Jade could hear her phone but couldn’t seem to find it. Her clothes were scattered and her handbag seemed to have gone missing. She followed the ringtone across the dark bedroom and finally found her cellphone in her shoe (in her shoe?). What went on last night?
“Hello?”
“Too early?” It was Detective Botha.
Jade checked the time on her phone, 5.30 a.m. How did that happen? And yes, 5.30 a.m. was too early.
“No, fine. What’s up?” Jade said.
“The constables found Tasneem’s handbag in a rubbish bin on the other side of the lot. There were some car tracks there too. They’ve taken casts. Everything in the bag: cards, phone, money.”
“So not a mugging then.”
“Nope. I think we need to look again at the boyfriend.”
“And I’ve got something else. I’ll see you at the station,” Jade said. She put the phone in her now found handbag and started to get dressed.
“Where are you going?” Sanders said, from his massive king-size bed in his massive over-the-top house.
“I need to get to work. You remember … there’s this case I’m working on.” God, he was handsome, even in the morning, Jade thought, adding, “I had fun.”
“Me too. Any chance you have a space for dinner tonight?”
“I think I can move a few things around. I’ll call you later.”
*****
Detective Botha and Jade drove out to Fruit Market. They found Danny Ross loading his truck.
“You got a minute to talk?” Jade asked.
“Not more than a minute. My boss doesn’t like late deliveries.”
They moved to the side of the building, where there was a bit of shade.
“So, we found Tasneem’s handbag. We know now it wasn’t a mugging gone wrong. Everything was in there. We’re fairly certain that Tasneem was murdered by someone she knew.” Detective Botha looked at Danny. “Did you murder your girlfriend, Danny?”
“No! I told you, I love … loved her.”
“Listen Danny, if you tell us the truth we can get the court to go easier on you. We have tyre treads. If they match your car, that’ll be it. This is your only chance,” Detective Botha said.
“I don’t even have a car. I didn’t do this! You should be out there finding the person who did.”
Jade stepped in. “Listen Danny, do you know a man called Wilson Magubane?”
“Is he that Wilson at Excel?”
“Yes, that’s the one.”
“I don’t know him really. All I know he’s full of gossip and in everyone’s business. He’s the one who told Tasneem that he saw me with another woman. Apparently he told her we were at some club and I was kissing her. It was all lies. I don’t know why he said all of that. Later though, Tasneem told me she thought he liked her, and maybe hoped that we would break-up. She felt bad about listening to him. Started questioning lots of the stuff he was saying.”
“Okay thanks. We’ll let you get back to work,” Jade said. She and Detective Botha watched him walk back to his truck. “I don’t think he’s our guy.”
“I think I’m with you,” Detective Botha said.
***
Tell us: Who do you think the evidence is leading to now?