�Why, Sir�?� Kgole�s voice was steady, almost flat. �You and I both know the arresting officer handles the case until it�s formally handed to the investigations unit. In this case, I�m both�the arresting officer and the investigating officer.�
Mazibuko leaned back slightly, adopting a tone that aimed for camaraderie. �Come on, Kgole. You�re the busiest investigations officer in this station. Let me take this one off your plate so you can focus on more pressing matters.�
The attempt at sincerity rang hollow. Kgole studied him, noting the unusual persistence. Whoever had promised Mazibuko a payoff, it had to be generous�enough for him to abandon the unspoken rule they had lived by: respect the other man�s territory.
�Don�t worry, Sir. I can handle it�full plate or not,� Kgole said, his voice calm but unyielding, his resolve only sharpened by Mazibuko�s persistence.
The lieutenant fell silent, his expression darkening as he weighed his next move. He knew Kgole wouldn�t be easy to sway. The man�s integrity was well known in the station, a stubborn trait that had earned him both respect and enemies. But Mazibuko couldn�t let it go. Too much was riding on this�more than Kgole could possibly imagine.
�Well,� Mazibuko said at last, his voice edged with something between irritation and surrender, �have it your way, then. But tell me�why isn�t the evidence in the evidence room?�
The question slipped out before he could stop himself, and the flicker of recognition in his eyes betrayed that he knew it. A half-second later, he schooled his expression, masking the slip with a studied calm. But it was too late�Kgole had already caught the scent of something foul.
That one misplaced question said more than Mazibuko intended. It meant he had tried�perhaps already�to get his hands on the evidence. The only question was why.
The pull on this case was stronger than Kgole had first thought. This wasn�t just about a fat envelope under the table anymore. The truth was, even he didn�t know exactly where the evidence was at that moment. He had assumed it was safely logged in the evidence room, but clearly that hadn�t happened.
Moloyi�s hand was all over this. Like most at the station, he understood that getting between Captain Kgole and his casework was a dangerous choice. So, whether out of self-preservation or rare flashes of principle, Moloyi had kept the evidence out of the evidence room�a place where things had a habit of� disappearing.