?My name is Cesar Sangrenegra. You killed my brother.?
?Yes. I killed your brother. You can have me. Let the girl and the policeman go.?
?No. We will have
?
?No, you can??
?Shut the fuck up, black man.? Spit sprayed from Cesar?s lips, the drops making shiny arcs in the light from the Nissan. ?
You know what it means? He made the trap for Carlos, this policeman. Now I have to go back to my father and say I didn?t kill him? That will not happen. I want you to know, policeman, before you die. I want you to know we fucked your daughter. We fucked her good. She is young. It was a sweet fuck. And after you are dead, we will fuck her again. And again. We will fuck her so long as she can be alive. You hear me??
?I will kill you,? said Griessel, and Thobela could hear his breaking point was close.
He laughed at Griessel, shaking his head. ?You can do nothing. We have your kid. And we will find the white whore too. The one who tells lies about Carlos. The one who steals our money.?
?You are a coward,? Thobela said to Cesar Sangrenegra. ?You are not a man.?
Cesar laughed in his face. ?You want me to attack you? You want me to lose my temper??
?I want you to lose your life.?
?You think I did not see the spear you put behind your back? You think I am stupid, like my brother?? He turned around, to one of his henchmen. ?
?
The man drew a knife from a long sheath on his hip. Cesar took it from him.
?I will kill you slowly,? he said to Thobela. ?Now take out that spear.?
46.
When Superintendent Boef Beukes had gone, she went to the bedroom where her things were.
She opened her handbag, took out her identity document and put it on the bed. She took out her purse, cigarettes and a lighter. She clipped the bag shut and lifted up her dress. She pushed the ID book and the purse down the front of her panties. She carried the cigarettes in her hand.
She walked to the front of the house and said: ?I?m going outside for a smoke.?
?At the back,? gestured the one with the mustache. ?We don?t want you to go out the front.?
She nodded, went through the kitchen and out the back door. She closed it behind her.
There were fruit trees in the backyard. The grass was long. A concrete wall surrounded the property. She walked straight to the wall. She put her cigarettes on the ground and looked up at the wall. She drew a deep breath and jumped. Her hands gripped the top of the wall. She pulled herself up, swung one leg over. The top of the wall felt sharp against her knee.
She dragged her whole body up onto the wall. Beyond was another garden. Vegetables in tidy rows. She jumped, landing in the mud of a wet vegetable bed. She got up. One of her sandals stayed behind in the mud. She pulled it out and put it on again. She walked around the house to the front.
She heard the animal?s paws on the cement path before it appeared around the corner. A big brown dog. The animal barked deeply and feinted back a little, as much in fright as she was. She kept her hands protectively in front of her. The dog stood square, growling, exposing big sharp teeth.
?Hello, doggy, hello,? she said.
They stood facing each other, the dog blocking her way around the house.
Don?t look scared, she knew, she remembered that from somewhere. She let her hands drop and stood up straight.
?Okay, doggy.? She tried to keep her tone caressing, while her heartbeat rocked her.
The animal growled again.
?Easy, boy, good dog.?
The dog shook his head and sneezed.
?I just want to come past, doggy, just want to come past.?
The hairs on the dog?s neck dropped. The teeth disappeared. The tail gave one uncertain wag.
She took one step forward. The dog came closer, but didn?t growl. She put out her hand to his head.
The tail wagged more vigorously. He pressed his head against her hand. The dog sneezed again.
She began to walk slowly, the dog following. She could see the front garden gate. She walked faster.
?Hey,? came a voice from the front verandah.
An old man stood there. ?Can I help you?? he asked.
?I?m just walking through,? she said, one hand on the gate. ?I?m just passing through.?
He reached for the assegai behind his neck and Cesar Sangrenegra?s movement was subtle and rapid and the long knife cut through Thobela?s shirt and across his ribs, a sharp, red-hot pain. He felt the blood run down his
