She laughed and rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m asking now. May I please go away for a while?”
“No. Where do you want to go anyway? You’ll only miss us.”
“I know, but it can’t be helped. I’ll be back, don’t worry. Don’t give my house away.”
Patti motioned at a chair but she shook her head. “I still have a few stops to make and I want to be in Cape Town before dark.”
“Does this have anything to do with your mother?”
“No, fortunately not.”
“Your job?”
“Dirk, stop asking questions. It’s none of your business.”
“Yes. It has to do with my job. I’ve got some unfinished business.”
“Can I make you something for the road?”
“No, thanks. I’ve eaten.” She hugged Patti but when she wanted to put her arms around Dirk, he indicated that he’d see her to her car.
“Drive safely, child!” Patti called from the doorway.
At the car she hugged Dirk. “Thanks for everything.”
“Get in and go before I say something I shouldn’t. I refuse to say goodbye if you make it sound like you’re not coming back. See that you do, or I’ll send the cops after you.”
When Ellie pulled away, tears were rolling down her cheeks. Annoyed, she wiped them away. Those two had known from the start how to break down her guard. Without asking, without warning, one day they were just there.
She parked in front of the restaurant and slipped around the back to the kitchen. Wynand was getting ready for lunch. When she told him she was going away, he looked at her over his glasses.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I know you’re short of hands.”
“I’ll survive. Will you be back?”
“Yes. All my things are still in the house.”
“Okay. All the best.”
Ellie reached up and kissed his cheek. “Thanks for everything.”
“Hmm …”
She turned, because she knew she’d already given away more than she had wanted to.
At her next stop she sat for a while before getting out of the car. She held the bag of food she had taken from her fridge like a peace offering.
The front door was open and she called out as she walked in.
“Well, well.” Marius came out of his study, looking truly pleased to see her. “And this?” He pointed at the bag.
“I have to go away for a while and I’m afraid the food in my fridge will spoil.”
He took the bag. “May I ask where you’re going?”
“Cape Town. I have a few things to see to at work.”
He lifted his hands, then lowered them again. Looked at the bag as if he didn’t know what to do with it.
“Put it in the fridge.”
“Did you know on Tuesday night that you’d be leaving today?”
“No.”
He put the bag down in the entrance hall and walked her to her car. Ellie saw the questions in his eyes but she knew that, after their last conversation, he wouldn’t ask.
She didn’t hug him, or kiss his cheek. She wound the window down and smiled. “See you soon.”
He lifted his hand when she pulled away, and followed the car with his eyes for a while. Then she saw him put his hands in his pockets and go back into the house.
A while later, when she had passed through the kloof, she looked in her rearview mirror. The kloof seemed to have closed in behind her and for a moment she wondered if she would ever find her way back. What if these few months in the light were all she would ever be granted?
Two hours later she arrived at the address Nick had sent her. A dark cloud hung over the sea. Two vehicles were parked in the driveway. She didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed that Clive’s bakkie was one of them.
The fluttering in the pit of her stomach increased. Her hands trembled slightly. She opened the car door, walked to the front door and pressed the bell.
Clive appeared on the other side of the security gate. For a moment he didn’t seem to recognise her. Then he shook his head. “I should have known.”
“Zondi sent me.”
“Zondi sent you, my arse. I know you too well.”
“Clive, I really don’t want to discuss this on the pavement.”
He pressed a button and the door clicked open. She entered and the two of them stood facing each other.
“Forget everything that happened and all your fears and tell me honestly that you can’t use me.”
“That’s not the point,” he said. “I told you exactly how I feel and you just took absolutely no notice.”
She touched his arm. “You know I can’t help it. It will haunt me forever if I don’t try to help. I’m just as responsible for solving this case as you, or any of the others.”
Before he could answer, Nick walked in. He stopped in his tracks and looked from Ellie to Clive.
“I asked her to help,” he said. “She’s the only one who understands the nature of Allegretti’s relationship with Clara. Who might be able to give us access to Williams’s information.”
She saw Clive bunch his fists and she stepped between the two men.
Clive took her arm. “Mac … you haven’t thought this through.”
“Yes, I have.”
Before they could say anything more, the front door opened and a woman and three men filed in. They exchanged greetings and Clive motioned for them to take a seat at the dining-room table. Ellie knew one of the young men from the office. He shook her hand and asked how she was.
When he had left the room, Clive raised his hands. “It’s not like you need my permission, so I don’t know why you’re trying to explain. Let’s be honest, you’re going to do what you want anyway.”
“Do you have another plan?” Ellie asked. He shook his head.
Nick turned around and they followed him into the dining room.
“For those who don’t know her, this is Lieutenant McKenna of Crime Intelligence. She knows both the missing persons personally and has worked on a case with me and Captain Barnard.”
Nick sat down at the head of the table and Ellie took a seat at the other end. From here she had a good view of everyone, as well as the two whiteboards propped against the wall. Both were blank and her hands itched to start drawing diagrams.
“Does anyone have any fresh news?” Nick asked when everyone was seated.
