"It doesn't seem like much, to be honest," Nick said, ever doubtful. "How do you know we're not following loose ends? For all we know, the prince wanted to disappear because he doesn't want to become chief."

Kathleen had to admit, he had a point, but she had a hunch. And her hunches were usually right. They were headed for Uncle Ebo's house. He was very popular among the folk because people talked about him heartily.

Whatever Kathleen expected, it was not what she saw. Uncle Ebo was not the balding, pot-bellied father she'd imagined, but rather, a tall, startlingly handsome man. She was surprised by just how good looking the man was. And his hair! So bushy and thick!

She realized with a start that he looked familiar. He looked like the girl she'd spoken with, the first one. Araba, his daughter. She couldn't believe her luck. She'd spoken with her first suspect without even realizing it. It had to be a sign.

"Kathleen Abakwam?" The patriarch of the family greeted her, shaking her hand vigorously. She was surprised by how strong and handsome he was. She felt her knees go weak. It was during times like these when she wished she was just a little bit prettier. "Welcome, welcome. This is my wife, Kukuua." He introduced her to the stout woman who stood a little bit behind him.

Unlike the rest of the family, she wasn't a looker. It made Kathleen feel more confident about herself. If he'd spent all his married life looking at a woman who looked like that, then maybe he would enjoy looking at her.

"Come in," the stout woman directed her inside, while Uncle Ebo repeated his greetings with Nick. Kathleen sat in the tastefully decorated living room, enjoying just how homely the place felt. They weren't rich, but their house was decent and beautiful enough that she felt welcome.

There was a large open window from which a pleasant breeze wafted into the room. It came from a small garden. Kathleen felt very content, so much so that she was tempted to close her eyes, of course, until a sumptuous meal was set before her.

Kukuua smiled kindly at her and Nick. "Pardon us for not preparing properly for your arrival. It was on such short notice that I had to whip up something quick."

Kathleen wondered how fufu and light soup could be considered something quick. Uncle Ebo was a lucky man. Never being one to complain, Kathleen finished off the delicious meal. By the time she'd consumed the last morsel, she felt incredibly sleepy.

She fought to keep her eyes open, smiling at the man who now sat before her, having finished his own meal.

"Well, I'm sure by now my reputation precedes me," the journalist said.

"I know you're looking for clues on what happened to the prince. What confuses me is why you think a lowly hunter such as myself would be able to help you."

"I'm just gathering as much information as I can," Kathleen hurried to say. She didn't want this fine specimen of a man antagonizing her.

"Of course. Ask away."

"What was your daughter's relationship with the prince, if I may ask?" She wasted no time in getting to the point, hoping he'd find her straightforwardness endearing.

"Like her relationship with any other man. They all want her. I wished she'd choose to settle with him. It'd be good for her, but I don't know what's wrong with that girl. Maybe pride? I wouldn't blame her. She is unbelievably beautiful. Have you met her?"

"Yes, yesterday. I didn't know her then, though."

He nodded.

"Did you know if the crown prince and the prince of your village ever interacted?"

"There was this one time. See, the prince was staying at the Odikro's palace, with her fiancé, who wasn't her fiancé at the time..."

Kathleen stopped listening for a second to jot down that Araba hadn't been engaged to her fiancé at the time of their said interaction.

"...he'd confronted her near the stream. He wanted to talk to her, but Araba is very shy and timid, you see. She tried to get away from him but he didn't let her. He convinced her to come back to the palace with him. I don't know the specifics of what happened that day, but the village prince had had his eye on my daughter for a while. He didn't take too kindly to the crown prince openly wooing her. They got into a physical fight that day, and my daughter ran home in fear, refusing to show her face outside again."

The journalist noted all she thought was important. So far, Araba seemed very demure. Shy and timid.

This was a love triangle. Two princes vying for the love of the village beauty. How cliché. Kathleen wondered if men would ever fight over her. Unlikely, but at least if this Kukuua woman could marry a man like Ebo, then there was hope for her.

"Which of the men would you rather Araba have ended up with?" Kathleen asked, more out of curiosity than necessity.

"Is that a joke? The crown prince, of course. Which father wouldn't want his daughter married to a man who is assured to give her a good life?"

Kathleen nodded. That was fair. She wondered if he was disappointed that the village prince hadn't been the one to disappear.

"When did your daughter get engaged to the village prince?"

"Should be about...eight months ago."

"The prince was still around by then."

"Yes. He wasn't happy about it."

Kathleen nodded. "Do you think your daughter's fiancé could have had a hand in the disappearance of the prince?"

