“Spha?” Mr Sibuyi is in Reception when Spha arrives for work in the morning. “You’re early. That’s good. I want to talk to you.”

He looks around, as if checking no-one else can hear. He needn’t bother as it looks as if they’re the first to arrive.

“Yes, sir?” Spha can’t guess what’s coming.

“What you told me yesterday?” Mr Sibuyi begins, still looking worried and unhappy. “I will look into it, as I told you, although I’m sure you made a mistake. But … supposing you’re not wrong, is it worth making waves, as they call it? From what you said, it’s a petty matter, the sort of thing that goes on a lot.”

Theft is theft, Spha wants to say, but he needs to stay out of this matter from now on. He can’t risk anything happening to Babalo or his family.

“It’s not for me to decide, sir,” he says. “I … handed the matter over to you. It’s not my business anymore.”

Does Mr Sibuyi look relieved? He can’t tell.

Spha hasn’t been looking forward to Felix Ngobe’s return. He was never exactly friendly, and today the look he gives Spha is like a silent snarl.

He is glad to escape when Mr Sibuyi sends him to help Venetia in the Dispatch room. The only trouble is that Venetia’s previous friendliness has changed to something like resentment.

“What’s wrong?” Spha asks her.

“As if you don’t know,” she hisses. “Why are you trying to make trouble for Smooth Move Couriers, Spha? Nolwazi told me. If it gets out and damages our reputation … well, people might take their business away from us, and then what happens to our jobs?”

“I’m not trying to–” Spha starts to defend himself, wanting to explain, but he stops, remembering that he’s meant to be keeping out of things. “I’ve dropped it. It’s not my business anymore.”

“It was never your business,” she snaps. “Like, coming in, digging around, when you’re new here.”

“It was something I first discovered by accident,” he protests.

Then he gives it up, and they work in silence until Mr Sibuyi comes in.

“Carry on, Venetia,” he says. “Spha, a quick chat?”

“Yes, sir?” Spha follows him out of the Dispatch room and into another empty office opening off the short passage.

Now Mr Sibuyi really does look relieved. He’s even smiling.

“I’m pleased to say that you got it wrong, Spha. You must have misunderstood something, or even imagined it … I couldn’t find any of the documents you described on the computer Felix uses. Nothing. Felix wasn’t pleased to have me asking to take a look, I can tell you, but I’ve calmed him down.”

Spha stares at him in disbelief. Then the explanation clicks into place.

“Deleted.” He’s supposed to have dropped the matter, but he can’t help himself. “They can probably be retrieved, but I can prove the documents existed anyway. I’ve got them on my flash drive.”

“Let me see it.” The worry is instantly back on Mr Sibuyi’s face.

“I haven’t got it with me,” Spha says.

“Then bring it tomorrow–” Mr Sibuyi breaks off as there’s a small sound outside the open office door. “Who’s there?”

There’s no answer, so he takes a quick step through the doorway. Spha follows him, in time to see Nolwazi hurrying away.

Tell us: How involved in the scam is Nolwazi?