Devil's Peak

The southeaster plucked at his clothes as if trying to hold him back, but he was through the door and the tavern opened up before him, the safe, warm heart, musty with the smell of cigarette smoke and beer that had been spilt drop by drop on the carpet over the years. Camaraderie in the bowed shoulders hunched over glasses, television in the corner showing the Super Sport cricket highlights. He stood still a moment, allowing the atmosphere to settle over him.

Homecoming. He felt the yearning to sit at the wooden bar counter with its multitude of stains. The yearning to order a brandy and Coke. To settle in for the first deep draught and feel the synapses in his brain tingle with pleasure and the warmth glide through him. Just one drink, his head said to him, and then he fled, banged open the door and strode out. A tremor traveled through his body, because he knew that chorus: just one drink. He walked hastily to his car. He had to get in and lock the door and leave. Now.

His phone rang. He gripped it in a hand already shaking. ?Griessel.?

?Benny, it?s Matt.?

?Jissis.? Out of breath.

?What??

?Good timing.?

?Oh??

?I . . . uh . . . I was just on my way home.?

?I am at the provincial commissioner?s office. Could you come by here?? His tone of voice said: Don?t ask, I can?t talk now.

?Caledon Square??

?Yes.?

?I?ll be there now.?

He phoned Keyter and said something had come up.

?Okay.?

?We?ll talk tomorrow.?

?Okay, Benny.?

* * *

There were four people in the commissioner?s office. Griessel only knew three of them?the provincial commissioner himself, head of investigations, John Afrika, and Matt Joubert.

?Inspector, my name is Lenny le Grange and I am a member of Parliament,? said the fourth with an outstretched hand. Griessel shook it. Le Grange had on a dark blue suit and bright red tie like a thermometer. His grip was cool and bony.

?I am truly sorry to bother you at this time of the evening?I hear you?ve had a long day. Please sit down; we won?t detain you long. How is the investigation proceeding??

?As well as can be expected,? he said, glancing at Joubert for help.

?Inspector Griessel is still familiarizing himself with the case files,? said Joubert as they all found places around the commissioner?s round conference table.

?Naturally. Inspector, let me go straight to the point. I have the dubious privilege to be the chairman of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee of Justice and Political Development. As you may have gathered from the media, we are busy developing a new Sexual Offenses Bill.?

Griessel had gleaned nothing from the media. But he nodded.

?Very good. Part of the bill is a proposed Register of Sexual Offenders, a list of names of everyone who has been convicted of a sexual offense?rapists, sex with minors, you name it. Our recommendation is that the register be made available to the public. For instance, we want to prevent parents handing their child over to a pedophile when they enroll the child in a crcche.

?To be honest, this aspect of the new bill is controversial. There are people who say it is a contravention of the constitutional right to privacy. It is one of those cases that create division across party lines. At this stage it looks as if we are going to push the bill through, but our majority is not large. I am sure you?re beginning to understand why I?m here.?

?I understand,? said Griessel.

The MP took a white sheet of paper from his jacket pocket.

?Just to make matters more interesting, I would like to read an extract from

Die Burger

of two weeks ago. I gave a press conference and they quoted me thus:

?If there are consequences for the sexual offender, such as vigilante attacks on him or inability to find work, then let it be so. A sexual offender forfeits the right to privacy. The right to privacy is not more important than a woman or child?s right to physical integrity,? the chairman of Portfolio Committee for Justice and Political Development, Advocate Lenny le Grange, said yesterday.?

Le Grange looked pointedly at Griessel. ?Me and my big mouth, Inspector. One says these things because one believes with such passion that our women and children must be protected. One says it out of reaction to what one perceives as far-fetched scare stories dreamt up by the Opposition. I mean, a vigilante . . . Perhaps I thought it would never happen. Or if it did happen, it would be an isolated incident where the police would rapidly step in and make an arrest. One never foresees . . . not what is going on at the moment.?

Le Grange leaned over the table. ?They are going to make me eat my words. But that goes with the job. It?s the risk I run. I don?t care about that. But I do care about the bill. That?s why I am asking you to stop this vigilantism. So we can protect our women and children.?

?I understand,? he said again.

?What do you need, Benny?? asked the commissioner, as if they were old friends.