParfaIt's like una no know the kain soup wey una don enter so.
- Iya Sade shakes her two index fingers repeatedly.
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Iya SadeRara. We no gist o.
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Sergeant ParfaUna kill four people and una still get mind to gist.
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Sergeant ParfaWait till tomorrow. After my oga pull all una teeth, I go see how una go gist.
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Baba SadeAhhh. No be gist sir. We just dey…
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Sergeant ParfaAs you see my oga so, e dey crack the most hardened criminals, so una too small…
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Sergeant ParfaYou see those una fingernails, e go uproot them one by one.
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Sergeant ParfaThat una body, e go iron am until e smooth pass ruler.
- The parents go on their knees rubbing their palms together.
- Sade remains seated, her expression defiant and nonchalant.
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Sergeant ParfaShebi you, you no dey fear abi.
- She ignores him, infuriating him further.
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Sergeant ParfaNo worry. Na you we will start with. Shebi you stubborn.
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Sergeant ParfaMake una ask her well, that girl be like criminal. Maybe na she do am.
- He releases his grip on the gates and leaves, balancing his beret on his head as he disappears.
- NEXT AFTERNOON
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Detective BajoUnlock it.
- Lock clangs as Sergeant Parfa fumbles with the cell door.
- Finally, it clicks open.
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Detective BajoGet up, three of you.
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Iya SadePlease sir. Please sir. We no do anything.
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SadeI swear sir, it's not us.
- Detective Bajo cracks a smile.
- The smile is hideous, almost scary.
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Detective BajoI know.
- Father, mother and daughter are dumbfounded. They stare at him mutely.
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Detective BajoFollow me. Time to go home.
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Iya SadeSir?
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Detective BajoWe just received the autopsy.
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Detective BajoThey died from fume inhalation.
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Iya SadeFumuu kini? Kilon je be?
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Baba SadeBawo?
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SadeHow?
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Detective BajoIt was raining outside so they moved their Tiger generator into the corridor.
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Detective BajoThe fumes are very deadly. That's what killed four of them.
- THE END
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