Molefi returns to his desk to initiate a ruthless sleuth into the background of a lady on account of whom his boss shoed him off like a rat. If at all he'd doubted Bandele's resolve to settle down, he now knows that the businessman is serious.

But the boss ought to know that some ladies are new in town. This castle isn't Department of Home-Affairs where people have to register on arrival. Besides, the lady in question doesn't live on Polemann Street, Bandele's stronghold. They'll need to snoop around to gather information about her and then verify.

While Bandele lay alone upstairs, sleep eludes Molefi downstairs. He keeps imagining what might be going through the boss's mind. Since he picked up this job, not once has he disappointed the man like today. Perhaps he'll get a query in the morning. But who'll write the query letter?

Well, the eccentric man may ask him to write his own query letter and sign it. What will Bandele not do? Fear of being fired sap quality sleep from Molefi.

"The boss is angry with us!" He tells Pono over the phone. The unusual midnight call makes the lads agree on the urgency of the matter at hand. They must double their efforts on this new target.

As early as 5 am, Saturday morning, Pono and his lieutenants make Princewill Street their base. They stalk around like NYPD agents seeking a terror suspect. These lads leave no stone unturned digging into Sheline's activities. In twenty-four hours her details lay on the CPL form.

LADIES CANDIDACY PROFILE (CPL FORM)

Name: Sheline Malvin

Language: English, Shona

Origin: Zimbabwe

Age: 20

Telephone: Unavailable

Marital Status: Married (4 Months)

Spouse Details: Unavailable

Status: Student (UJ)

Physical Details: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Tall and Beautiful

Statistics: 36–26–39

Salon Visits: Rarely. Natural Hair. Afro.

Difficulty Level: 50%

Likelihood for Sleepover: 5%

Ratings: Intelligent and Humble

Religion: Christian. Presbyterian Church, Sunday: 9:00 a.m. till 12:00 p.m.

Outdoor Activity: Rare.

Educational: Attends UJ, Mon-Fri. 8:30 a.m. till 4:30 p.m.

Social: No clubbing. No bar. No restaurant. No smoking. No Drinking.

Other Activities: Evening Walks. Stay with Aunt. No car.

Remarks: New in South Africa. Yet to explore Mzansi. No friends. No foes. No Baggage.

Summary: Church Girl. Awaiting Jesus Christ.

Molefi prints the form and dashes upstairs, his legs wobbling on the treads, having earlier tried but failed to see Bandele. The snub made him ginger his boys to intensify work, the result of which he's about to present, hoping his sloppiness will be discounted.

Molefi knocks on the door several times but it stays locked. "We now have her details, sir," he announces, his mouth towards the keyhole." It occurs to him to slip the paper under the door, but he restrains himself from doing so – that might aggravate his offence.

Akida flings the door open. "The boss is busy with his property managers. Come back."

Akida closes the door before Molefi says anything further, a sign of the boss's lingering angst. No problem, he'll wait at the lobbyroom until Bandele wraps up his phone conference. But how does the man communicate with his Caucasian property managers? Well, that's not his business.

Akida later returns to collect the paper from Molefi which he presents to Bandele who shows up quick in the lobbyroom.

A wicked smile sneaks into the corner of Bandele's mouth while pacing around, paper in hand. These boys aren't bad after all. They only need occasional threats to make them sit up.

"She is a student from Zimbabwe." Bandele drops to the chair, rubbing his tummy.

"Yes, boss."

"She shouldn't be hard to catch."

"Certainly, boss. We've handled many students in the past. And this doesn't look difficult."

"Why do you think she won't sleep here?"

"She's always inside the house and her aunt expects her to return home every day."

"Is she truly married or she is pretending?"

"It's not clear yet whether or not she's married, sir. But at twenty, maybe she's trying to keep men away."

Bandele lifts from the chair, rubbing his hands together. "I want her fast. This is the one I want to marry. A proper African girl."

"Her statistics are not common," Molefi says, his finger wiping his sweat-free forehead.

"Work harder to get me her phone number. I also want to know something about any man around her. Look, this is the kind of lady I want to have as the mother of my children. All these sfebes I've been inviting may run away with my children."

"Okay, boss."

"Bring me Selina."

"Sheline, sir."

