Police Officer: “Sir, why did your neighbor report that you stole his car?”
Mr. Emeka: “Because I did.”
Police Officer: “You admit it?”
Mr. Emeka: “Absolutely.”
Police Officer: “Well… that was easier than expected.”
The officer reached for a form.
Police Officer: “Where’s the car now?”
Mr. Emeka: “Back in his driveway.”
The officer frowned.
Police Officer: “You returned it?”
Mr. Emeka: “Twenty minutes later.”
Police Officer: “Why?”
Mr. Emeka: “Because he asked me to.”
The officer stopped writing.
Police Officer: “Your neighbor asked you to steal his car?”
Mr. Emeka: “Not exactly.”
The officer sighed.
Police Officer: “Start from the beginning.”
Mr. Emeka’s neighbor, Samuel, had just bought a used car.
He spent the entire week bragging about its security features.
Samuel: “This thing is impossible to steal.”
Mr. Emeka: “Really?”
Samuel: “State-of-the-art alarm.”
Mr. Emeka: “Nice.”
Samuel: “GPS tracking.”
Mr. Emeka: “Very nice.”
Samuel: “Immobilizer.”
Mr. Emeka: “Impressive.”
Samuel: “Honestly, I’d like to see someone even try.”
Mr. Emeka nodded.
Then went home.
At 2 a.m., he quietly walked outside.
Not to steal the car.
Just to prove a point.
The driver’s door was unlocked.
Mr. Emeka: “That seemed ironic.”
He sat down.
Pressed the start button.
The engine started immediately.
No alarm.
No warning.
Nothing.
He drove the car exactly one block.
Turned around.
Parked it neatly back in Samuel’s driveway.
Locked it.
Went to bed.
The next morning Samuel was furious.
Samuel: “Somebody stole my car!”
Mr. Emeka: “Temporarily.”
Samuel: “What?”
Mr. Emeka: “Check the mileage.”
Samuel looked.
The odometer showed two extra kilometers.
Samuel: “YOU DID THIS?”
Mr. Emeka: “You said you’d like to see someone try.”
Samuel: “That wasn’t an invitation!”
Samuel called the police.
Mostly out of principle.
Back in the present, the officer rubbed his temples.
Police Officer: “Did you damage the vehicle?”
Mr. Emeka: “No.”
Police Officer: “Take anything?”
Mr. Emeka: “No.”
Police Officer: “Why drive it at all?”
Mr. Emeka: “Because if I’d only started the engine, he’d have said that didn’t count.”
The officer looked at Samuel.
Police Officer: “Was the car unlocked?”
Samuel looked at the floor.
Samuel: “…Yes.”
Police Officer: “Keys inside?”
Samuel looked even lower.
Samuel: “…Also yes.”
The officer closed the file.
Police Officer: “So let me summarize.”
He pointed at Samuel.
Police Officer: “You claimed your car was impossible to steal.”
Samuel nodded.
The officer pointed at Mr. Emeka.
Police Officer: “You accepted that as a challenge.”
Mr. Emeka nodded.
The officer sighed.
Police Officer: “You’re both exhausting.”
A week later Samuel installed a much better security system.
He proudly invited Mr. Emeka over.
Samuel: “Go ahead.”
Mr. Emeka: “What?”
Samuel: “Try again.”
Mr. Emeka smiled.
Mr. Emeka: “No.”
Samuel: “Why not?”
Mr. Emeka: “Because now I know you’re expecting me.”
Samuel grinned.
Samuel: “Exactly.”
The two men stood there for a moment.
Then both started laughing.
The police officer, who happened to be driving past, saw them from his patrol car.
He didn’t stop.
He just kept driving.
Some mysteries, he decided, were healthier from a distance.