by Arno Joubert
“Mining operation?” she asked, licking her lower lip like a dog smelling a bone.
Eben frowned. “Yes, they’re doing some exploratory work for Petra Exploratory Projects. PEP wants to frack for oil in the Karoo.” He looked up as Theron approached with his drinks. “Their admin offices are located here at the harbor, but the base is way back over the mountain. They bring in their supplies then they drive them over the mountain to the mine.”
Eben quaffed the glass of sherry that Theron had put in front of him then placed it back on the tray and ordered a refill. He took a sip of beer and wiped the froth from his moustache. “Slander’s Bay is fortunate to have one of the deepest harbors on the west coast, no problem for mooring large container ships.”
“So there’s an exploratory mining operation backed by big money a couple of miles from here?” Alexa asked.
“Yes, why?” Moolman asked.
“And they deliver containers and ship them up to the dig beyond the mountain?”
“I guess,” Moolman said uncertainly.
“Containers which could contain bodies that need to be buried?”
Bruce nodded slowly. “Or low-lead aviation fuel.”
Alexa bit her lip. “This boy, Jake, you’ve spoken to him?”
Eben nodded. “Yes, he said he didn’t know anything.”
“I spoke to him yesterday. He said he found a letter from Alida,” Moolman said.
All four people at the table turned to face Moolman. The inspector sucked on his beer, pulled a coaster closer, and put the glass down. “What? He found a poem addressed to him in the satchel and kept it. Apparently Alida wrote it. Some stupid love poem, that’s all.”
“So why did Jake tell you about it?” Alexa asked.
Moolman sat back in his chair, sipping his drink. “Jake said Alida had scribbled something in some weird language on the back of the paper that the poem was written on.”
“A code?”
Moolman waved a hand. “It’s kids’ stuff, some secret language they use to communicate with each other. I used to do it all the time.”
“I still think you should check it out,” Neil said. He pursed his lips and turned to Eben. “In your opinion, do you think Alida could have committed suicide?”
Eben kept quiet for a while. “Mitsu, her mom, suffers from depression. But I knew my daughter. She wasn’t like that.”
“But you said she was reserved and quiet?”
“That doesn’t mean she was depressed. Anyway, Moolman said her stomach was cut open. She couldn’t have done that to herself.”
They looked up as the door swung open. A short Japanese woman walked in and looked around uncertainly. Eben de Vos stood up and walked to her with outstretched arms then hugged her tightly. She relaxed visibly. He led her by her hand to the table. “This is my wife, Mitsu,” he said, and he introduced each of his companions to her. She looked at everyone nervously, greeting them softly. Alexa thought she was beautiful, small and petite. She wiggled into the booth beside Eben, and he put a protective arm around her shoulder.
“Do you want something to drink?” Eben asked her.
She shook her head, biting her lower lip. She pulled an envelope from her sleeve and placed it on the table with trembling hands. “I found this at home. Someone slipped it beneath the door,” she said quietly, her voice wavering. She spoke with a slight Japanese accent.
Eben frowned. He picked up the envelope and opened it. He removed a blank sheet of paper and unfolded it. A Polaroid photo fell out.
It was a photo of Alida and a friend in their school uniforms. Both were looking up at the camera shyly. Eben set it down, held the letter to the light, and read. “I knew Alida de Vos. There is a cult operating in Slander's Peak and the surrounding area. They are known as the Witches. I must tell you that people say they were planning on killing a young girl. Trust me, my sources are good. They wanted to offer her to the earth mother, Gaia. She was sacrificed. You must protect your children.”
Eben shivered visibly before he folded the paper back into the envelope and looked up. “That’s all it says.” He turned to Moolman. “Is that true? Was she sacrificed?”
Moolman looked uncomfortable. “Look, Eben, a crime scene could be interpreted—”
Eben de Vos motioned to his wife to stand up. He heaved himself off the bench. “I want to see for myself,” he said, pulling on his jacket.
