Chapter 4: The Poison in the Shadows

So at first, our Oga, Captain Musa, talk say: “Treat Bilkisu as missing victim. Find her, protect her first.”

Old soldier, iron heart, but soft spot for children of hope. Remind us say, until we get proof, make we no let village mob carry us go. "Make una no go carry innocent pikin suffer for another person sin!"

But soon, we nearly change our mind.

Evidence dey pile, village restless, want person to blame. Old women dey avoid her name, dey pray against evil. Even youth corpers for next village run avoid gist.

Bilkisu no just be victim.

Her footprint mix with blood for kitchen, odd way kitchen tools arrange, scarf disappear—all signs point say fear no be her only problem.

Because people find evidence.

Detective Chima, nose for wahala, first spot broken bottle near firewood. "Oga, see this tin o! No be ordinary drink."

First, for kitchen, we see trace of bottled pesticide—Gamalin 20.

Gamalin 20 common here—na for weevil, na for weed. This one label scrub off, cap seal with candle wax.

If you breathe am, quick quick you go dizzy, headache, vomit, sweat, vision go blur, fit convulse, die if care no dey.

Everybody know person wey mishandle am before. Local nurse, when we show her bottle, just hiss, "Na death trap, oga."

But this alone no mean Bilkisu be killer.

Villagers argue—maybe na Uche plan am, maybe papa. Suspicion dey spread like bush fire.

Same time, we find another glass bottle with purified Gamalin 20 inside.

Bottle hide behind old beans, like say person wan make only those wey search well see am. Liquid clear as rainwater—deadly, dey wait for careless hand.

Everybody sabi, Gamalin 20 smell bad, normal person no fit drink am. But after purification, the thing no get colour, no get smell, fit mix for water.

That na the trick: make stinking death turn invisible. Only person wey get sense—or desperate—fit think that kind thing.

Plus, one of us find crude evaporation-condensation device, made from old bottles, for kitchen corner.

It look rough but smart—like science textbook, but with patience of person wey no get choice. Villagers see am, dey fear, dey back away like juju.

Truth be say, na only person wey go university fit do that kind thing.

Old headmaster confirm: "That kind of arrangement, na only person wey sabi chemistry for university go fit run am."

From there, we fit guess how Bilkisu do am—

We imagine her, heart beat like talking drum, but her hands no shake as she did what nobody fit imagine. Pour liquid from one bottle to another, wait for right time. Nobody notice, all of them think say she dey broken, dey grieve. But maybe, inside, something cold dey plan revenge.

She pretend to agree, act like say she don accept fate, start dey serve Ezeugo family.

She wash plate, sweep compound, even laugh for firelight when mama dey tell story. Women for window dey nod, "She dey try, e be like say she don humble."

After some days together, Ezeugo family believe say she really give up.

Their guard drop. Papa even start to call her "our daughter." Nobody suspect anything.

Then, she begin use household pesticide, prepare deadly, tasteless poison, put am for food.

Na probably for evening stew, thick and peppery, poison hide best. Three of them chop, dey praise her food. Only village dog no chop the scraps, dey whimper for door.

After the three members chop the food and no fit fight back...

Body limp, eyes roll. By the time anybody notice, e too late. House silent except Bilkisu breathing, kitchen clock dey tick.

She carry kitchen knife, finish them.

She must move quick, her heart beat like talking drum, but her hands no shake as she did what nobody fit imagine. Blood splash for wall, stain old photos, stain mat wey parents dey sit before.