A Death in the Family (28 page)

“True, but unless the mine was paying him off, it wouldn't have been inappropriate on their part.”

“There's more. Two of the men arrested for committing murder during the riot claim they were paid to cause serious trouble if the chief rejected the mine's offer. That included bringing knobkieries with them and jumping onto the stage to threaten the chief and elders. Also, they handed out sticks and alcohol to friends at the
kgotla
, friends who supported Konshua.”

“That's much more serious. Do you have proof that the mine was behind this? It would be very foolish of them. Isn't it possible that these men are making this up as a mitigating circumstance for their crimes? There was nothing in the papers about people jumping on the stage and inciting the crowd.”

“They claim that the crowd surged forward without them having to do anything. And, no, we don't have proof at this stage. Nor have we been able to identify the man who paid them as yet.”

“Maybe this Julius Koma was behind that too. It sounds as though he's playing a dirty game.”

“It's possible, but either way you should be aware that there was inappropriate pressure being applied in Shoshong. That was at least partly responsible for what happened at the
kgotla
.”

Mopati nodded. “I appreciate that,” he said. “I understand that the press is calling for an inquiry into the police reaction, suggesting that it too was partly responsible for the disaster.”

“That's possible,” Mabaku said shortly, and changed the subject. “Now there's another matter, equally serious, we believe. Do you know a man named Peter Newsom? An American?”

“Of course. He's the front man here for UNE. He's been coordinating their efforts to secure the license.”

Mabaku paused, carefully picking his words. “What I tell you now has to be in strict confidence because the matter is still under investigation. But I have to tell you that in looking into Goodman Kunene's death, we've discovered that he was working for Newsom.”

Mopati looked shocked. “Working for Newsom? What do you mean? He was my assistant director!”

“I mean that Newsom was paying him—at least for information, but perhaps more. It's possible he was also trying to sabotage Konshua's application. We really don't know the extent of the corruption involved at this point.”

Mopati shook his head. “I'm really shocked. Goodman was a trusted colleague, a friend … I can't believe it.”

“Did Kunene ever try to influence you about the decision? In a way that went beyond what you would expect from his role in your department?”

Mopati hesitated. “I have to say that he did favor the US bid whenever the issue came up.”

Mabaku nodded. This was exactly what he expected to hear, whether or not it was true.

“Is what you say definite? Do you have proof?” Mopati asked.

“I'm afraid so. The investigation is still going on, but we have bank records, and Newsom has pretty well admitted it.”

“Will you charge him?”

“He's in the US. We think he has some security service role there. Perhaps the CIA, but that's just a guess.”

“That's amazing! You realize this will pretty well exclude the UNE application? But we will need firm proof.”

“We can't supply that at the moment, but we expect the minister will want to delay the lease decision. The president will say something along those lines when he speaks at the
kgotla
next Sunday. Of course, he won't say why. The deaths will be reason enough to delay.”

“Very wise,” Mopati said, nodding. He picked up his empty coffee cup and examined it. “Does this affect the issue of Goodman's death at all?”

He's not much of an actor, Mabaku thought. “Based on the circumstances of his death, the most probable cause is suicide.”

“Perhaps the guilt of the betrayal…” Mopati put down his cup with a small clink.

He's learned a lot this afternoon, Mabaku thought. I wonder if I can also learn something. “One thing really puzzles me, Director. Perhaps it isn't relevant, but I'm curious. With uranium in the doldrums, what's so attractive about this prospect? What's attractive enough to involve the US embassy and to persuade Konshua to make generous offers to the locals? What is so appealing about the area to be worth bribing government officials and paying off agitators? I don't get it.”

Mopati leaned forward, suddenly alert. “It's all economics and politics, Director Mabaku. A bit out of your area of expertise, I would guess. A lot of people think that with global warming, nuclear power will be the only way to go in the end. That fossil fuel plants will only make things worse. Obviously, these companies subscribe to that point of view.” He checked his watch. “It is getting late. I'm extremely grateful to you for filling me in on all these developments. Is there anything else?”

