Tuesday, 8th July 2014, early afternoon. After we returned to the Eco-Farm from our visit in Lira I wanted to recharge my battery pack using my solar panels that I had brought and mounted on the hut’s roof. I had bought two battery packs so I was able to use one while recharging the other. As I wanted to plug the used battery pack I realised that the other was missing and the wire was also gone. I went outside and checked if my solar panels were still there which was the case. As I examined the equipment I realised that someone must have removed one of the wires and pulled out the battery pack that was inside my hut. I informed the others that someone had stolen my battery pack while we were in Lira. I was very disappointed as I assumed that this must have been an inside job. Moritz, our watchdog would’ve barked and chased away any stranger entering the farm sneaking around the hut. As there only remained a few more days at the farm, I decided to remove the solar panels from the roof to prevent them from being stolen as well. Then I went to have supper. Everybody was discussing the issue during the meal. I didn’t say a lot, I was just sad.
One of my workmates, in the following referred to as Magnum P.I., immediately took the lead trying to identify the suspects. He started collecting facts and asking questions. At the time when we went to Lira there were 5 people at the farm of which two only work from 7 to 11 am. Those two were out of the game very soon, so there were three guys left who work at the farm all day, one even lives there. Magnum P.I. listed himself, The Saint and Lou Cipher as suspects.
So far that’s these are the facts:
Magnum P.I., who was supposed to stay at the farm, left the farm without permission to buy some meat in town. When he came back to prepare it, The Saint was there and Lou Cipher was not around. Lou Cipher’s alibi was that he was asked by Claudia to go and buy cassava for the pigs. Magnum P.I. and The Saint had lunch together which both of them confirmed. When The Saint left at 1 p.m. Lou Cipher was still not around. The two other workers came at seven, worked in the fields and left together at 11 a.m. They’re out of the game.
After the meal Magnum P.I. took off to town to watch the football game and to gather information about the case. He wouldn’t return before the next morning.
Wednesday, 9th July 2014. Magnum P.I. returned from town and prepared breakfast for us. He informed us that he found some traces but needed to do further investigation. He left in the afternoon and again came back the next day.
Thursday, 10th July 2014. We had planned to travel to Lira again for we had decided to bring the magic toys box to an orphanage and therefore had an appointment with the staff that we needed to instruct. So we took off in the morning to reach Lira in time and therefore missed Magnum P.I. By midday I received a message from Claudia. She asked me for an exact description of the power tank and model number etc. and wrote that Magnum P.I., who was developing real investigative skills was following some traces.
Friday, 11th July 2014. When we came back the next day, Magnum P.I. informed us that he found out about a ring of receivers in town. There seems to be a shop where one can buy stolen goods exclusively. He also found out that Lou Cipher was seen in a nearby town during the time he was supposed to buy cassava. He was seen there by one of the elders who even offered to bring him back to Chopalwor which he refused as he still had things to do. He also found out that Lou Cipher called one of our workers (one of the ones who left the farm at 11 a.m.) to send him to buy cassava for some reason. The battery pack and the wire were still missing.
Saturday, 12th July. We had another free chicken vaccination on the program and were supposed to play with the kids in town in the afternoon. After that we had planned to confront Lou Cipher with our findings in the evening. Magnum P.I. still tried to get hold of the missing battery pack throughout the day but his efforts were all in vain.
Sunday, 13th of July. On Sunday we had planned to have a farewell party for me as I would leave the farm on Wednesday. Because of that burglary incident the party was cancelled and we planned to go to Chobe Lodge instead. As it rained heavily in the morning that was also cancelled. So we discussed again all the findings and then called Lou Cipher to get to the farm in the evening.
