One of the twin girls cautiously approached him. Francis Seguma’s kids. Her eyes were as round as saucers. A hollow feeling formed in his stomach and he found himself thinking about his little girl. Her infectious giggle. The cheeky look in her eyes. The way his heart would burst with joy whenever she smiled at him.

His life and joy. Snatched away from him.

Murdered.

The girl who wasn’t his daughter held out the fluffy toy bear towards Bowman. Like a peace offering.

‘This is Leo,’ she said in perfect English. ‘He wants to say hello.’

Bowman bent down and attempted a smile. ‘Hello, Leo.’

The girl leaned in close to the bear and furrowed her brow, as if listening to some whispered remark. Then she looked up at Bowman with a deeply serious face.

‘Leo wants to know if you’ll be his friend.’

‘Of course,’ said Bowman. ‘I’d be honoured.’

‘What’s that?’ She leaned in again. Lifted her big round eyes to Bowman and pouted.

‘Leo says you look sad,’ she said.

‘Does he?’

She gave an exaggerated nod, in that excited way all small children nod, at the age when the whole world seems impossibly new. ‘He says you have sad eyes.’

‘Well, you can tell Leo not to worry. I’m just fine.’

The girl spoke softly into the bear’s floppy ears. Then she leaned towards Bowman and lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. ‘Do you want to know a secret?’

‘Go on.’

‘Leo gets sad sometimes too. Especially when he doesn’t have any honey.’

‘Is that so.’

She nodded eagerly. ‘Leo says it’s OK to be sad. Just as long as it’s not forever.’

‘Leo’s a smart bear.’

‘Oh, yes. He’s the smartest.’

The president’s sister-in-law called out to the girl. The middle-aged woman with the wide hips and the colourful head cloth. ‘Marie! Come here!’

The little girl smiled at Bowman, then ran over to her mother, gripping Leo tightly in her right hand. Bowman stood upright and felt a hot pain scratching inside his skull, drilling into his temples. He’d been able to ignore the cravings for the past two hours, but now they came back with a vengeance. His fingertips felt as if someone had taken a blowtorch to them. Sweat percolated down his spine. His stomach churned. He needed to get some pills into his exhausted body. Before he collapsed with fatigue.

He started towards the door.

‘Wait here,’ he ordered the family.

‘Where are you going?’ the brother demanded.

‘I’ll be back in a minute.’