by Kwei Quartey
“You say Wei claimed he killed Bao all for Lian,” Christine said. “He was lying, wasn’t he?”
“Maybe not a conscious lie,” Dawson said. “I think that’s how he rationalizes it to make it more acceptable to both himself and Lian. In the final analysis, though, Wei killed his brother for selfish reasons alone.”
Dawson called out to see if the kids were ready. They said yes, although Hosiah hesitated in his reply, meaning he probably was not.
“And Chuck Granger?” Christine said, stepping into her flats. “What about him?”
“He was Wei’s accomplice,” Dawson said, buttoning up his shirt. “He tied Bao up while Wei brought over the excavator to bury him. You see, Chuck wanted to annex Bao’s mine, but Bao was having nothing of that. Wei, on the other hand, wanted to join forces with Chuck and offered that in return for Chuck helping to kill Bao. But the real reason Wei wanted to kill Bao was that he wanted to have Lian all to himself. He loved her and felt he deserved her more than Bao did.”
“What about Commander Longdon?” Christine asked. “What’s going to happen to him?”
“DCOP Manu got a full confession from him,” Dawson answered. “He, Granger, and Tommy Thompson at PMMC were in league with each other. Thompson covered for Granger’s fake alibi. Granger sold illegal gold to Thompson. Thompson lied when he said Akua never came to PMMC to talk to him, and he also alerted Longdon that Akua was hot on the trail. When she went to see Longdon, that confirmed what Thompson had said, so Longdon had her killed.”
“And he tried to get you killed as well,” Christine said, shaking her head.
“What really bothers me about that,” Dawson said, “is he didn’t care if Asase got shot as well in the process.”
“Ruthless,” Christine said. “Okay, enough of that. Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
Hosiah and Sly were outside kicking a soccer ball back and forth.
“Boys!” Dawson thundered. “Not in your good clothes. Please! You should know that by now.”
He and Christine ushered the kids to the car.
“Where are we going, Daddy?” Hosiah asked, settling into the rear with Sly.
“We’re going to see the Okohs,” Dawson said, starting up the Corolla. “They’re a nice family I met while I was doing my investigation.”
“Where?”
“In Dunkwa. It’s south of here. You’ll see.”
“What’s in Dunkwa?” Sly asked.
“Gold,” Dawson said.
“Ooh,” Hosiah said, brightening. “Can we get some?”
“No,” Dawson replied flatly. “Stay away from the stuff. It’s a lot more trouble than it’s worth.”
GLOSSARY
Adinkra (ah-din-KRA): symbols carrying particular meanings or that are proverb based.
Agya (eh-JA): father. (Twi)
Akwaaba (ah-KWAH-ba): welcome.
Akan (ah-CAN): largest ethnic group in Ghana, residing primarily in southern regions of Ghana. Also: Akan languages.
Ampa (am-PA): that’s true.
Anaa?: or? (Twi) Often said at the end of a question.
Ayekoo (ah-yay-Kohh): well done, congratulations (acknowledgment of someone’s hard work, especially physical).
Banku (ban-KU): cooked, fermented corn dough.
Bolgatanga: capital of the Upper East Region of northern Ghana. (Bolga, abbreviated)
Cedi (SEE-dee): Ghana’s monetary unit.
Chaley (cha-LAY): bro, pal, dude (colloquial). May be affectionate and/or tinged with playful disdain.
Cocoyam: edible tuber; known elsewhere as taro.
Cutlass: machete, probably the most common murder weapon in Ghana.
Dabi (deh-BEE): no. (Twi)
Ewe (EH-way): ethnic group of the Volta Region of Ghana, as well as Togo and Benin.
Ewurade (ay-wu-rah-DAY): God, often an exclamation.
Fufuo (fu-fu-aw): dense, glutinous carbohydrate made from pounding boiled yam, cassava, or plantain, and eaten with different varieties of soup.
Galamsey: small-scale miners or mining, often illegal (corrupted from, “gather and sell”).
Grass cutter: large rodent common in sub-Saharan Africa, captured and bred for food. The meat is high in protein, low in fat.
Guinness Malta: lightly carbonated, non-alcoholic malt beverage, brewed from barley, hops.
Head porter: a person who carries large, commercial loads on the head.
Hip-life: hip-hop infused with Ghanaian styles.
Inshallah: God willing. (Arabic)
Juju: referring to the occult, belief in curses, talismans, and fetish objects.
Kenkey (KEN-kay): balls of fermented corn dough; a favorite among Ga people.
Kente (ken-TAY): a silk and cotton fabric made of interwoven cloth strips; indigenous to the Akan, but all ethnic groups wear it.
Keta (KAY-tah): coastal town in the Volta Region of Ghana.
Kwasea (kwa-see-ah): foolishness, stupidity.
Maadwo (mah-JO): good evening/night.
Maakye (mah-CHIH): good morning.
Maaha (mah-HAH): good afternoon.
Machoman: thug.
Medaase (mih-dah-sih): thank you. (Twi)
Mema mo aha: good afternoon (to two people or more).
Mepa wo kyew (mih-pa-wu-chew): please. (Twi) Literally, “I take off my hat to you.”
Mmofra (MOH-fra): children. (Twi)
Mo!: well done! Congrats.
Ní hǎo (nee-how): hello. (Chinese)
Oburoni (oh-bu-ro-NEE): foreigner, white person.
Onyina (oh-nyee-NA): variety of tree/wood in Ghana.
Oware (oh-wa-RAY): board game played with pebbles and shallow wells carved in wood.
Owura (oh-wu-rah): mister.
Palava: unnecessary fuss or trouble (from palaver: prolonged, idle talk).
Red-red: black-eyed peas with fried ripe plantain cooked with palm oil and spices.
Tro-tro: passenger minivans, usually holding fifteen to twenty people.
Truck pushers: young men, usually in pairs, who move around town pushing four-wheeled carts bearing scrap metal and other loads.
Twi (chwee): one of the Akan languages.
Waakye (wah-chih): rice and beans.
Wee: marijuana.
Whatsapp: a popular instant messaging app used by millions in Africa and other regions of the world (almost unknown in the USA).
Yaa nua (yeah-nwa): reply to a formal greeting, e.g., Maakye, to someone of equivalent age.
Xièxiè (shieh-shieh): thank you. (Chinese)
Acknowledgments
My sincere thanks to the following:
Lance Corporal Frank Antwi Boasiako, for his friendship and assistance with CID procedural details.
Daniel Osei Owusu, for information on Chinese miners in the Ashanti Region.
Kwame Obeng, for extensive tours of alluvial and deep mining sites in the Ashanti Region.
Chris, Charity, and Frank Scott, for their hospitality at Four Villages Inn, Kumasi.
Esi and Amowi Sutherland, for introduction to and tour of the lovely and inspirational Mmofra Park in Accra.
Sammy Mensah, for his unparalleled driving skills on treacherous rural roads.
Lukas Jones-Quartey, for inspiring one of Hosiah Dawson’s charming eccentricities.
Many thanks also to the two investigative reporters who shared invaluable information with me but wished to remain anonymous.
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