‘Why?’
‘It’s better.’
‘Why better?’
‘For everyone.’
‘Why?’
‘Because.’
‘Wrong answer. I’m not going to sit here and shoot the breeze with you, Jacobus. We have to see how Septimus is.’ I got up, but I kept hold of his wrists where the cord was tied. ‘Come.’ I dragged him up, keeping his arms high enough so it hurt if he didn’t cooperate.
‘Shoot me.’ A scream in the night, demonic and full of fear, and he jerked again, ignoring the pain he must have felt in his shoulders. That’s when I realised that my plan wasn’t going to work and I hit him as hard as I could on the head with the Glock.
At last the Honey Badger sank to the ground, out like a light.
I carried Cobie de Villiers over my shoulder to where Septimus meekly lay, just in time to see the light of a vehicle coming up the road from the gate.
‘Who’s that?’ I asked Seppie while I laid Cobie down next to him.
‘I think it’s Stef.’
My troubles multiplied. I could handle these two clowns. But one more?
It was the same Toyota pick-up that Stef Moller and Donnie Branca had been driving earlier. The tyres crunched over the gravelled yard and he stopped in front of the homestead and got out. He would see the lights at the labourer’s cottages. The question was, what would he do about it?
I felt the fatigue rising through my body. Long day. Long night. I knelt beside Cobie and shoved the barrel against his neck.
‘Cobie?’ Moller’s voice in the dark. I heard footsteps approaching over the gravel. Then I saw him on the edge of the beam of light. He had nothing in his hands.
‘No, Stef. It’s Lemmer.’
He saw us and stopped.
‘Come, Stef, come and sit with us.’
He hesitated, looking very concerned. His eyes blinked frantically.
‘What have you done?’ He came closer.
‘His lights are out, but only for the time being. Come and sit down, Stef, so we can talk about your lies.’
He sat beside Jacobus and stretched a trembling hand out to the still figure.
‘I didn’t have a choice,’ he said, and softly stroked Cobie’s hair.
‘You lied.’
‘I promised him. I gave him my word.’
‘He’s a murderer, Stef.’
‘He’s like a son to me. And …’
‘What?’
‘Something happened to him.’
‘What?’
‘I don’t know, but it must have been terrible.’
‘How do you know?’
‘I know.’
Cobie stirred. He tried to turn over, but with his hands tied it was a struggle.
‘Easy, Cobie,’ Moller soothed him.
‘He’ll have to talk, Stef. He’s the one with the answers.’
‘He won’t talk.’
Cobie de Villiers moaned and tried to roll over. His eyes opened and he saw Stef Moller.
‘I’m here, Cobie.’
Cobie saw me. He jerked. Moller held a firm hand on Jacobus’s shoulder. ‘No, Cobie, don’t. He won’t do you any harm.’
Cobie didn’t believe him. His eyes flicked between us, well on his way to madness again.
‘Easy, Cobie, easy. I’m here; you’re safe. Easy now.’
I could see Moller had done this before, the soothing, coaxing him back from the abyss. Cobie stared at Stef, then he seemed to believe him, because he sighed deeply and his body relaxed. I caught a glimpse of their history, their relationship. Also of Moller as a person. It commanded respect, but it didn’t help me. Behind a locked door in Cobie de Villiers’ head there was information that I needed. Moller held the key, if there was a key.
Squint Seppie was quiet, following events with one eye.
‘Stef, let me explain my problem,’ I said in a conversational tone, like a parent that didn’t want to upset a child, my words intended for Cobie’s ears. ‘I am looking for the people that hurt Emma le Roux. That’s all. I’m going to hunt them down and make them pay. I’m not interested in what Cobie or anyone else has done. I don’t want to involve the police. To be honest, I can’t afford to. All I want is a name. Or a place where I can find Emma’s attackers. Just that. Then I will leave. You will never hear from me again. I will tell no one what happened. That’s the promise I am making.’
Stef Moller sat with his hand on Cobie’s shoulder. He blinked slowly but he never said a word. It was Cobie’s decision.
The night was perfectly silent. I looked at my watch. Twenty to five. The sun was on its way. I looked at Jacobus. He just lay there.
Moller squeezed Cobie’s shoulder. ‘What do you say, Cobie?’
He shook his head. No.
I sighed. ‘Cobie, there is an easy way and there’s a hard way. Let’s do it the easy way.’
Moller frowned at me. He didn’t think that was the right approach.
‘No,’ said Jacobus softly.
‘Why not?’
‘Kill him.’
‘He can solve the problem, Cobie,’ said Moller.
‘He can’t. They will kill him too.’
‘No, Cobie,’ I said, but I missed what he added. ‘What did you say?’
‘They are going to kill everyone.’
‘Everyone?’
‘Emma and Stef and Septimus.’
‘Not if I stop them.’
‘You can’t.’ Cobie rolled his head back and forth, with a stubborn look on his face.
My patience ran out. Utterly. I grabbed a handful of Cobie’s hair and stood up. I pulled him upright by his hair.
‘Don’t,’ Stef Moller said, trying to stop me. I shoved his arm away. Cobie made an animal noise. I ignored it.
‘We tried your method, Stef. It’s time to make this arsehole realise what he’s doing.’ I dragged Cobie behind me towards the farm track. He struggled, but not much, because I had a firm grip on his hair.
‘Where are you going?’ Moller wanted to know.
‘Cobie and I are going to see Emma. He can explain to her why they shot her and made her fall off a train. He can make his fucking excuses to her.’
‘No,’ Jacobus screamed.
‘Shut your face and come.’ I pulled and walked fast.
‘Lemmer, please don’t,’ Stef Moller pleaded.
‘Don’t worry, Stef, you’re safe. It will be just Cobie and Emma and me. You stay here.’
‘I thought she was in a coma.’
‘Then we’ll just have to wait until she wakes up.’