"Shut up! What do you know?" Bandele glowers. "I only forgive you yesterday because you don't disappoint me every time. So, be careful."

"Sorry, sir."

"Sorry for yourself." He takes a seat. "Look, I can't wait for you to bring her here. She will give me two or three kids."

"Okay, boss." Molefi raises eyebrows, returning to his desk to map out the strategy that will convince the reclusive Sheline whose profile looks encouraging. A church-girl won't arrive at the castle and ask all aides to leave. That's highly unlikely. But then, how will he bring her here? This poses a new challenge.

Conceding that his boss won't overlook another slack in duty, Molefi plots a twin strategy to win over Sheline. For starters, she's not the type money can impress – well, not in the manner cash will sweep a proper slay queen. Since she doesn't socialise, Bandele will have to leave the house to meet her. Sheline won't visit the castle for any reason.

Paying a visit to the university may be their best bet. There, Bandele will see her amid her friends. On the other hand, a visit to her church will make sense. Uncommon situations call for uncommon solutions. This case is indeed queer.

Molefi calls Bandele's driver. "We have to visit the university. Be available for the next seven days."

"Okay."

Next, Molefi dials the St. Joshua Presbyterian church in Jabulani, asking about their Sunday service, upon which he decides that a church visit will be more viable than school. If Bandele can present himself as a God-fearing person, Sheline will listen to him.

Eventually, Molefi's plan takes shape: Sunday morning, Bandele will drive to the church to meet Sheline just before she gets into the taxi that will bring her home. Because people rush to leave the scorching Summer sun, she won't refuse Bandele's offer for a lift.

There'll be copies of the bible, flowers and hampers in the car, which Bandele will hand over to Sheline and those accompanying her – gifts from a church member. Friendship would have been established once the gifts are accepted.

Presenting himself as a chauffeur-driven wealthy man will intimidate the young lady, so Molefi wants Bandele behind the steering wheel – a move which might melt Sheline's heart, thereby discounting whatever rumours peddled about the Soweto Lion.

The only snag in the plan is if taxis come around to pick Sheline up before Bandele gets there. To that end, he should find a way to keep the taxicab operators busy around midday. Yes, why not?

Molefi lifts off the desk, showing up in the lobbyroom. "Boss, do you know the taxi-rank marshal in Jabulani area?"

Bandele raises a puzzled face. "No. But I know the one in Orlando here. Why do you ask?"

"I want us to disengage the taxi-drivers for thirty minutes this coming Sunday. We should cancel their trips so that they will be off the roads around mid-day."

Bandele grins but looks curious. "Why will you do that?"

"I'm coming up with a plan for Sheline, the Zimbabwean lady. We may have to visit her church and bring her back home this Sunday. But to do that, we'll ask taxi-drivers to stay off the roads."

Bandele sits up on the sofa, extending his grin. "Go to a church? What do you mean?"

Molefi eases up and crouches beside him. "I'll soon finalize the plan and explain better. I just want to fix this taxi issues, so that all will go well."

Bandele flashes a wry smile. "Well, we have to pay the drivers for the time we keep them off the roads."

"I've calculated the amount already, sir. Traffic is usually less on Sundays and many of them don't report for work. If we give the association fifty thousand rands to stay off the roads, they'll be happy to go on strike for an hour. They don't make that much on a Sunday, so our offer will be a good bargain."

"Hai! Molefi, your brain is now working like a computer. Continue with your plan. I support it hundred percent."

Bandele thinks for a while before grabbing his phone to dial Jabulani Metro Police office whose boss should provide details of the taxi-association around the area. "I need the telephone number of..."

Molefi gets his wish granted and then returns to his desk to round up the plan, which he reads out to his boss. Bandele listens with rapt attention, clearing his mind of any doubts about its feasibility.

Showing up as a God-fearing churchgoer, handing out copies of the bible and stuff, taking taxi-drivers off the roads all mesmerises Bandele in no small way. The diagram which Molefi took time to draw does indicate the effort that went into the plan.

Seeing no need for a review, Bandele raises a question. "What if they miss church on Sunday?"

"Sheline's aunt hasn't missed a church service in the last fourteen months. It's not likely she'll miss this Sunday, especially now that her niece is around."

Bandele raises his head, looks at his boy with narrowing eyes. His respect for the lad notches up.