“I got the cellphone records,” Jansen reported. “Nothing strange there. The last call from Allegretti was just before nine on Sunday evening and it came from his house. The girl’s cellphone registered in Camps Bay at eleven on Friday night and vanished from the grid just after twelve.
“Who was the receiver of Allegretti’s last call?”
Jansen read out a number. Nick wrote it down.
“I want a list of all the numbers he called on Sunday and the names of the people who called him. Find out who all the numbers belong to.”
Nick looked at Clive, who shrugged. “Sorry, nothing new.”
Nick’s gaze shifted to Ellie. “Earn your keep.”
“What do you want to know?”
“What was your initial feeling when you heard about the disappearances, and what do you think now?”
She looked at the whiteboards and then at Clive.
“Go for it,” he said.
Slowly Ellie got to her feet, picked up a felt-tipped pen from the table and positioned herself in front of a whiteboard.
“Kidnapping for financial gain is relatively scarce in South Africa. My initial feeling was that it’s not about money.”
“If not for money, for what?” De Bruin asked.
She drew five columns on the board. In the top left-hand corner she wrote Nazeem Williams. Second from the left she wrote Enzio Allegretti, followed by Yuang Mang, Alexei Barkov and Abua Jonathan. On the second board she wrote Ken Visser.
She turned around and looked at the others at the table.
“I presume you’ve
heard of all these people?”
Here and there a head nodded. One or two merely stared at the whiteboards.
“I can’t give you details of everyone’s history and activities right now, but we have reason to believe a transaction went wrong between Barkov, Allegretti, Visser and Mang. It involves rhino horn. There’s a good chance that Clara Veldman was kidnapped to be used as leverage. Allegretti and presumably Visser bought a consignment of rhino horn from Barkov. According to Barkov, half of it was intercepted by the police in Limpopo. Allegretti and Visser were only go-betweens. Mang was the buyer and had already paid for the consignment.
“Allegretti and Visser didn’t have the money to pay Mang back. The only way they could pay him was by getting hold of more horns, which would be difficult. Alternatively, they had to offer him something else.” She mentioned Williams. “That’s where he came into play. Presumably he’s been sitting on a huge stash of abalone and he probably still has a lot of it left. The problem is that Williams doesn’t want to sell the abalone to Allegretti and Visser. He has his own outlet and his own people to keep happy.” She put down the pen and took her seat again. “If this is our starting point, anyone might have kidnapped Clara. They all want to get their hands on Williams’s abalone.”
There was silence around the table as everyone stared at the board.
“For some, like Mang, it’s about the demand for rhino horn and abalone in the East. They fetch incredible prices there,” Ellie continued. “Jonathan will get involved in something like that, but he’s in it for the money. He’s into drugs, and everything that brings in money is valuable. He needs money to buy more drugs, or to take over other people’s market share.”
Watching her, Nick had a flashback to her naked body as she’d jumped out of the bath the night before. It was a picture he needed to erase from his mind.
When his gaze travelled around the table again, all eyes were on him. “Thanks. And what about Allegretti?”
“Allegretti being missing as well could mean that he kidnapped her and wants to stay off the radar until they’ve closed a deal with Williams. Or it could mean that someone else has them both. Another possibility is that two different parties have them and they’re being played off against each other. My feeling is that Allegretti didn’t kidnap her.”
Nick looked at De Bruin and Hendriks.
“I want you to go to Allegretti’s neighbours. Someone may have seen or heard something. Don’t give any details. Be vague, but make sure they understand you’re from the police and that their cooperation would be appreciated. Do you have a list of the staff on duty at Paranga on Friday night?”
“We do,” Hendriks replied. “The manager will have everyone come in tomorrow so we can talk to those we missed the last time.”
“And I want a list of all the friends who were there with her.”
“I’ll get it,” said Ellie. “I’ve met a few of them and I think they’ll trust me.”
Nick nodded again. “For the rest, we’re looking for anything that could help. We’ll meet back here tomorrow afternoon at two.” He stopped them before they could get up. “By the way, earlier this week there was a shooting at a restaurant in Milnerton. One of Mang’s relatives was killed. See what you can find out about that case. It may be connected to Allegretti’s disappearance.”
Everyone got to their feet except Clive, Nick and Ellie.
“Where are you going to stay?” Clive asked her. “Have your tenants left?”
“No, but I believe there’s a room here with a bed. I’ll sleep here.”
“You know you can stay with us anytime.”
“Thanks, but one of the kids will have to give up his room. I prefer it here. I can come and go as I please.” Ellie looked at Nick. “I have a question. How do we know you didn’t abduct Clara to get her out of the system? You said she’s always been important to you.”
“I wouldn’t have fetched you then.”
She waited to see if he was going to smile, but he didn’t, so she averted her gaze.
