“You did not,” said Mma Ramotswe, remaining calm. “But then many of my clients don’t tell me the full story.” She paused. There had been no further reaction from Susan—just silence, and shallow breathing. But she had said, “Who told you about that?” Those were not the words of one who was denying that anything had happened. About that…That was something that had happened.

She waited.

“I want to see that person,” said Susan eventually.

Mma Ramotswe hesitated.

“I’m serious, Mma Ramotswe. I want to see that person.” Susan’s voice was uneven now, the emotion breaking through.

Mma Ramotswe took a deep breath. “I’m not sure that it’s a good idea, Mma,” she said.

“Are you saying you won’t tell me where she is?”

Mma Ramotswe closed her eyes. They were fully exposed to the sun, and it was beating down upon them remorselessly. “That is so, Mma,” she said. “There is no point in going over very old matters. It’s time for you to forget about all that.”

Mma Makutsi tried to lead them into the shade, but they did not move.

“She shut me up,” said Susan, her voice lowered to a whisper. “My parents were away. She was looking after me and she accused me of taking some cake she had been saving for something or other. She locked me in her room at the back—in the servant’s block. She locked me there for a whole afternoon. I was terrified.”

“That was very bad,” said Mma Ramotswe.

“I’ve never forgotten it.”

“No, so I see.”

Mma Ramotswe saw Mma Makutsi frown at the disclosure.

“I was shut up, you know. I was shut in the classroom all by myself. Up in Bobonong. It was for something I didn’t do.”

Susan ignored this. She was still staring at Mma Ramotswe, and now she said, “So what do you think I should do, Mma? You say there’s no point in going over these old things, but what do you think I should do?” Her words were posed as a challenge—and an aggressive one at that.

“Forgive her,” said Mma Ramotswe quietly.

This was met with incredulity. “What?”

“Forgive her,” repeated Mma Ramotswe. “You see, forgiveness is the only way you can settle these things. Forgiveness is the only way you’ll be able to forget this painful episode.”

“You’re saying I should forgive her…”

“That’s exactly what I am saying, Mma.”

Inside Susan something snapped, and she shouted out: “Her…her…!” And then, almost blindly, she pushed at Mma Ramotswe. It was somewhere between a blow and a shove, and it had an entirely unexpected effect, almost causing Mma Ramotswe to lose her footing. She toppled briefly and would have fallen had Mma Makutsi not reached out to steady her. There was an involuntary gasp from Susan. “Mma…are you all right?” she stuttered.