Once inside the hallway, Kagiso scanned the bustle for Constable Moloyi�the officer who had transported the four boys and Charles to the station that morning, and the one assigned to ensure no one tampered with the suspects or the evidence. At this station, such interference was common enough to require a dedicated guard.
They were told Moloyi was in Lieutenant Mazibuko�s office and would have to wait. When he finally emerged, the shift in his expression was immediate. Relief washed over his face, as though their arrival had lifted a weight he had been carrying all day.
�What�s going on?� Kagiso asked, catching the awkwardness in his demeanor.
Moloyi glanced over his shoulder toward Mazibuko�s office before speaking in a low voice. �You need to handle this yourselves. Lieutenant Mazibuko�s been pressuring me to release the boys and the evidence into his custody.�
�Why would he do that?� Kgole asked, though the question felt more rhetorical than curious. Everyone here knew who the corrupt officers were�and Mazibuko�s name was always near the top of that list.
Moloyi gave a weary shrug. �I guess we all know why.�
Without a word, Kgole passed his coffee to Kagiso, then stepped to Mazibuko�s office door and knocked. From inside came the lieutenant�s soft, almost disarming voice: �Come in,� the sound carrying just enough force to be heard over the hallway din.
Kgole entered, offered a crisp salute, and stood at attention. �I hear you want to take custody of the case I�m in charge of?� he asked his tone polite but edged with steel.
Lieutenant Mazibuko fixed Kgole with a long, deliberate stare�the kind that carried an unspoken warning: you have no idea who you�re dealing with. The message was clear, wrapped in a veneer of civility. Kgole caught it instantly, and in his own subtle way�mirroring Mazibuko�s knack for wordless communication�he returned a slow grin that suggested, you might be the one in for a surprise. Until now, the two men had managed to steer clear of each other. They understood they were opposite sides of the same coin, and without ever saying it aloud, had maintained an unspoken pact to keep their distance.
�You have to give me this case,� Mazibuko said at last, breaking the silent standoff.