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
“I hope Sana calls you while I’m still here,” she said. “I want to talk to him.”
But by the time the bell rang for visiting hours to be over, there had been no word from Sana. Emma prepared to leave.
“Will I see you tomorrow?” Bruno asked her, sounding hopeful.
“Yes, of course. I’ll come after church. Should I bring you some fresh clothes?”
“Yes, please. Thank you, Emma.”
Nii reached Emma on his second attempt.
“I was just about to call you,” she said.
“About Bruno?”
“Yes. So, you heard?”
“One of his neighbors at Cocobod called me just a few minutes ago to tell me he’s in the hospital,” Nii said. “Said he was beaten up very badly. I tried to call him, but he wasn’t picking up, so I thought of getting in touch with you.”
“I just came from seeing him,” she told him. “He’s at the Military Hospital.”
“Will he be okay?” Nii asked.
“Probably, yes.”
“Thank God,” Nii said.
“I need to talk to you,” she said.
“Me too,” Nii said, his voice a little shaky. He steadied himself. “What’s happened to Bruno is serious. Can you come to my house now to discuss everything?”
“Yes, I’m not that far away. I’ll take a cab.”
“Then I’ll see you soon.” Nii put the phone down and turned to look at his three guests, Ponsu, Clifford, and Clement. “She’s coming,” he told them.
Ponsu smiled. “Good job. Why are you shaking? Relax.”
The twins laughed, but Nii didn’t find it funny. Nothing had been funny within the past half hour. Clifford and Clement had pushed him around and roughed him up while Ponsu had watched with a sick grin. It could have been worse, of course. The twins could have snapped Nii’s neck like a chicken.
•••
As Emma got to Nii’s house, she texted to say she’d arrived.
“Wait, I’m coming,” he said. After undoing multiple locks on the other side of the door, Nii opened it, she entered, and he locked up again behind her.
“How are you?” he said, as they went to the sitting room. His roommates weren’t in sight but the place smelled of weed so Emma imagined they were somewhere around smoking.
She sat next to Nii on the red sofa.
“How was Bruno when you left him?” he asked her.
“He seems to be getting better,” she answered. “So, what’s going on? What do you need to talk to me about?”
“First, you tell me what are you investigating,” Nii said. “I know you work with Mr. Sowah now.”
“Was it you who called the agency yesterday to see if I was there?”
“Yes,” he admitted.