Ladies' Detective Agency 01 - The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith Page A

far?”
    “No. It is not far. It
is just over there. That way.”
     
    THE
DRIVER opened the door and got out, leaving the engine running, to allow the
boy to slide in over the bench seat. Then he got back in, closed the door and
engaged the gears. The boy drew his feet up—there was some animal on the
floor and he had touched a soft wet nose—a dog perhaps, or a goat.
    He glanced at the man to his left, the older man. It would be rude to stare
and it was difficult to see much in the darkness. But he did notice the thing
that was wrong with the man’s lip and he saw his eyes too. He turned
away. A boy should never stare at an old man like this. But why were these
people here? What were they doing?
    “There it is. There is my
father’s place. You see—over there. Those lights.”
    “We can see it.”
    “I can walk from here if you
like. If you stop, I can walk. There is a path.”
    “We are
not stopping. You have something to do for us. You can help us with
something.”
    “They are expecting me back. They will be
waiting.”
    “There is always somebody waiting for somebody.
Always.”
    He suddenly felt frightened, and he turned to look at
the driver. The younger man smiled at him.
    “Don’t worry.
Just sit still. You are going somewhere else tonight.”
    “Where are you taking me, Rra? Why are you taking me
away?”
    The older man reached out and touched the boy on the
shoulder.
    “You will not be harmed. You can go home some other
time. They will know that you are not being harmed. We are kind men, you see.
We are kind men. Listen, I’m going to tell you a little story while we
travel. That will make you happy and keep you quiet.
    “There were
some herd boys who looked after the cattle of their rich uncle. He was a rich
man that one! He had more cattle than anybody else in that part of Botswana and
his cattle were big, big, like this, only bigger.
    “Now these boys
found that one day a calf had appeared on the edge of the herd. It was a
strange calf, with many colours on it, unlike any other calf they had ever
seen. And, ow! they were pleased that this calf had come.
    “This
calf was very unusual in another way. This calf could sing a cattle song that
the boys heard whenever they went near it. They could not hear the words which
this calf was using, but they were something about cattle matters.
    “The boys loved this calf, and because they loved it so much they did
not notice that some of the other cattle were straying away. By the time that
they did notice, it was only after two of the cattle had gone for good that
they saw what had happened.
    “Their uncle came out. Here he comes,
a tall, tall man with a stick. He shouts at the boys and he hits their calf
with his stick, saying that strange calves never brought any luck.
    “So the calf died, but before it died it whispered something to the
boys and they were able to hear it this time. It was very special, and when the
boys told their uncle what the calf had said he fell to his knees and
wailed.
    “The calf was his brother, you see, who had been eaten by
a lion a long time before and had come back. Now this man had killed his
brother and he was never happy again. He was sad. Very sad.”
    The
boy watched the man’s face as he told the story. If he had been unaware
of what was happening until that moment, now he knew. He knew what was going to
happen.
    “Hold that boy! Take his arms! He’s going to make
me go off the road if you don’t hold him.”
    “I’m
trying. He is struggling like a devil.”
    “Just hold him.
I’ll stop the truck.”

    CHAPTER SEVEN
    MMA MAKUTSI DEALS WITH THE
MAIL
    T HE SUCCESS of the first case heartened Mma Ramotswe. She had
now sent off for, and received, a manual on private detection and was going
through it chapter by chapter, taking copious notes. She had made no mistakes
in that first case, she thought. She had found out what information there was
to be had by a simple process of listing the likely sources and