Lightseekers
Page 31
‘You think he got away with it?’ I ask Omereji.
‘We can’t trace him. They are still identifying the bodies at the monastery but we can’t know for sure if he was there.’
‘It doesn’t matter. There will always be a Tamuno around us. You see it everywhere. Politicians. Businessmen. People who prey on our fear of each other for their selfish gains.’
‘It scares me,’ Omereji says sadly. ‘And it’s true what you say. But what scares me the most is seeing how easily people can be manipulated.’ He shakes his head as if to banish a terrible vision. ‘And we still can’t figure out why he started the social media thing –’
I shrug. ‘Who knows with someone like that? When they succeed at first, they try again and again, getting bolder, thinking bigger. He was definitely a narcissist, who wanted us to know what he did and got away with. You can see it in the evidence he left behind in his room. He probably saw the whole world as some kind of a social experiment, a lab full of rats, with him as the mastermind. I’m sure the social media campaign was his final show of power, to prove to himself what he’s capable of.’
Inspector Omereji shakes his head at this. ‘I’m ashamed of my people –’
‘They’re human, first and foremost. Easy to manipulate. Quick to act and without thinking. You’d be amazed how common that is.’
Omereji sighs and I see the captain of the plane waving at us. It is time.
‘We must keep in touch,’ Omereji says as he shakes my hand.
I agree and turn towards the plane’s short flight of steps. My phone beeps, and before I climb in, I open it.
‘Emeka called me. Told me everything you did. I am very proud of you, my son. Thank you and come home safe.’
I breathe in deeply, revelling in the simple joy of my father’s approval. Yes, indeed, I did it.
I head on to the plane. Chika is sitting at the back. I wave at him and sit next to Folake.
‘Well, Dr Taiwo, remind me to say no next time you get an assignment to write –’ She holds her fingers in air quotes, ‘a report.’
I laugh, not wanting to remind her that she did say ‘no’. I fasten my seat belt. Then, I see Salome through the window. She is standing with Omereji and both of them are waving.
Lady and gentlemen, welcome to this private flight to Lagos –
I smile. She did come to say goodbye after all but perhaps respects Folake enough to do it from a distance. Or she came late, and used her cousin as her ‘queue boy’ to keep me talking until she got here. Classic Salome.
I wave back as the plane starts to move.
– the flight duration will be approximately fifty-five minutes –
The air shifts when Folake sees who I am waving at. She makes a production of her interest in the safety instructions being played on the screen.
We have been airborne for about fifteen minutes when I nudge her with my elbow. She turns her gaze to me.
‘I liked her. She has a sharp mind and a kind heart.’
‘And gorgeous as hell,’ Folake says.
‘Not like you.’
Folake snorts and looks away. I reach out and run a finger across her jawline till she turns to me.
‘Not. Like. You. There’s no one like you. And believe me when I say, nothing happened with Salome.’
‘I know,’ she says rather haughtily.
‘How?’
‘Because I’m here, with you. Even after all you thought you knew, you’re here with me. Must be love.’
I burst out laughing and she joins me. We quickly turn to look behind us and see Chika is asleep, oblivious to us. We lean closer to each other.
‘You’re right,’ I say. ‘Must be love.’
She giggles, her laugh light and gay. I catch my breath and pull her into my arms.
We are like this, all the way to Lagos.
Home.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The viral video of four young undergraduates of the University of Port Harcourt, being lynched and burnt alive, haunts me till today. The murders of Ugonna Obuzor, Toku Lloyd, Chiadika Biringa, and Tekena Elkanah inspired this book. I honor them and the victims of vigilantes across the world. It is my hope that this novel can contribute to any serious discourse about the prevalence and prevention of such violent crimes committed by mobs.
Writing this novel was an exorcism of sorts. I thank my tutor, William Ryan for seeing this desperate purpose and guiding me towards telling the story in my heart and in the process, restoring my love for my homeland.
Thank you Sodienye Kurubo, for late night chats, legal advice, well written research, a memorable tour of Port Harcourt and startling insights. I will be back.
