Detective Jade Khan could see the lights out there in the middle of the dark, vacant lot. There was already quite a crowd. She’d just arrived home from the movies (on another unsuccessful blind date set up by her friend Minki) when she got the call.
She could see her new partner, Detective Debra Botha, a long-serving, old school cop. A tough woman in anyone’s book.
“Detective Botha,” Jade greeted when she arrived next to her. “What do we have then?”
“Detective Khan.” She pulled the plastic sheet back so Jade could see. “Looks young, I’d say twenty-one or twenty-two. Three stab wounds. I think the fatal one will be the one near the heart. Do you know her?”
“Why? Because she’s Indian? You think I know every Indian in South Africa?”
“Calm down. Jesus! I was only asking. You need to chill with that shit, if we’re going to get along.” She shook her grey-haired head. “And no, I don’t think that.”
Debra Botha was a good cop and not such a bad partner, compared with her last one, Clyde Venter. He thought women should be flat on their backs, legs wide on a bed, or in the kitchen cooking. And to compound that he was not immune to beating the crap out of criminals, and taking a bribe here and there, if he needed a bit of extra cash. Nearly anyone was a welcome relief after that, Jade thought. So, she’d try to keep her mouth closed, though she also knew she wasn’t too good at that.
“Who found the body?” Jade asked.
“Some kids over there. I haven’t had a chance to question them,” Detective Botha said.
Jade went over. She flashed her badge and introduced herself.
The older kid said, “You’re hot for a cop.”
She ignored him. “Which one of you found the body?”
The smart mouth one said, “Me. Do I get a reward?”
“What were you two doing out here?”
The younger, scared one said, “Nothing. Walking home.”
“This is a known mugging spot so why would you cut through here? Or were you setting up shop for the night?”
“I’m no thug. I’m a student at WITS,” the younger one said, and looked side-eye at Mr Smart-mouth.
“And you?” Jade asked, expecting a lie.
“Why? You thinking we were up to no good? I’m the one who called you! I could have just walked past your girl there.” Smart mouth had a point.
“What’s your name?”
“Tops.”
“Any priors, Tops?” Tops pulled his hat lower on his face. Jade shook her head. “Come on, I’m going to find out anyway. Save me some time.”
“Okay fine. But we weren’t out here for nothing. I did some time, only some stealing is all. But I’m straight now.”
Jade wrote down their details. “So, what happened?”
“We were just walking to Tops’ sister’s and that woman was lying there. She was dead already. Maybe dead for a while I think. She was cold.” The boy looked scared. This was clearly not his normal life, but she couldn’t say the same about Tops though.
“Okay. Go on then. I’ll call you if we need anything else.”
Tops winked at her. “I’ll be waiting for that call.”
***
Tell us: What is your impression of Detective Jade Khan so far?