Just a Dead Man by Margaret von Klemperer

fit in with the other inmates. It seems it doesn’t do to be different even, or particularly, among the criminal classes. And the police and warders either can’t or won’t help. But Robin did say that, for the moment anyway, Dan was alone in a cell.
    â€œI asked Pillay on what basis they were arresting him, what their evidence was. He was pretty cagey, and I don’t think they’ve got a hell of a lot to go on. But Dan had been in contact with this Ndzoyiya guy, and he did deny any knowledge of him when he found the body.”
    â€œBut he had never seen him! He had no idea who he was!”
    â€œI know, I know. But it doesn’t look good. And Pillay confirmed he had been in some kind of trouble with the police in Joburg – not arrested, but questioned about something that happened when foreign traders were roughed up and their supporters took on the thugs. The guys here are waiting for more details on that. But it does mean Dan’s name is known to the police, and in connection with a violent incident. Still, if the evidence for this killing is purely circumstantial, we can make a good case for bail. There’ll be conditions. He’ll probablyhave to stay down here, not go back to Joburg. And report to the police station, etc. Though as he’s an immigrant, and doesn’t own property, it may be tricky.”
    â€œRob, what kind of money will we be talking? I mean, I don’t think Dan’s got much at the moment, and while I can help a bit, and probably some of his other friends, it’s not going to be easy to find big bucks.”
    â€œI would hope we could keep it to under ten grand – maybe even less than that. But it might depend on the magistrate. I’ll find out who the prosecutor is beforehand, and if it’s someone reasonable, we can try to make a plan. I know most of them, and over the years I’ve made a point of establishing working relations with them. Don’t worry yet, Laura. I don’t think the police have much of a case, at least at this stage. We’ll do what we can.”
    â€œThanks so much, Rob. I really appreciate this. But the money thing …” I kind of trailed off. I had no idea how I was going to raise the bail, let alone pay Rob. Ten grand was not the sort of cash I had lying around. I could ask my father for money, and he would probably help, but I didn’t like the idea. I’m a middle-aged adult: asking the folks for handouts is something I go a long way to avoid. A very long way.
    â€œHey, don’t worry. We’ll sort things out. Relax. Daniel was pretty calm when I left, and he’s given me a bit of info about his contact with this Ndzoyiya. Come into my office tomorrow afternoon and I’ll show you what I’ve got. We can see if there’s anything we can do, or find out. It’s too soon to worry.”
    And I had to be satisfied with that. I sighed, and called Verne. He answered straight away, and I told him what Robin had said. I asked if he knew anything about Phineas Ndzoyiya, and he said he thought Dan had been given his name by someone working for some heritage body: Vernecould shed no further light on who Ndzoyiya was or where he worked. Daniel had told him what he had told me, that his contact was the grandson of a Mendi survivor, and apparently was keen to see the tragedy remembered in a practical way. Dan had spoken to him over the phone about the exhibition and arranged to meet him. But more than that, Verne didn’t know.

10
    W EDNESDAY WAS A DIFFICULT day. News of Dan’s arrest was out. He hadn’t appeared in court, so he hadn’t yet been named in the papers, but word had got around all the same. My mother was on the phone before breakfast, convinced her daughter and beloved grandsons had been harbouring a homicidal maniac. I said, over and over, that it was all a mistake, and I was sure Daniel would soon be released and the real murderer caught. But