“Eben, now let’s not jump to any hasty conclusions,” Moolman said.
“Come, show me, Inspector,” Eben said louder. “Or I go on my own.”
He marched to the door then turned around as Moolman called, “Wait, Eben. We’ll all go together.”
Alexa, Neil, and Bruce cast each other a quick glance, nodded, and stood up, following Eben outside. “Where are we going?” Alexa asked Eben.
“To Mueller’s Dam, where my daughter was murdered.”
They drove far out of town and followed a winding path up the spine of the mountain to get to the dam, as there was no direct access to it from the front. According to Moolman, water was pumped up to the reservoir from a dam below and served as a distribution point for Slander’s Peak and the dozens of small towns in the area.
The dam wasn’t so much a dam as it was a huge water reservoir, three stories high and as big as a football field. A large clearing had been blasted into the rock, and the reservoir had been built on top. A dusty patch of open ground to the side of the reservoir served as a parking area, and a dense forest of cluster pines grew around the open space, almost up to the massive concrete walls of the dam.
They followed Moolman around the dam along a concrete footpath that lay adjacent to the structure. They veered from the path and passed through a thicket of pines, then they came out onto a lookout point that had magnificent views of the town below and the ocean in the distance. Alexa ambled toward a low wall that stood at the outer edge of the clearing. The wind buffeted her hair when she moved into the opening, no longer protected by the forest. As she removed her dark glasses and peeked over the edge, she was faced with a sheer drop of about five hundred yards. She pulled back.
The sky up here was harsh and blue and hurt her eyes; there wasn’t a cloud in sight. The Cape of Storms, volatile and beautiful.
She slipped on her glasses and breathed in the musky dampness of the forest floor. She held a deep reverence for forests like these, and she felt the same way about the ocean and mountains and wide, open desert plains of sand or ice. As places of wonder and awe-inspiring beauty, each could just as soon become la veuve noire, a black widow to her unsuspecting lover. Just as any mistreated woman could, she guessed. Gaia, the abused Mother Earth.
“Welcome to Slander’s Peak,” Moolman said.
Alexa turned on her heel. “Slander?”
Eben de Vos placed a palm on the smooth concrete surface of the dam. “When they built the dam, they used to find brightly colored lizards in the area, so they called it Salamander’s Peak. But it was soon shortened to Slander’s Peak in the native dialect.” He turned to face Moolman. “Where did you find her?”
Moolman led them to the edge of the clearing. Several trees had been cut down and stacked one on top of the other in the kind of atavistic funeral pyre you see in the movies. “They found her lying on top of these.”
Alexa kneeled next to the stacked pile of wood, looked at it closely, and scraped something off of the surface of one of the branches. “Drops of wax. Did you find any candles?”
Moolman kicked the ground with the tip of his shoe. “Should I tell you what we found?” he asked tentatively.
“Please do,” Eben said gruffly.
Moolman hesitated for a second and started uncertainly. “She was lying on top, naked, her arms crossed over her breasts.”
Eben nodded.
“We found dead animals in jars hanging in the trees. We also found markers on the ground that led us directly here.”
“Markers?”
“Arrows made from wood, pointing
in this direction, every couple of yards or so.”
“So whoever murdered her wanted her body to be found?”
“Maybe they pointed the way to the place where the ritual was going to be performed so that the others could find it easily.”
“But that means that there must have been a crowd. How could someone not have come forward if there were so many eyewitnesses?”
Moolman bent down and picked up a round stone. He rolled it in his hand. “It’s all speculation at this point. We don’t know anything for sure.”
Bruce had busied himself by inspecting the ground around the stacked logs. “Over here,” he called. “Some ashes, still fresh.” He pointed to the ground, drawing a circle with his finger in the dust. “It’s been swept clean, but here’s a track as well.”
