The Disappeared (31 page)

There was a
sudden ripple of commotion as almost everyone looked over towards the entrance.
It was Fred and Siobhan Young. They were both doctors. Lindi had once referred
to them as Bishop’s
It Couple
. Whatever that meant. Minki liked them.
Especially Siobhan. She was kind and friendly and she smelled like pretty
Spring flowers. Several people greeted them. Some with obvious relief. Minki
looked at the townspeople with surprise. It was as if the arrival of the young
doctors had sent a wave of rejuvenation through the restaurant. A few even rose
from their chairs and greeted them personally. Bridgette Le Roux was one of
them. She approached Siobhan and spoke to her in whispered concern. Siobhan
nodded sympathetically and led her outside. Several people crowded around Fred
Young. Mr Sacks pulled up a chair while Thabo Mohapi pushed two tables
together. The young doctor was plied with questions. Although most were of a
medical nature some wanted to know what he knew about their situation. Were
there any more survivors? What did Doctor Young think happened to the others? Minki
understood the relief that people felt. She herself was glad to see the young
couple. That Fred Young was a doctor was an obvious source of relief. But Minki
guessed mostly people were just happy to discover that there were more
survivors. Minki wondered if it was Inspector Coetzee’s search party that had
found the Youngs. She hoped they would find plenty more. Minki suddenly thought
of her dad. Why was he not here? His absence was obvious ... and painful. For
more than one reason. Although she wanted her dad to be here, the thought of
seeing him made her feel uncomfortable. And almost ... terrified? The powerful
combination of dread and longing made her feel like crying. His behaviour
earlier that morning had both confused and scared her. Overnight she had lost
her father. And awoken to a stranger in the house. It had been one of the
scariest things that had ever happened to her. To feel that her father had
become someone she didn’t know. And yet she longed with all her heart to feel
his strong arms around her. And to hear his deep voice speak consolation in her
ears. Her dad. The old one. Not the new scary one.

All of a
sudden the restaurant went quiet. Minki looked up. Inspector Coetzee was standing
at the doorway. Behind him Minki could see Sergeant Jansen and the strange
little guy with the one arm. Max Collie.

Minki got up
to ask Inspector Coetzee about her father. But she fell back into the cubicle.
A thousand pins and needles stung her body. The world blurred around the edges.
Minki inhaled sharply and folded her arms over her chest. She felt a searing
cold seep into her skin. Bright spots exploded before her eyes. Oh no. She
whimpered softly. It was happening again.

She was about
to have another vision.

Inspector
Coetzee surveyed the restaurant. A dozen pairs of eyes stared at him in
momentary surprise. He knew immediately that several people were missing. He
felt a hot flush of irritation. Hadn’t he
specifically
told everyone to
remain here? He had just enough time to register the (thankful) presence of Dr Fred
Young before the stunned silence gave way to a clamouring cacophony. Coetzee
experienced a flash of déjà vu as he raised his hands trying to restore order. ‘Please
everyone. If you can just remain calm for a moment. We have the situation under
control,’ he lied. Max Theron jumped up from his chair and marched towards
Coetzee. ‘As soon as –’

‘Listen,
Coetzee,’ Max said in exaggerated disdain.

You little
bliksem.
A black bolt of annoyance shot through Coetzee at the audacity of the little
snot-nose brat in front of him.

‘It doesn’t
look like you’ve got anything under control,’ Max said posturing in front of a
ready-made audience. ‘I demand answers right now. What the hell is going on?’
He pointed at the group of people behind him. ‘I think we’re entitled to an
answer. Just remember ... we pay your salary,’ he said with a mighty smirk on
his pimply face.

It took all of
Coetzee’s years of experience and Christian faith to restrain himself. When he
spoke his words were clipped and frosty. ‘Max, please take a seat. As long as
you engage in your antics we are not going to resolve anything.’

‘My antics!
Wow man, did I hear you correctly? You work for my father,
Inspector
Coetzee. Don’t forget that.’

