During the drive out to Mogobane the next day, Kate decided today she would do some investigating without Constable Lecheng. The more she thought about their conversation with the three men at the kgotla, the more she thought that the kgosi needed deeper investigation.

She also hoped that without Lecheng around, she might get some information that would shed light on his argument with Senatla. She knew in a murder investigation she needed to keep all options open. The way Lecheng had been behaving was suspicious. One minute helpful, the next reluctant. Maybe the argument with Senatla had to do with the murder. If not why wouldn’t he tell her?

But where to start. She still didn’t know the village well enough to know who might know something about the kgosi. When she entered the village her eyes fell on the orphanage. Maybe Mary Matebele could help her with some information. It was worth a shot anyway, Kate decided.

She parked the car under one of the tall Acacias outside the yard. It was quiet, most of the children must be at school, Kate thought. She knocked on the office door and a voice inside said “Come in.”

Sitting at the desk was a woman who, at first, Kate didn’t recognize. Her eyes were red from crying. She had pulled her doek down over her left eye trying unsuccessfully to hide that it was in the process of turning black. “Mary? Mary is that you? What’s happened?” Kate was shocked to discover that this woman was the same one she had only met last week.

Mary pulled the scarf further over her eye and quickly blew her nose and put on an unconvincing smile. “Oh Detective Gomolemo, what can I do for you?”

“Mary what has happened? Who did this to you?” Kate sat down next to her, pulling the scarf back to see the eye clearly. It was badly bruised and another bruise was forming on her cheek as well. Kate took the woman by the shoulders. “Mary, you must tell me what happened?”

“Kate, I can’t. I’ll only tell you if you promise it doesn’t leave this room.”

“The person who did this can’t get away with it! No, Mary you must tell me.”

Mary pulled away and turned towards the wall, crying into her hands. Kate suspected she knew who had caused these bruises and she knew her promise of silence might be the only way to help this troubled woman.

“Okay, I’ll tell no one, I promise,” Kate said reluctantly

Mary turned towards Kate. “It was my fault really. I wouldn’t leave it, I couldn’t. They’re coming to take Mpho today, the baby I told you about. They’re going to put him to the orphanage in Gaborone because we don’t have proper facilities for babies here. I was begging Tobias to change his mind. I told him that we could still keep trying to have a baby but we could have Mpho, too. I was begging him and he was getting angrier and angrier. Then he asked me what the doctor said on Monday. He had made another appointment with the specialist in Gaborone but I didn’t go. I know that there’s no use, they’ve told us already. So I said it – I said I didn’t go. He started shouting about all he’d gone through, how all he wanted was a child of his own. Then he hit me and hit me again. Then I fell to the ground and he kicked me. I think my ribs might be broken.”

Kate couldn’t believe her ears. Was this the same man that she knew? The same man half the police service of Botswana saw as their personal hero? He needed help, the stress of his situation was pushing him over the edge. “We need to get you to a clinic. Where’s the clinic here?”

“Not here! Please, they’ll talk. Could you take me to Gaborone?”

Kate put Mary in the car and she drove back on the road she had only just arrived on. Her head was in a swirl. How could a disciplined man like Matebele do something like this to his wife? Although she felt sorry for Mary and what she had gone through, she also felt sorry for Asst. Sup. Matebele. He needed someone to talk to about his situation. To get release, to accept the reality of it.

They finished at the hospital and headed back to Mogobane. Her ribs had not been broken, only bruised and would be painful for some weeks. Her eye also had no permanent damage but would take at least a week to recover from the bruising. On the ride back, Kate decided to ask Mary the questions that she had wanted to ask in the morning. “How well do you know Kgosi Seabelo, Mary?”

“Not that well really. I know his wife lives in Gaborone. I met her once, not a very friendly person anyway. She seemed to think she was a bit too good for village life. I know he has a cattle post west of the village. You might check his herd boys. Herd boys and maids – they know more about us than our own families.” A quiet giggle escaped and Kate was happy to see that she seemed back to her own self.