“If it was up to me, neither of you would be here,” Clive said. “The water between you is just too murky and I don’t feel like drowning in it. The fuck-up is that all three of us could be lying to each other at this moment – welcome to our world – but it’s all we’ve got, so we’ll have to make the best of it.” For the first time he looked up from doodling in his notebook. “Let me say it now: If either of you screws me over, I’ll take you out. That’s no idle threat.” He looked at Ellie. “You know I wasn’t happy about the operation with Greyling. It was a rush job, doomed to fail from the start. If you and Greyling aren’t done with each other, you should walk out of here right now. If you’re using me to do your boyfriend a favour, the two of us are done.”
She didn’t answer him, not because she had nothing to say, but because the words felt trapped in the burning in her chest. This job made friends distrust each other. Finally she nodded.
“How do you know about the botched rhino horn deal with Barkov and the abalone?” Nick said when Clive resumed doodling.
Ellie told him what she had heard while living with the Allegrettis and the assumptions she had made.
“You were on the stairs that night.”
She nodded.
“I hope you realise if someone had caught you there you probably wouldn’t be here today.”
“We all take risks.”
“About Greyling … I want to know everything he says and does. I don’t care whether you think it’s important or not. I’ll make the call.”
“Likewise, I want to know everything you learn about Allegretti.”
Clive got up. “Okay, boys and girls, you can carry on sparring, but I have things to do.” He looked at Ellie. “Do you need anything?”
“No, thanks.”
“What are you going to tell Greyling if he wants to know where you’re staying?”
“I’ll think of something.”
Clive and Nick gave each other a cordial nod and Nick got up as well. Ellie went out to the driveway and waited until they had both pulled away before she took out her bag and carried it to the main bedroom. Then she went in search of the nearest grocery store for supplies.
She was on her way back when Clive phoned.
“Do you realise there’s a hundred per cent chance that you’re going to run into Reggie at Williams’s place?” he asked, jumping straight in.
“I didn’t take the decision lightly.”
“I’ve thought about that night so many times over the past few months and one thing that has always bothered me is that Reggie was never found guilty of assault. Something doesn’t feel right. It’s almost as if he had help from the police’s inner circle. Any chance that Greyling corroborated his evidence?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t want to think about it now. There are other things to focus on.”
“He mutilated you …”
“Clive, the last thing I need is for you to frighten me. Perhaps Reggie was innocent after all. Maybe I dreamed the whole thing.”
“Be careful. Not only of Reggie, but of Greyling as well.”
“I’m always careful.”
She heard him snort before she ended the call.
At home, she put the cold food in the fridge and the rest in one of the cupboards in the well-equipped kitchen. Then she unpacked her clothes in the bedroom, put her own linen on the bed and hung her towels in the bathroom.
It was three o’clock by the time she’d finished unpacking, had something to eat and had a shower. She picked up her phone and sent a message.
Are you busy?
The reply came a few minutes later.
No.
Can I come and see you?
Okay. Corner Main and Frere.
On her way to Sea Point Ellie thought about her first meeting with Brenda. She had been looking for information the day she’d seen Brenda in Sea Point. She didn’t look like the other prostitutes. It wasn’t just that her clothes were sm
arter. Brenda’s proud bearing seemed to challenge anyone to judge her for selling her body on a street corner. Ellie had noticed her eyes. Intelligent eyes that looked as if they saw further than the obvious.
She had taken a big risk when she’d asked Brenda to help her at the office, yet she had never really thought Brenda would betray her. In the end Brenda’s alertness had probably saved her life. She was supposed to have called Brenda that fateful night and when it didn’t happen, Brenda had sent word to Happy, who had gone to her home and found her unconscious, in a pool of blood.
Ellie hardly recognised Brenda when she stopped beside her half an hour later. Gone were the high heels and the short skirts. She was dressed in denims, low-heeled boots and a leather jacket. Her hair came down to her shoulders. Brenda got into the car.
“Let’s go. I can’t afford people seeing me hanging around with the likes of you.”
“The likes of me?”
“A cop. You have a bad reputation.”
“Technically I’m not a cop any more.”
“Never mind technically. You still look the part.”
“Do you have time for a drink?”
Brenda looked at her watch. “I suppose so.” She directed Ellie to a small restaurant in Green Point.
They took a table at the back. When the waiter approached, they both ordered coffee.
“I hardly recognised you …” Ellie began, but Brenda gave a dismissive wave. If she hadn’t known better, Ellie would have thought Brenda was embarrassed.
“How are you?”
Brenda leaned back in her chair took a deep breath. “I’m well. What’s to complain about?”
Ellie smiled. “You look like you’ve won the Lotto.”
Brenda raised her eyebrows. “Haven’t I always looked good?”
“I hear you’re working as a receptionist.”
“I temp now and again, here and there.”
“And your other business?”
Brenda waited for the waiter to put their coffee down. “What do you want me to say? That I’ve seen the light and that I’m surviving on a receptionist’s salary?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Brenda shook her head. “Sorry, I don’t know why I’ve suddenly got such a thin skin after all these years. I’m not taking on any new clients. I don’t want to deal with strange men and their habits any more. I’ve kept two of my oldest clients. One lives in London, but travels to Cape Town for business once a month. The other one lives in Joburg. It’s easy. I’ve known them for years and they take good care of me.” She spoke in an almost challenging tone.
Endgame Page 13