Nobody Does It Better

Chapter Five

June Mbogo hadn't been to Mutuma's Rest since late last year, right after a double couple homicide. As usual, Lucas Mutuma had wandered his way into the case, managing to tick her every nerve in the process. At the time, Ian Mbugua had still been her partner. Lucas had somehow managed to befriend Ian, and Ian had tipped him off on the case, much to June's disliking. Damn, did his charm work on literally everybody?

Not her though. Never her.

June and Ian had visited Lucas several times in his home office because Lucas, somehow, seemed to always be one step ahead of them. How the hell did he do it? The man wasn't even a real detective. Just a bored, rich kid with a lot of time on his hands.

Annoying. Infuriating. Charming. SOB.

She stopped the Land Cruiser directly at the foot of the steps leading up to the porch. She got out of the car, walked up the steps, crossed the porch and rang the doorbell. While she waited, the front doors opened and Stanley stepped out.

'Good evening Ms Mbogo. Please come in,' he said. 'Ms Njuguna is in the living room. I believe you know the way. Mr Mutuma isn't in yet. I'll let him know you arrived once he's back.'

'Thank you.' June entered the foyer. 

'If you need anything, let me know.' Stanley walked away.

June walked into the living room and spotted Phoebe Njuguna on one of the leather seats, a shoal covering her legs. Her eyes were fixated on the large TV screen in front of her.

'Detective June,' Phoebe said when she saw her.

'Hello, Phoebe.' June sat across her.

'I didn't know you were coming this evening.' Phoebe sat up.

'I asked to be put on tonight's guard shift. I wanted to check in on you. How are you feeling?'

June understood grief, from a personal point as well as from her experience as a detective. Phoebe Njuguna grieved for the sister that she loved, but her grief was in the first stage, where one cannot fully comprehend that the other person is truly gone. Forever. It is as if nature protects a person's fragile emotions for days, sometimes weeks, after the event. If not for this, one might go mad.

'Would you care for some tea?' Stanley asked as he entered the room with a teapot and two cups on a tray.

'Thank you, Stanley. Tea would be nice and perhaps some biscuits or cake.'

Taking his cue to leave, Stanley replied, 'Of course.' He nodded curtly, the motion showing gentlemanly deference to her and Phoebe Njuguna.

Once Stanley left, June turned her attention on the woman who had been sitting quietly, her hands in her lap, watching the interchange between June and Stanley.

'I'll be staying here with you tonight. I am available to you, whenever you need me. If you wish to talk, we will talk. If you prefer that I---'

'I can't identify him.' The declaration whooshed from Phoebe in one gasping breath. 'I've told Lucas all that I can remember about the man. I swear that---'

June patted Phoebe's arm. 'It's okay. I'm not here to pressure you, only to keep you safe.'

Phoebe stared skeptically at June. 'I won't remember anything else. I--I can't.'

Trying her best to keep a patient and pleasant expression on her face, June pulled back and poured herself a cup of tea. 'I've always been a sucker for tea. Especially the kind my mother used to make when I was a kid.'

The change of subject seemed to relax Phoebe Njuguna. 'Penny liked our grandmother's tea. When we were little girls, she'd make tea all the time for us. I personally never really liked tea that much.'