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
Yahya came close to an eye-roll. “Foolish man. I don’t like him at all. He’s a fake. If you want to see people with real power, come to Tamale or Bolga.”
Emma smiled. “But do you know Ponsu personally?”
Yahya shook his head vigorously. “I know where he live in Atimpoku, but that’s all.”
“Did Mr. Tilson ask you anything about Kweku Ponsu?”
Yahya nodded. “Yes. First, Mr. Tilson ax me questions about sakawa. I told him what I know—that they use juju to make money on computer and all that. Then he ax me if I know where Kweku Ponsu live and if I can take him there because he want to talk business with him.”
This is promising, Emma thought. “Did you? Take him?”
“Yes, and I stay with him there because the customer is my responsibility.”
“I understand you,” Emma said. “And so, Mr. Tilson, did he meet with Ponsu?”
“Yes.”
“Do you remember the day?”
“Either thirtieth or thirty-first March.”
“What happened over there?”
“Ponsu’s macho men, those twin guys, took us into his house to greet him. Mr. Tilson ax him some questions.”
“What kind of questions?”
“About sakawa boys. And, if these big police people take part in sakawa too.”
Ah, interesting, Emma thought. “And how did Ponsu answer the questions?”
Yahya grunted. “First, he didn’t say anything, then Mr. Tilson gave him some money, but Ponsu still don’t talk. Then Tilson get annoyed, and he say everyone lie to him and Ponsu challenge him to ask him if Tilson is calling him a liar too. Then, Tilson too, he tell Ponsu he doesn’t fear him at all, and Ponsu say, ‘you should fear plenty other people before me.’ Tilson didn’t understand him, but Ponsu just laugh and say, ‘white man, you will see.’ I tell Mr. Tilson to relax small and we should go, otherwise plenty trouble start and those twins can beat us if we don’t take care. So, we left from there, and the white man don’t say anything after that.”
This was terrific information. “Anything else you can tell me?” Emma asked.
“No please, madam,” he responded. Oddly, though, Emma caught the slightest shift in his gaze.
“Mr. Yahya, thank you very much for all your help.”
They stood up simultaneously and shook hands. Emma gave him a few cedis—practically all she had left on her person—considering his plight and his cooperation. When they parted, Emma was certain Yahya had had nothing to do with Gordon Tilson’s disappearance. Besides that, Yahya had supplied very important information: Tilson had indeed had a highly confrontational encounter with Ponsu, and Ponsu had said something that could well have been a threat to Tilson: “White man, you will see.”