Rafe said nothing. As he recalled, he’d been lost in thought when he left the mission. Not that it would have made a difference if he hadn’t been.

“I think we should be cooperating,” Okoro said. “I think we are all on the same side. Your associates did not trust me because I am Nigerian, and all Nigerians are corrupt.”

“So I’m told,” Rafe said.

“But two hundred million Nigerians? How could all of us be corrupt? Not one honest man anywhere? Is that even possible?”

Rafe shrugged. He was beginning to think anything was possible. “What are we all on the same side of?” he asked.

Okoro took another sip of coffee. “Solving a crime. Industrial sabotage and murder. Motivated by financial profit and enabled by a cynical investment manager. You were at Sterling Wealth Management. Your colleagues who followed me—without my noticing them, unlike you—had obviously been watching Sterling Wealth Management. So you and I and they all suspected that Sterling and its principal, Majid Hassan, were involved in the scheme. My suspicion validated theirs. Your suspicion validates mine. Together, we can apprehend the murderers. Mister Hassan will be our starting point.”

Rafe hesitated. He could start telling this man the same lies he had just told Frank and Sykes. Had they believed him? They might have, because they only suspected Sterling in the first place because Rafe had fingered it, and now he was unfingering it. But this guy must have his own source of information. He hadn’t been led to Majid by Rafe.

He took a middle ground. “Nothing has been established,” he said.

Okoro finished his coffee and put down his cup and leaned forward and looked at Rafe. “It’s curious,” he said.

The look made Rafe uncomfortable. “What is?”

“I don’t know who you are,” Okoro said. “You followed me from Sterling, and I saw you leave the embassy, so it’s logical to assume you are some kind of American agent. But you came to the Sterling office carrying a small suitcase. Investigators calling on suspects don’t bring suitcases with them. So perhaps you are something else. What were you doing there?”

“You know I can’t tell you anything,” Rafe said.

“What was in the bag?”

Rafe stood up. “Thank you for the coffee,” he said. “If you have any more questions, you should go back to the embassy.”

Okoro was still looking at him. Did this guy ever blink? “You asked about my religion,” he said. “I’ll tell you what I believe. I believe I was created by God and deposited on this earth for a purpose. My purpose is to pursue criminals and murderers and bring evil to justice. I am curious. What is yours?”

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