Makungu cleared his throat. “If the officer’s story checks out, I’ll talk to Flexon.”
Mariam looked relieved. “Thank you, Levy. I owe you one.”
“More than one,” he replied, and hung up.
Zoe spent the remainder of her morning polishing a brief she had written in another child-rape case. The client this time was an eleven-year-old girl from the Ng’ombe Compound whose great-uncle had molested her for years before she finally confessed to her mother and her mother went to the police. After threatening the child, the uncle had hired an attorney, and the attorney had threatened the mother. At Niza’s request, Zoe had drafted an application for contempt, but she expected the magistrate to overrule it. The accused and his attorney had denied making the threats, and the child’s mother was a poor widow standing on nothing but her word.
At lunchtime, Joseph announced that he was in the mood for nshima, and Zoe smiled at him, taking the hint. They drove down the street to Pamela’s, a favorite haunt of attorneys in the government quarter, and strolled across the grass to the outdoor buffet. A Zambian matron took their orders and spooned nshima, chicken, groundnut relish, and collard greens onto plates. After paying for the food, they sat at a table on the mostly empty lawn.
“Where is everyone?” Zoe asked, looking around.
“There were riots in Ndola. I heard it on the radio. PF thinks MMD is rigging the election in favor of Banda. I imagine a lot of people stayed home today.”
“Has there been violence in Lusaka?”
Joseph shook his head. “The compounds are restless, but nothing yet.”
“They need to declare a winner,” she said in exasperation.
They ate for a while, enjoying the sunshine and silence. Eventually, Zoe asked, “What are you going to do until we hear from the DPP?”
He finished off a bite of nshima, and then said, “I’m going to talk to some ngangas about HIV. I’m also going to talk to people in Kanyama outside Abigail’s neighborhood. I think Darious knew his way around the compound. Otherwise, he would have left Kuyeya closer to Los Angeles Road. He’s got a flashy car. If I’m right, I’ll find someone else who saw it.”
She frowned, only partly in jest. “Your job is far sexier than mine.”
He grinned. “An interesting choice of words.”
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
His expression turned serious. “If you want something to do, I have an idea. I handled a case a few years back. Two adolescent boys lured a girl into their house and raped her while their parents were away. After they finished, they threatened her and let her go. She was brave, and she was lucky. Her family took the case to the police, and the post commander gave it to me.”
The tale turned Zoe’s stomach. “Did you get a conviction?”
“We did. A neighbor saw the girl go into the house. Her testimony convinced the magistrate. I’ve been wondering what Darious did with Kuyeya between the time he picked her up in Kabwata and the time he dropped her off in Kanyama. Five hours is a lot of time.”
“You think he took her somewhere.”
Joseph nodded. “I’m wondering if he took her home.”
She gave him a dubious look. “He did a near-perfect job of covering his tracks. Why would he commit a crime on his own property?”
“Because it’s the one place he can completely control. I haven’t been inside the walls, but I would guess he has a separate house or a wing to himself. What if his parents were gone? What if he took her home and did the deed and then drove her into Kanyama? The neighbors and the guards wouldn’t have seen anything. There’s only one person who might have seen something.”
“Who?”
Joseph smiled. “Their housekeeper.”
“How do you know …? I mean, I’m sure they have one, but it’s a monumental guess.”
He shrugged. “You may be right. But you handled Doris so well I thought you might be interested in talking to her.”
“How do you propose I do that?”
“Wait outside the house until she leaves. I’m sure she takes a regular trip to the market. Someone drives her, but I’d be willing to bet she shops alone.”
At once Zoe felt fear. “Why would she talk to me?”
“She might not. But you could get lucky.”
After a moment, Zoe nodded. “I’ll talk to Mariam.”
When they returned to the CILA office, they found it deserted, except for Sarge who was sitting in the conference room typing on his laptop. He looked up at them and said, “There was violence in the Copperbelt. The office is closed until the election is announced.”
“Why are you still here?” Zoe asked, feeling anxious again.
“I have a hearing in the High Court next week. I have to finish the brief.”
Leaving Sarge to his computer, Zoe followed Joseph outside. At once she realized how quiet it was. Situated near the center of one of Lusaka’s busiest districts, the office was usually awash in street noise. This afternoon it was as serene as a botanical garden.