Read Online In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith - Free Book Online Page B
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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of Charlies exploits for the time being.
After Mr J.L.B. Matekoni had returned to work, Mma Ramotswe busied herself with some telephone calls before she turned to Mma Makutsi and asked her directly what she thought they should do.
Should we bother to find out anything about this woman? she asked. Is it really any of our business?
Mma Makutsi looked thoughtful. Charlie is a young man, she said. He is responsible for himself. We cannot tell him what to do.
Mma Ramotswe agreed that this was true, but then, she asked, what should one do if, as an older person, one saw a younger person about to make a bad mistake, or do something wrong. Did one have the right to say anything? Or did one just have to stand by and let matters take their own course?
Mma Makutsi considered this for a moment. If I was about to do something foolishreally foolishwould you tell me, Mma?
I would tell you, said Mma Ramotswe. I would tell you and hope that you would not do it.
So should we tell Charlie to be careful? Is that what we should do?
9
Mma Ramotswe very much doubted whether Charlie would take advice when it came to the matter of a woman, but thought that perhaps they might try. We could try talking to him about it, she said. But we dont really have much to go on, do we? We dont know anything about this woman, other than that she has a Mercedes-Benz. That is not enough to go on. You cant warn somebody if you know only that. You cant say: Have nothing to do with ladies who drive Mercedes-Benzes! You cant say that, can you, Mma?
Some people would say that, suggested Mma Makutsi, mischievously.
But I think we need to know a little bit more, said Mma Ramotswe.
Then ask him. Isnt that the way we work in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency? Dont we just ask people if we want to find out something?
Mma Ramotswe had to agree that this was true. If she ever wrote a book like The Principles of Private Detection, she would add to what Clovis Andersen had to say. He suggested all sorts of clever ways of finding out factsfollowing people, looking at what they threw away in the bin, watching the sort of people they mixed with, and so onbut he did not say anything about asking them to their faces. That was often the best way of getting information,
and in her book, if she ever wrote it (Private Detection for Ladies might be a good title), she would make much of this direct method. After all, this technique had served her well in many of her cases, and perhaps this was another occasion on which it might be used.
She rose from her desk and sauntered into the garage, followed
by Mma Makutsi. Mr J.L.B. Matekoni was attending to a car which was parked outside, its owner standing anxiously by. Inside the garage, underneath the hydraulic ramp upon which a
6 0
large red car was balanced, Charlie and the younger apprentice were peering up at the cars suspension.
So, said Mma Ramotswe conversationally. So you are going to fix the suspension of that car. The driver will be very grateful to you. He will not feel so many bumps once you have finished.
Charlie looked away from the car and smiled at Mma Ramotswe. That is right, Mma. We are going to make this suspension
so smooth that the driver will think he is riding along on a cloud.
You are very clever, said Mma Ramotswe.
That is right, said Charlie. I am.
Mma Ramotswe glanced at Mma Makutsi, who bit her lip. It was sometimes very difficult to remain civil when dealing with these boys. It would have been so easy to be sarcastic, but the problem was that they did not understand sarcasm: it was wasted on them.
We saw you yesterday afternoon, she said airily. We saw you getting into a very smart car, Charlie. You must have some very smart friends these days.
The apprentice laughed. Very smart, he said. Yes. Youre right, Mma. I have some very smart friends. Hah! You think Im nothing, but
After Mr J.L.B. Matekoni had returned to work, Mma Ramotswe busied herself with some telephone calls before she turned to Mma Makutsi and asked her directly what she thought they should do.
Should we bother to find out anything about this woman? she asked. Is it really any of our business?
Mma Makutsi looked thoughtful. Charlie is a young man, she said. He is responsible for himself. We cannot tell him what to do.
Mma Ramotswe agreed that this was true, but then, she asked, what should one do if, as an older person, one saw a younger person about to make a bad mistake, or do something wrong. Did one have the right to say anything? Or did one just have to stand by and let matters take their own course?
Mma Makutsi considered this for a moment. If I was about to do something foolishreally foolishwould you tell me, Mma?
I would tell you, said Mma Ramotswe. I would tell you and hope that you would not do it.
So should we tell Charlie to be careful? Is that what we should do?
9
Mma Ramotswe very much doubted whether Charlie would take advice when it came to the matter of a woman, but thought that perhaps they might try. We could try talking to him about it, she said. But we dont really have much to go on, do we? We dont know anything about this woman, other than that she has a Mercedes-Benz. That is not enough to go on. You cant warn somebody if you know only that. You cant say: Have nothing to do with ladies who drive Mercedes-Benzes! You cant say that, can you, Mma?
Some people would say that, suggested Mma Makutsi, mischievously.
But I think we need to know a little bit more, said Mma Ramotswe.
Then ask him. Isnt that the way we work in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency? Dont we just ask people if we want to find out something?
Mma Ramotswe had to agree that this was true. If she ever wrote a book like The Principles of Private Detection, she would add to what Clovis Andersen had to say. He suggested all sorts of clever ways of finding out factsfollowing people, looking at what they threw away in the bin, watching the sort of people they mixed with, and so onbut he did not say anything about asking them to their faces. That was often the best way of getting information,
and in her book, if she ever wrote it (Private Detection for Ladies might be a good title), she would make much of this direct method. After all, this technique had served her well in many of her cases, and perhaps this was another occasion on which it might be used.
She rose from her desk and sauntered into the garage, followed
by Mma Makutsi. Mr J.L.B. Matekoni was attending to a car which was parked outside, its owner standing anxiously by. Inside the garage, underneath the hydraulic ramp upon which a
6 0
large red car was balanced, Charlie and the younger apprentice were peering up at the cars suspension.
So, said Mma Ramotswe conversationally. So you are going to fix the suspension of that car. The driver will be very grateful to you. He will not feel so many bumps once you have finished.
Charlie looked away from the car and smiled at Mma Ramotswe. That is right, Mma. We are going to make this suspension
so smooth that the driver will think he is riding along on a cloud.
You are very clever, said Mma Ramotswe.
That is right, said Charlie. I am.
Mma Ramotswe glanced at Mma Makutsi, who bit her lip. It was sometimes very difficult to remain civil when dealing with these boys. It would have been so easy to be sarcastic, but the problem was that they did not understand sarcasm: it was wasted on them.
We saw you yesterday afternoon, she said airily. We saw you getting into a very smart car, Charlie. You must have some very smart friends these days.
The apprentice laughed. Very smart, he said. Yes. Youre right, Mma. I have some very smart friends. Hah! You think Im nothing, but
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