The Whitewashed Tombs by Kwei Quartey

Author:Kwei Quartey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Soho Press

CHAPTER TWENTY

AT MORNING BRIEFING, EMMA felt outside of her body, as if her inner self had departed and left an empty shell behind. She couldn’t recall feeling so depressed in a long time.

She jumped as she realized Sowah was addressing her. “Sorry, sir?”

“You were miles away somewhere. I was asking where you are with the ICF people.”

“I had a meeting with Madam Gertrude to start enrolling in the Ambassador program.”

“How did it go?”

“She’s an extremist, boss,” Emma said with concern. “I got her to confess that she’s okay with gay people being stoned or beaten to death.”

“Seriously?” Gideon said, aghast.

With deep distaste, Sowah blew out his breath. “Insanity,” he muttered. “It raises the possibility that she and maybe someone else in that organization wouldn’t have a problem butchering a Marcelo Tetteh to death.”

“Exactly, sir.”

“Keep working on her. See if you can get her to confide in you and reveal more.”

“Sure, boss.”

Sowah looked at Manu. “How are you getting on?”

“I’m meeting Chief Nii Lante II this afternoon.”

Sowah nodded. “Good work. I feel like things are moving in the right direction.”

AS HE SAT at his desk to begin the day’s work, he received a call from Detective Chief Inspector Boateng.

“Morning, Yemo,” Boateng said.

“Hey, big DCI Boateng! It’s been a while.”

“Yes, I hope you’re well; but listen, Jojo was arrested last night. I’m at the CID charge office where he’s being detained.”

“What?”

“Have you heard the news that Henrietta Blay, the trans female artist, has been murdered?”

“No!?”

“She was Jojo’s friend. When he went to visit her last night, he found her dead. The inspector on the scene arrested Jojo on suspicion of murder.”

“Oh, God.” Sowah let out a small gasp. “Have they charged him?”

“I think they want to, but they’re hoping he’ll confess first.”

“Are you still at the CO?”

“Yes.”

“Tell him not to say another word to anyone until I get our company lawyer over there.”

“Yes, I did tell him that, and I’ll let him know the lawyer’s on his way.”

“Thank you.”

Sowah put in a call to Julius Heman-Ackah, who listened to Sowah’s account and said curtly, “Okay, this is Ghana Police nonsense. We must get Jojo out of there. Can you meet me at CID in an hour?”

SOWAH ARRIVED FIRST and joined Boateng to enter the CO. Officers and armed guards stood at the long L-shaped counter. Behind them, arrestees packed the two noisy jail cells beyond capacity.

“Do you see him?” Boateng asked.

“No, I don’t,” Sowah replied, worried.

“The cell farthest from us.”

“Oh, yes,” Sowah said with relief as he spotted Jojo pressed up against the bars. Sowah smiled, gave him a power salute, and signaled to him to hold on.

The door opened again and Julius Heman-Ackah walked in dressed in a fitted, navy-blue three-piece suit. In a resonant voice that seemed to emerge from the heart of his hefty, six-foot-two frame, he said good morning to Sowah and Boateng, both of whom he’d known for decades. He dispensed with pleasantries and got to the point. “Have you spoken to him?” he asked Sowah.

“I haven’t, but DCI Boateng has.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.