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
“That’s why I say we can help you,” Dazz said urgently. “I beg you, Edwin. Please. Let us help you through this.”
“I don’t know what to do,” Edwin said again, bringing the gun back up to Josephine’s neck again.
“No—” Dazz said.
What happened next was almost too quick to see. A shot rang out and a starburst of blood erupted. Josephine screamed and fell to the floor from the couch while Edwin launched backward. Dazz let out a guttural cry of horror and Courage and the DCOP sprang into the hallway and started toward the bedroom. Emma followed Courage, who had his weapon raised and ready. Dazz stood frozen in the doorway.
Josephine was crying out, patting her body all over and looking for the gunshot wound. But she didn’t have one. And then she saw her son splayed on the back of the sofa with mouth open, eyes staring up, and brain matter on the wall behind him. She shrieked, “No!” and scrambled up to go to Edwin.
“No,” Dazz said, diving for her. “Come away, madam. Come away.”
Weeping, she resisted as he removed her from the scene. She began to collapse, but Emma was there to catch her.
“I’ve got her,” she said to Dazz. “You go do what needs to be done. I’ll take care of her.”
Emma held onto Josephine and coaxed her downstairs. She had never seen the IGP’s wife without makeup or in anything except a beautiful outfit. Now she was plain and vulnerable and distraught beyond anything imaginable.
“Come, Madam Josephine,” Emma said. “Let’s sit down.”
She sat with her arms around Mrs. Akrofi, who wept until she had no energy left. Then she was quiet, appearing dazed, detached even. Soon Araba, her own face tear-stained, came to sit with her employer in an attempt to comfort her. Within the hour, the crime scene team appeared in their otherworldly outfits, going up and down the stairs to process the carnage.
Emma thought about the unbearable sadness of it all, and about the bitter truth that was yet to come. She had understood it now, and it was all very clear.
NINETY-EIGHT
NINETY-EIGHT
Exhausted, Josephine had slept for a short time on the couch in James’s study. She sat up, unsteady and bleary-eyed and saw Emma in the doorway.
“Looks like you really needed that rest,” Emma said, smiling at her.
“Yes,” Josephine said. She gasped and dropped her head into her palm. The memory of what had happened must have just hit her like a pile of rocks.
“I can only say how sorry I am about Edwin’s death,” Emma said.
“Thank you,” Josephine said stiffly.
“Would you like to come outside?” Emma asked. “I can have Araba bring you something?”
“Just water, please.”
Josephine was surprised as she emerged to find DCOP Laryea in the sitting room. “Oh. Hello, Mr. Laryea.”