Kate drove the now familiar road to the village without seeing much along the way. Rre Modise’s words were ringing in her ears. They didn’t make her frightened though, she was surprised to discover that. She knew, ever since she read the coroner’s report, what kind of people she was dealing with. Ambition, greed – this is what he said that she should look for. Who was greedy and ambitious in Mogobane? Who indeed, she thought as she pulled up to the kgotla where she saw Constable Lecheng’s patrol car parked. Thinking that he must still be in the office with the chief, she decided to wait in the car. She didn’t want him to think that she was checking up on him.

Leaning forward to turn on the radio for the lunchtime news Kate spotted Constable Lecheng at the side of the kgotla office with Kgotletsa Senatla, the V.D.C. chairman. They were obviously arguing. Lecheng’s face was inches from the older man’s, but the older man was not backing down. Finally, Lecheng pushed Senatla away, shouted something at him and headed towards his car. Kate quickly sat back, turning her head in the opposite direction. Lecheng came around the back of the car and was suddenly at her window.

“So, you’ve arrived,” he said.

Kate looked up at him, the anger that only minutes before had been consuming him, had vanished. “Yes I just got here,” she lied. “Did you see the chief?”

“I did. He thinks maybe there’s more than just jealousy behind those rumours about Monnonyana Dikgang. Why don’t we go out to see him? Let’s take the patrol car.” He walked off towards his car leaving Kate to lock hers up. She was happy to see that he was finally taking an active role in this investigation but she wondered if he wasn’t just trying to get her away from the kgotla and Senatla.

Lecheng headed the car towards the edge of the village where Monnonyana had a small mall with all of his businesses – a bar, general dealer and butchery.

“So what was up with you and the VDC Chairman back there?” Kate asked.

Annoyed, Lecheng turned and looked at her, “What do you mean?”

“I saw you arguing with Senatla at the side of the kgotla. What was it about?”

“We weren’t arguing. You were far away, how do you know who it was anyway?” His anger was building. It was bad enough that that idiot Senatla thought that he could boss him around, now this Gaborone CID was down his throat again.

“I know it was him, and I know it was you. What was the problem?” Kate could see Lecheng’s annoyance but she wanted to see what would happen if she pushed him that little bit further.

“Listen, it’s none of your business – got it!” Lecheng shouted. He turned the car sharply, throwing Kate against the door, then stopped in a cloud of dust and gravel in front of Monnonyana’s complex. For now, Kate decided that it was better to leave it. Lecheng’s temper was getting a little bit too much action for one day.

She got out of the car and walked towards the general dealer, leaving Lecheng to follow her sulkily. Inside a pretty woman with a complicated hair style and expensive clothes not suited to work behind the counter greeted them. “Yes, I’m looking for your boss, Mr. Dikgang, “ Kate said.

“I think you mean my husband. I’ll go and get him.” The woman smiled and disappeared through a door at the back and Kate stood embarrassed by her mistake and the fact that Lecheng had entered the shop just in time to overhear it.

Mrs. Dikgang came back into the shop followed by a middle-aged, short man dressed in khakis. He was busy wiping his hands on a towel as he came around the counter.

“Dumela, Rre Dikgang. I’m….” Kate began.

“I know who you are, you’re the detective out of Gaborone investigating those murders. I knew you’d be around before long. Let’s sit out on the veranda. I don’t have much time I was just about to leave for Gaborone to buy stock.”

They sat down at a plastic table and chairs outside. Kate got out her notebook and her pen but before she could speak, Monnonyana put his hand up to stop her. “Listen, Detective Gomolemo, I’m a busy man and have very little time for being polite. I know that you’re here because the people say I killed those kids. Now, I’m not sure how much time you’ve spent in a small village like Mogobane but I can tell you one thing, one thing that’s true no matter where you go in Botswana. People are jealous of others success. I grew up poor. My father was a drunk who died when I was ten. My mother raised five kids by working as a maid for a white lady in Lobatse. I promised myself that I wouldn’t be poor and my kids wouldn’t be either. We work hard, me and my wife, and we’re rich because of it. Hard work got me here- nothing else.”

Kate could see that this man was used to these allegations and even though he spoke from his heart she could tell that it was a speech he had had to make many times.

“But Kgosi Seabelo seems to think that this time there’s some reason to suspect you? Where were you that night anyway?” Lecheng asked.

“The Kgosi? Okay, you want to know where I was Lecheng? You want to know where I was? You of all people? I was here at the bar, as you would very well know if you hadn’t been so drunk and your head wasn’t half way down the blouse of the form five girl you were with!” Monnanyana’s anger flared. His raised voice brought his wife to the door. Embarrassed he turned to her, “It’s all right Kgalalelo. It’s nothing, I’m sorry.” She stood a moment longer and when she was sure his anger would go no further, she went back inside to her work.