Uncle Ebo frowned. His weathered but still incredibly handsome features shifted into confusion. "I can't say he's capable of that. I don't know him well enough. I hope not."

"Do you know when Araba will be back?" she asked.

"She's—" he began to speak but was interrupted just in time by the devil herself.

A gorgeous woman stepped through the front door, the same woman Kathleen had spoken to on her first day. She gulped. She could see why men would fight over a woman like this. My, was she beautiful! Kathleen would never admit it out loud though. She'd rather eat nails.

"You again," Araba hissed.

The journalist was taken aback. This seemed nothing like the 'shy', 'timid' girl her father had described.

"Me, Kathleen Abakwam. It's a pleasure," she held out her hand.

The beautiful woman looked at it hesitantly, then took it, shaking weakly.

Kathleen smirked. A weak grip from a weak woman. What was beauty if you didn't have any strength to go with it?

"Are you still asking questions? About what doesn't concern you?"

Kathleen was taken aback again. This woman knew something, and she was going to find it out.

"I am. Would you mind answering a few questions?"

The beauty looked at her father, who'd been standing quietly the whole time. He nodded and she turned back to Kathleen, her eyes misting.

Kathleen wondered why, but she didn't ask. "What was your relationship with the crown prince?"

"Agyei," Araba scoffed. "I didn't want him near me. I hated him."

Kathleen noted down the tone of her voice as she spoke. Anger.

"Did you tell him that?"

The prettier woman looked at the journalist like she was stupid. "He was the crown prince. What do you think? That he listened to lowly women?"

Kathleen noted this. This prince didn't have a very likable personality. First, a womanizer, and now, one who didn't take no for an answer.

"Tell me more."

Araba sat with a huff. "I told him to stop following me. He wouldn't listen. I was in love with prince Kojo. I just wanted to get older. I don't know, I didn't want to be married too young. If only I'd known."

"If only you'd known what?" Kathleen asked, sitting up straighter now that her interest had been piqued. She shared an excited look with Nick, who'd been quiet the whole time.

Araba shook her head. "The only way I could've gotten Agyei off my back is if I'd married Kojo. As unscrupulous as he was, I don't think he would've openly wooed another man's wife. Not if he wanted a good image among his people."

"Prince Kojo, your current fiancé?"

Araba nodded, a small smile coming to her face. "He tried to protect me from Agyei, but as he wasn't my husband, there was little he could do. My father and him, see, they're under the prince. The prince saw us all as his property. And his parents, they didn't care. They didn't care that they'd raised a rotten, dirty human being." Araba hissed, her voice getting sharper.

Kathleen and Nick exchanged another glance. This was just getting better.

Uncle Ebo rushed to his daughter's side. They whispered to each other in Fante, a language neither Kathleen nor Nick was fluent in. Araba seemed to calm down. Her clenched fists loosened and she flattened them against the table, taking in a deep breath.

"I'm afraid that's all I can tell you today. Please leave my house."

The two journalists were startled by this assertive dismissal. This woman was supposed to be shy and timid. She clearly wasn't.

Kathleen looked to her father, as if to ask if he'd let this happen. He looked back at her sternly; he would. The journalists nodded and thanked their hosts, preparing to leave. On the way out, Kathleen asked Araba if she could pluck a flower from their garden. The scents were simply too enticing.

"No," Araba replied rudely. "Stay out of my garden."

Once again, Kathleen was shocked. Nick grabbed her arm and hurried her off the family's property, a rare smile playing about his lips.

"Prince Kojo definitely did it. Think about it. The crown prince. He's boastful, thinks he can push everyone around. He comes after the love of his life, and as a man protecting his woman, he can't let that happen. He lures him out of the palace—mind you—where they live together and kills him, burning his body afterwards. What do you think?"

"Very likely," Kathleen said absentmindedly.

Nick noticed her attitude, rolling his eyes. "You think I'm a moron, don't you?"

"What? No," Kathleen finally said. She turned to him, "It's a clever theory, albeit cliché. I can't shake off the feeling I have about the girl though. Araba."

The male journalist gave a low whistle. "She's a beauty. Have you seen those eyes? So dark and so beautiful. Like her father's. What a good-looking bunch. It's a pity about the mother though. Good thing she didn't inherit any of her genes."

"That's a terrible thing to say."

"As if you weren't thinking it. It makes me hard just thinking of the girl though."

"She's, what, nineteen? Have some decorum."

"I didn't say I want her. But you can't deny that she's gorgeous. I don't blame the prince. Any man would want her."

Kathleen bit her lip thoughtfully. "She spoke about him in the past tense. Did you catch that?" She turned to her partner. "She spoke about him like he was dead."