“Come and sit here, Okoo Mi,” the landlord’s wife told Mukhtar the following afternoon.

Mukhtar, who had been unable to sleep a wink the night before, had come over early the next morning, but the landlord had refused to answer him. He chased him out and threatened to call people on him if he didn’t leave his entrance. The woman had told Mukhtar, after pitying him, that he should just leave since her husband was still very angry.

“Ma, I have no intention to pester him as well, but I really need to see Evie. Once I explain what really happened to her, you will also get to see that...