Devil's Peak

His pen stalled over the paper. What was written there?what did they know? The clerk behind the desk was busy at the keyboard of the computer. He forced himself to finish writing and hand the card over. The clerk gave him the room?s electronic card key and explained to him how to find it.

?May I take a newspaper??

?Of course, I?ll just charge it to your account.?

He took a paper, and his bag, and headed for the stairs. He read.

One day before crcche owner Colin Pretorius (34) was to receive judgment on several charges of rape and molestation, he apparently became the second victim of what could be an assegai-wielding vigilante killer bent on avenging crimes against children.

He realized he was standing still and his heart was bumping hard in his chest. He glanced up, took the stairs to the first floor and waited until he was there before reading more.

The investigating officer, Inspector Bushy Bezuidenhout of the Serious and Violent Crimes Unit (SVC), did not rule out the possibility that the bladed weapon was the same one used in the Enver Davids stabbing three days ago.

In an exclusive report, following an anonymous phone call to our offices,

The Argus

yesterday revealed that the ?bladed weapon? was an assegai . . .

How much did they know? His eyes searched the columns.

Inspector Bezuidenhout admitted that the police had no suspects at this time. Asked whether the killer might be a woman, he said that he could not comment on the possibility (see page 16: The Artemis Factor).

He opened his room door, put the bag on the floor and spread the newspaper open on the bed. He turned to page 16.

Greek mythology had its female protector of children, a ruthless huntress of the gods called Artemis, who could punish injustice with ferocious and deadly accuracy?and silver arrows. But just how likely is a female avenger of crimes against children?

?It is possible that this vigilante is a woman,? says criminologist Dr. Rita Payne. ?We are ruthless when it comes to protecting our kids, and there are several appropriate case studies of mothers committing serious crimes, even murder, to avenge acts against their children.?

But there is one reason why the suspected modern-day Artemis might not be female: ?An assegai isn?t a likely weapon for a woman. In instances where women did use a blade to stab or cut a victim, it was a weapon of opportunity, not premeditation,? Dr. Payne said.

However, this does not completely rule out a female vigilante . . .

He felt uncomfortable about this publicity. He pushed the newspaper to one side and got up to open the curtain. He had a view over the canal and the access road to the Waterfront. He stood and stared at the incessant stream of cars and pedestrians and wondered what was bothering him, what was the cause of this new tension. The fact that the police were investigating as if he were a common criminal? He had known that would happen, he had no illusions about that. Was it because the paper made it all sound so shallow? What did it matter if it was a woman or a man? Why not focus on the root of the matter?

Somebody was doing something. Someone was fighting back.

?Artemis.?

He spat out the word, but it left an unpleasant aftertaste.

* * *

Since she had told him about Sonia, the minister seemed to have grown weary. His thinning hair lay flatter on his scalp, smoothed by the big hand that touched it every now and then. His beard began to shadow his jaw in the light of the desk lamp, the light blue shirt was rumpled and the rolled-up sleeves hung down unevenly. His eyes were still on her with the same focus, the same undivided attention, but touched now with something else. She thought she saw a suspicion there, a premonition of tragedy.

* * *

?You were very convincing today, Benny,? said Cliffy Mketsu as they followed Andre Marais to the car.

?She pisses me off, that fucking

Ms.,

? he said, and he saw Sergeant Marais?s back stiffen ahead of him.

?Now you think I have a thing against women, Sergeant,? he said. He knew what was wrong with him. He knew he was walking on the edge. Jissis, the pills were doing fuck-all?he wanted a drink, his entire body was a parched throat.

?No, Inspector,? said Marais with a meekness that irritated.

?Because you would be wrong. I only have a thing about women like

her.

? He said in a falsetto voice: ?

It?s a modern form of address which probably hasn?t yet penetrated the police.

Why must they always have something to say about the fucking police? Why??

Two colored men came walking towards them down the pavement. They looked at Griessel.

?Benny . . .? said Cliffy, laying a hand on his arm.

?Okay,? said Griessel, and took the keys out of his jacket pocket when they reached the police car. He unlocked it, got in and stretched across to unlock the other doors. Mketsu and Marais got in. He put the key in the ignition.

?What does she want to be a

Ms.

for? What for? What is wrong with Mrs.? Or Miss. It was good enough for six thousand years and now she wants to be a fucking

Ms.

?