My classmates at UEA were an invaluable source of support and guidance. Thank you to Dimitris Akrivos, Nicole Valentine, Peter Selby, Roe Lane, Louise Sharland, Mark Wightman, Denise Beardon, Freya Fowles, Amanda Rigali, Natalie Marlow and Niamh O’Connor. Bob Jones made my sporadic trips to the UK a treasure trove of friendship and guidance. Matthew Willis, through his frank feedback, committed editing, and late-night conversations, became a brother. My immense gratitude to Henry Sutton, Laura Joyce and Tom Benn, who were more than teachers, but a support system that I cherish to this day. Thank you, Ed Wood and Lucy Dauman of the Little, Brown/UEA Crime Fiction Award committee. Harriet Tyce opened her heart and home to me, and in her I found a champion long before I knew I needed one. I am grateful.
Harry Illingworth is my knight, guide, friend and agent. Many thanks to you and the team at DHH Literary Agency for believing in me and this book. Shout out to the dynamic duo of Jemma McDonagh and Camilla Ferrier at the Marsh Agency. Where my representation is concerned, indeed; non, je ne regrette rien.
Alison Hennessey is the kapellmeister of this book. She heard notes I didn’t know were there, saw connections that eluded me, and pursued a nuanced performance, relentlessly. She gave this book lots of love and a home at Raven Books. I learnt so much, kicking and screaming all the way, but infinitely pleased with what she has helped me and this book become. Big thank you to Sara Helen Binney, Lilidh Kendrick, Emilie Chambeyron, Amy Donegan, Amy Wong and Jonathan Leech for holding my hands through this. Thank you, Emma Ewbank for the gorgeous cover design, Lin Vasey, whose brilliant copyediting smoothened out the edges, Sarah Bance, my eagle-eyed proofreader and the whole Bloomsbury UK and International sales team for having my back.
On dark days, I still retrieve the letter Josh Kendall wrote me just before acquiring the US rights to this book. His words inspired me, then and now. I am honored to call him my editor and privileged to have the passion of Alexandra Hoopes, Sareena Kamath, Pamela Brown, Alyssa Persons, Bruce Nichols, Judy Clain and the entire sales team of Little, Brown/Mulholland Books behind me. Thank you.
Ade Fakoya, Femi Olawoyin, Anita Verna Crofts, Kehinde Bademosi, Pearl Osibu, Fabian Lojede, Unoma Azuah, Leye Adenle, Tsitsi Dangarembga, Jessica Ann Wheeler, Yinka Adeleke, Idiare Atimomo, Chika Olejeme, Tom Alweendo, Berlindi Van Eck, Bosede Ogunlana, Selma Neumbo and the inimitable Esosa Omo-Usoh were the early readers who said ‘don’t stop’ when I needed to hear it most. Abius Akwaake pushed and challenged me while taking care of the things I didn’t have the time or mind to do. Matthias Langheld gave time, space and friendship. My team at Adforce Advertising cheered on and forgave my long absences. I appreciate you all.
Chiedozie Dike. You deserve your own paragraph. Thanks for coming through every step of the way. I promise to retaliate.
Thank you to my parents, who encouraged my love for words and gave me my sister, Bose; my prayer warrior, cheerleader and number one fan, from day one.
My eternal gratitude to my best friend and wife, Nneka and the two wonderful humans we have been blessed to call our sons, Simi and Tomi. Thank you for making the home front free of the nightmare that inspired this book.
Above all, to God, who gave me this and more, thank you.
A NOTE ON THE AUTHOR
Femi Kayode grew up in Lagos, Nigeria. He studied Clinical Psychol
ogy at the University of Ibadan and has worked in advertising over the last two decades. He was a Packard Fellow in Film and Media at the University of Southern California and a Gates-Packard Fellow in International Health at the University of Washington, Seattle. His writing credits include several award winning work for the stage and screen. He has an MA in Creative Writing – Crime Fiction at the University of East Anglia, where Lightseekers won the Little, Brown/UEA Crime Fiction Award. He lives in Namibia with his family.
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First published in Great Britain 2021
This electronic edition published in 2020 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Copyright © Femi Kayode, 2021
Femi Kayode has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author of this work
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers
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ISBN: HB: 978-1-5266-1759-0; TPB: 978-1-5266-1760-6; eBook: 978-1-5266-1756-9
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