“When I met you in DC, I had been talking online to a Ghanaian woman called Helena, located in Accra. She contacted me through a Facebook page for widows and widowers, and over the months between November last year and February this year, we talked a lot via Skype and so on. Helena, or the person I thought was her, looked absolutely beautiful and I fell in love.

“There’s no other way to say it, and by February I really wanted to see her. She was going through a rather difficult patch, including her favorite sister having been very seriously injured in a highway crash. So, I was helping Helena and her family out with the finances associated with this catastrophe.”

Josephine sipped her drink as she kept her eyes intently on him. Her expression was entirely nonjudgmental now, but Gordon wondered how much longer that would last.

“I finally took the plunge and traveled to Ghana. I got into Kotoka International on Saturday the fifteenth of February. Helena was to meet me there. I probably don’t need to tell you that not only did she not show up at the airport, she never materialized at all.”

Josephine was staring at him and slowly shaking her head. Gordon braced for the, “you mean to tell me you haven’t heard of these Internet scams?” But instead, she said, “It makes me furious that someone would take advantage of your kindness in this way. These damn sakawa boys! How much did they steal from you?”

“Almost four thousand dollars.”

She put her hand over his and squeezed. “I’m so very sorry, Gordon. I even feel like apologizing on behalf of the whole country for this.”

He cracked a smile. “You shouldn’t feel that way. This is entirely my stupidity.”

Josephine disagreed. “Don’t come down so hard on yourself. How were you to know the level of sophistication these Internet criminals have achieved? You’ve reported this to the police?”

“Yes, but they don’t seem to be doing much. Or anything, for that matter.”

“How long do you plan to be in Ghana?”

Gordon sipped his coffee before continuing. “Until the middle of April, tentatively. It partly depends on how much headway I make.”

“With the police?”

“Well, yes and no. I’m not expecting great things from them.”

Josephine shook her head. “We won’t accept that. I’ll talk to James about it. He can apply pressure to Commissioner Andoh at CID. I feel sorry that you didn’t get in touch earlier, but it’s okay. We’ll make up for the time.”

“Thank you, Josephine.”

“Call me ‘Jo.’ All my friends do.”

“I’m happy you consider me a friend,” he said. “After . . . you-know-what.”

She tossed her head. “Whatever happens in DC . . .”

He laughed. “I got it. Don’t worry, I’m on my best behavior.”

“Good.”