Chapter 4: Musa’s Breaking Point

All im sabi—fingerprint, footprint, forensic work—no fit help am for this case. The killer too smart.

Na so e lock imself for lab for three days, dey check every small clue. E even dey pray make God show am sign.

The place resemble as if wild animal chop human being, but no single evidence remain.

Even dog wey police carry for scent, no fit pick anything. The killer dey clean everywhere well.

Who be this mad beast? E fit say crime go dey perfect like this, ordinary people no fit understand?

Old men for beer parlour dey talk, "No be human dey do this thing. E get as e be."

Musa force himself make e calm down, gather all the cases together, come reason three important things:

E draw big table for station, dey arrange everything. If you see im office, na only file, photograph, and red marker.

One, the killer suppose get keke or car—e no fit carry victims reach bush by leg.

E reason say no way person go carry pikin far like that if no be with motor. Musa sabi road well, so e begin dey check transport people for area.

Two, the killer go look harmless—maybe person wey women and children fit trust. If e hide inside crowd, nobody go notice am.

E begin dey observe people wey dey always smile for area, those wey like children too much. E know say sometimes, devil dey look innocent.

Three, the person get one kind mental wahala, most likely sexual.

E write am bold for board: "Sexual perversion – suspect fit be teacher, driver, or church worker." E begin dey ask pastor and principal for area.

Later, investigation go prove say most of wetin Musa talk na true, but for now, everywhere just block.

Na so dem dey respect Musa for station. Even though case hard, e no gree give up. Other officers dey call am "Bookman."

Police begin search people wey get sexual case before, mad people, and anybody for area wey get car.

Dem dey comb everywhere, even small madness, dem go invite you for station. For street, people dey avoid police checkpoint.

But nothing show.

E be like say the killer dey watch dem, dey laugh for corner.

Another four months pass, killer strike again.

This time, people begin say "e get as e be." Pastor and imam call joint prayer meeting, say, "Only God fit save us."

The sixth dead body no even remain—na only skull dem see. Na girl with Down syndrome.

The family cry well. Everybody pity, say, "Why bad thing dey happen to people wey no fit defend themself?"

The seventh body different: na boy.

Na so people begin fear for their sons too. Before, na only girls, now boys join.

Dem find am for bush near airport.

If you see the area, bush everywhere, even motor no dey reach that side. Only hunters waka that place.

The boy just eight years old. The killer remove im eyes, cut off im private part.

The evil dey increase. People dey say, "God punish this killer, wherever e dey."

Na there Musa realize say e don make mistake.

E nearly slap imself. E dey think, "So, I dey look car owner, but the killer dey use danfo!"

The boy and the girl wey go choir class use danfo.

That information shock Musa. E call all transport union, dey ask for strange passengers, dey look bus manifest.

That one mean say the killer dey use public transport do im work—not private car as Musa first think.

E no easy to catch person wey dey blend with crowd. Na so Musa begin dey think like pickpocket.

Which kind person dey always enter danfo and nobody dey suspect am?

Some conductors dey point say, "Oga, we get one man wey dey always wear glasses, dey quiet, but e like dey look pikin anyhow."

By this time, the case don pass police power.

Even police boss dey receive call from Abuja every day. Everybody dey panic, press dey disturb.