They drove north to the fashionable suburbs of Phakalane, home to the wealthiest in Gaborone. Kate found it hard to believe that it was only five years ago when John lived in one of these mansions with his ex-wife Boitumelo. Kate knew from John’s experience that a big house did not equal happiness no matter what the television might want to preach to us. Suffering happened behind of high expensive walls just as easily as within the walls of a mud rondaval.

Ntoko directed Kate to the Setle’s home. He had not exaggerated. It was huge. It looked to be about four floors high. The front entrance was impressive with massive marble columns running from ground floor to roof. Kate was taken aback when a butler, wearing the whole butler get-up, answered the door. A butler in Botswana; Kate barely managed to suppress a giggle.

“Good Morning, may I help you,” he said in a posh British accent obviously practiced but not long enough because when he spoke again it was apparent that he was just a typical Motswana man. “May I ask who is calling?”

Kate could see that her partner was not taking this well. She’d never seen him so agitated. He pulled out his police ID and flashed it at the butler. “It’s the police. We’re here to see Ontiretse Setle and either you can let us in to talk to him or we can take him with us.” Ntoko was throwing the full weight of his position around, he’d never flashed his badge at anyone before. Something about these Setles were knocking against her partner in the wrong way.

The butler was rattled but not pushed completely off track. “Yes, please come in. If you would kindly take a seat in the vestibule I will get Master Setle for you.”

He disappeared without a sound which was quite a feat given his polished leather shoes and the marble tiles he walked on. “Bit of nonsense,” Ntoko mumbled.

“What did you say?” Kate asked.

“I said this is all a bunch of nonsense. Stupidest boy in school, no respect for anyone. Now he’s showing off like he’s the king of England. Just goes to show how backwards the world is.”

“Yeah, suppose it does.” Just then the butler returned with an older man, which Kate assumed was the father. He wore a silk robe, the type Kate had seen referred to as a smoking jacket, open at the chest with three thick gold chains that looked to be encrusted with diamonds around his neck, any one of which could have bought Kate a new car. He was fit and handsome in the way that money could buy. The fug of his expensive aftershave filled the vestibule.

“Hello, I’m Ray Setle can I help you?”

Ntoko spoke first. “We actually don’t need to speak with you, Mr. Setle, we are here to see your son.”

“Motswagole, is that you?” Mr. Setle asked looking closer at Ntoko. “Is that you after all of these years?”

“Yes, it is me,” Ntoko responded straight faced.

“Well you devil!” He took up Ntoko’s reluctant hand in his, smiling. “It’s been years eh? Still fighting it out with the bad guys eh?

“Yes,” Ntoko said curtly. “Listen we’re in a bit of a hurry, is your son around?”

“What hurry? Don’t be crazy. You’re on a government salary. No need to overwork yourself, we all know the peanuts you’re making. Let’s go and sit out at the pool and Mpho will go and find Ontiretse. It’s not yet noon so he’s probably still sleeping. We can wait outside, get some drinks. It’s heating up already I think we’re in for a hot summer this year.”

Mr. Setle led them out to a lush back garden with an Olympic size pool, sparkling blue water inside. The green grass spread down the yard in a silken mat and flowers burst with colour around the edge. It was truly lovely. They sat down in wrought iron chairs under a massive blue umbrella. Mpho immediately brought them red drinks topped with fruit and little paper umbrellas which he set carefully on the marble table top.

“So, Motswagole, you look like you’ve been keeping well. When did you come to Gaborone?”

“About a month ago.” Ntoko responded in clipped sentences. Kate could see he was fuming.

“Oh boy! We had some fun in the day eh? Remember that old blow hard? What was his name? Eh-hey! Mr. Rafferty! We certainly taught him a lesson.”

“Don’t include me in your dirty tricks you played on the teachers. I was not part of them. Listen, we’re not here for reminiscing. We need to talk to your son. We believe that he might be able to help us in our investigations into the murder of the two young women at the university.”

Suddenly, Mr. Setle became quiet. “How would my son be involved in that?”

Kate intervened. “I think if you bring your son out we might have a better idea if he can help us or not.”

“Are you charging him with a crime?” Setle asked aggressively.

“Not just yet,” Kate said. “We just need to speak with him.”

“I don’t like the direction this is taking, Motswagole. How do you come to see an old friend and then start talking about arresting my son?”

Ntoko waited to speak. Kate almost thought she saw wafts of smoke coming out his ears. Ntoko was trying to control his emotions. “You are mistaken, Ray, I was never your friend. You were a disrespectful boy who has grown up to be a disrespectful man and apparently you have raised a son just like yourself. Don’t count me among your friends. If anything, I would be among your adversaries if I even cared to consider you at all.”

“Is that so?” Setle laughed a hardy rolling, condescending laugh. “The same old Motswagole, a self righteous fool!”

Kate couldn’t bear to hear Ntoko being spoken to in such a manner. He was always so kind and considerate to everyone he met, he didn’t deserve such treatment. She turned to Ntoko. “Why don’t you wait in the car, I can speak with the boy,” she whispered.

“Both of you can go out to your car, madam. No one will speak to my son today. If you want to speak with him, we will see you at the station with our lawyer.” He picked up a little golden bell that sat on an intricately carved golden tray and rang it and the butler magically appeared as if he’d been waiting in the nearby bushes. “Mpho, see the officers to the door. Go siame, Motswagole. Lovely to see you again.”

As they walked through the cool marble hallway to the massive front door, Kate could hear Mr. Setle’s laughing ringing through the garden. Once out the door Ntoko turned to Kate. “I’m sorry for that, sorry for my behaviour.”

“Your behaviour? That Setle is an ass. You have nothing to apologise for.”

“No, it’s wrong. I let my emotions interfere.” Kate could see he was very upset and felt bad about it.

Kate patted him on the back. “Don’t worry about it. You’re human. That’s not a crime. At least not yet.”