Samantha and Zanele drove to Mochudi in separate cars, which was a good thing as Zanele was still fuming over Samantha’s oversight the previous night. They met at the home of Mma Pooe, Samantha to question her further, and Zanele to ask the woman to point out exactly where she’d seen the shadowy figure the night before.
“I was just minding my own business, walking Phiri before going to bed, when this man came running down the road. I think Phiri thought I was being attacked. He jumped at the man and nearly pulled me off my feet. I thought my arm was going to come off. Lucky for the man, I was able to hold on; otherwise, he would have been mincemeat. Phiri has jaws like a hyena.”
“It’s too bad you didn’t let go,” Samantha said. “We may have solved the case already.”
They walked the short distance to Litabi Street, which Zanele was pleased to see had been cordoned off. A constable checked their credentials before letting them through.
“I was over there,” Mma Pooe said, pointing to a spot about fifty yards away. “I saw him at the end of the block. It was dark, you know. Most of the lights aren’t working around here. He was running straight at me. Then he saw me and swerved to get past. That’s when Phiri went after him. By the time I’d controlled Phiri, he’d gone. He must’ve run around the corner down there, but which way I don’t know.”
“Mma Letita, if he had a hood, how do you know it was a man?”
“By the way he ran. Women don’t run like that.”
“Mma Letita, please show me exactly where he ran.” Zanele was eager to search for footprints.
The three walked up the road.
“He ran close to that hedge.” Mma Letita pointed to the other side of the road. “I’m sure you’ll see Phiri’s prints as well. He was very quiet next to me until he went after the man.”
Zanele opened her forensics bag and took out a camera. She walked over to the other side of the sandy street, carefully picking her way. Just after the middle, she pointed to the ground.
“I see dog prints here, going toward the hedge.”
She continued slowly, scanning the ground carefully. Suddenly, she stopped and pointed to the ground. For the next few minutes, she photographed a number of footprints. Then she walked back to where Mma Letita had first seen the man. A paved road crossed Litabi Street there. She walked to the other side and looked carefully, but saw no more prints.
Then she went to the other end of the block, where the man had run around the corner. She took more photographs. Eventually, she came back.
“I’m sure they’re the prints,” she said. “Definitely someone running. The heel is much deeper than if he was walking. The problem is that the road has sand that’s very granular. The boots don’t leave a decent print. But there is one print just before the corner that’s left a decent imprint of the sole. The sand is much finer there. It’s partially obscured by another print, but I think there’s enough to ID the shoe or boot.”
“You can find out who the man was from his footprints?” Mma Letita asked.
Zanele smiled. “No, mma. But we can find out what type of boot or shoe. If we’re lucky, we may be able to find out who sells them in Botswana. And if we’re luckier still, we may get a list of customers. It’s unlikely, but it may be all we have to go on.”
“I’ll go back with Mma Letita and go over everything again,” Samantha said. “Then I’ll follow up with other people in the neighborhood. I’ll see you at the meeting in the morning.”
Zanele nodded. “Okay. I want to make a cast of the footprint, and then I’m going to see if I can follow the tracks anywhere else.”
She turned to leave, then stopped and turned. “Samantha, I’m sorry I snapped at you this morning. I know you want to find the murderer as much as I do.”
“That’s okay, Zanele,” Samantha replied. “I should’ve called you when Mma Letita told me about the prints.” She frowned. “Let’s do Kubu proud.”