The Imam was seated in the office the next day when Jones called with interesting news. Jean-Paul had four phone calls with a man identified as Johnathan Dankur on the day he disappeared. Dankur has made calls to Isia. Five since the disappearance.

“Five since Jean-Paul disappeared? How did Quaco get her number?”

“That’s a good question. Maybe Jean-Paul gave it to him before he disappeared?”

“No, it is unlikely. Isia must have given it to him—although I’m not sure why.”

“Sounds suspicious. I’m going to fax you my report. I suggest you contact the police.”

The phone calls between Isia and Quaco were troubling. Something was wrong. He doubted Jean-Paul had given Quaco her number. Unless something was going on between them. He called Isia and told her he had news of her husband.

Isia gasped, “Mon dieu! Where is he?”

He asked her to come to the Mosque to discuss it. When she arrived, he told her to be seated. “Do you remember Theo Jones?” the Imam asked.

“Oui, the bon homme,” she responded.

The Imam told her Jones had discovered the phone calls between herself and Quaco.

A look of horror flashed across her face. “Mon dieu! How did he find out?”

“He’s a private investigator.”

Tears of anguish flowed down her cheeks as she told him Quaco called her the day after Jean-Paul disappeared. He claimed to have received her number from him and said they’d entered into a partnership to sell Kente cloth. Quaco told her she should honour the agreement. She refused but continued to talk with Quaco for news of her missing husband. Now the Imam realized why Quaco was always asking him questions about the police and the results of his inquiries. He wanted this information to bait Isia. He shook his head sadly as he recalled being fooled by Quaco’s seemingly genuine interest in Lumier’s safety. He remembered an African fable. Crocodile tears – false tears shed by the crocodile before it devoured its prey. He suspected this miscreant knew what happened to Jean-Paul. He took Isia’s hand and told her not to mention anything to Quaco.