Read Online In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Alexander McCall Smith
Tags: Fiction, General, Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths, Mystery Fiction, Political, Women Private Investigators, Botswana, No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Imaginary organization), Ramotswe; Precious (Fictitious character), Women private investigators - Botswana
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topic of Mercedes-Benzes came up again, as she passed Mr J.L.B. Matekoni his brimming mug of bush tea.
Mma Makutsi and I saw a Mercedes-Benz yesterday, she began, glancing at Mma Makutsi for confirmation. It stopped right outside this place.
Oh yes, said Mr J.L.B. Matekoni, in a tone which suggested that he was not very interested. There are many Mercedes-Benzes these days. You see them all the time. What sort was it?
It was silver, offered Mma Makutsi.
Mr J.L.B. Matekoni smiled. That is its colour. There are silver
Toyotas too. Many cars are silver. I meant what model was it?
It was a Mercedes E class, said Mma Ramotswe.
This remark made Mma Makutsi look up in astonishment, and then look down in shame. Of course that was exactly the sort of detail which a detective should spot, and which Mma Ramotswe had indeed noted. Whereas she, Mma Makutsi, a mere assistant detective, had noticed nothing other than the colour.
A good car, said Mr J.L.B. Matekoni. Not that I would ever spend that much moneyeven if I had that muchon a car like that. There must be a lot of rich people around.
I think that the driver was a rich lady, said Mma Ramotswe. I think that she is a rich lady who is seeing Charlie out there. Yes. I believe that.
Mr J.L.B. Matekoni stared down into his tea. He did not like to think of the private life of his apprentices, largely because he imagined that it would be distasteful in the extreme. It would all be girls, he thought, because that is all they had in their minds. Just girls. So he said nothing, and Mma Ramotswe continued.
7
Yes. Mma Makutsi and I saw Charlie getting into this Mercedes-Benz with the rich lady who was driving it and then they drove off.
She waited for a reaction from Mr J.L.B. Matekoni, but he merely continued to drink his tea.
So, she went on, they drove off towards the old airfield and then they went to a house. She paused before adding, Your house, in fact.
Mr J.L.B. Matekoni put down his mug of tea. My house?
Yes, said Mma Ramotswe. They went into your house, and that is what made me swerve and make that poor man fall off his bicycle. If it had not been your house, I would not have been so surprised and would not have swerved.
And they stayed there for some time, said Mma Makutsi. I think they were visiting the people who live there now, whoever they are.
That could be true, said Mr J.L.B. Matekoni. The people who live in my house will have friends, no doubt. Perhaps this lady with the Mercedes-Benz is a friend of those people.
Mma Ramotswe agreed that this was a possibility. But the apprentices were always happy to gossip, and if they were mixing socially with Mr J.L.B. Matekonis tenants they might well have been expected to mention the fact, surely?
Mr J.L.B. Matekoni now shrugged. It is Charlies affair, he said. If he is going round with this woman in his own time, then that is his business. I cannot stop those young men from having girlfriends. That is not my job. My job is to teach them to work on engines, and that is difficult enough. If I had to teach them about looking after themselves once they leave the garage, then… He spread his hands in a gesture of hopelessness.
Mma Ramotswe glanced at Mma Makutsi, who asked, Who is your tenant, Rra?
5 8
His name is Ofentse Makola, he said. I do not know much about him, but he has been paying his rent very regularly every month. He has never been late with itnot once.
Mma Ramotswe caught Mma Makutsis eye, signalling to her that they should bring this discussion to an end. Mr J.L.B. Matekoni looked a little bit awkward, she thought, and it would be best not to press him at this stage. Besides, she wanted to find out who owned the silver Mercedes, and this would require his co-operation. If he thought that the two of them were up to something, then he might decline to help. So there should be no more talk
Mma Makutsi and I saw a Mercedes-Benz yesterday, she began, glancing at Mma Makutsi for confirmation. It stopped right outside this place.
Oh yes, said Mr J.L.B. Matekoni, in a tone which suggested that he was not very interested. There are many Mercedes-Benzes these days. You see them all the time. What sort was it?
It was silver, offered Mma Makutsi.
Mr J.L.B. Matekoni smiled. That is its colour. There are silver
Toyotas too. Many cars are silver. I meant what model was it?
It was a Mercedes E class, said Mma Ramotswe.
This remark made Mma Makutsi look up in astonishment, and then look down in shame. Of course that was exactly the sort of detail which a detective should spot, and which Mma Ramotswe had indeed noted. Whereas she, Mma Makutsi, a mere assistant detective, had noticed nothing other than the colour.
A good car, said Mr J.L.B. Matekoni. Not that I would ever spend that much moneyeven if I had that muchon a car like that. There must be a lot of rich people around.
I think that the driver was a rich lady, said Mma Ramotswe. I think that she is a rich lady who is seeing Charlie out there. Yes. I believe that.
Mr J.L.B. Matekoni stared down into his tea. He did not like to think of the private life of his apprentices, largely because he imagined that it would be distasteful in the extreme. It would all be girls, he thought, because that is all they had in their minds. Just girls. So he said nothing, and Mma Ramotswe continued.
7
Yes. Mma Makutsi and I saw Charlie getting into this Mercedes-Benz with the rich lady who was driving it and then they drove off.
She waited for a reaction from Mr J.L.B. Matekoni, but he merely continued to drink his tea.
So, she went on, they drove off towards the old airfield and then they went to a house. She paused before adding, Your house, in fact.
Mr J.L.B. Matekoni put down his mug of tea. My house?
Yes, said Mma Ramotswe. They went into your house, and that is what made me swerve and make that poor man fall off his bicycle. If it had not been your house, I would not have been so surprised and would not have swerved.
And they stayed there for some time, said Mma Makutsi. I think they were visiting the people who live there now, whoever they are.
That could be true, said Mr J.L.B. Matekoni. The people who live in my house will have friends, no doubt. Perhaps this lady with the Mercedes-Benz is a friend of those people.
Mma Ramotswe agreed that this was a possibility. But the apprentices were always happy to gossip, and if they were mixing socially with Mr J.L.B. Matekonis tenants they might well have been expected to mention the fact, surely?
Mr J.L.B. Matekoni now shrugged. It is Charlies affair, he said. If he is going round with this woman in his own time, then that is his business. I cannot stop those young men from having girlfriends. That is not my job. My job is to teach them to work on engines, and that is difficult enough. If I had to teach them about looking after themselves once they leave the garage, then… He spread his hands in a gesture of hopelessness.
Mma Ramotswe glanced at Mma Makutsi, who asked, Who is your tenant, Rra?
5 8
His name is Ofentse Makola, he said. I do not know much about him, but he has been paying his rent very regularly every month. He has never been late with itnot once.
Mma Ramotswe caught Mma Makutsis eye, signalling to her that they should bring this discussion to an end. Mr J.L.B. Matekoni looked a little bit awkward, she thought, and it would be best not to press him at this stage. Besides, she wanted to find out who owned the silver Mercedes, and this would require his co-operation. If he thought that the two of them were up to something, then he might decline to help. So there should be no more talk
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