everything.?
?How so??
Griessel waved his arm. ?The whole fucking world out there is on his side?the guy who reinstated the death penalty. The noble knight who is doing the pathetic police force?s work. Even Bushy says we should leave him; let him get on with it . . . Say there is a witness somewhere. Someone who saw him. Or knows something. He could have a wife or a girlfriend, people who support him because they think he is doing the right thing.?
Joubert tapped his pen again. ?I hear what you?re saying.?
?I hate that expression.?
?Benny, let me talk to Tim. That?s the best I can do. But they will kill us in court.?
?We don?t need the court. Not yet, in any case. All I want is for the media to know we suspect Bothma. And that Laurens might have been innocent.?
?I?ll talk to Tim.?
?Thanks, Matt.? He turned to go.
?Margaret and I want to ask you to dinner,? said Joubert before he reached the door.
He stopped. ?Tonight??
?Yes. Or tomorrow, if that suits you. She?ll be cooking anyway.?
He realized that he had only had a tearoom sandwich since that morning. ?That would be . . .? But he envisioned himself at Joubert?s family table surrounded by Matt?s wife and children. He, alone. ?I . . . I can?t, Matt.?
?I know things are crazy here.?
?It?s not that.? He sat down on the chair opposite the commanding officer. ?It?s just . . . I miss my family.?
?I understand.?
He suddenly needed to talk about it. ?The children . . . I had them yesterday.? He felt the emotion well up. He didn?t want that now. He raised a hand to his eyes and dropped his head. He didn?t want Joubert to see him like this.
?Benny . . .? He could hear the awkwardness.
?No, Matt, it?s just . . . shit, I fucked up so much.?
?I understand, Benny.? Joubert got to his feet and came around the desk.
?No, fuck. Jissis. I mean . . . I don?t know them, Matt.?
There was nothing Joubert could say, just put a hand on Griessel?s shoulder.
?It?s like I was away for fucking ten years. Jissis, Matt, and they are good children. Lovely.? He dragged a sleeve under his nose and sniffed. Joubert patted his shoulder rhythmically.
?I?m sorry, I didn?t mean to bloody cry.?
?It?s okay, Benny.?
?It?s the withdrawal. Fucking emotional.?
?I?m proud of you. It?s already, what, a week??
?Nine days. That?s fuck-all. What?s that against ten years of damage??
?It?s going to be okay, Benny.?
?No, Matt. I don?t know if it will ever be okay.?
He walked into the task group office in the old lecture hall. They were all sitting waiting for him. He was tired. It was as if the tears he had shed with Joubert had drained him. Captain Helena Louw motioned him closer. He went to her. ?How?s it going, Captain??
?Slowly, Inspector. We have??
?My name is Benny.?
She nodded and pointed at the computer in front of her. ?We have started a database of all the unsolved cases where children were the victims. There are a lot . . .? She had a peaceful manner, a slow way of speaking. ?We start with the most serious. Murder. Rape. Sexual abuse. So far one hundred and sixty.?
Griessel whistled softly through his teeth.
?Yes, Inspector, it?s bad. This is only the Peninsula. Lord knows how many in the whole country. We put in the names of the children, the next of kin and the suspects. We include the nature of the crime and the location. If it?s gang-related, we mark it ?B? because those are a bit different. We indicate the weapon, if there is one. And the dates of the offenses. That?s about it. Then we can start cross-referencing. As new information comes in, we can plot it against what we have.?
?Sounds good.?
?But will it help??
?You never know what will help. But we can?t afford not to do something.?
He didn?t know if he had convinced her. ?Captain, we need two more items.?
?Call me Helena.?
