"What about the maids. Ever spoke to them, ever heard them say something about the Motsepe?" Sindi shook her head. Mandisa collapsed on her chair. It was hopeless.
"Fine, let's try another approach. The Motsepe are going to make you look like a slut so I need to know every guy you were close to while living with them. Any male friends, any guys who ever hit on you, any man you ever spoke to for more than ten minutes."
Sindi drew her eyebrows together in deep thought.
"I didn't know anyone while in Durban. I didn't go out much."
"What about Tumi's friends? You must have met them." Sindi shook her head. "Any one? Come on Sindi, I need you to think. The Motsepe are very confident about their case and that means they have people who are going to testify to you being a slut."
"I'm sorry." Sindi said crying. "I swear to you. I was never close to any man. Even before Tumi, men always made me uncomfortable. I don't know who they could have gotten to say I'm a slut."
Mandisa closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. "Okay. You are telling me the Motsepe have no case and yet you saw them today. They have something on you Sindi and unless you can tell me what it is, we are doom!"
"You think I'm lying to you?" Sindi asked in a hurt voice.
"No I don't think you are lying. I think you are not thinking. I don't know if you understand how vital it is for you to think. Any small thing can either help or destroy this case. There question is who is using that thing."
They got interrupted by Miranda bringing in the coffee. Mandisa waited for the other woman to walk out before saying.
"Fine then, tell me about Tumi. You must know something about him, after all you married him." Sindi thought hard and Mandisa had a feeling she was going to say nothing again. Sindi was an open person who could talk about anything and everything. She wasn't good in keeping secrets or lying but when it came to the Motsepes she was mum. Mandisa didn't know if she refused to talk or she had just blocked the information out of her mind. Either way, her lack of cooperation was not doing any one any good.
"Tumi was sweet and fun while we were here in Jo'burg. He used to take me out and here he introduced me to some of his friends." Mandisa sat up, a ray of hope hitting her eyes. "As far as I was concerned he was an angel sent from heaven. He took care of me and he was the most loving person ever. Then we got married and moved to Durban and things changed." Sindi said ending her sentence with a shrug. Mandisa felt like kicking herself. She had heard that story before. It began the same way and ended the same way every time. She had hoped this time, Sindi would elaborate, tell her more but it seemed her sister wasn't feeling accommodating. Mandisa drank her coffee wondering what she was going to do.