Like Clockwork

13

Dinner with Julie and Marcus was at eight. Clare reversed her car out of the garage and set off across town for her older sister’s house, a bottle of cold wine on the seat next to her. She stopped to buy sunflowers before turning up the steep road that led to the house. The grey mountain, its flanks lit for the tourists, loomed like a ghostly elephant above her.

The security gate slid open before Clare could ring the bell. Beatrice, who could now just reach the button if she stood on tiptoe, had been looking out for her. She bulleted down the stairs, and into Clare’s arms. Imogen was just behind her to rescue the wine and flowers and to be kissed on the cheek. Beatrice patted Clare’s body expertly until she came to the pocket with the chocolate bar in it. This she wolfed down before her mother was out of the front door to greet Clare.

‘Hello, Julie.’ Clare kissed her sister and accepted the affectionate hug from her brother-in-law. ‘Hi, Marcus.’

She carried Beatrice inside and plonked her on her bed. Beatrice ferreted around in the drift of soft toys. A plump and triumphant arm brandished the book she’d been looking for.

‘Read me a story, Clare. Please read me a story.’ Beatrice was already flicking through the old fairy-tale book.

Clare settled down next to her. There was no point in resisting Beatrice. One story would settle her, and then the adults could eat in peace. Clare drew her small niece inside the crook of her arm, delighting in her grubby warmth. ‘Okay, Bea, what shall we read? Cinderella? The Lemon Princess?’

‘Bluebeard,’ said Beatrice, bouncing with anticipation. ‘Bluebeard. He’s so bad!’

Clare prickled with horror at the lurid picture of Bluebeard’s wives hanging in their secret chamber. The youngest wife stood stricken, key in hand, watching the indelible bloodstain spread.

‘It’s her favourite.’ Imogen spoke from the door. She must have been watching for a while. Only a few years before, it had been Imogen demanding a bedtime story from Clare. ‘It’s gross, but she loves that story. Especially the bit when the brothers come to kill Bluebeard at the end.’

Curled against her aunt’s body, Beatrice stuck her tongue out at her big sister. She stabbed a plump finger at the old book. ‘Read, Clare, read.’ Clare read.

‘Blue Beard: the Moral

Ladies, you should never pry,

You’ll repent it by and by!

Tis the silliest of sins;

Trouble in a trice begins. There are,

surely – more’s the woe

Lots of things you need not know.

Come, forswear it now and here -

Joy so brief that costs so dear!’

‘No morals,’ interrupted Beatrice. ‘Just the story.’ Clare could feel the small body softening towards sleep. She held Bea closer, shielding herself from thoughts of the dead girl on the promenade. Clare did not want to bring her here into her sister’s house. The story ended and Bluebeard’s resourceful wife was rescued by her brothers. Clare kissed Beatrice and tucked her in, leaving the little girl to dream of sword-fighting and vengeance.

Julie had a glass of chilled wine ready for Clare when she came through to join the rest of the family by the fire. Clare sipped it, drifting on the conversational flow of a family catching up with itself at the end of a busy day. The evening might not have been as comfortable if Riedwaan had been there. Julie carried in a gleaming copper pot and they ate at the fire – big bowls of soup and chunks of bread.

‘What happened to your hand?’ Julie touched the plaster.

‘A dog. Can you believe it?’ Clare replied.

‘Nothing to do with your investigation into human trafficking?’ Julie looked suspicious.

‘No, no,’ said Clare. ‘There’s a new security guard on that empty building site near me, and his dog was off the leash. He appeared from nowhere, they both did.’ Clare rubbed her hand – it must be healing because it was starting to itch. ‘I’ll be fine, Julie. Didn’t need stitches and I had a tetanus shot.’

Julie looked sceptical but Clare couldn’t see any point in telling her how odd the incident had been. ‘Sorry, Dr Hart,’ the guard had leered, leashing his dog. ‘Perhaps this is not such a safe place for you here.’ That he knew her name had given her more of a chill than the dog’s unprovoked attack.

‘The Osiris Group bought that land,’ said Marcus.

‘Did they? When? I thought it belonged to the city council,’ said Julie.

‘It did, but Osiris has acquired a whole lot of land. Their plans are flying through council. I heard that the mayor was trying to get the planning division sorted out, but this is something else.’

‘I had a letter the other day asking if I wanted to sell,’ said Clare. ‘They have been quite persistent. Who are they?’

‘They’re quite new,’ said Marcus. ‘Well, in Cape Town anyway. I got one of those free property magazines, and it was fawning over Osiris and Otis Tohar, who owns the company. He’s like a rash all over the social pages, by the way. His father was a doctor who made his money somewhere in the Middle East. But his son seems dead set on making his own money. Apparently his mother was from Cape Town, hence his feeling of belonging here. He has been behind some of the new developments in Bantry Bay and Clifton.’

