Chapters (109)
- Part One
- ONE
- One day earlier
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- PART TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- SIXTY-SIX
- SIXTY-SEVEN
- SIXTY-EIGHT
- SIXTY-NINE
- SEVENTY
- SEVENTY-ONE
- SEVENTY-TWO
- SEVENTY-THREE
- SEVENTY-FOUR
- SEVENTY-FIVE
- SEVENTY-SIX
- SEVENTY-SEVEN
- SEVENTY-EIGHT
- SEVENTY-NINE
- EIGHTY
- EIGHTY-ONE
- EIGHTY-TWO
- EIGHTY-THREE
- EIGHTY-FOUR
- EIGHTY-FIVE
- EIGHTY-SIX
- EIGHTY-SEVEN
- EIGHTY-EIGHT
- EIGHTY-NINE
- NINETY
- NINETY-ONE
- NINETY-TWO
- NINETY-THREE
- NINETY-FOUR
- NINETY-FIVE
- NINETY-SIX
- NINETY-SEVEN
- NINETY-EIGHT
- NINETY-NINE
- GLOSSARY
- Acknowledgments
- Continue reading
- Part One
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
Labram looked regretful. “Unfortunately, the splendid solitude of this place, which is the reason why many visitors come to spend their holidays here and escape from hectic city life, is a disadvantage in this case. The next house from here is half a mile away. With the tree and vegetation cover, you can hear virtually nothing, even during the quiet of the night.”
Sowah nodded. “May we see Mr. Tilson’s room?”
“But of course,” Labram said. “Please come this way.”
They went to the hallway on the other side of the sitting room.
“The house girl has been here already to clean up,” Labram said, opening a door on the right. “I’m sorry there’s nothing much to see except the present tenant’s belongings.”
The bed was neatly made. Some paper items and a Bradt Travel Guide To Ghana lay on the desk. A spinner suitcase stood in a corner.
“When did your present guest arrive?” Sowah asked, flipping over the luggage tag.
“Last week, sir,” Labram said. “Him and his wife.”
“No reason to think they have any connection with Mr. Tilson?”
“Connection?” Labram asked, looking surprised. “Not that I know of.”
Sowah nodded. It was a long shot, not a serious thought.
Emma looked around, noticing a mosquito-netted porch outside the sliding glass doors. “So, Mr. Labram,” she said, “you’re certain there was no sign of forced entry onto the patio or through those doors that Tuesday morning?”
“No, madam,” Labram responded. They stood in silence a moment.
“This driver, Yahya,” Sowah said at length, “how did he seem to you?”
“He was very agitated that we could not find Mr. Tilson,” Labram said. “He was almost in tears because with these car rental agencies, if anything at all happens to the customer, the driver is held responsible. I’m sure the company has sacked him by now.”
“We’ll try to contact him once we return to Accra,” Sowah said. “I think we’re done here. Would you mind taking us to see your house girl, Mr. Labram?”
“No problem, sir. We can go now. I’ll drive us there so we can talk to her. Her name is Kafui.”
FORTY
FORTY
While Emma and Sowah were in Atimpoku, Derek made some progress of his own, scoring a visit with Rachel Jones, one of the American Embassy’s consuls. The building, at 24 Fourth Circular Road was an impenetrable gray fortress with no photography allowed warnings posted at every turn. The US Marines on duty on the grounds of the embassy were an additional reminder. Derek wondered what the consequences of snapping a pic would be.