‘Max, I need
you to sit down right now.’

‘Screw that
shit, man. Who the hell put you in charge anyway? If my father was here –’’

Jansen stepped
forward. ‘But your daddy isn’t here. So why don’t you sit the fuck down and
shut up.’

Max did a little
dance with his hands raised in the air. ‘Oh ho, wow man. Now you’ve done it.
Wait ‘til my uncle hears about this, man.’ Everybody knew about Max Theron’s
uncle. He was a member of parliament and a long serving member of the African
National Congress. Oh yes. Everybody knew about Max Theron’s uncle. ‘Oh man, oh
man. My uncle is so going to fire your white trash ass. Your career is so finished,
man.’

Jansen took
another step forward, his face red with rage. ‘You little spoilt brat son of a
bitch. I’m gonna smash your face in.’ Max’s face dropped in sudden dismay and
fear as Jansen charged at him.

‘
Bliksem
him, Willie,’ Collie said under his breath.

Things were
rapidly spinning out of control.

‘Stop!’
Coetzee’s voice was like thunder in a confined space. The effect was like
sudden Valium. Everyone in the room froze. ‘If you don’t stop this nonsense
right now,’ Coetzee said fixing Jansen and Max Theron with an icy stare, ‘I
will throw both of you in the jail cells.’ Silence. ‘Go ahead. Please dare me
and see where it gets you.’ He turned towards Max. ‘Sit down. Now!’ Max
complied and plonked himself down in the nearest chair. Coetzee took a deep
breath and continued. ‘
Oraait
. I sent out search parties to look for
other survivors. My first concern was to ascertain how many people survived and
who they were. I’m sure you would all agree with me.’ A few people nodded. ‘Well,
I instructed my deputies to search the whole of Bishop. Every single house.’
Coetzee looked at Collie and Jansen for confirmation. Jansen was still staring
hot daggers at Max and didn’t notice. Collie nodded. Coetzee opened his mouth to
speak but hesitated. How could he say this without unleashing yet another wave
of panic? ‘Well, we found ... Doctors Fred and Siobhan Young and ...’ He looked
at Jansen. This time Jansen returned his look.

‘And Mrs
Jakobs,’ Jansen said, thankfully completing Coetzee’s sentence.

Seated around
their tables, the surviving members of the Bishop population stared at Coetzee
in breathless expectation. Gradually this anticipation turned to shock as one
by one they realised the implication. Looking somewhat ridiculous, Thabo Mohapi
raised his hand. ‘Sorry Inspector ... I ...’ It was obvious that completing the
question was as difficult as it was for Coetzee to make the statement. ‘Are you
saying that your search parties found only ... three people?’

There was a
shocked silence. Coetzee slowly nodded. ‘I’m afraid so.’

Joyce Mohapi
began sobbing hysterically. Next to her Thabo was too shocked to notice. His mouth
hung open and he seemed drained of colour. Across from him Mrs Sacks clung to
her husband. Tears welled in the eyes of Dora Cooper. Even Mr and Mrs Lovisa
who had remained calm up to this moment appeared rattled. Behind the counter
Moira stood with her hand to her mouth in shock. In the corner Minki was
whimpering softly. ‘Dear God in Heaven,’ Thabo said reaching for his wife. In
the back of the restaurant, Robert John Visser stood up suddenly and
disappeared into the restrooms. No-one noticed.

‘Where’s my
dad? Where’s my dad?’ Max Theron was staring down at the floor, hands squeezed
between his knees. He was rocking back and forth tears rising in his eyes. ‘Where’s
my dad?’

‘I ...’
Coetzee was completely lost for words. ‘I’m sorry. I ...’

Katya
Vladislavic rose from her bar stool. She stared at Minki with concern. There
was a quiet dignity to her. ‘Inspector? Minki mentioned she saw her father this
morning.’ She paused looking across at Minki again. ‘Did no-one find him?
Surely he must be at home.’ Coetzee looked at his deputies.

