whip-lash backwards as the powerful bag shoved him out of the way, and then slump forwards again as the bag deflated. His expensive dark glasses fell out of the open window and shat-tered on the tarmac. His hands went up again, trying to push the half-empty airbag out of the way. He’d forgotten all about Jade. He was far too busy wrestling with the flapping nylon and, Jade knew, smearing the sticky white talcum powder from the deployed bag all over his dark suit.
She saw the taxi passengers at the side of the road shrieking with laughter and clapping their hands in glee. This was a sight none of them would ever forget.
Jade put her car into first gear and drove on. There was no need for her to check her mirrors now. For quite some time, there were no other cars behind her.
She examined her rear bumper carefully when she arrived at Yolandi’s office. She couldn’t see any marks on the solid black plastic. Good. She hadn’t wanted to damage the car, or get David into trouble with the rental company.
“Control your temper, Jade,” her father would have said, with that half-smile on his face that always left her won-dering whether he was angry or amused by the headstrong behavior of his only child.
She wondered what he would say if he knew how far beyond the law she had gone, and how much further she planned to go.
13
While Jade waited for the receptionist to finish a phone call, the two managers she had seen last time walked down the corridor. They wore different ties this time. One solid red, one solid blue. She heard them discussing South Africa’s recent cricket performance.
“All out in forty-three overs. Didn’t even break the hundred and fifty mark. And Smith scored two runs. Two. What kind of a captain is that?”
“Unacceptable,” the other man said.
As they passed by, one of the men stopped and stared at her. He looked her up and down. Jade knew what he was thinking. In her jeans and jacket, she didn’t look like a sales-person or a customer. So why was she waiting?
“Can I help you?” he asked.
“I’m here for Yolandi Storr,” she said.
“Yolandi.” He frowned. “And you are?”
“Jade de Jong. Investigator assisting the police.”
The red-tied man sighed heavily. “I’d better help you, then. What is it you need to know?” He gestured to a row of silver metal chairs opposite the reception desk. Jade took one and the manager lowered himself onto the neighboring seat, shifting his weight uncomfortably in a way that made her wonder if he suffered from hemorrhoids.
“I need access to her colleague’s computer. Annette Botha. I’m investigating her murder case on behalf of Superintendent Patel.”
The manager stared blankly at her for a moment and then shook his head, as if murder, police investigation and South Africa’s cricket defeat were too much for him to handle in one morning.
“You’re here about the murder case?”
“Yes.”
“OK. Sorry, I thought this was in connection with Yolandi.”
“Why?” Jade stared at him with rising concern. “Are the police investigating her?”
“They’ll want to talk to her, I’m sure. If she wakes up.” He stared at Jade, his expression grim. “Yolandi was the victim of an armed robbery at her home last night.”
“What happened to her?” Jade recalled Yolandi’s frail body and timid demeanor. She would have been helpless against an intruder.
“Tied up and assaulted with a blunt weapon,” the man replied. “She’s in a coma now, with severe head injuries. The police say she was probably left for dead. Emergency services took her to Sandton Medi-Clinic.”
Jade clasped her hands together. Her palms felt icy cold.
“Have they made any arrests?” she asked.
The manager shook his head. “Not yet. The guys got away, whoever they were. They were interrupted. A neighbor heard something, phoned to check, and when she didn’t answer he pressed his panic button. When the robbers heard the alarm, they fled.” He
She saw the taxi passengers at the side of the road shrieking with laughter and clapping their hands in glee. This was a sight none of them would ever forget.
Jade put her car into first gear and drove on. There was no need for her to check her mirrors now. For quite some time, there were no other cars behind her.
She examined her rear bumper carefully when she arrived at Yolandi’s office. She couldn’t see any marks on the solid black plastic. Good. She hadn’t wanted to damage the car, or get David into trouble with the rental company.
“Control your temper, Jade,” her father would have said, with that half-smile on his face that always left her won-dering whether he was angry or amused by the headstrong behavior of his only child.
She wondered what he would say if he knew how far beyond the law she had gone, and how much further she planned to go.
13
While Jade waited for the receptionist to finish a phone call, the two managers she had seen last time walked down the corridor. They wore different ties this time. One solid red, one solid blue. She heard them discussing South Africa’s recent cricket performance.
“All out in forty-three overs. Didn’t even break the hundred and fifty mark. And Smith scored two runs. Two. What kind of a captain is that?”
“Unacceptable,” the other man said.
As they passed by, one of the men stopped and stared at her. He looked her up and down. Jade knew what he was thinking. In her jeans and jacket, she didn’t look like a sales-person or a customer. So why was she waiting?
“Can I help you?” he asked.
“I’m here for Yolandi Storr,” she said.
“Yolandi.” He frowned. “And you are?”
“Jade de Jong. Investigator assisting the police.”
The red-tied man sighed heavily. “I’d better help you, then. What is it you need to know?” He gestured to a row of silver metal chairs opposite the reception desk. Jade took one and the manager lowered himself onto the neighboring seat, shifting his weight uncomfortably in a way that made her wonder if he suffered from hemorrhoids.
“I need access to her colleague’s computer. Annette Botha. I’m investigating her murder case on behalf of Superintendent Patel.”
The manager stared blankly at her for a moment and then shook his head, as if murder, police investigation and South Africa’s cricket defeat were too much for him to handle in one morning.
“You’re here about the murder case?”
“Yes.”
“OK. Sorry, I thought this was in connection with Yolandi.”
“Why?” Jade stared at him with rising concern. “Are the police investigating her?”
“They’ll want to talk to her, I’m sure. If she wakes up.” He stared at Jade, his expression grim. “Yolandi was the victim of an armed robbery at her home last night.”
“What happened to her?” Jade recalled Yolandi’s frail body and timid demeanor. She would have been helpless against an intruder.
“Tied up and assaulted with a blunt weapon,” the man replied. “She’s in a coma now, with severe head injuries. The police say she was probably left for dead. Emergency services took her to Sandton Medi-Clinic.”
Jade clasped her hands together. Her palms felt icy cold.
“Have they made any arrests?” she asked.
The manager shook his head. “Not yet. The guys got away, whoever they were. They were interrupted. A neighbor heard something, phoned to check, and when she didn’t answer he pressed his panic button. When the robbers heard the alarm, they fled.” He
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