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EETING. S ATURDA Y. M OTSWEDI J UNIOR S ECONDARY S CHOOL. 11 A.M . The next showed a picture of the handsome man who had been with the young woman. He smiled down at Witness, teeth glistening. V OTE FOR F REEDOM was splashed across the bottom.
    â€œThere’s nothing to smile about!” he shouted. “My daughter’s gone!”
    But the man continued to smile, and Witness felt his eyes following him down the road.

EIGHT

    S AMANTHA HAD ARRANGED TO meet Lesego’s family on Saturday around six, when they all gathered before supper. Driving to Mochudi, she recalled Kubu’s advice and comments, and admitted to herself that she was a little nervous about how the meeting would go. But when she arrived at the house, her confidence returned, and she knocked firmly on the front door.
    She was greeted by a man who introduced himself as Tole Tobogo. He was polite, but she disliked the appraising way he eyed her. A bitter-­looking woman sat stiffly on the threadbare couch with a teenage girl next to her. The teen must be Dikeledi Betse, the missing girl’s sister, she thought. Two boys squatted on the floor. Tole introduced her to Constance Koma and told her the names of the others. He pulled up a rough-­wood chair from the dining table for the detective.
    Constance spoke for the first time. “So the police are interested in Lesego’s disappearance now. It’s a bit late. Nearly five months late.”
    Samantha had talked to the investigating officer and agreed with the woman’s opinion. Not much investigating had, in fact, been done. The police had asked around the town and found nothing. They’d filed a missing-­persons report, and then they’d lost interest. Nevertheless, she felt obliged to defend them. “The police have always been interested in the case, mma. There just hasn’t been a lot to go on.”
    â€œSo what makes you think you can do anything? You look very young.”
    Samantha bristled but kept her voice calm. “I’m reviewing the case for the CID. To see if we can find anything that was missed.”
    â€œAnd what do you think happened?”
    â€œShe was probably abducted and killed for muti .” But for Constance’s hostile tone, Samantha would have been more circumspect in her choice of words. The faces around the room registered shock. Only Dikeledi showed no reaction. In her heart she’d known this since Christmas.
    For a moment there was dead silence. Then Constance put her hands to her face and started to cry. The expressions of surprise and disbelief on the faces of the others would have been almost comical in any other context. None of them moved; it was Samantha who went across to the couch and put her arms around the woman, but Constance pushed her away, then seemed to regain her composure.
    â€œI’m all right,” she said. “What do you want with us after all this time?”
    â€œCan each of you please tell me everything about the day Lesego disappeared? Anything at all that was unusual. Even if you don’t think it’s important. Let me decide that. Please try. Otherwise we may never find out what happened.”
    Each member of the family described what they recalled of that day, but no one remembered anything unusual.
    Then Tole spoke about the following week.
    â€œI asked everyone I met. But no one had seen anything. At least that’s what they said. I think they were scared a witch doctor was involved.”
    â€œThe ­people you talk to only want to drink at the bar,” Constance interjected.
    Samantha ignored that and spoke to Tole. “Did anyone seem evasive? As though they were hiding something?” Tole shrugged and subsided.
    Samantha turned to Dikeledi. “The police at the station said you were very concerned. Very loyal. That you came back several times. Did you find anything? Is there anything else you can remember that might help me?”
    Dikeledi looked