Bolton’s room?’
‘No,’ Jade said. ‘Amanda’s door was closed. I don’t know if she was there or not. Even if she’d had somebody in there with her, we didn’t hear anything and I doubt she would have heard us outside, because the sound of the rain on the roof was so loud.’ She risked a question of her own. ‘Has the pathologist estimated a time of death yet?’
Pillay nodded, ‘The estimated time of death was early this morning. At around dawn. I …’ He stopped speaking abruptly and jumped as if an electric current had been run through his chair. Watching his reaction, Jade realised he’d made a novice detective’s mistake by unwittingly disclosing privileged information.
Bowing his head to cover his confusion, Pillay jotted down his final notes.
‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘I may need to speak to you again at a later stage.’
‘I’ll be here if you do. For the next day or two, anyway.’
Pillay closed his pad, which Jade couldn’t help noticing was brand new. His interview with her had taken up the first page.
‘Is this your first murder investigation?’ she asked him.
The young detective hesitated, but then nodded. ‘Yes. I was promoted a month ago, but the murder rate in this precinct is not very high.’
‘What department were you in before?’
Pillay checked his watch and placed his notebook and pen in a briefcase that also didn’t seem to be suffering much wear and tear.
‘Missing Persons,’ he said proudly.
Jade fought to suppress a smile.
‘And do you get many of those in this part of the world?’
‘Oh, yes.’ Pillay spoke with quiet confidence. ‘Quite a number of people were reported missing during the past few months. The job kept me busy, I can tell you.’
‘You find any of them?’
Now the Indian detective’s face fell. ‘Not one, despite my best efforts. There was a promising lead recently on one man who worked at the harbour, but it didn’t come to anything.’
‘Well, I hope you get luckier this time,’ Jade said. ‘Where are you going now?’
‘I’m going to speak to your neighbours next.’ He pointed in the direction of Craig and Elsabe’s chalet. ‘I’m hoping that they’ll be able to give me some more background on Monique.’
Jade had turned her phone off during the interview. As Pillay headed for the next-door chalet, she turned it back on. It started to ring almost immediately.
She recognised the area code as Richards Bay, but the number was unfamiliar and so was the voice of the lady on the other end of the line.
‘Is that Miss Jade de Jong?’
‘It is.’
‘Good afternoon, dear.’ It was the voice of a frail, older woman, soft and quavery, and it seemed to have a smile in it, as if it really was a good afternoon for her. ‘It’s Mrs Koekemoer speaking. I used to work at the Richards Bay General Hospital. I got a message that I should call you. Apparently you would like to talk to somebody who knew your mother.’
‘That’s right. I do.’
‘She was Mrs Elise de Jong?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, I knew her. And I’d be glad to tell you what I remember.’
‘Thank you so much for getting in touch with me.’ Jade found herself speaking more slowly and clearly than usual. Assuming, perhaps, that because the lady was old, she might also be deaf.
‘I don’t know how useful I’ll be, but I’ll do my best. Would you like to come here for a chat? I don’t get out much anymore, I’m afraid.’
‘When would be convenient for you?’
‘Well …’ The lady paused and sighed, as if wondering how she could fit a visit into an already busy schedule. ‘Tomorrow morning isn’t good, but at lunchtime I’ll have some time. Shall we say … twelve-thirty?’
‘Twelve-thirty it is. And where are you?’
‘Oh.’ Mrs Koekemoer sounded taken aback for a moment, and then laughed. ‘I’m sorry. I’m so used to people knowingwhere I live. I’m at the Rose Village retirement home, dear. In End Lane, Harbour
‘No,’ Jade said. ‘Amanda’s door was closed. I don’t know if she was there or not. Even if she’d had somebody in there with her, we didn’t hear anything and I doubt she would have heard us outside, because the sound of the rain on the roof was so loud.’ She risked a question of her own. ‘Has the pathologist estimated a time of death yet?’
Pillay nodded, ‘The estimated time of death was early this morning. At around dawn. I …’ He stopped speaking abruptly and jumped as if an electric current had been run through his chair. Watching his reaction, Jade realised he’d made a novice detective’s mistake by unwittingly disclosing privileged information.
Bowing his head to cover his confusion, Pillay jotted down his final notes.
‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘I may need to speak to you again at a later stage.’
‘I’ll be here if you do. For the next day or two, anyway.’
Pillay closed his pad, which Jade couldn’t help noticing was brand new. His interview with her had taken up the first page.
‘Is this your first murder investigation?’ she asked him.
The young detective hesitated, but then nodded. ‘Yes. I was promoted a month ago, but the murder rate in this precinct is not very high.’
‘What department were you in before?’
Pillay checked his watch and placed his notebook and pen in a briefcase that also didn’t seem to be suffering much wear and tear.
‘Missing Persons,’ he said proudly.
Jade fought to suppress a smile.
‘And do you get many of those in this part of the world?’
‘Oh, yes.’ Pillay spoke with quiet confidence. ‘Quite a number of people were reported missing during the past few months. The job kept me busy, I can tell you.’
‘You find any of them?’
Now the Indian detective’s face fell. ‘Not one, despite my best efforts. There was a promising lead recently on one man who worked at the harbour, but it didn’t come to anything.’
‘Well, I hope you get luckier this time,’ Jade said. ‘Where are you going now?’
‘I’m going to speak to your neighbours next.’ He pointed in the direction of Craig and Elsabe’s chalet. ‘I’m hoping that they’ll be able to give me some more background on Monique.’
Jade had turned her phone off during the interview. As Pillay headed for the next-door chalet, she turned it back on. It started to ring almost immediately.
She recognised the area code as Richards Bay, but the number was unfamiliar and so was the voice of the lady on the other end of the line.
‘Is that Miss Jade de Jong?’
‘It is.’
‘Good afternoon, dear.’ It was the voice of a frail, older woman, soft and quavery, and it seemed to have a smile in it, as if it really was a good afternoon for her. ‘It’s Mrs Koekemoer speaking. I used to work at the Richards Bay General Hospital. I got a message that I should call you. Apparently you would like to talk to somebody who knew your mother.’
‘That’s right. I do.’
‘She was Mrs Elise de Jong?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, I knew her. And I’d be glad to tell you what I remember.’
‘Thank you so much for getting in touch with me.’ Jade found herself speaking more slowly and clearly than usual. Assuming, perhaps, that because the lady was old, she might also be deaf.
‘I don’t know how useful I’ll be, but I’ll do my best. Would you like to come here for a chat? I don’t get out much anymore, I’m afraid.’
‘When would be convenient for you?’
‘Well …’ The lady paused and sighed, as if wondering how she could fit a visit into an already busy schedule. ‘Tomorrow morning isn’t good, but at lunchtime I’ll have some time. Shall we say … twelve-thirty?’
‘Twelve-thirty it is. And where are you?’
‘Oh.’ Mrs Koekemoer sounded taken aback for a moment, and then laughed. ‘I’m sorry. I’m so used to people knowingwhere I live. I’m at the Rose Village retirement home, dear. In End Lane, Harbour
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