“Yes, sir. I feel fine. So, you know what happened?”

“DCOP Laryea called me and gave me the gist, but you will need to tell me everything from the beginning. And don’t leave anything out.”

Emma had a sense of relief to be unburdening herself. The day she stepped into the quicksand and found herself being sucked under was when she had seen Gordon Tilson’s emails that Derek had shared with her. Her discovery that Nii Kwei had met Gordon had intrigued her and she had asked Bruno if she could meet Nii. At the time, she had still entertained the possibility of mentioning the emails to Mr. Sowah. Then she had found out what her stepbrother was really doing—working undercover for Sana Sana. She hesitated sharing that with anyone, including, she confessed, Mr. Sowah, because she didn’t want to blow her stepbrother’s cover. Then, exactly what she didn’t want to happen did: Bruno was beaten up by, most likely at the time, the twins. One thing led to another—Emma’s night visit to Nii, the attack, the Adome Bridge, Emma’s brush with death. And now, here she was. Battered but alive.

“Bruno and I went to Bukom with one of Nii’s housemates yesterday,” she added, “but we didn’t find Nii anywhere. I’m worried about him. How do we know Ponsu didn’t get to him?”

Sowah nodded. “It’s a possibility. Ponsu can’t be located either; Interpol notified the Togo and Benin police because it appears he’s crossed into Togo. They’ll get him eventually. So, now to the crux of the matter, that you independently decided to start collaborating with Bruno after I had expressly asked you to relinquish any investigation related to Gordon Tilson’s death.”

She nodded. “Yes, sir. I was wrong and I’m sorry I disobeyed you. I have no excuse.”

Sowah eyed her, but did she catch the hint of a smile? “When I give those kinds of instructions,” he said, “there’s method to my madness. The very reason I didn’t want you to go any further with the Tilson affair is the same one for which you were almost thrown into the river.”

“Yes sir.”

“On the other hand,” Sowah said, leaning back with a sigh, “your actions have led to the arrest of two out of three people responsible for the murder of Mr. Tilson. So, I’m both shaking your hand and shaking my finger at you.”

“Yes, sir. The bottom line is that I put myself in danger and it’s only by the grace of God that I’m here.”

“Amen.”

“Please, if you wish me to resign at once, I will do so.”

Sowah smiled. “Well, I don’t need to throw the baby out with the bathwater.”

“Come again?”