Mabaku got to his feet, accepting the brush-off. So Kubu is right, he thought. There's more going on here than the extension of an old uranium deposit. And Mopati knows all about it. Now we'll see if he takes the bait.

Mabaku shook Mopati's hand, wishing that he didn't have to, and took his leave.

*   *   *

MABAKU DIDN'T HAVE
long to wait. By the time he was back at the CID, Edison was waiting at his office, bursting with excitement. “He must've phoned Shonhu pretty well as soon as you left. They think it was from his car because the signal was a moving location. The number he phoned wasn't the one Shonhu usually uses, though. Obviously, he has a special phone for private conversations with Mopati. That's smart. But Mopati isn't that smart. He called from his own cell phone.”

“Do you have the recording?”

“Yes, I'll go and fetch the recorder and get it set up.”

The phone rang and Mabaku grabbed it. “Yes?”

“It's Kubu, Director. I've just got home.”

“Ah, Kubu. Did you come back with an American accent?”

Kubu laughed. “Hardly, Director. I was only there three days. But my body doesn't know where it is.”

“Well, the news is that I met with Mopati, and right after I left his office, he made a call to Shonhu. Edison's going to play it for me now.”

“Excellent. Director, I just wanted to say it's good to be back.”

“It's good to have you back.”

There was a knock, and Edison bustled in carrying the recorder.

“Kubu, I'll speak to you in the morning. There's a meeting here at ten. Have a good night.”

Edison apologized for the interruption, but Mabaku waved that away. “Let's listen.”

For the next seven minutes, they listened to Mopati speak to Shonhu. They listened as Mopati explained that the police seemed to have accepted Kunene's death as suicide; they listened as he gloated about Newsom being caught out and the result being that the UNE application would be rejected; they listened as Mopati told Shonhu that he expected an even bigger return on his investment after this; and they listened as Mopati warned Shonhu that the police had their eye on Julius, and it would be best to keep him out of the picture. Finally, there was a click as he disconnected and the recording ended.

Mabaku allowed himself a smile. “We've got him!” he said.

 

PART 7

 

CHAPTER 46

As Kubu made his way to the meeting room, everyone he met stopped him and wanted to hear about his trip. It's as if I've been away for weeks on vacation, he thought. But as much as he'd resented being thrown out of Shoshong, he had to admit that the trip had been quite an experience. And, of course, he'd tracked down Newsom, although he suspected it was rather the other way around.

Mabaku came in not looking happy. Kubu's heart sank. Something's gone wrong, he thought.

The director took the seat at the head of the table and folded his arms. “I'm going to fill you in on what's happened over the last few days. But I want it absolutely clear that everything I tell you is in strict confidence. Is that understood?” He glared around the table until everyone had offered a nod. Then he laid out the whole story of Kubu's meeting with Newsom, the verification of the voices on Newsom's recording, the possibility of a much more valuable ore body than the Department of Mines had been led to believe, and, finally, the Mopati sting. “All Kubu's idea,” he concluded generously, “and we pulled it off!”

There was a buzz around the table and broad smiles. Mabaku held up his hand. “But…” Everyone quieted down. “But I've been talking to the prosecutor and the commissioner this morning. It's not enough. It won't convict Mopati, because all this evidence is tainted by Newsom's illegal recording. It's likely we won't be allowed to use our own recording in evidence either because the authority to tap the phones was based on illegally obtained information. Anyway, Shonhu was careful about what he said. When Mopati told him that we thought Kunene's death was suicide, he said: ‘That is good.' That's hardly an admission that he had anything to do with the murder.”

Mabaku slapped his hand on the table in frustration. “These bastards aren't going to get away with what they've done. No way Mopati quietly resigns, or this Shonhu character gets deported. They're criminals—possibly killers—and they're going to pay for it.”