When Lou Cipher arrived, we asked all the suspects to sit down at the veranda. Magnum P.I. informed everyone about his findings and started to interrogate. Lou Cipher explained he was never in that particular town on Monday and therefore did not meet that elder guy, who told Magnum P.I. to having seen and talked to Lou Cipher last Monday. He even claimed to not knowing that elder guy at all and assured to have bought the cassava himself. When being confronted with the fact that he phoned to one of the workmates in the early afternoon of that day, he composed some very confusing explanation for that fact. Later he admitted that he sent the workmate to buy the cassava while he rested at his room in town. He still assured he didn’t know the elder guy, though. What if that elder guy confused him for someone else? Over and over again Lou Cipher swore to God that he wasn’t in town and had not spoken to that guy whom he didn’t even know. We were a bit stuck. So Magnum P.I. then summarised all the facts and statements and noted them down in his booklet. What to do now? The logical next thing to do was to bring all the involved people together, which would take a while.
I was pretty sure that we had found the guilty one by now and I wanted to finish that thing now. So I went to my room, brought my spare battery pack and just put it on the table… Magnum P.I. was still discussing with Lou Cipher while The Saint sat silently next to Lou Cipher. He didn’t even react on the battery pack that I had just put on the table. He didn’t even know that this was the thing that was stolen. Lou on the other hand started to squint to that battery pack. I didn’t say anything and let them discuss for a while. After a few minutes I spoke something like “Listen guys, I want to give you now a chance to solve this amongst this group. It’s sad enough the way it is, but I don’t want to having to inform the police. So if anybody wants to say something about this battery, now’s the time. I’ll give you 5 minutes to think about it.”. After some minutes I asked if anybody wanted to say something. The Saint talked first and said something like that this thing obviously had no legs so it must have been taken. It’s not good to steal things and doing so is a severe thing. He further explained that he had never seen this thing before and wouldn’t have even known what it is for.
Lou Cipher again stated he was not guilty and that he was not in town and that the stories that we heard were not true. He asked to get together with the other guys.
I was a bit tired but what to do? Magnum P.I., Lou Cipher and The Saint got up and prepared themselves to go to town to find the workmate who was asked to buy the cassava for Lou Cipher and the elder guy who claimed to have seen Lou Cipher in town on Monday. The Saint quickly went home to change his clothes as he was still wearing an overall and gum boots. Lou Cipher and Magnum P.I. stood next to a hut and discussed. After a while I joined them and told them again that I would really hate to inform the police but would to this the next day. I continued that it was kind of a shame that we could not resolve this issue right here but instead would have to bring it to the public which might have severe consequences for the thief, probably even prison, what I would really not wish to anyone at all. Then I left. When The Saint came back they all set off towards the village as the rest of us was still sitting at the table. We could still hear them discuss just outside the farm. They didn’t move. After a while Magnum P.I. returned saying that one of us confessed.
Finally! I was relieved that my little trick with the spare battery worked as it would have been very difficult to find out who it was otherwise. So we asked who confessed. It was Lou Cipher, which – unfortunately – surprised none of us. When he saw that battery on the table he got very much confused. He then stated that the battery pack was lying outside the hut and that he took it for a lamp, which I found pretty interesting. He then took it and brought it to his room in the village. I then told him that the thing on the table was only my spare battery, not the one that was stolen which confused him even more. We then asked where the stolen battery was. He told us that he had it still in his room. So Magnum P.I. and The Saint set off with Lou Cipher to get the battery from his room. When they arrived there he again refused to know about a battery and later told them it was hidden in the bamboo at the farm which annoyed the other two workmates. Then Magnum P.I. talked frankly to Lou Cipher and started to search the room, he even through the matrass out of the room. He then admitted that the battery was at his girlfriends apartment. So they went there and got the battery from her place. In the meantime the people in the village found out about what was going on and started to swear at Lou. Some even tried to slap him for what he’d done so Magnum P.I. and The Saint had to protect him on their way back to his room. The cable was still missing and Lou said it was in a town nearby. When Magnum P.I. returned with The Saint, he hold the battery pack in his hand, showed it to me and grinned. Claudia got a bottle of Champaign out of the fridge for it was time to celebrate. Then Magnum P.I. and The Saint went back to town to see the endgame of the World Championship.
the stolen battery pack…
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