While it would have been rude for Labram to launch immediately into the purpose of the visit, neither was it Kafui’s place to ask. The social hierarchy was sharply defined: Labram was her employer and a lot older than she was. So, the first five minutes were spent in pleasantries punctuated by some gaps of silence not considered awkward in any way.

It wasn’t until Labram had drained his water sachet that he began telling Kafui why they were there to see her. “Do you remember end of last March a certain American man came to stay at the house?” he asked.

Kafui cast her mind back. “Please, do you mean Mr. Gordon?”

“Yes, that’s him,” Labram said.

“Oh, very nice man,” Kafui said with that easy smile. “He was the only oburoni who would greet me and talk to me when I went to clean.”

It seemed to Emma that everyone—or almost everyone—had liked Mr. Tilson.

“And you remember you went to the house the morning he left,” Labram said.

Kafui nodded. “Yes please. Ten in the morning, I was there. By that time, he had already gone back to Accra.”

“Kafui,” Sowah joined in, “did you notice anything different about the room compared to how you see it normally?”

She considered the question, apparently puzzled by it. “No please.” Then, she sent Labram a worried look. “Please, is something wrong with how I cleaned the room?”

“Not at all, Kafui,” he said. “You are not in trouble. I will let Mr. Sowah explain.”

Sowah took it up. “Kafui, before you got to the cottage that morning to do your cleaning, the driver came to collect Mr. Gordon around seven o’clock. But Mr. Gordon had disappeared.”

Kafui raised her eyebrows. “Disappeared? How, disappeared, please?”

“He has been missing since that time,” Sowah said. “No one has located him or been able to reach him on the phone. It seems something happened to him overnight.”

Kafui brought her hand up to her lips. “Oh!”

“Did you ever see Mr. Gordon here in Atimpoku?” Sowah asked.

She shook her head. “No please.”

“What about while he was staying at the cottage?” Emma came in. “Did you notice anyone come to see him there?”

Again, Kafui’s reply was in the negative.

“Do you know Kweku Ponsu, the fetish priest?” Sowah asked.

“Yes please,” Kafui said. “Well, I know about him.”

“We understand Mr. Gordon wanted to visit Mr. Ponsu,” Sowah said. “Did you see them together anywhere? Maybe between here and Akosombo, or by the river?”

Kafui shook her head, appearing regretful she hadn’t provided any help so far. “Please, maybe he has gone back to his country,” she suggested tentatively.

“No,” Emma said. “Even his son has come to Ghana because Mr. Tilson has not returned home.”

Kafui looked distressed. “But what could have happened to him?”

Labram said, “We are worried someone went to the house and took Mr. Tilson away somewhere.”