They bundled around Bruce and stopped when he gestured for them to stay where they were. He followed the tracks down the side of the mountain and disappeared in the dense undergrowth. A minute later he came jogging up the incline. “They disappear where the ground becomes rocky, but someone was here recently. I suggest we get some people together to search the area.”
Moolman dug out a cell phone from his pocket. “OK, leave that to me.”
Alexa touched Moolman’s arm. “I would like to talk to Alida’s friend, Jake Petzer.”
Moolman looked at her uncertainly then looked back at Eben. “OK, but only if Eben stays here with me. Jake’s dad doesn’t want Eben at his house.”
Alexa glanced back at the big man. “Is that OK?”
He shrugged. “That’s fine. I want to find out who these tracks belong to.”
Moolman pulled out a notebook and scribbled something inside then tore out the page. “Here’s their address. Phone first to make sure someone’s home.”
“Thanks,” she said and strode to the car, Neil following close behind. “Let me know if you find anything,” she said before slamming the door.
Jake’s mom greeted them at the door with a suspicious look in her eyes. She stuck out a hand, and her golden bangles jangled around her arm. She was a tall woman with short-cropped blonde hair and long bangs. “Marie Petzer, and you are?”
Neil showed his Interpol ID badge and introduced Alexa before he shook her hand. She had a strong grip. “I’m sorry for being so pedantic, but I am concerned about Jake’s well-being, you must understand,” she said over her shoulder as they followed her inside. She was lean and suntanned; she wore high heels, a short floral skirt, and a furry top that looked like someone had fed a large, hairy animal a hand grenade and then stitched together what was left after the explosion. Haute couture, Neil guessed.
Alexa nodded. “We understand, Mrs. Petzer. We want to get to the bottom of this.”
Marie placed a hand on Alexa’s arm. “I know. We all have a job to do, my dear. Who does your makeup? It’s beautiful, so natural,” she said before she rapped on Jake’s door. “Jake, someone’s here to see you,” she called. Deep, rhythmic booms resonated from inside the room. Neil swore he could see the door rattling on its hinges.
No answer.
She opened his door. It was dark inside. The curtains were drawn. She flicked a switch, and a bright LED light illuminated a pigsty, clothes and crumpled-up towels scattered across the floor. In the corner stood a large hi-fi with even larger speakers, blaring what sounded like a band trying to tune their instruments. CDs and CD covers lay strewn in front of the hi-fi. On the walls were posters of bands called Slipknot and Morbid Angel. They all seemed to have an infatuation with skulls and headings that were written in blood. The noise reverberated through Neil’s spine. He could feel it in his balls.
“JAKE, SOMEONE’S HERE TO SEE YOU.”
Jake was stretched out on the bed, fully dressed. He turned his head and stood up slowly, wiping his eyes. He stretched and yawned as he sauntered over to the stereo, almost fell as he slipped on a CD, and turned a dial down on the noise machine. The endless screeching mercifully abated.
“Good afternoon, sleepyhead,” his mother said with a smile. “Did the sedatives that dad prescribed knock you out?”
Jake nodded then focused on Alexa. Neil had to force himself not to avert his eyes. The kid had been pierced by someone who hadn’t known when to stop. Each of his eyebrows had several studs, and Neil counted five earrings in each ear as well as several in his lips and nose. To complete the maimed look, the boy had stuck two black thumbtacks through the top of each ear. This kid must have an extremely high pain threshold.
“This is Captain Guerra and Sergeant Neil Allen from Interpol. They’re here to ask you a couple of questions,” she introduced them sweetly.
Jake stepped up and stuck out his hand. “Jake Petzer,” he introduced himself with a smile. Neil took it apprehensively, expecting to be impaled by something sharp and shiny. He had the same firm handshake as his mother.
He was a tall boy; Neil’s eyes settled on his chin. Marie ushered them to the living room and then bustled to the kitchen to prepare some tea and cupcakes. Jake flopped down onto a sofa.
“Tell me about the letter,” Alexa said.