By the time Kate pulled up at the orphanage it was already past two. If she was planning to go to the kgosi’s cattle post today, she better get going. She wanted to get back to Gaborone before dusk as she intended to leave early the next day for Malaka.

“Thank you so much, Kate. Please don’t think less of Tobias. You don’t know how much this whole thing has effected him. I think it’s different for men, it goes to their core, especially when the doctor told him that the problem was with him, not me. It nearly killed him.” She gave Kate a smile and a pat on the shoulder, then closed the door and walked towards the orphanage.

The road out to the cattle post was almost too much for Kate’s small Corolla to manage. Twice the ruts for the wheels were so deep the belly of the car scraped on the ground in between. By the time she found the place, after asking at two different compounds for directions, Kate felt battered and dusty and on top of it the place looked empty.

“Koko!” Kate shouted at the gate without much hope. After some minutes a short man wearing tatters of what were once clothes appeared from inside one of the huts. He was carrying a big enamel mug and as he came nearer, Kate could smell that it was full of traditional beer. It had likely been filled and emptied numerous times that day by the looks of the man.

“Dumela Rra! Is this Kgosi Seabelo’s cattle post?”

“Yeah, who’s asking?”

“My name’s Detective Gomolemo, from Gaborone. I wonder if I might ask you some questions about the chief?”

“No problem, come over this side, we’ve got some chairs.”

He led her behind the hut where two women and one man sat, all just about as drunk as Kate’s companion. One man stood up, wavering a bit, “Listen Thela, we’re going, we can see you got some company. See you tomorrow.” They left and Thela pulled up one of their chairs for Kate indicating that she should sit.

“So Madam, what can I do for you? You come to collect money from Seabelo?”

“No, why do many people come looking for him?”

“Most days. Some even threaten to take a cow or two. He hasn’t paid me for four months. I’ll soon shove off with a few cows as well, except I’m afraid of that friend of his. I know the damage he can cause a person.”

“Who’s that?”

“Kgano, who else? Scary Bugger that one.”

The man reached forward to fill his enamel mug from the plastic tank that sat in the middle of the circle of chairs. Along his forearm from wrist to elbow were three deep scratches, inflamed and red. “What happened?” Kate said pointing at them. Thela pulled is arm back quickly, spilling beer on his trousers that he ignored. “Nothing, got scratched from thorns is all.”

Thorns wouldn’t do that, thought Kate. Whatever it was he didn’t want to talk about it and became nervous and quiet. She thought it was better to leave the topic as she still needed more information from him.

“So does the Kgosi ever use Kgano’s services?”

“What?” Thela asked incredulously. “Of course, Seabelo practically employs him full time. He’s been using him a lot lately because of the wife. She wants a divorce. She’s got some big shot boyfriend in Gaborone a minister or something. Seabelo’s trying to get real powerful, get a lot of money, try to get her back.”

“That’s interesting. You know about the murder of the children at the lands?”

Thela turned quickly, his eyes big with fear. “Who said it’s a murder? Seabelo told me it was fire. That’s last I heard.”

“No, we found out that it was a murder after the autopsies were done. That’s why I’m here in Mogobane, I’m investigating it.”

“You shoulda said that.” He finished his mug of beer, then stood up. “I’m a bit busy , we finished here?”

Kate wondered what happened. He obviously didn’t want to talk about the murders. Maybe he was frightened, but of what? Of who was maybe the better question? Maybe Seabelo had warned him not to talk to her, Kate thought. Threatened him, maybe brought up Kgano’s name, it seemed to be enough to frighten Thela into silence.

“Yes, thanks Thela. I never got your full name.”

“Mmatli Thela.”

“Thanks, Mr. Thela.” Kate got back in her car and made her bumpy way home. Her mind full once more of questions that just couldn’t seem to find any answers.