Kate drove back to the village her mind swirling with the case. Mosenene was one of the killers and she was now convinced the other killer was Thela. But who was behind all of it? Kgotleletsa Senatla was likely involved and why did Thela ask if they had arrested Kgano? What about Kgosi Seabelo? And where did Lecheng fit in all of this? Kate knew that her case against any of them was weak and she needed something more solid to ensure the convictions that she had promised the brave Neo.

Back at the police station, Lecheng was nowhere to be found but the station commander was in his office. “Hello, Mr. Matebele, do you have a minute?” Kate said poking her nose around the open door.

“Yes, come in. I sent Lecheng to Gaborone to get some of the forensic reports for the evidence in this case so far. At least he’ll be out of your hair today.”

“I’ve just arrived from seeing Mmatli Thela, he’s a herd boy out at the Kgosi Seabelo’s cattle post. He was very agitated about Mosenene’s death. I have a feeling that he thinks he’s next. My instincts tell me he’s the other murderer. He asked me if we’d arrested the traditional doctor, Kwenaetsile Kgano, when I told him no, he started crying and became very upset.”

“That’s odd. So what’s your plan now?” Matebele asked.

“My theory is that Kgotleletsa hired Mosenene and Thela to kill the kids and the old lady. Maybe Kgano was involved, maybe Lecheng as well. It could be why he allowed Mosenene to escape, so that Kgotletsa could kill him and leave us with a dead end.”

“I have a feeling that you are on the right track. I’m surprised really. These kind of cases are difficult but you’ve really made progress, Detective Gomolemo,” Matebele said impressed.

“Thela said that he was coming into the village for a meeting tonight. I thought I might just stick around and see where he goes,” Kate suggested.

“I think that may well be the right thing to do. Your case might be finished after tonight Detective Gomolemo. I have a good feeling about this,” Matebele said with a smile.

*****

As the sun was setting, Kate was waiting at the edge of the village, the only road leading to the chief’s cattle post, waiting for Thela to come in for his meeting. Her mind wandered over the last weeks she had spent in Mogobane and the tragedy that had brought her here. She thought of Mmagosego who would likely never recover from the loss of her children. Then she thought of her own son who would soon arrive. Does a mother ever stop being a mother even when their children are grown up doctors or they lay peaceful in their graves? she wondered.

Suddenly, a cloud of dust could be seen down the road and Kate started her car engine knowing that it must be Thela in a donkey cart arriving for his meeting. Was it to be his last? He believed that he might die tonight. Kate hoped that she could prevent that. If he was Mosenene’s accomplice, his testimony in court would be the only thing that would put the organisers behind bars.

Thela passed her without noticing. She watched until he had turned further down the road. It was dark by the time Thela stopped the cart in front of Kgotleletsa’s compound. Kate waited in her car until she was sure they were securely inside, then she slipped silently out of the car and snuck into the compound, making a quick dash across the lighted front of the house to a side window hidden behind some hedge. She could see Thela standing in the middle of the sitting room and Kgotleletsa sitting relaxed on the sofa, his arm resting along the back, his legs perched on the coffee table.

“I want the rest of my money and I want to go. I’m leaving this place. You’ll never here of me again. Just give me my money,” Thela pleaded, pacing back and forth in front of the older man.

“Relax. The others will be here soon then you’ll get everything we owe you, don’t worry take a seat. Can I get you something to drink?” Kgotletsa said in a soothing voice.

“I don’t want something to drink. I said I want my money and I don’t want to wait for those others. They already killed Mosenene. I’m not going to wait for them to kill me!”

“Nobody killed Mosenene, it was a suicide. He just panicked. It won’t happen to you. You were always the cool one. Come on just calm down.”

“It wasn’t a suicide. That lady detective told me it was a murder!” Thela shouted.

“You gonna trust some stupid woman cop from Gaborone instead of me? I’ve been straight with you all along Thela. Why would I stop now?”

His words seemed to have helped because Thela sat down tentatively on a chair in the corner. Suddenly, Kate heard a car pull up. From where she was hiding she couldn’t see the car but she could hear two people talking, they were coming closer and she tried to still her beating heart.

The door opened into the room and she saw the deep, dark eyes of Kwenaetsile Kgano. As soon as he entered, Thela shrunk into his chair. But hiding from those eyes wasn’t possible.

“Thela, I understand that lady detective paid you a visit today?”

“No…no who told you that? I didn’t talk to her. Yeah, maybe she came out to the cattle post but I didn’t tell her nothing, I promise.” From Kate’s position she could nearly smell the fear emanating from the man.

Kgano walked slowly towards the frightened man. “They told me you asked her to arrest me. Why would you choose me? I’m not the one who strung up your friend like a dead cat. Am I Kgotleletsa?” He turned to the grey haired man with glasses, his cowboy booted feet propped on the table.

Kate leaned slightly forward, trying to hear Kgotletsa’s response. Just then she felt something cold and hard jabbed into her back. She was shocked to hear a familiar voice saying into her ear, “Well, Detective Gomolemo what a pleasant surprise. We’re having a small get together and you were the last guest that we were waiting for.”

Kate turned around slowly and walked out of the bushes and onto the veranda. Her captor opened the door and pushed her through. “Look who I found snooping around outside.” With the gun, he indicated the chair next to Thela, “Sit over there.”

“Well what do you want to do with her?” Kgotletsa asked sitting up straight on the couch.

“The same thing we’re planning to do with Thela, kill them what do you think?”

“Now we kill cops?” Kgotletsa asked nervously. “First kids, then cops. We’re gonna hang if they catch us. I knew you were going to mess this all up. You could have kept her off our track but instead you just kept saying everything will be okay. Is this okay? They’re going to catch us!”

The other two men laughed. Kgano said , “Who’s going to catch us? That idiot Lecheng?” They all laughed some more.

Then Kate spoke. “Since I’m soon going to die, maybe you can tell me what the point of it all was?”

Kgano turned to her enraged. “Are you in any position to ask us anything? I knew you were trouble the moment you came here.” He moved closer to her with every word he spoke. “Fine, so that you have a peaceful rest. Power for some requires sacrifice from others. Kgotletsa’s running for councillor he wanted a little help that’s all. Me, I gain power every time I’m able to be part of such rituals. Power, Detective. It’s all about power.” With his last word, his face was inches from hers, the dark eyes now so close revealing nothing but a flat, murderous black.

When he was near enough, she spat at him. “You make me sick!” His hand came up and flew across her face with a force that threw her to the floor.

“Kgano, there’s no need for that,” Kate’s captor picked her from the floor and helped her to the chair. Kate’s eyes glared as she pulled away from the man that she thought could be trusted. A man who she respected a man who her husband had helped. The man that she had confided in throughout the case, the man that had led her here, here to her death.

“And what about you, Matebele? What did you gain from killing those children and the old woman?” Kate asked.