This passage makes clear that the rich man is the Kimeria who impregnated Wanja when she was very young. Though Wanja states that his abuse “ruined [her] life,” Kimeria does not address the harm he has caused. Instead, he calls Wanja a “witch,” implying that she put a romantic spell on him—so his abuse of her is her fault. Then he offers, essentially, to buy her—to rent an apartment for her in exchange for a sexual relationship. He sees Wanja as a commodity that he, a rich man, can purchase. When Wanja grabs the knife, it reminds readers that Kimeria will later die by arson and that Wanja has a motive to kill him—raising the possibility that Wanja will set the deadly fire. Finally, when Kimeria threatens to call the police, even though he has kidnapped Wanja and the others, it makes clear that the police will side with the rich man over poor, marginalized people.