?This is not our assegai, Nikita,? he said as he opened his case.
?I know, Prof.?
?Benny,? a voice called from the sitting room.
?Here,? he said.
Cloete, the officer from Public Relations, walked in. ?Hell, but it?s busy here.? He looked at the victim. ?He?s copped it.?
?Oh, so now you?re a pathologist too?? asked one of the video men.
?Look out, Prof, Cloete?s after your job,? said the other.
?That?s because Benny?s sober now. One less job opportunity for Cloete.?
?But Benny doesn?t
better.?
?Shit, but you?re funny tonight,? said Griessel. To Cloete: ?Come, we?ll talk in there.? He saw Mohammed following them. ?Anwar, get someone to watch the girl before you come.?
?Will she try to escape?? asked Cloete.
?That?s not what I?m afraid of,? said Griessel, and sat down on a chair in the sitting room. The television was still showing a situation comedy. Laughter sounded. Griessel leaned forward and turned it off.
?Did you see the television people outside??
Griessel nodded. Before he could say more the cell phone in his pocket rang. ?Excuse me,? he said to Cloete as he took the call: ?Griessel.?
?It?s Tim Ngubane. Joubert says you?re looking for bait. For the assegai thing . . .?
?Yes.? A little surprised at the friendly tone.
?How does a Colombian drug lord who?s got a thing for little girls grab you??
?It sounds good, Tim.?
?Good? It?s perfect. And I?ve got it for you.?
?Where are you??
?Camps Bay, home to the rich and famous.?
?I?ll come as soon as I can.?
Before he could put the phone away, Cloete forged ahead. He pointed outside: ?Someone told them it was Artemis. The papers are here too. I had to hear it from them.? Accusing.
?I just got here myself.?
?I didn?t say it was you, but the fuck knows . . .?
?Cloete, I?m sorry about yesterday. It was one of my team members that talked to the media. It won?t happen again.?
?What do you want, Benny??
?What do you mean??
?The day you apologize is the day you want something. What?s going on here??
?This is a difficult one. Nineteen-year-old girl stabbed her father with an assegai because he molested her. But she didn?t commit the other murders.?
?Are you sure??
?Absolutely.?
?How do you want me to handle this??
?Cloete, there are politics involved with the assegai thing. Between you and me, the girl in there was partly inspired by our murderer, if you know what I mean. But if you tell the media that, the commissioner will have a stroke, because he?s under pressure from above.?
?The minister??
?Parliamentary Commission.?
?Fuck.?
?You must talk to Anwar, too, so we all have the same story. I feel we should only mention a domestic fight and a sharp instrument. Don?t let on about the weapon for now.?
?That?s not the thing you want from me, Benny, is it??
?No, you?re right. I need another favor.?
Cloete shook his head in disbelief. ?The fuck knows, I am nothing but a whore. A police prostitute, that?s what I am.?
32.
The town was too small.
