it,” he said. “But I’m going to shower first. It’s really hot outside.”
It had been a sticky day, but he needed the shower to feel clean after a day wallowing in muck.
Once in the bathroom, he pulled the large bottle the witch doctor had given him from the back of the cupboard. He’d believed it contained herbal remedies, things to make him better. Or he’d persuaded himself of that. And he had to admit that it worked. It relaxed him, eased his chest, stopped the coughing. He wanted a swig right now. It contains some sort of opiate, he thought. Maybe morphine. It may make me feel better, but it does me no good. And what else might it contain? Only God and the witch doctor knew. Again he felt the twinge of self-doubt. He’d never asked the witch doctor what was in the potion. No one did that! He shuddered and emptied the contents of the bottle down the toilet.
“Hurry, dear!” Maria called through the door. “It’s nearly ready!”
“I’ll just be a minute.” He discarded his clothes in a heap and let the hot water spray over him. He used plenty of soap from head to toe. Then he dried himself vigorously, wheezing slightly from the exertion. He looked at his naked body in the mirror. Still pretty good. He’d lost fat, which was good, but also lost muscle, which wasn’t. Once he retired, he would exercise again. Long walks. Then he would feel better. That was what he needed, fresh air and exercise, not drugs and potions. He was sure of it.
THE DINNER WAS DELICIOUS, and he ate well while he heard about Maria’s day and her friends’ activities. She was patient and didn’t ask him again what was on his mind. And after a token second helping, he was ready to tell her.
“I have to face it,” he began, not looking at her. “Joshua’s corrupt.”
Maria drew in her breath sharply and started to say something, but Gobey went on. “Since his father died in that shoot-out, Joshua’s been like a son to us. But somehow it’s never been enough for him. He’s made the wrong choices, married the wrong woman, always wanted more and got it. And I’ve been blind to it. Until now.”
“What do you mean?” Maria asked, shocked.
“I’ve been looking at his bank records for the last few years. Looking very carefully.”
She waited.
“I found nothing. No big payments, no big deposits.”
“There you are then.”
Tebogo shook his head. “He’s too clever for something obvious. But where’s the payment for his car? I phoned the dealer. Turns out he bought it for cash. A 3-series BMW! I mean cash. The dealer took stacks of pula.”
“Perhaps it was from his mother’s estate. She left some money.”
Tebogo shook his head again. “They used that for the deposit on their house. That big expensive house in Phakalane. That doesn’t have a single cent owing on it anymore, by the way.”
“But where would he have got the money?”
“God, Maria, he’s head of the diamond division! Where do you think the money came from?”
She shook her head, unwilling to accept it.
“There’s more. He’s got a witch doctor helping him now. I think he’s one of the really bad ones, killing people for muti.” He didn’t say what had led him to guess that. “He wants my job when I retire.”
“What are you going to do?” Her voice was very quiet now.
“I’m going to stop him. And the witch doctor. No child is going to die to make a corrupt man deputy commissioner. And then I’m going to force him out of the police. But I’m not going to push the corruption charges—for his late parents’ sake, and for our sake, too. He won’t go to jail. I probably couldn’t get enough evidence for a conviction anyway, but he doesn’t know that.”
Maria was silent for a few moments. “The witch doctor? Is it that man you go to? For the medicine? And those times before?”
Gobey hesitated, anguished. “Yes, but I didn’t know . . . I threw the medicine out. I’m going to arrest him. He’ll pay for his crimes!”
Maria’s shock was replaced by nervousness.
“Tebogo, leave this thing. Please. You’re retiring. The past is past. The future belongs to others. Forget about Joshua. The people who gave him all that money—they’ll be dangerous. They won’t want it to come out.” She hesitated. “And forget about the witch doctor.” Now there was fear in her voice.
Tebogo thought about it, tempted. But then he shook