Jake shrugged, stood up, and disappeared into his room. He returned with two sheets of paper, which he handed to Alexa. “These are photocopies. Inspector Moolman has the originals. He said he wanted to check them for fingerprints.”
Alexa nodded then read the poem. It had been written in Afrikaans, and she recognized it immediately. It was by the famous South African poet, Ingrid Jonker:
The child is not dead
the child raises his fists against his mother
who screams Africa screams the smell
of freedom and heather
in the locked locations of the heart under siege
The child raises his fists against his father
in the march of the generations
who scream Africa scream the smell
of justice and blood
in the streets of his armed pride
Fists like concrete and legs of rock
The child is not dead
neither at Langa nor at Nyanga
nor at Orlando nor at Sharpeville
nor at the police station in Philippi
where he lies with a bullet in his head
Where he lies necklaced and burnt
The child is the dark shadow of the soldiers
on guard with guns saracens and batons
the child is present at all meetings and legislations
the child peeps through the windows of houses and into the hearts of mothers
Scavenges in the forests and plains, evermore the hunger pains
the child who just wanted to play in the sun at Nyanga is everywhere
the child who became a man treks through all of Africa
the child who became a giant travels through the whole world
Without a pass
PS: I love you, Jake.
“It’s beautiful,” Alexa said, looking up.
Jake shrugged. “I’m not into poetry like she was.”
“Tell us about her,” Neil said.
Jake shrugged again, throwing a leg across the armrest of the sofa, settling back. “Not much to say. She was beautiful.”
“Did she have any hobbies?”
“She was very . . . different from the other girls.”
“Different how?”
“I guess you could call her a flower power girl. She loved being in nature. She was a bit of a tomboy. She enjoyed hiking in the mountains and going diving for crayfish.” His mouth formed a zippered grin. “She was way tougher than me.”
Neil nodded. The water had been damn cold. “Did she ever mention to you that she wanted to commit suicide?”
Jake Petzer shook his head. “Everyone asks me that question. She wasn’t suicidal.”
“Tell us about her friends.”
“That’s easy. She didn’t have any.”
“Why did she choose you as her friend?”
The boy smiled shyly. “She
said I reminded her of her dad.” He looked up. “He doesn’t like me much, you know?”
Neil glanced at Alexa. He could hazard a guess why. Reminded her of her dad?
Alexa cleared her throat. “Jake, you must understand, Alida’s father is going through a tough time.”
Jake waved his hand. “I know, I know. He’ll come around sometime. Alida’s mom liked me, though.”
Alexa tapped her lips. “Did Eben know that you were in a relationship with his daughter?”
The boy chuckled. “No way, he would have killed me.” He pursed his lips then slumped back in the chair. “Look, I don’t want to give you the impression that she was as clean as driven snow. She did some things that would have made her dad quite mad.”
Alexa frowned. “What kind of things?”
Jake kept quiet.
“Jake, answer the lady,” Marie Petzer said firmly.
Jake glanced at his mother then sighed. “You know, drugs.”
“Drugs? What kind?”
“Everything. Pot, crack, heroin. There was some in her satchel. I took it out before Inspector Moolman arrived.”
“Where’s it now?”
“I flushed it down the toilet.”
“Who gave it to her?”
Jake held up his hands. “Now that I don’t know. She never told me either, although I asked her a couple of times.”
“What else?”
“She slept around, a lot.”
“How do you know?”
Jake chuckled. “What, you haven’t asked around town?”
Neil frowned. “Asked who?”
Jake shrugged. “Well, you could probably start with the innkeeper, dirty Uncle Henry.”
“Henry Theron?” Alexa asked with a frown.
Jake shrugged. “Wouldn’t hurt to try.”
“You’ve told this to Inspector Moolman?” Neil asked.
Jake shook his head vehemently. “No way, he’s stuck so deep up Uncle Eben’s ass, the de Vos family can do no wrong, according to him.”