Fatal by Arno Joubert

soap-opera star. She shuffled through a pack of folders on his desk. It appeared to be police dockets, filled with photos and pages of typed writing. Alexa stacked them and sat down as someone approached. Lobera entered the room carrying two plastic cups.  
    “Black and strong?” he asked, handing her a cup.  
    Alexa nodded and sniffed the brew. It smelled weak. She took a sip. The brown liquid was tepid and grainy and bitter.
    “Mozambican espresso, good stuff,” Alexa said, trying to hide the disgust on her face.
    Lobera beamed. “Alas, all I could procure was Nescafé, all the way from a local supermarket. But I appreciate the compliment.”
    Alexa gulped the cup down, suppressing the need to gag. She pulled a roll of notes from her pocket and counted out eight one-hundred-dollar bills.  
    “Dollars OK?” she asked and handed him the cash.  
    He counted the money then looked at her with a curious frown, holding the dollar bills in the air.
    “I’ve included a tip for you,” she said. “You have been most helpful.”
    Lobera beamed a sparkling, white-toothed grin. “ Obrigado, senhorita. ”
    “I hope we have a long and prosperous relationship, Mr. Lobera.” She placed the half-filled cup on his table. “Thanks for the coffee."
    Lobera sauntered towards her. “Thank you, senhorita . I hope to talk soon.”  
    He shook her hand but didn’t let go. “What are you, ahem, transporting, if I may ask?”
    Alexa pondered the question. “If you must know, I'm bringing in porn and cigarettes."
    Lobera nodded sagely. “Good business. Very good.” He gazed at Alexa with an affectionate smile then released her hand.
    Alex nodded and turned around. “Pig,” she muttered under her breath as she left the room.
     

Alexa settled into the wicker chair in her comfortable suite at the Polana hotel. She folded her legs beneath her then flipped open her laptop and connected a flash drive. She opened a browser and typed in the private address to the camera.
    She clicked a link on the page and scanned through the list of recordings, scrolled to the bottom of the list, and opened the first video stream.  
    A man had entered the room as she left Lobera’s office earlier. Alexa remembered him; he wore a Mozambican police uniform. He asked Lobera about the cute Lolita then went on to make some snide sexual remarks. They both chuckled.  
    Alexa forwarded the conversation ten seconds ahead. Lobera called the policeman “Sharkie.” She pricked her ears at the next piece of the recording. Lobera and the newcomer discussed her shipment, which was due to arrive at the border the following week.  
    Sharkie was interested in getting his hands on some of Alexa’s illegal goods. A heated exchange followed, and Lobera convinced Sharkie to keep his hands off the stuff. Lobera explained she would become a regular customer and it would be foolish to kill the goose laying the golden eggs. Alexa forwarded some more. The men left the office. Lunch. Lobera returned two hours later.
    Lobera’s phone rang and he picked up. Alexa listened attentively, forwarding and rewinding the stream, listening to some of the conversations for a second or third time, trying to put a context to the discussion, then jotted some notes on a pad next to the laptop.  
    She was satisfied only three other people were involved in the smuggling ring. A sergeant called Malan on the South African side of the border, Sharkie, and Lobera.
    Perreira's name was mentioned several times. She gathered a valuable shipment was on its way from Malawi, due to be processed the following day. It then needed to be transferred to a cargo ship and make its way to the final destination in the States.
    She pulled her phone from her pocket and punched in a number. She would need some help on this mission.
    “ Bonjour, Général. This is Alexa.”
    “Alexa, my dear girl. Ça va ?” the general greeted, sounding happy.
    “ Ça va, bien merci . I need your help again,