As soon as they left, Zoe sang the chorus to ‘I Walk the Line,’ and Kuyeya began to hum again. Then she spoke the last line. “‘Because you’re mine, I walk the line.’”
Zoe laughed and regarded Sister Irina. “Where is the iPod?”
“In the playroom,” said the nun.
Zoe touched Kuyeya’s hand. “Let’s go get some music.”
She helped Kuyeya to her feet and led her out of the garden at a leisurely pace. Kuyeya’s stride was much stronger now, and her limp was barely detectable. She accompanied Zoe easily, swinging her monkey by the arm.
After collecting the iPod, they entered the clinic. Zoe put the earphones over Kuyeya’s ears and led her to a chair beside the sink. The girl sat obediently, paying no attention to Dr. Chulu or the others. She kept her eyes on the floor and rocked in time with the music.
“Sister Anica is a nurse,” Dr. Chulu said quietly. “She’s going to take the sample.”
The nun took Kuyeya’s left hand and cleaned her middle finger. Squeezing the fingertip, she pricked the skin with a lancet and collected a sample of blood in a vial. Kuyeya moaned in protest and pressed down on the headphones with her free hand. Dr. Chulu took the vial and ran the rapid test. Zoe looked over the doctor’s shoulder and held her breath.
“Non-reactive,” he said, showing her the result window.
The relief Zoe felt was overwhelming. She watched as Sister Anica bandaged the girl’s finger and gave her a sweet. Kuyeya held her injured hand and savored the confection. Joy asked the nun a question about Kuyeya’s relationship to the other children, and they began to chat. Dr. Chulu motioned for Zoe and Joseph to join him outside.
“I heard about Flexon Mubita’s decision,” he said, standing in the breezeway. “He’s an honorable man.”
“How long will it take the DNA lab to do the analysis?” she asked.
“A few weeks. They’re very careful.”
“Will they need to send an expert to testify at trial?”
The doctor shook his head. “I’m qualified to do it. All I need is the report.”
“How secure are the samples?” Joseph inquired.
“They’re locked in a cabinet in the library. I check it every evening before I leave.”
“How many keys are there to the cabinet?”
The doctor frowned. “I have the only one.”
Joseph nodded. “As soon as you get Darious’s blood, I’ll take the samples to Jo’burg myself. I don’t want to take any chances.”
chapter 17
On the drive into the city, Zoe asked Joseph if he wanted to go out for dinner, but he declined, citing an obligation to a cousin. She gave him a hard time about it until she realized that he was serious. The cousin had traveled from Southern Province for a job interview and needed a ride home. Joseph was the nearest family member with an automobile.
“Will you stay the night in Choma?” she asked.
He shook his head. “I’ll be back by midnight.”
You could come over then, she almost said. “Will you be at the braai tomorrow?”
He smiled. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
She dropped him off at the CILA office beside his truck. The road was empty except for a blue sedan parked some distance away.
She took her usual route home: Independence to Nyerere Road, past the homes of ministers and ambassadors to Los Angeles Boulevard, and along the Lusaka Golf Club into Kabulonga. When she negotiated the roundabout at Chila Road, she checked her mirror and saw a blue sedan three car-lengths back. She recognized it with a start: it was the one she had seen near the office. She focused on the driver’s face and felt a sharp pang of dread.
It was the man in sunglasses.
Gripping the steering wheel, she intentionally missed the turn to her apartment and drove around the military airport. When she approached Kalingalinga, pedestrians began to crowd the roadway, and she had to slow to avoid an old woman who crossed the street without looking. She turned into the compound and made a random series of turns, skirting smoldering piles of trash and children scampering through the streets. The sedan followed her unerringly.
She navigated toward the exit onto Kamloops Road, keeping an eye on the car in her side mirror. I have to find a way to lose him. I don’t want him to know where I live. An idea came to her, but it would require a bit of luck to work. She glanced down the side lanes, watching for an opportunity. Just then, a flatbed delivery truck nosed into the lane behind her, forming a barricade between her Land Rover and the blue sedan. It was the opening she needed.
She floored the accelerator and sped toward the intersection at Kamloops Road, praying she wouldn’t hit anyone. Rounding a bend, she saw two women walking in the middle of the lane, carrying baskets on their heads. She honked loudly and the women leapt to the side in fright, sending papayas rolling across the road.