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
Josephine put her face in her hands and wept quietly.
Laryea nodded at Emma, who went to the door and opened it. Dazz was waiting.
“She’s ready,” Emma said.
Dazz came in and helped Josephine from the sofa. “Come along, madam,” he said gently.
He led her away.
Laryea looked at Emma. “Well played,” he said, but there was no gloating in his tone. “Thank you.”
“And you too, sir,” she replied. “Very well played.”
NINETY-NINE
NINETY-NINE
After Mrs. Akrofi’s arrest, Emma took a cab to CID, where Thelma Bright had scheduled a meeting with Commissioner Andoh. Traffic en route was predictably slow and it gave Emma enough time to call someone she was dying to talk to. Derek picked up after three rings. “Emma! So good to hear from you. How are you?”
“I’m very well, thanks. Is this a good time?”
“For you, any time is good.”
She smiled. “That’s sweet of you. I’m calling with news.”
“Is it good?”
“I would say so, yes. Do you remember a woman called Josephine whom your father mentioned in his emails to Casper?”
“Yes, the woman Dad had met here in DC.”
“Yes, they were friends there, but in Ghana your dad became a danger to Josephine. He was getting closer and closer to knowing the truth about how high the sakawa scams went up the chain and Josephine was afraid of her husband being exposed. That would threaten their whole life as they knew it, and she couldn’t abide by that.”
“So, you’re saying . . . she had my father killed?”
“Yes.”
“My God.”
“She conspired with Kweku Ponsu and his bodyguards to have your dad attacked and dumped into the river.”
For a moment, Derek was silent. Then he said, “That’s so sad, so pitiful. I don’t understand it.”
“Mrs. Akrofi even targeted two other people she considered a menace,” Emma said. “One was assassinated—presidential candidate Evans-Aidoo, while the other, Sana Sana, escaped the attempt. Again, Derek, I can’t tell you just how deeply sorry I am that this has befallen you and your father.”
“What about you?” he asked. “You told me how you were almost dumped in the river yourself. Was that Mrs. Akrofi’s doing as well?”
“No. That was just Mr. Ponsu getting tired of me all on his own.”
“All on his own?” Derek snorted. “Funny way of putting it.”
He fell quiet again and Emma gave him a moment before asking, “How do you feel?”
“I suppose I’ll go through different stages,” he said. “Right now, I feel a kind of satisfaction that these people have been caught, but a sense of sadness and futility as well. But above all, I’m grateful to you for keeping your promise and even risking your own life to get to the bottom of this. I’m forever in your debt. Thank you, Emma.”