Clare hated how the gentle curves of the Atlantic seaboard were being eaten away by serried ranks of steel and glass high-rises that stared at the setting sun. ‘I am not selling. And if I have to, I’ll take him to court. There are strict limits to what can be built there,’ Clare said.

‘Be careful,’ said Marcus. ‘Otis Tohar is very well connected.’

‘That’s no problem.’ Clare had dealt with corrupt politicians often enough not to fear them. ‘I’ve been invited to the launch with the rest of the press. It should be worth it.’

‘It’ll be interesting to see who’s there,’ said Marcus. ‘I’ve also heard that he is in the pocket of some very powerful people who are not concerned about what the press says about them.’

Clare remembered the guard’s cuff of blue prison-gang tattoos, revealed when he had leashed his dog. ‘Who?’ she asked.

Marcus held his hands up. ‘This is third-hand, but I have heard that Kelvin Landman has helped him with a couple of cash-flow tight spots. That advertising producer, King I think is his name, has apparently also invested. Must have money to burn. Or launder. The construction business is a brilliant way of getting dirty money clean. So much cash, so many costs, so many places to hide the money and then pop it out later as legitimate profit.’

‘Not a pleasant combination,’ said Clare. ‘Kelvin Landman turns up all over the place. He’s the guy I have been angling to interview for my new documentary.’

‘Who wants pudding?’ asked Julie, adding a log to the fire to dispel the sudden chill in the room.

‘I’ll get it,’ said Imogen, getting up.

‘Come, I’ll help you,’ said Clare, gathering their plates. They walked though to the kitchen together. Clare stacked the dishwasher while Imogen set bowls, spoons and Julie’s lemon ice cream on a tray.

‘My friend knew her,’ said Imogen.

‘Who, darling?’ asked Clare, rinsing glasses in the sink. Imogen didn’t reply. ‘Who knew who?’

‘That girl they found near you.’ Clare looked up. Imogen was watching her. ‘My friend Frances knew her. The police came to speak to Frances. That guy we met once. He came.’

‘Riedwaan?’ said Clare.

‘Ja, him. And a woman. Rita someone. Frances had to make a whole statement.’

‘How did your friend know Charnay?’ Clare asked.

‘She didn’t know her well, but she’d seen her at the Chili Club and once or twice at Dolce’s at the Waterfront.’ In fact, Clare had picked Imogen up from both places before. ‘Frances says she saw her last week,’ said Imogen. ‘She was sitting at a table next to hers at Dolce’s. I had flu so I couldn’t go out. Frances says she was boasting that she would soon be a star. And that we should all get her autograph now because she was going to be the next Charlize.’

‘Why did she say that?’ asked Clare.

‘I don’t know. Maybe she had finally got a part. She was always going to auditions. Frances says she ignored her.’ Her face was pale, the set of her mouth adult beyond her sixteen years.

‘Did anything else happen?’ asked Clare.

‘Nothing,’ said Imogen. ‘She went to see a movie.’

‘What time was that?’ asked Clare.

‘It must have been a quarter to eight,’ said Imogen. ‘For the eight o’clock show. So, yes, a quarter to eight.’ She picked up the dessert tray. She paused at the kitchen door. ‘That was the night she disappeared, wasn’t it?’

Clare nodded.

‘So where was she all that time before she died?’

Clare looked at Imogen. She was no longer a child. Imogen might even have some idea of what the dead girl had endured in the days before she died. Clare shook her head. ‘I have no idea yet.’

‘She was a pain, that girl,’ said Imogen, pushing through the swing door. ‘But she didn’t deserve what she got.’

‘Who does?’ said Clare to the door, which had swung closed behind Imogen.

Clare followed her back to the fire but she found it difficult to settle down. She couldn’t finish her dessert. She felt tired and she suddenly needed to be alone.

‘I think I’ll be on my way,’ said Clare, standing up. She carried a tray of glasses through to the kitchen.

‘Don’t worry,’ said Marcus. ‘You look exhausted. I’ll finish cleaning up.’

Clare kissed his cheek. ‘Thanks,’ she said. ‘I am tired. Thanks for supper.’

‘Bye, Clare, we’ll see you soon.’

Julie walked to the car with her. ‘How was Constance?’

‘She’s the same, Jules. Always the same.’ Clare started her car. ‘Thanks for supper.’ Julie stood and waved, returning to her family when Clare turned at the bottom of the hill.