Michael Ridpath - See No Evil

He also tracked down the reference to the word ‘Laagerbond’ in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission testimony. It was as scant as Kim had suggested. A man named Ben Dillard was testifying in relation to an amnesty application for his part in the bombing of the ANC offices in London in 1982. He was a spy for the South African security police and during questioning he mentioned that his handler, Colonel Retief, was rumoured to be a member of the Laagerbond. Colonel Retief could not be called on to testify as he had died in 1990.

Calder checked South African news sites for any further mention of Dillard. It turned out he was granted amnesty, but he was murdered in 2000 when his house in Durban was broken into by robbers.

Turning away from his computer, Calder phoned Donna Snyder at the New Hampshire number she had given him. She was nervous when she heard his voice, but overjoyed to learn that Todd had woken up. Calder tried to keep the conversation short, and cut her off when she started talking about how upset she was and whether she should resign from her position at the school. He had done what he had promised to do. He was happy to be leaving that particular problem thousands of miles behind him.

The next morning he set off for Heathrow planning to stop at Langthorpe and the hospital on the way. The airfield was in its usual state of minor turmoil. Jerry was sympathetic about Calder’s sister, but not impressed with his travel plans. It would mean more cancelled lessons and frustrated students, but Calder was adamant. Jerry would just have to cope by himself.

There was good news at the hospital: Anne was awake. Calder was just about to follow the nurse into the ward to see her, when William blocked his way.

He looked bad: his face was yellow, his eyes glinted manically from hollow sockets, the little hair he had stuck out in odd directions from his scalp. ‘I don’t think you should disturb her now, Alex,’ he said.

‘I won’t be long,’ Calder said reasonably. ‘I’m going to South Africa for a few days. I just want to see her before I go.’

‘South Africa, eh?’ William laughed, an unpleasant high-pitched bray that Calder hadn’t heard before. ‘You never learn when to leave things alone, do you?’

‘Excuse me,’ Calder said, edging past him.

William grabbed hold of his arm and tugged. ‘I said you shouldn’t go in.’

Calder held his ground but kept his temper. The nurse had gone on into the ward, unaware of the delay. ‘I’m her brother. I have a right to see her.’

‘She doesn’t want to see you,’ William said.

‘How do you know?’ Calder said. ‘I heard she can’t speak.’

‘I’m her husband,’ William said. ‘I know what she thinks.’

Calder sighed in irritation and broke free of William to meet the nurse who was returning to look for him. He followed her to Anne’s bed.

Like Todd, she was hooked up to all sorts of machines and instruments. The first thing Calder noticed was that her left arm was in plaster. The second, after a quick glance at her bed, was that the sheets were flat where her left leg should have been. The third was that her cheek and her forehead were bandaged. Her nose and mouth were covered by an oxygen mask, and her eyes were closed.

He moved over beside her. She opened her eyes. He took her right hand and pressed it. ‘Annie, it’s Alex,’ he whispered.

Her eyes took a moment to focus on him. Then they widened. Her fingers, which had gently clasped his hand, opened. She began to shake her head, gently at first and then more violently.

‘Annie! It’s only me,’ Calder whispered again, more urgently.

Anne turned her head away from him.

The nurse put her hand on his shoulder. ‘Come with me, love,’ she said. ‘We don’t want to upset her.’

Calder stared at the back of his sister’s head, her short spikes of hair plastered to her skull. Then he let himself be led out of the ward.

‘What did I tell you?’ William brayed in triumph at the door. ‘Now, don’t come back!’

Calder ignored him. He reeled down the corridors. He needed to get out of there.

‘Alex!’

He turned. It was Kim. ‘Alex! What’s wrong?’

Calder put his hand to his brow. ‘I just saw Anne,’ he said.

‘What’s happened? Has there been some kind of complication?’

‘No,’ Calder said. ‘She...’ He could hardly bring himself to say it. ‘She didn’t want to see me. She turned her head away.’

Kim touched his arm in sympathy. ‘She’s probably a bit groggy. She’ll be fine next time she sees you.’

Calder swallowed. ‘I’m not sure of that, Kim. I’m not at all sure.’

‘Here. Let’s get a cup of coffee.’

Calder looked down the corridor towards the café and shook his head. ‘I’m sorry, Kim, I’ve got to get out of here.’

He turned and stumbled out of the hospital.

August 12, 1988

Winter is really here now. They had storms while I was away. The vines in the fields are bare and the oaks have lost most of their leaves too. It’s noticeably colder and there are flashes of white snow on the peaks at the top of the valley. It’s quite a shock after the heat and humidity of America in mid-summer.

I saw George today for lunch. He’s still not getting anywhere finding a buyer for the Mail.

I asked him about Beatrice Pienaar. Evidently she graduated with a masters from Stellenbosch School of Journalism, where she did extremely well. Her professor suggested she work for Zyl News for a few months in Philadelphia. Her professor would be Daniel Havenga, I realized. She’s a bright woman, apparently; Neels will like that.

I told George my suspicion that Daniel is a member of the Broederbond. George said he wouldn’t be surprised, a lot of academics are. In fact, George suspects the ice-queen Beatrice of being a spy for the security police. I thought he was joking at first, but he was deadly serious. The newspaper editors believe that the government has been trying to infiltrate their newsrooms for years. The journalists play spot-the-spy in the office. It’s done half in jest, but there is a lot of suspicion about. When anyone is working on a scoop George makes sure that only three people know about it: himself, the journalist involved, and one other to add a sense of perspective. He fired a journalist a couple of months ago whom he suspected of leaking an investigation into corruption in defense procurement.

He hasn’t told Neels about his suspicions; relations between them are poor at the moment. I urged him to talk to Neels, but I doubt he will.

I asked George whether Beatrice had been in Cape Town at the end of last month, which was when Neels stayed out the whole night, although I didn’t tell George about that. Apparently she did spend a few days in the Cape Town office then. In fact, George said Beatrice is accompanying Neels when he flies back tomorrow. I am so angry.

August 13

I got a real scare when I went to pick up Caroline from school this afternoon. We were walking along the sidewalk when I saw him. Moolman. He was sitting in a blue car opposite the school entrance watching us. He must have realized I had spotted him, but he gave no indication of it. He was just staring at me. And Caroline.

I have to make sure he doesn’t touch her. If I do exactly as he says he won’t. I must let Neels know that I have given up all interest in the Laagerbond.

Neels is back. He arrived on the flight this morning and went straight into the office. Presumably he has Beatrice shacked up in some hotel on the Foreshore. I haven’t confronted him yet about her, but I will.

I wonder if she really is a spy. And if she is, is she “Impala,” the woman referred to in Daniel Havenga’s memo about Neels? She must be!