TWELVE by Adam Alexander

Author:Adam Alexander
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Imagin8 Ltd
Published: 2020-09-22T22:00:00+00:00

Donnae sat beneath the eaves on the patio with Lee Cohen and Theresa. She was the first to notice Becky’s body language as she approached from the lawns.

“What happened?” Donnae said when she realised Becky was in tears. She sprang from her seat and rushed to wrap an arm around her as she entered the bar. Lee and Theresa followed.

“It’s Mike,” Becky began as Donnae lowered her into the empty couch, but Malatsi followed her into the bar and spoke loudly before anyone could say another word.

“Everyone, please I need you to gather in the bar. This is important. There’s been a new development in this case,” he announced. “I need everyone in here, now.” The sounds of pots and dishes clunking echoed from the kitchen, breaking the deathly silence that followed.

Alan and Basil came around from behind the bar counter.

“What’s happening?” Alan asked but the detective silenced him with a stare, and stood with his hands on his hips watching everyone as they trickled in. Daniel and Gary drifted in from outside.

“Who’s missing?” Malatsi asked.

“Where’s Denzel?” Basil looked around, stepping towards the dining room door. “Come on, you’re needed,” he said. Moments later, Denzel Nkosi followed him into the bar.

“And Pierre and his wife?” Alan called after Basil. “Are they in there?”

Basil peered inside the dining room, then turned and shook his head.

“What about your mates?” Harry asked. “Josh, Eddy and Udo? Where did they go?”

“They all went back to their rooms after lunch,” Alan replied.

“Dammit!” the detective cursed. “Ernest?”

“Yes,” the concierge replied.

“Get Pierre Venter and his wife, Josh Miller, Udo Szemeri and Eddy Burton in here now, please.”

Ernest acknowledged the detective’s stern voice with a slight tilt of the head, a gesture that expressed his disapproval of the detective’s tone, yet at the same time signalled a lifetime of obedience.

“I’ll call them immediately,” he replied.

“What’s going on?” Basil demanded.

“In a minute,” Malatsi said, holding the man’s questions back with a hand like a points man directing traffic. “In a minute. Wait till the others get here.”

“I thought you left?” Lee said, surprised.

“The road’s blocked. The bridge has been washed away. And the cell tower’s collapsed,” he replied. “There’s no getting out of here. Not until they fix that bridge.”

“What?” Donnae pulled out her phone and dialled a number. “Shit! I’ve got no reception.”

Instinctively everyone in the room pulled out their phones and checked the tiny symbol in the status bar. One by one they joined in the dismal chorus of “Me neither,” until everyone had confirmed that they were all without reception.

“What happens now? How are we gonna get out of here?” Theresa asked, flustered.

This time Malatsi used both hands in an effort to placate everyone. “We’re going to have to wait till we can get hold of emergency services when this rain’s stopped. Until then, everybody just sit tight.”

“How will they know? How are we gonna get hold of them?” Lee Cohen asked.

“Emergency services get notified when signal in remote areas is out. They’ll send someone to restore the cell phone signal, and when they do, they’ll report the bridge.

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