The Land God Made in Anger by John Gordon Davis

Author:John Gordon Davis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2014-11-28T00:00:00+00:00

40

He was woken at about midnight by the thumping of a dance-band in the hotel, a gabble of voices from the beer garden below his window, and the roaring of motorcycles and screams of tyres in the street. He knew the type: the lower-class whites which this country protected with its Apartheid, the lekker ous with their leather lumberjackets and their zoot suits and gum-chewing chicks with their rums-an’-coke who called the blacks the bladdy kaffirs. Oh God, he wanted to get this over with and get out of this country back to Australia. Of course there were plenty of the same type in Australia but at least the law did not make white trash lords over the blacks, at least there were not many blacks in Australia to be white trash to. And where were the bloody police, with all this noise?

He lay awake, worrying about Inspector Dupreez.

At ten o’clock he arrived at Duncan’s Health Studio.

It was a large suburban house in the jacaranda-lined avenues. Interior walls had been knocked down to create a number of big rooms with exercise apparatus. There was a mirror-lined hall for aerobic classes, showers, lockers, a sauna room, two jacuzzi rooms, and a lounge with a health-bar. The place was very well-kept. A healthy girl in a sky-blue leotard directed him into the weight-lifting room to find Peter Duncan.

He was instructing a woman in the use of weights. He was in sky-blue ballet-tights that showed off bulging genitals. On the walls were glossy photographs of monstrously muscled, glistening winners of body-building contests. Duncan waved and led the way into his office. He went to his jacket, pulled out the list.

‘The name is marked with a tick.’

McQuade said with relief, ‘Thank you very much, Peter.’

‘As long as that’s the only detective work I do.’

‘It is. But was there any difficulty?’

‘I refuse to divulge the name of my informant on the grounds it may incriminate me. By the way, I presume you know who you’re dealing with? The Population Registration Office.’ He tapped the list. ‘Do tell Roger to be careful. There was a big scandal a few years ago, which doubtless accounts for why he wants you to do his dirty work for him.’ He twiddled his fingers in farewell. ‘Toodle-oo.’

‘Just one thing. Do you know him?’ He tapped the list.

Duncan said: ‘Her.’

McQuade blinked.

‘As a matter of fact, I do,’ Duncan said. ‘I didn’t know she was one of the girls, though. A closet case. She comes to the aerobics class most days after work.’

McQuade’s mind was racing. ‘If I come here this afternoon will you point her out to me?’

‘No. I’ve told you I’ll do no more.’ Duncan added airily: ‘But rather pretty. Long blonde hair, if you like that sort of thing. But I’m afraid she won’t much like you.’ He twiddled his fingers again.

McQuade slowly opened the list.

The name that was ticked was: Lisa van Rensburg.

He had checked out of the Assembly Hotel but his Landrover was still parked there. He walked back, feeling discouraged.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.