officer who looked her up and down before taking a picture of what was in the gutter using his phone.
She edged around the group, staying as far from the policemen as she could. She pushed past security guards and looked down to see what they were all looking at.
As she saw, she lost her balance and had to grab the arm of the man standing by her side. She looked again and her worst fear was confirmed: it was the new girl who had gone for the Land Cruiser while she took the Corolla.
Her knees felt weak. She looked at the people around her; their bodies swayed disconcertingly. She wanted to scream out the girl’s name, Angel, but she knew she would only get herself arrested, so she drew her lips in and walked away from the crowd, her heart pounding.
‘No o. No be say they kill her for another place come bring am here. No. It is here that they kill her, inside jeep,’ a man in a security guard uniform said to a group of the onlookers.
Kevwe stopped next to the people talking but as they turned towards her she continued walking away from them. She got her phone, and with shaking fingers, she called the one person she knew she had to tell.
Amaka was finishing her champagne and Chief Ojo was paying the bill when her phone rang. She asked to be excused and let the phone continue ringing as she walked out of the bar. Anytime that particular phone rang, the one the girls sent her messages on, she always answered it in private, if she could.
The caller didn’t wait for her to talk. ‘Hello? Aunty? They have killed her.’
‘Killed who?’ She took the phone away from her ear to see the caller’s name but the screen had gone dark. ‘Who is this? Who killed who?’
‘She is dead, aunty, she is dead.’
‘Who is dead?’
‘They have killed her. Oh my God. Aunty, they have killed her. It is me Aunty, it is Kevwe. They have killed her. My friend, Aunty, she is dead.’
‘Who killed your friend? What are you talking about?’
‘Aunty, they have killed her, she’s in the gutter. The police are here.’
‘Where are you?’
‘I dey Ronnie’s. I just return from Federal Palace. Aunty, her body dey inside gutter here. They cut her open, Aunty. Oh my God, Aunty, she is dead.’
‘Calm down. You say you’re at Ronnie’s?’
‘Yes, Aunty, na here they dump her body.’
‘Who killed her? What is her name?’
‘Aunty, wetin I go do? Police dey for here.’
‘Listen to me. Take it easy. What is your friend’s name?’
The girl did not respond.
‘Hello? Kevwe? Kevwe?’
Kevwe was still holding the phone to her ear, silent tears rolling down her face.
Amaka tried repeatedly but couldn’t get her to respond. Against herself, she ended the call. She knew that the girl would soon switch her phone off and leave town for some time while the police rounded up prostitutes in the name of investigating the murder. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her mind conjured up images, each one more gruesome than the last. She shook the thoughts away. She didn’t have time for that. She called eight contacts from her phone and four more from memory. She asked each person she spoke to whether they had heard anything about Ronnie’s bar that night. A few girls had heard a rumour but no one knew for sure. She considered calling Kevwe back, maybe she would answer. No. She had to go to Ronnie’s herself. She bit her lips. Damn it. Not tonight.
Chief Ojo was exchanging looks with a group of chatty girls who had settled at a table next to him. Amaka stood at the entrance and watched. She contemplated turning round and walking away. One of the girls looked at him and did a little wave. She decided that she had come too close to give up. She walked up to him and sat on a different chair so that he had to turn his back to the girls.
‘Something came up,’ she said, ‘I have to go somewhere quickly.’
He shook his head. She placed her hand on his shoulder.
‘Listen, I want you. I want to fuck you. Tonight. And I
She edged around the group, staying as far from the policemen as she could. She pushed past security guards and looked down to see what they were all looking at.
As she saw, she lost her balance and had to grab the arm of the man standing by her side. She looked again and her worst fear was confirmed: it was the new girl who had gone for the Land Cruiser while she took the Corolla.
Her knees felt weak. She looked at the people around her; their bodies swayed disconcertingly. She wanted to scream out the girl’s name, Angel, but she knew she would only get herself arrested, so she drew her lips in and walked away from the crowd, her heart pounding.
‘No o. No be say they kill her for another place come bring am here. No. It is here that they kill her, inside jeep,’ a man in a security guard uniform said to a group of the onlookers.
Kevwe stopped next to the people talking but as they turned towards her she continued walking away from them. She got her phone, and with shaking fingers, she called the one person she knew she had to tell.
Amaka was finishing her champagne and Chief Ojo was paying the bill when her phone rang. She asked to be excused and let the phone continue ringing as she walked out of the bar. Anytime that particular phone rang, the one the girls sent her messages on, she always answered it in private, if she could.
The caller didn’t wait for her to talk. ‘Hello? Aunty? They have killed her.’
‘Killed who?’ She took the phone away from her ear to see the caller’s name but the screen had gone dark. ‘Who is this? Who killed who?’
‘She is dead, aunty, she is dead.’
‘Who is dead?’
‘They have killed her. Oh my God. Aunty, they have killed her. It is me Aunty, it is Kevwe. They have killed her. My friend, Aunty, she is dead.’
‘Who killed your friend? What are you talking about?’
‘Aunty, they have killed her, she’s in the gutter. The police are here.’
‘Where are you?’
‘I dey Ronnie’s. I just return from Federal Palace. Aunty, her body dey inside gutter here. They cut her open, Aunty. Oh my God, Aunty, she is dead.’
‘Calm down. You say you’re at Ronnie’s?’
‘Yes, Aunty, na here they dump her body.’
‘Who killed her? What is her name?’
‘Aunty, wetin I go do? Police dey for here.’
‘Listen to me. Take it easy. What is your friend’s name?’
The girl did not respond.
‘Hello? Kevwe? Kevwe?’
Kevwe was still holding the phone to her ear, silent tears rolling down her face.
Amaka tried repeatedly but couldn’t get her to respond. Against herself, she ended the call. She knew that the girl would soon switch her phone off and leave town for some time while the police rounded up prostitutes in the name of investigating the murder. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her mind conjured up images, each one more gruesome than the last. She shook the thoughts away. She didn’t have time for that. She called eight contacts from her phone and four more from memory. She asked each person she spoke to whether they had heard anything about Ronnie’s bar that night. A few girls had heard a rumour but no one knew for sure. She considered calling Kevwe back, maybe she would answer. No. She had to go to Ronnie’s herself. She bit her lips. Damn it. Not tonight.
Chief Ojo was exchanging looks with a group of chatty girls who had settled at a table next to him. Amaka stood at the entrance and watched. She contemplated turning round and walking away. One of the girls looked at him and did a little wave. She decided that she had come too close to give up. She walked up to him and sat on a different chair so that he had to turn his back to the girls.
‘Something came up,’ she said, ‘I have to go somewhere quickly.’
He shook his head. She placed her hand on his shoulder.
‘Listen, I want you. I want to fuck you. Tonight. And I
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