Читать книгу Blue Sunday - Irma Venter - Страница 21

Thursday, 8 February, 23:31

“Would you mind doing it?” I ask nicely.

Sarah takes the red-brown lollipop out of her mouth and rubs the six platinum earrings in her right ear, one for each member of her family. A mother, three brothers, a sister and a father, who passed away just over a year ago.

“Why do you want to go digging around in this mess, Alex?”

“Because I want to know what’s going on. And maybe we can help these people.”

“It’s a story. You’re after the story.” She sweeps a hand through her messy red hair, taps out an irritated tune on her thigh with three fingers. Her two Dobermanns, chewing something sinewy in the corner of the living room, look up, consider me for a moment, then carry on chewing.

“Naturally,” I concede, “but I also want to know what happened to the Van Zyls.”

“And now you want me to trace their phones.” She pages through the list of information. “And poke around in their bank accounts and their cars’ navigation systems and tracking devices.”

“Yes.”

The lollipop goes back to her mouth. Sarah must be craving a smoke.

“Nothing you do is unlawful. Me, on the other hand …” She narrows her green eyes.

“If you don’t want to do it, it’s fine. But it’s been six weeks and these people are still missing. And Cath van Zyl is just twelve years old. Believe it or not, it’s more than just a story.”

“Hmph.” She gets up. Her black leather boots stomp across the tiles to the kitchen. It’s almost midnight, and Sarah Fourie is awake. And bored. That much is clear. She’s just got back from wherever she’d been racing around on her motorbike.

She hops up onto the kitchen counter where Ranna is waiting for the kettle to boil. She hates standing next to Ranna because it makes her look even shorter than she is.

“Tea?” asks Ranna.

Sarah shakes her head. “Coke.”

Ranna leans into the fridge, takes out a can and passes it to Sarah. She closes the book she’s been reading, Physics for Beginners, puts two teabags into the pot and bends down to look for cups.

We’re both struggling to sleep. Martina’s haunting Ranna, and the Van Zyls are keeping me awake. The puzzle surrounding Willem. Cath’s tidy room. The fact that neat, tidy children are often devoured by the world’s chaos.

Ranna comes up, cups in hand. “You have to help, Sarah. With the other girls too. Please.”

The hacker leans back, crosses her legs. I wonder whether the camo pants can take the tension.

She lifts her eyebrows. “You never say please to me.”

Ranna shrugs. “These women … girls. Something’s not right. And the police don’t care.”

“Hmm.” Sarah opens the can and takes a sip.

Ranna shoots her eyes at me as if to tell me our arguments lack conviction.

“You have the time,” she tries again. “Don’t you?”

The hacker frowns. “Probably. A bit.”

Ranna pours boiling water into the pot, dribbles some honey into each cup. “You might as well help, or you’ll just end up in shit again.”

Sarah looks at her sharply.

“That flying squad guy you’re racing around with at night. A policeman … you? What are you going to do when the two of you get tired of playing – invite him home?”

Ranna waves her hand at the flat around us. The three-storey building has only one occupant: Sarah. Or rather, Sarah, her two dogs, a collection of fast wheels and a supercomputer on the first floor. I have no idea what happens on the ground floor.

Sarah snorts crossly, grumbles something unintelligible.

“I’m going to read while you two work.” Ranna picks up her tea and book, and walks to our room.

“So?” Ranna is still awake when I get into bed next to her.

“Sarah’s still busy with the cellphones and the cars. She told me to go to bed and leave her alone.”

“Go to bed?”

“Ja, okay, her phrasing was somewhat more colourful.”

I get in under the sheet. Listen to the sound of traffic that drifts through the open windows now and again, carried in by a cool breeze. Pretoria West is quiet this evening.

“That’s good news. That she’s helping.” Ranna turns the page.

“Yes.” I settle the pillow under my head. Yawn. “Good book?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Is it working? Sleepy yet?”

She laughs. “No. Maybe I should have another cup of rooibos tea.”

I prop myself up on my elbow. “Maybe it’s time to try a different remedy.”

She peers at me over the edge of her book. “Like what?”

I take the book out of her hands. “Physics. For people who know how.”