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
“Right,” Derek said. “I know Casper Guttenberg, the guy who penned the piece, and I asked him more than once if this was some scheme he and my father cooked up, but he denied it.”
“I wish I could help more,” Rachel said with a regretful smile. Clearly, delving into Cas’s involvement was of no interest to her.
Derek stood up. “Thank you, Rachel, for taking the time with me.”
When he was outside the building again, Derek felt empty. What had he found out from this meeting? That his father and Rachel Jones had met and talked, but very little else. And of Gordon’s present whereabouts, Derek had learned nothing at all.
FORTY-ONE
FORTY-ONE
Emma and Sowah followed Labram into the heart of Atimpoku. It was a linear town hugging the road on either side in a north-south direction. Its eastern portion sloped down to the river, while the western part rose steeply uphill. Growth and expansion were apparent, with multiple new homes under construction on the hillside.
Labram’s house girl lived on the east side of the town, sharing a compound with several neighbors. Conversing and laughing, three women were cooking in the open space while half a dozen kids of all ages ran—or crawled—around in play. A few goats chewed placidly on whatever goats chew on, chickens pecked at the dirt with exploratory noises, and skinny stray dogs cautiously approached the cooking area in the hope of a few scraps. A radio was playing religious highlife somewhere.
Labram greeted the group in Ewe.
They responded in unison and one of the women let out an exclamation of surprise when she saw him. She dropped what she was doing, wiped her hands on a rag, and hurried to where Labram and his two guests were standing. She shook his hand with a slight curtsy.
“Ei, papa!” she said, with a luminous smile. “Woeizo!”
Labram introduced her to Emma and Sowah. “This is my house girl, Kafui.”
They exchanged greetings. Emma was staring at the baby on Kafui’s back, an exquisite boy with a perfectly round head and big dark eyes with lashes that curled up as if by some kind of artificial device. I want a baby like that, she thought. “What’s your baby’s name?” she asked Kafui in Twi.
“Please, his name is Yao.” Kafui glanced behind her to smile at her child snug and safe on her back, and then directed a couple of the older kids to place four chairs in a shaded spot.
“Please, have a seat,” Kafui invited her visitors, taking hers after them.
A girl about eight years old materialized with a tray of three sachets of water that she offered to the guests.