Amaka tried again to make eye contact with Chioma. ‘My name is Amaka,’ she said. ‘I was there yesterday. Do you remember? I was trying to stop the men dragging you.’
Chioma looked at Amaka. She squinted, as if she was trying to remember, but after a few seconds she gave up and looked away.
‘I am a lawyer, I…’
‘Kingsley and his friends killed my brother,’ Chioma said, still staring into space. Her voice was calm and emotionless.
‘Who is Kingsley?’
‘My ex-boyfriend.’
‘Why did he… Why did he do it?’
‘Because Matthew went to confront him at his house.’
‘Matthew is your brother?’
‘Yes. He was staying with me.’
‘What was he confronting Kingsley for?’
‘I did not know that Kingsley filmed us sleeping together. He sent the video to his friends after we stopped seeing each other. My brother saw it.’
‘So your brother went to confront him about the video?’
‘Yes.’
‘Do you have a copy of the video?’
Chioma turned to look at Amaka. She held Amaka’s gaze for a moment then she turned away. ‘No.’
‘I’m sorry I asked. I’m just trying to understand what happened. Why do you say Kingsley and his friends are responsible for it?’
‘I saw them.’
‘Where? Yesterday? They were there yesterday?’
Chioma nodded. Amaka reached out to hold her hand but she moved her arm away.
‘I begged him not to do anything. I warned him that Kingsley is dangerous. I said he should wait for me to return from work so that both of us would go to my pastor for advice. He insisted that he was going to confront Kingsley so I begged to leave work early. On my way rushing to Kingsley’s house, I saw the area boys chasing someone. One of our neighbours saw me. She was the one who told me that it was Matthew they were chasing.
‘I ran after them. Kingsley and his boys were among the people beating Matthew. I wanted to remove the tyre they put around his neck but people wouldn’t let me get close. I begged them but they did not listen. I told them he’s not a thief but they did not listen. They accused me of being a thief, too. Then they set him on fire. Kingsley helped them. I saw him. We looked at each other.’
‘If he was there and you saw him, you have to report it to the police,’ Amaka said. ‘I will go with you, as your lawyer.’
Chioma looked at Amaka. ‘Kingsley is a policeman.’