Jacob put his head into the room and Botha nodded. He gathered bits of orange peel into a pile and scooped them into his palm with his paper towel; then he pushed back in his chair and stood. “You work for him now,” Botha said.

“I work for who?”

“The American. Terry Krieger. You work for him now.” Botha picked up Klay’s untouched orange. “I’m in here because of you. You ever think of that? Your girlfriend’s looking on the wrong tree branch.”

He dropped Klay’s orange and his peels in a wastebasket near the door. “She’s got her hands on some dangerous documents. Ask her where she thinks they came from.”

He nodded to Jacob and left.

THE UNRAVELING

Office of the Special Prosecutor

Pretoria, South Africa

The big steel door was propped open with a mop handle and bricks again. It was the same everywhere, Klay thought as he entered. You can erect all the defenses in the world, but if it’s not convenient, it’s not safe at all.

“What does ‘gatvol’ mean?” Tenchant was asking.

“Fed up,” Miss Edna answered. “As in, ‘We’re gatvol of that tsotsi.’”

“Yeah,” Tenchant echoed. “We’re gatvol of that tsotsi. Oh. Hey, Tom.” Tenchant put down his file. “I might have something.”

“In a minute.”

“I think you’ll be interested: Botha and Ncube’s wife share a post office box,” Tenchant said. “It’s in their company registrations . . .”

Klay paused. The two female lawyers were looking at him expectantly. Sehlalo was not in the room. “Help me with something downstairs, will you, Tench?”

Klay led Tenchant across the catwalk and down the stairs to the garage. He took him to the front of the garage out of sight and earshot of Hungry’s team.

“Tell me,” Klay said quietly.

“It’s crazy, right? I mean, we’re here for Botha, and somehow it looks like he’s connected to their Ncube investigation. But it could help all of us, right? What’s the matter?”

“Keep going.”

“They used the same address, a beauty parlor owned by one of the Ncube nieces. That address ties to several of Botha’s companies and a number held by Ncube’s family. Important thing is, they made a mistake. It proves there’s a link between them.”

“Doesn’t ‘prove,’ suggests.” Klay looked up toward Hungry’s office. “You told the team you found a link?”

“Maybe I shouldn’t have. Chinese wall. But I can help them. Is something wrong?”

“What was their response?”

“They wanted to see it.”

“Who did?”

“Sehlalo.”

“Did you show it to him?”

“I did.”

“What did he say?”

“He didn’t say anything. He left.”

Klay’s jaw muscle flexed. “All right. See what else you can find, but keep it to yourself. Don’t share any more.” He turned toward the stairs. “I have to talk to Hungry.”

“She’s not here.”

Klay hesitated. “Where is she?”