Kleyn.?
?McClean?? asked Cliffy, slightly puzzled, and slid her business card closer across the table. ?But here it says . . .?
?
? she said. ?As in neither Mrs. or Miss. It?s a modern form of address which probably hasn?t yet penetrated the police.?
?Let me tell you what has penetrated the police,
Kleyn,? said Griessel, suspecting it would not be difficult to act mean with this particular woman. ?It has penetrated us that this afternoon we are going to hold a press conference and we are going to tell the media there is a serial killer on the loose in the shopping aisles of Woollies. We are going to ask them to please warn the unsuspecting public to stay away before another innocent, middle-aged Woollies customer is strangled with a kettle cord. This modus operandi has penetrated the police,
Kleyn. So don?t you tell me ?it?s not going to happen,? as if I came to ask if we could hold trolley races up and down your aisles.?
Even through all that foundation he could see she had turned a deep shade of red.
?Benny, Benny,? said Cliffy in a soothing tone. ?I don?t think we have to make threats. We must understand Ms. Kleyn?s point of view too. She is only considering the interests of her customers.?
?She is only considering the interests of her company. I say we talk to the press.?
?That?s blackmail,? said Kleyn, losing confidence.
?It?s unnecessary,? said Cliffy. ?I am sure we can come to some arrangement, Mrs. Kleyn.?
?We will have to,? said January, the manager of the Waterfront branch.
?Did I say
Oh, I am sorry,? said Cliffy.
?We can?t afford that kind of publicity,? said January.
?It?s strength of habit,? said Cliffy.
?I will not be blackmailed,? said Kleyn.
?Of course not,
Kleyn.?
?I?m going,? said Griessel, standing up.
?Could I say something?? asked Sergeant Marais in a gentle voice.
?Naturally,
Marais,? said Cliffy jovially.
?You are afraid something might happen to customers in the shop?? she asked Kleyn.
?Of course I am. Can you imagine what that publicity would mean??
?I can,? said Marais. ?But there is a way to remove the risk altogether.?
?Oh?? said Kleyn.
Griessel sat down again.
?All we want to do is to get the suspect to make contact with me. We hope he will initiate a conversation and get himself invited to a woman?s home. We can?t confront him in the shop or try to arrest him: there are no grounds. So really there is no risk of a confrontation.?
?I don?t know . . .? said Kleyn, and looked dubiously at her long red fingernails.
?Would it help if I was the only policeman in the supermarket??
?Steady on, Sergeant,? said Griessel.
?Inspector, I will be carrying a radio and we know the supermarket is a safe environment. You can be outside, all over.?
?I think that?s a good idea,? said Cliffy.
?I don?t see why we should change good police procedure just because the Gestapo don?t like it,? said Griessel and got to his feet again.
Kleyn sucked in her breath sharply, as if to react, but he didn?t give her the chance. ?I?m leaving. If you want to sell out, do it without me.?
?I like your proposals,? said Kleyn to Andre Marais quickly, so that Griessel could hear it before he was out the door.
Thobela was standing at the reception desk of the Waterfront City Lodge when the
arrived. The deliveryman dropped the bundle of newspapers beside him on the wooden counter with a dull thump. The headline was right under his nose, but he was still filling in the registration card and his attention was not on the big letters:
VIGILANTE KILLER TARGETS ?CHILD MOLESTERS?