There was silence for a moment before Mabaku continued, “We'll go after Mopati. Damn it, he must've left a paper trail. We can follow that. For a start we know about the payoffs. We should be able to trace them.”

“Is it possible Mopati actually helped Shonhu with the murder?” Samantha asked. “They both had a motive, and it would've taken two people to set up the fake suicide.”

Kubu shook his head. “It's possible but unlikely. People like Mopati don't get their hands dirty if they can help it. He'll have a watertight alibi, I'm sure.” He took a sip of water and thought for a moment. “We mustn't see the Kunene case in isolation,” he continued. “Somehow I'm sure they're all connected: the attack on Newsom, the shooting of Chief Koma, even the murder of my father. I'm not saying the mine was responsible for all of it, but I believe the mine's at the center of all of it.”

Samantha joined in. “If our riot suspects were paid to cause trouble at the
kgotla
—that could be the link. I've got a webcam videoing people coming and going at the mine's admin building. Julius Koma went in and out twice over the last couple of days.”

“I wonder what he was up to there,” Mabaku said. “I don't trust him.”

“I made blowups of pictures of all Batswana who visited the building and showed them to the suspects to see if they could pick out who paid them. It seemed like a good idea, but they haven't identified anyone yet. But we're sticking with it.”

“I see a few scenarios,” Mabaku said. “Now that we know the sort of things the mine is up to, I think it's likely that they arranged for the men to stir up trouble and for the chief to be shot. In that case, forget about finding the gun or the guy walking into the admin building and making an appointment to see Shonhu. But there's also a chance that Julius was behind it. Then the question is where did he get the gun? We should follow up on people who we know or suspect might be selling illegal weapons.”

Kubu thought it was a long shot, but he didn't object. He didn't have a better idea. He took a deep breath and changed the subject cautiously. “I said my father's murder was also wrapped up in this somehow. I'm just guessing, but I do have a theory.” He glanced at the director to see how this was being received. “My uncle told me that he thought my father had inherited something to do with land. When Julius came to see him, he told him about it. Suppose it was some sort of right over the area the mine wants or even an ancient mining lease? If so, my father would have been able to block the expansion if he'd wanted to. These people didn't know my father and wanted to make sure he didn't cause any problems. So they tried to get the document, if there was one. When they didn't succeed, they killed him.” He paused. “Some of his papers, including his will, are missing. My mother and I believe they were stolen during the break-in after his murder.”

“Have you done anything about this?” There was a growl in Mabaku's voice.

Kubu shook his head. “No. It's only an idea. I've been thinking it through since I learned about the rare-earth possibility. Suddenly, all the stakes are much higher.”

Mabaku mulled it over. “I think it's a very long shot, but we'll look into it. It's not the way mineral titles work here, certainly not anymore. But if such a document existed, then there must be a record of it somewhere.”

“I can check,” said Edison. He liked ferreting out information.

Mabaku looked around, but no one else had anything to contribute. “I have a hunch Kubu is right about the mine being at the center of all these issues. But I've no idea what the connection is.” He shrugged. “Okay, let's get to work.”

*   *   *

HOWEVER, THE DAYS
passed, and no breakthrough occurred. There was a feeling that the case was slipping away from them. At any time, Shonhu might vanish back to China, and the common link with Newsom and Mopati would be gone. Eventually, Kubu couldn't take it anymore. He went to see the director.

“Director,” Kubu said as he sat down, “what has Edison come up with? He was going to follow up on all sorts of things. Has he done that?”

Mabaku nodded. “He did, but there's nothing there,” he growled. “The Nigerian bank was a dead end. We need to put a request to the Nigerian police through Interpol. That will take forever. We don't have that much time. He checked the bars along Kunene's route. Nothing. And the big disappointment is the phone tap. Nothing more of any use. Just Mopati informing the Chinese that the decision about the new mining concession has been delayed a couple of weeks. The Chinaman didn't make a single call since the one last Friday.”