I yawn, turning over to the other side on my bed, cuddling my pillow. I suddenly get this weird feeling, like there’s someone watching me by my bedside. My eyelids are still heavy from slumber, but I try to lift them open.

“Hi, Peakanyo.”

I know that deep voice. My eyes shoot open to see him smirking at me with those dark eyes of his. My ears pick up muffled screams somewhere in the room, so my eyes start scanning the space. Blood rushes to my face when I see my family tied hands and legs by my bedside. A man in black has a gun pointed at them.

“Tell me where Jakes is, or I’ll kill them.”

Fear’s icy grip wraps around my heart, squeezing tight. My breath catches in my throat as I try to utter something. The horrified look on my family’s faces breaks me because I don’t have the answer Timothy is looking for.

In a half whisper, “I… don’t know.”

The gun goes off.

I jolt awake, drenched in sweat, my heart pounding in my throat. But… I’m in my room. There’s no one here. That was… a dream. One hell of a dream! My head falls back on the pillow as I sigh in relief.

“But what if this is what Timothy is planning?” I murmur to myself.

The last conversation I had with my brother plays in my mind, and an idea hits me. I take a shower, put on my police uniform, and head to the kitchen. Amo and the twins are at school, and Mum is probably attending a society meeting. Great. That means I can grab a fruit and leave without interrogation.

I arrive at Pearl Mabaso’s home. Her sister, Tumelo, opens the door and leads me to the living room.

“Oh, I was expecting Sergeant Radebe. Tell me you’ve found her, officer,” she says, her eyes tinged with hope.

I hate that my presence evokes hope while I’m here for anything but justice for her sister. I wish I could tell her the truth, but I can’t—not before she helps me.

“I need you to show me her room. Maybe we’ll find something useful that’ll help the case.”

She nods and tells me to follow her. It’s a clean, medium-sized bedroom. I start with the pedestals, drawers, and her table, which holds documents, but there’s nothing. I lift the bed and hold it while Tumelo looks underneath. She finds a folded piece of paper that seems torn from a pocketbook. Written on it are the words: Luthuli Mtjali. It feels like a dead end.

“Do you know who Luthuli Mtjali is?”

She nods. “Her colleague. He was also on duty that day. How come you don’t know when Radebe does?”

“No, Pearl was only with Peace Tau—the guard who was shot dead. Your sister’s statement said so.”

She furrows her brows. “That’s a lie! She told me they were three, okay?”

“Okay, okay, calm down,” I say, raising my hands in surrender. “Did you say Radebe knows?”

Another nod. Shit.

“I might have an idea of what happened to your sister, but first we need to do something. It’s a little bit scary, but it’ll serve as proof. Are you game?”

“Yes.”

We text Luthuli under false pretenses, asking him to connect us with a buyer for diamonds and promising him a share. Initially hesitant, he gains trust after seeing my face. He wouldn’t recognise me because I’ve been behind a desk all this time. He tells us about a man named Raizor, who sends his middleman for the diamond exchange. I walk away from the exchange with a heavy bag containing one million rand.

“How does all of this help my sister?” Tumelo asks, parking at my street around 5 p.m. “I was expecting cops to gate-crash the exchange or something. Please enlighten me, because I’m lost.”

“I… ahem…” I stutter, unsure of which lie to serve her. My eyes bounce between her and the money bag on the back seat. She clicks the locks on the car doors.

“Your sister is… she’s no longer alive. I’m sorry, but I’m not going to chase justice for someone who has already passed on.”

She slaps me across the face. I’m the one with the burning cheek, but she’s the one whimpering.

“What was all this for if not for her?”

“Please… just let it go. It’s the best decision for us both…”

I’m interrupted by something vibrating in my seat. It’s my phone, tucked under my uniform. Tumelo tells me to press loudspeaker.

“Phelo.”

“Jesus, why weren’t you answering your damn phone, Peakanyo?” He sounds frustrated. “Where were you, and what are you doing?”

I look at Tumelo. She’s gawking at me.
“I… was out. Why?” I respond.

He clicks his tongue. “Amo went missing. A community member said he saw him hopping inside a Range Rover with a man whose description matches Timothy Radebe after school.”

My heart sinks to the pit of my stomach. Lord, no…

“Pea, please send me your location. I’ll come to you so that we can face this together. I promise—”

“Amo is already in trouble because of me,” I interject. “I don’t want the same thing happening to you. Please watch my mum, Phelo.”