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
By the outside verandah light, Clifford had finished binding Emma at her wrists and ankles. Ponsu found a rag in the trunk and handed it to Clement, who opened Emma’s mouth and stuffed the rag in as far as it would go.
Nii shrank away, watching with dismay as the twins picked Emma up and swung her into the trunk as if she were a dead goat.
Ponsu turned to Nii scowling. “If you say anything about this to anyone, I swear, we will come back and get you and you’ll regret you ever opened your mouth.”
Clifford opened the rear door of the vehicle for Ponsu to get in, and then he took the driver’s seat. Clement joined him on the front passenger side and they pulled away, tires kicking up dust.
Nii stared after them until the rear lights had disappeared. Then he turned away and went back in the house feeling sick. One of his housemates, who was quite high on weed, asked Nii what was going on.
“Nothing,” he muttered. “Go back to your room.”
The housemate shrugged. He had been planning on doing that anyway.
Nii paced the living room, then sat down rubbing his head in despair. He didn’t know what to do. Yes, it’s true that he didn’t like the idea of Emma investigating Mr. Ponsu, but this was no way to treat her. On the other hand, Nii couldn’t go to the police for help, and that included Auntie Doris. She didn’t like Emma and wouldn’t lift a finger to help her.
Nii took out his phone. The battery was in the red zone so he cast around for a charger. He had so many of them, why could he not find one when he needed it most? When he had located a charger stuck between the sofa cushions, he plugged it in and called Bruno, praying that he would pick up. He did.
“Nii, what’s up?” Bruno said. “You know I dey hospital, right?”
“Sorry oo. Look, I didn’t know they were going to do this to you, I swear.”
“You mean Ponsu’s guys?”
“Yeah. Chaley, they’ve taken Emma too.”
“What? When?”
“Just now. They forced me to call her to come here so I can talk to her and they hid themselves and listened to what she was saying. When they heard how much she knows, they knocked her out and tied her up.”
“And where are they going with her?”
“I don’t know,” Nii said, his voice shaking with emotion, “but I think they’re taking her to the Adome Bridge.”
“Shit,” Bruno said. “Let me call you back.”