“Listen,” Monnayana said turning towards Kate, purposely ignoring Constable Lecheng. “You don’t know me, you don’t know this place.” He hesitated wondering if he should tell this tall, dark woman what he knew. Would she understand that it was not a vendetta but that he just wanted her to understand how Mogobane worked, who the people were that she was dealing with. “If you want to investigate someone, I’d start with the chief if I were you. He’s always needing money. That wife of his in Gaborone is bleeding him dry. That’s why he’s always hauling me in on bogus stock theft charges. Asking me to give him money so the case goes away. That’s our chief, the respectable Kgosi Seabelo, nothing more than a common thief, as far as I’m concerned. Detective Gomolemo, sometimes the information you get means something very different when you know the person giving it to you don’t you think? If we’re finished here, I need to get back to work.” He stood up and walked back through the screen door which slammed with a thud.

Kate looked at Lecheng, “That’s a bit of interesting information. About you, as well as the Kgosi, don’t you think?” she taunted the Constable who stood up and walked to the car.

Kate arrived in Gaborone just as the sun was setting. She tried to let the case fall below the horizon with the orange sun but it was doing so reluctantly. She didn’t want problems troubling her tonight. She had invited John to her house for dinner and she was nervous already. He’d never been to her house before and she didn’t want him to get the wrong impression. She made one last stop at the supermarket near her house. Getting out of her car in the driveway, she rushed to unlock the door because she could hear the phone ringing behind it.

“Hello,” she said, breathing hard into the phone.

“Kate? Is that you? Are you okay?”

“John – yes it’s me I’m just in the door,” she said reaching to set the bags of groceries on the dining table.

“Then you will be happy to know that I’m running late, an hour or so,” he joked.

“You’re right I am. I’ll see you then.”

She put the wine in the fridge and started cutting vegetables. She added onions and tomatoes to the chicken frying in the pan and the smell made her taste buds wake up. She was hungry and a hot chicken curry was just what she needed. Turning down the heat to simmer, she decided she better start getting herself ready to.

Climbing into the warm bubble bath she let out a sigh. Too many sleepless night worrying about the case and in moments she was fast asleep. In the midst of her deep sleep, she was startled awake by pounding outside. When she opened her eyes smoke was all around her. She could hear John calling her name from outside the door. Grabbing a towel and wrapping it around herself, she rushed to the kitchen. The lovely curry that her stomach had been promised was now a cemented pile of black charcoal. She turned the flame off, picked up the pan with the kitchen towel and threw it into the sink, turning on the water; a hiss of steam filled the kitchen.

“Kate!! Kate!! Are you there? Are you okay?” John was still pounding on the door shouting. She opened the door and he rushed in, grabbing her up in his arms. “Oh my God! Are you okay? I could smell the smoke – and there was no answer. I was so worried.” He held her at arms length to make sure she was all in one piece. “Are you okay?” he asked again.

She pulled away from him, embarrassed by not being dressed. “I’m fine. I guess I fell asleep in the bath. But our meal didn’t fair as well. Take a seat, I want to put some clothes on.” She rushed out of the room.

John sat down on the sofa relieved. After some minutes, he began to look around; he’d never been to Kate’s house before. A house told a lot about its owners. Were they picky? Were they easygoing? Did they enjoy conversation? Books? Music? Did they fill shelves with objects for show or because they held cherished memories? It was difficult to hide yourself in your home.

A police officer’s salary meant that Kate’s sitting room was modestly furnished. One wall had a large bookshelf packed full of books, the overflow having been stacked on the top. A collection of photos covered the other wall. John got up to get a better look. There was a wedding photo of Kate and her late husband. He was tall and straight, trying hard to look older than he was. But John’s eyes were drawn to the Kate he the saw in the photo. It was not the Kate he knew, that he was sure. This young woman had an infectious smile – big and grinning with a hint of mischievousness. The woman in the picture was set for an adventure and she was head over heels in love with her tall, serious young man.

Life had changed this young girl. Kate only offered smiles rarely now, cherished moments John could count on his fingers. She had a sadness that he doubted would ever leave her. Of course, John knew the loss of her husband was a blow she would take long to recover from. But it was more than that. Maybe it was the same for everyone, life wears a person down. It shows you so often how dreams won’t come true, how it can ruin happiness, destroy a smile. He brought his finger to the photo and gently touched the young girl’s smile and wished that her future self might one day be as happy as she was in the photo.

“Oh you’re looking at the photos,” Kate said sneaking up on him. “This one’s my son, Gomolemo.” She said pointing at the photo Gomolemo had sent her, the photo of him and his girlfriend, wife now, Kate reminded herself. “He’s a grown up man now. He’ll soon be a doctor. Or did I tell you that already.”

He smiled at her. She had told him but he wouldn’t remind her. “You must be very proud of him. When will he be back home?”

“The end of the month. Then we’ll be having a wedding. I hope you’ll come.”

“I’d love to,” John said. “So, now what about supper?”

Kate looked embarrassed. “I can’t believe I fell asleep in the bath tub. It’s this case, it’s giving me nightmares so I don’t get much sleep at night.” She walked towards the kitchen. John could hear cupboards opening and closing. Then she came back. “Well, it looks like the menu is polony sandwiches or corn flakes. I do still have the wine though – didn’t burn that at least.”

John laughed. “I think we should go with the sandwiches otherwise what would you eat for breakfast?”

Kate turned and gave him a big smile and John’s heart jumped in his chest reminding him that he had already fell in love with this complicated lovely woman and he was thankful for it.