“Well Mr Mahlangu, it’s been a busy day today,” he said, “I’ve been doing a background check on you and I found quite interesting things, but none of them include money. So I know that you are just a ladies’ man and not a thief. Perhaps Mrs October, or whatever her real name is, might have convinced you to help her out since you are known for your great reputation and skills.”

Finally, I was going to be vindicated and set free.

“So why don’t you help me to help you. This woman might be somewhere across the world and you are here in this interrogation room facing the music alone. So let’s start afresh, Mr Mahlangu what is your relation to Mrs October?”

“I already told you,” I said feeling my energies go.

“Tell me again, I’ve got all day. My wife knows I’m a busy man.”

“I only met her yesterday when my receptionist told me there was a Mrs October waiting to see me. I went to the reception to meet her. After our meeting I gave her my personal card.”

“And why would you do that?”

“So she could call me if she needed anything.”

“Do you give your personal card to everyone sir? Or was she given special treatment?”

“I…I was taken aback by her beauty and I acted out of foolishness.”

“So, after that, suddenly she called you to her house to help her pack her things, and you jumped to the opportunity and took her to the hotel afterwards?”

I nodded. I knew that he didn’t believe anything I was saying. His eyes told me I was going to be thrown in a cell and the keys thrown away.

“You know I find it hard to believe that a woman of Mrs October’s class would meet a man in a day and suddenly go sleep with him.”

“Well that’s what you think and I’m telling you what happened.”

“Cheeky, very cheeky I see. Let’s see how cheeky you’ll get after this.”

He up and left and I was left alone till the morning. I spent the entire night scratching my brains, thinking of what I could say that would convince Vankyker that I was telling the truth. In the morning another man walked in, followed by Martin. He was black and had a sense of integrity about him.

“Mr Mahlangu, I’m Colonel Hlatswayo. This man here convinced me and my co-workers that you are not capable of the things you are being accused of. However, we as the South African Police Association do not work with hearsay but hard cold facts. I must agree with him though because even if you were seen with Mrs October, there is no evidence pointing that you could have taken part in her husband’s murder. So you are free to go.”

Yes! That’s what I’ve been telling all these fools. But he wasn’t done yet.

“One thing you must know, you will be watched. From now on we will make sure we know everything you do, right from what you have for breakfast. One mistake or evidence that you are still working or have any contact with Mrs October, you’ll be back in here in no time.”

At that moment I felt like kissing him. My butt was stiff from all the sitting and my stomach was growling. After we left the building, Martin transported me to the office to pick up my car in the parking lot.

“Can you believe these people? I could bloody sue them for leaving me in that interrogation room for hours.”

“You know for a lawyer, you just don’t make sense.”

“So you think it was fair to be kept in there?”

“Sbu, there are more important things that you have to face.”

“Like what?”

“Mr Stofberg flew all the way from Cape Town this morning.”

Mr Stofberg was our senior. MM Attorneys was built by him from scratch and when he retired he sold fifty percent of his shares to me and Martin. He still had the majority of fifty percent.

“So?”

“He thinks you are no longer focused and that you should leave before we lose clients.”

“Oh wow! So you two are gonna kick a dog when its down?”

“Don’t shoot the messenger.”

“He cannot kick me out, I’m a bloody shareholder in that law firm. I’m the best and he knows it. Ever since this year started, I never lost a case, not a single one.”

“I just thought I should let you know. And that as we speak your things are being moved from the office.”

I just couldn’t believe it. Just then my phone rang, it was Mantoa.

“Hey babe, thank God you called. We need to talk, please come back home.”

“I’m sorry I can’t do that. Otlare mola o ithutile go shomisha monagano maybe just maybe I’ll come back home. I was calling to remind you to pay the kids’ school fees. I’ll take them to school from here.”

“Please sweetheart, I need you!”

“Just pay the bloody school fees.”

“Right now I’m a bit tied up. Let me send you the money so you go pay.”

She said OK and then she hung up.

I immediately went into my cell phone banking to send Mantoa the money. It declined. I tried again and still declined. Dammit! Bloody network! And then at the top of the banking menu I saw something that made me want to faint.

There were zero Rands in my accounts. Nothing. Nada. Niks. All my money was gone. But how?

***

Tell us: Do you think Sara stole Sbu’s money? But how?