“You said you were keeping her under control. She doesn’t seem under control.”

“A few questions nothing else. You people must just keep your heads.”

“I want her out of here as soon as possible.”

“I know but it’s not as easy as it seemed in the beginning. She’s determined.”

“Get rid of her or I will.”

*****

Matebele was sitting at his desk frowning over what he was reading. Another government circular – if the bosses at the ministry took less time writing circulars and more time attending to police officers’ complaints maybe the men and women on the ground would be able to do their jobs better, he thought. A knock on the door and he looked up from his desk. “Tsena.”

“Asst. Superintendent Matebele, could you spare a few minutes?” Kate said after entering the tidy office.

“Come in, Detective Gomolemo. I haven’t seen you for a few days. How is the case progressing?” he asked putting his papers to the side in a neat stack.

Kate took a seat opposite the big man. “We’ve been interviewing a few people around the village. I think I’m at least getting a pretty good idea about how Mogobane works, if nothing else.”

“Is that so? I heard you were at the kgotla. Kgosi Seabelo rang me up. You seemed to have ruffled somebody’s feathers,” he smiled. “Don’t worry though, I tend to ruffle his feathers quite often too.”

“In fact, I’ve been wondering about that. When we were there Kwenaetsile Kgano and Kgotletsa Senatla were also there. The three of them got very annoyed that we might consider them suspects. At this point everyone’s a suspect, I thought that their reactions were a bit over the top and I wondered why.”

The station commander shook his head. “You know – big fish, very small pond. They don’t like their positions challenged.”

“Kgosi Seabelo had told Lecheng that he thought the killer was Monnanyana Dikgang. We interviewed him and my gut instinct says he’s not involved besides he has an alibi. Talking with him, if anything, it increased my suspicions about the chief.” Kate explained the allegations Monnanyana had made against the kgosi.

“It’s rumours but probably Lecheng was right to interview Monnanyana, at least just to rule him out as a suspect. I don’t know what to say about the chief. I know his wife is causing him a lot of problems and people are always after him about money. You might be wise to keep an eye on him. How’s Lecheng doing by the way?”

Kate wasn’t sure how to answer that question. Constable Lecheng in many ways was helpful but sometimes she felt that he was dragging his feet. And also there was the fight with Senatla. She told Matebele about it.

“I didn’t even know they spoke to each other. That’s very strange,” he said puzzled wondering what it could be about.

“Yeah, I don’t know what it could have been about and he got annoyed when I mentioned it. He even tried to deny it happened at all. If it’s anything to do with the case, it will come out in time – it always does.”

Before going home, Kate decided to pass by her office. She turned on the lamp on her desk and started to go through the stack of mail on her desk. Somewhere towards the middle she found a letter from her son.

Dear Mom,

Well, we’ve finished – you can call me a doctor now- officially! And Rachel too. We have a few things to finish up here but I expect us to be in Botswana before the end of the month. I hope that you’re looking forward to meeting your new daughter-in-law because she certainly can’t wait to meet you! I’ve told her all about my fearless mother the detective, she’s quite impressed!

See you in two weeks!!

Love Gomolemo

Kate held the letter next to her heart for a few moments then she folded it gently and put it in her bag wiping stray tears from her eyes. Two weeks was no time at all she thought fondly. Then she thought again – two weeks was no time at all! What was she going to do? She couldn’t organise a wedding party in two weeks especially with this case. She knew who she needed but was reluctant to call her. She needed her sister, Otukile. She needed to go and get Otukile in Malaka and bring her to Gaborone and to her house in Gabane. Just the thought of it exhausted her. Otukile in her quiet house in Gabane? Kate loved her sister, it was true. But Otukile was a big character. Not just big in size, because she was that of course, but she was loud and emotional and overtook any space she was put in no matter how big. And she absolutely loved weddings. But there was nothing to do, it was her only choice if a wedding was to be organised in two weeks – Otukile was the one to do it. Kate reluctantly reached for the phone.

“Hello, Otukile? It’s Kate? Can you hear me?” Kate could hear loud noise that sounded like music and people shouting.

“Katie? Katie is that you? Hey everybody – my sister Kate’s on the phone!” she shouted only partly away from the phone.

“It sounds like a party.” Kate shouted over the background noise.

“Ha! Hey, Katie thinks we’re havin’ a party! Ha! Ha! Naw, Kate, just a few friends. You know Lebo, in the compound two over with the white house – she got a new tape player. She brought it by and we’re having a jiggle or two. Hey Katie what’s up?”

Kate hesitated she knew what the effect of her words would be, it was better just to say it quick than to drag it out. “Listen OT, Gomolemo is coming home in two weeks and he’s gotten married. We need to organise a wedding party for him.”

“OHHHHHHH!! Oh Katie!!!” Kate pulled the phone away from her ear for fear of damaging her ear drum. “Hey Lebo!!! Lebo tla kwano. Katie’s baby’s getting married! I’m going to Gabs!!! Hey Guys! Do ya hear that?” Kate wondered who in Malaka hadn’t heard that? She was sure everyone in Gaborone heard it all just fine.

“OT? OT, I need to go. OT?” She seemed to have set down the phone. Kate could hear her voice telling people about the wedding and people shouting, music blaring in the background.

“OT? OT are you there?” Kate was starting to get annoyed and she knew this was the first of many annoyances to come in the next few weeks.

“Yeah, Katie, Jeez, you don’t need to shout. I’m right here.”

“OT, I’ll come and collect you this weekend. Is it okay?”

“Wonderful, Katie. See you then.” Click, she hung up. Otukile decided the conversation was over and it was over no matter what the other person might think. She decided a lot of things on her own- something that drove Kate and her other sister, Nchadi, absolutely crazy. But it was worse because she didn’t see any problem with it. She lived alone in their house in Malaka since their mother died. Otukile had taken care of their sick mother for many years, growing old before having a chance to look for a husband. By the time their mother had died she was already forty, not married and no children, but she didn’t mind in the least. She didn’t like compromise and Kate knew anyway, it would have taken a certain type of man to marry her sister, OT. And Kate wondered if that certain type even existed.