58

Take away the traffic and you realise that VI is not that big. We were soon driving on quieter roads having left the madness behind. We turned onto a tree-lined street with large compounds and big houses set back far away from the fences. Ade slowed down, pulled to the side, then stopped altogether. I looked at him for an explanation. He was watching something. I followed his gaze. A man had just climbed into an old green car parked in front of a house ahead.

‘What?’

‘Strange.’

‘What?’

‘That was Chief Amadi. There is a girl in the car, but unless I’m mistaken that is an army car.’

‘A girl? Amaka?’

‘I don’t know. She just got into the passenger seat. Didn’t you see?’

I looked. The car was driving away. It had tinted windows so I couldn’t see inside.

‘We have to follow them. Ade, we have to follow that car. Now.’

‘Sure, sure.’

We drove past the house and I caught a glimpse of Amaka’s Jetta through slits in the fence. It was his house. The gate had a padlock on it. It had been locked from outside. Where were they going?

The car pulled onto a side road. When we turned into the same road it was gone.

‘We’ve lost them,’ I said.

Ade floored the accelerator and I jerked back into my seat. At the end of the road, we screeched onto an adjacent road just in time to see the car turn down another street.

Ade raced forward, only slowing when we came to the turning.

‘Get closer,’ I said.

‘If we get too close they will see us.’

He allowed the car to gain some distance on us. I didn’t like his strategy. I didn’t want to lose them. Next thing I knew he was making a phone call. It was a short conversation in a local language.

‘Who was that?’

‘My next appointment today. I was telling them I’ll be late.’

He had taken his eyes off the road to answer me and missed the car turning again.

‘They went that way,’ I said.

He nodded and accelerated.

Amadi drove fast, taking back roads to avoid traffic. He took the narrow road by the Mobile building to get onto the Lekki expressway. The exit to Lekki Phase One was just ahead.

‘I am off to America tonight,’ he said. ‘My family is there on vacation. They have insisted I should join them. Have you ever been to America?’

‘Yes.’

‘Lovely place, isn’t it? I’m going to the airport after I drop you. Would you like me to bring you something when I get back? I should be back in about a week.’

‘Thank you, sir, I don’t need anything.’

‘Don’t be silly. What is your dress size?’ She felt uncomfortable.

‘You don’t have to worry, sir, mum buys all my clothes.’

‘At your age? Big girl like you? OK, what about an iPad? Do you have one?’

‘Yes, sir, I do.’

‘The latest one?’

‘No, sir.’

‘OK, I’ll get you the latest iPad. I see your mum often at the neighbourhood meetings. Will you tell her for me that I had to travel so I won’t be attending the next meeting?’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Don’t worry, I won’t tell her I took you to your boyfriend’s house. It will be our little secret.’

She smiled.

‘Tell her you saw me in front of my house when I was packing my bags to go. When I get back I’ll watch out for you so I can give you your goodies, OK? Remember to tell her I’ve travelled. I’ve never missed any of the meetings without informing the secretary in advance.’

If anyone came looking for him they would ask around and be told he had gone to America. They would either wait for him to return or they would simply forget about him.

Amadi took the second exit at the roundabout and drove onto Admiralty Road. He owned a property there that he had never visited since he bought it. He didn’t even remember the way to it. The girl directed him onto a narrow, cobbled stone road then onto an even smaller one. When he stopped the car she quickly got out.

‘Remember to tell your mum I left for America today. Here, take this for your taxi back home.’

He gave her ten thousand naira in new notes.