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Back The Missing American Save as PDF
Chapters (109)
  1. Part One
  2. ONE
  3. One day earlier
  4. TWO
  5. THREE
  6. FOUR
  7. FIVE
  8. SIX
  9. SEVEN
  10. EIGHT
  11. NINE
  12. TEN
  13. ELEVEN
  14. TWELVE
  15. THIRTEEN
  16. FOURTEEN
  17. FIFTEEN
  18. SIXTEEN
  19. SEVENTEEN
  20. EIGHTEEN
  21. NINETEEN
  22. TWENTY
  23. TWENTY-ONE
  24. TWENTY-TWO
  25. PART TWO
  26. TWENTY-THREE
  27. TWENTY-FOUR
  28. TWENTY-FIVE
  29. TWENTY-SIX
  30. TWENTY-SEVEN
  31. TWENTY-EIGHT
  32. TWENTY-NINE
  33. THIRTY
  34. THIRTY-ONE
  35. THIRTY-TWO
  36. THIRTY-THREE
  37. THIRTY-FOUR
  38. THIRTY-FIVE
  39. THIRTY-SIX
  40. THIRTY-SEVEN
  41. THIRTY-EIGHT
  42. THIRTY-NINE
  43. FORTY
  44. FORTY-ONE
  45. FORTY-TWO
  46. FORTY-THREE
  47. FORTY-FOUR
  48. FORTY-FIVE
  49. FORTY-SIX
  50. FORTY-SEVEN
  51. FORTY-EIGHT
  52. FORTY-NINE
  53. FIFTY
  54. FIFTY-ONE
  55. FIFTY-TWO
  56. FIFTY-THREE
  57. FIFTY-FOUR
  58. FIFTY-FIVE
  59. FIFTY-SIX
  60. FIFTY-SEVEN
  61. FIFTY-EIGHT
  62. FIFTY-NINE
  63. SIXTY
  64. SIXTY-ONE
  65. SIXTY-TWO
  66. SIXTY-THREE
  67. SIXTY-FOUR
  68. SIXTY-FIVE
  69. SIXTY-SIX
  70. SIXTY-SEVEN
  71. SIXTY-EIGHT
  72. SIXTY-NINE
  73. SEVENTY
  74. SEVENTY-ONE
  75. SEVENTY-TWO
  76. SEVENTY-THREE
  77. SEVENTY-FOUR
  78. SEVENTY-FIVE
  79. SEVENTY-SIX
  80. SEVENTY-SEVEN
  81. SEVENTY-EIGHT
  82. SEVENTY-NINE
  83. EIGHTY
  84. EIGHTY-ONE
  85. EIGHTY-TWO
  86. EIGHTY-THREE
  87. EIGHTY-FOUR
  88. EIGHTY-FIVE
  89. EIGHTY-SIX
  90. EIGHTY-SEVEN
  91. EIGHTY-EIGHT
  92. EIGHTY-NINE
  93. NINETY
  94. NINETY-ONE
  95. NINETY-TWO
  96. NINETY-THREE
  97. NINETY-FOUR
  98. NINETY-FIVE
  99. NINETY-SIX
  100. NINETY-SEVEN
  101. NINETY-EIGHT
  102. NINETY-NINE
  103. GLOSSARY
  104. Acknowledgments
  105. Continue reading
  106. Part One
  107. ONE
  108. TWO
  109. THREE

He turned on the light and looked in her chest of drawers. “Here—a T-shirt and some panties.” He dropped them on the bed. “I’ll help you.”

He took off her blouse. She flinched and shielded her developing breasts from him.

He laughed. “Come on, don’t be shy. I’m your daddy.”

She hurried to put on the shirt and turned away from him in bed as she put on her panties.

“You’re growing so fast,” he said. “Do the panties still fit you?”

“Yes, they’re okay,” Araba said, covering herself.

“I don’t think so,” he said, gently pulling the covers away. “Look at the hem—too tight.”

“They’re okay, Daddy,” she pleaded.

“Right here,” he said. “Too tight.”

She caught her breath and held it, looking away as he slipped his finger under the lace edge of her panties. His breathing was irregular and sounded loud in the quiet room. It always did.

“You know I care a lot about you, Araba,” he said. “These special little times we spend together are just for us and for God, right? It’s not for others to know about because they won’t understand. They’ll say you’re a bad girl, but I know and you know that you are good.”

He pulled Araba’s hand toward him to make her touch him, but she wriggled from his grip. Soon Araba became aware of the other sound—him stroking himself. She dared not look. She fixed her gaze elsewhere as Daddy spluttered and gasped—a strange choking noise pushed down against itself.

He stood up, kissed her on the forehead, switched off the light, and left without another word. Outside in the hallway, Araba heard him say, “What are you doing there?”

“Nothing, nothing.” It was Mama, speaking timidly. “I thought I heard a noise, so I came to see if everything was okay.”

“Well, everything is fine,” he said tersely. “Go back to bed.”

Mama’s steps retreated, and then Araba heard Daddy going downstairs. Her parents did not sleep in the same room, let alone the same bed.

Araba brought her knees up to her chest, staring at the wall through the thick darkness.

THREE

THREE

The day of the murder

Monday morning was the start of Accra Fashion Week, held this year at the garish Tang Palace Hotel in the South Airport Residential area. Before Araba’s show at 10 a.m., a lot had to be done. Samson Allotey, Lady Araba’s right-hand man, had arrived at six to begin setting up.