“There you are, Mma! The whole page, or almost.” They had both noticed the small news item beneath the main article, but now was not the time to bother with that.

“What do you think of the photograph, Fanwell?” asked Mma Makutsi.

“I think it is A1 excellent, Mma,” enthused Fanwell. “And look, your certificate comes out very well. You can see the ninety-seven per cent very clearly. See, you can read it without looking up close. Ninety-seven per cent.”

“I’m very glad,” said Mma Makutsi. “For the college’s sake, of course—not for mine.”

“And you look very beautiful, Mma. Any man reading the paper will be saying to himself, ‘This is a very beautiful lady, this detective lady.’ That’s what they’ll be saying, Mma—I’m not making it up.”

Mma Makutsi giggled modestly. “Oh, I don’t think so, Fanwell.”

She read out the entire article to Fanwell, who listened gravely. At the end, as she put the paper down on her desk, he said, “That will bring results, Mma.”

“I hope so,” said Mma Makutsi. “I think that Mma Susan is rather a sad lady, you know. I think that it is very important for her to find what she is looking for.”

Fanwell picked up the paper again. For a moment he was silent, and then he let out another cry.

“Mma! Mma! Look at this other article. Same page as you. Oh, Mma…”

He passed the newspaper to Mma Makutsi, who adjusted her glasses to read the smaller article at the bottom of the page. She read it out to Fanwell, who listened open-mouthed.

Woman of the Year Nominations ran the headline. Five nominations have been received with the necessary number of signatures for the Woman of the Year Award. The two top-runners are both from Gaborone and both have successful business careers behind—and before—them. They are Ms. Gloria Poeteng, a senior client manager with the Standard Bank, a lady going places in the banking world, and Ms. Violet Sephotho, a business consultant, who has featured widely on radio and television and who is well known in Gaborone business and social circles. Don’t forget to cast your votes in this popular contest for the lady who will be chosen to represent the best in Botswana and southern Africa.

Mma Makutsi dropped the paper. “Violet Sephotho!” she exclaimed.

“I can’t believe it,” said Fanwell. “What will Mma Ramotswe say?”

“She will have a heart attack,” said Mma Makutsi.

“Oh, Mma, that will be very serious…”

“Not a real one, Fanwell. There are heart attacks that are real and make you late, and heart attacks that are not real heart attacks but are big, big shocks. She’ll have that sort of heart attack, I think.”