Jansen slowly
shook his head looking down at the floor. ‘I searched the house. There was
no-one there.’

Minki began
sobbing quietly. Katya walked towards her and slid into the cubicle next to
her. She embraced the crying child.

‘Inspector
Coetzee,’ Mr Sacks said, ‘are you telling us we’re the only survivors?’ He
looked around at the pathetic group of people. His face was ashen. Haggard. He
fixed Coetzee with a troubled stare. ‘God help us all.’

Coetzee sighed
deep misery. ‘Look, what’s important right now is that we’re still ... alive.’ Someone
sobbed loudly at the word. Silence.

‘What happened
to everyone, Jan?’ Dora Cooper said quietly appearing once again calm and
composed. The informal use of his first name seemed oddly out of place in the
anxious atmosphere. A dozen eyes looked at Inspector Coetzee with quiet
desperate pleas. ‘Honestly, what happened? Where are the rest of our people?’

Coetzee held
the steady gaze of his old friend. He spoke slowly carefully choosing each
word. ‘All we know is that between two and three this morning ... something
happened.’ He looked at each of upturned faces in turn. ‘We’re not sure what it
was. Or how it happened. But around that time the Bishop police station began
receiving various calls from people across Bishop.’ For a brief second he
considered telling the terrified group of people about the inscriptions in the
police logbook

(
insects in
mouth
)

but thought
better of it. What good would it do? It would only inflame an already
precarious situation. ‘Whatever it was, it happened suddenly.’ Coetzee wanted
to leave it there. But the frankness of Dora’s gaze spurred him on. ‘While
answering a call, one of my policemen, Constable Jali ... disappeared. We found
his police van earlier this morning. I cannot be sure what happened to Sergeant
Vladislavic,’ Coetzee said carefully meeting Katya’s level gaze. ‘What I can
tell you, is that for now, we’re safe.
Oraait
? And as long as we stay
here, together, me and my deputies will do everything in our power to protect
you ... and make sure no harm comes to you.’ Dora Cooper smiled in wan
appreciation at the tired looking policeman.

‘Well, you’ve
done one hell of a job, thus far,’ Max said jumping up from his chair. Jansen
advanced on the Mayor’s son with great threatening strides. This time Coetzee
did not restrain him. Max fell back in his chair staring with huge terrified
eyes at Jansen, then Coetzee and then back at Jansen.

‘One more word
out of your trap and I will demolish you, you little bitch.’ Max cringed into a
tight little ball of fear. He looked sullenly at Jansen who towered over him.

‘Listen I know
everyone’s scared and confused. I know some of us have lost loved ones.’ Coetzee
looked down momentarily, unwilling to meet the eyes of people like Katya
Vladislavic and Dora and others. ‘But right now we have to stand together. And
we have to continue believing in each other. It’s the only way we’re going to
make it. As a unit.’ A few nodded absently. ‘The first thing I want to do is
take a roll call. Sergeant Jansen here is going to take down the names of
everyone that ... remained behind.’ He nodded at Jansen who took out a notebook.
Bending down over Max in brute intimidation he began scribbling names into the
notebook. Coetzee looked around the restaurant, his eyes narrowing. The bolt of
irritation he felt earlier sizzled through him again. He sighed. ‘Where’s
Bridgette?’ He looked at Fred Young. ‘And your wife, Doctor Young?’

‘Siobhan went
to get her some tranquilisers,’ Fred said.

Coetzee nodded
slightly appeased. He scanned the interior of the restaurant. ‘And Mr Jones?’
Silence. ‘Did anyone see Mr Jones?’ The shocked individuals looked around
themselves. No-one answered. Coetzee sighed in exasperation. ‘What about
Lindiwe and Duggan? Where are they?’

‘Inspector, I
think they went to Duggan’s Internet Café. I’m not sure why.’ It was Moira who
spoke from behind the counter.

Coetzee
remembered Lindiwe’s request to speak to the prisoner.
What were they up to?
He turned to Collie. ‘Please go and tell them to come here immediately. No
excuses.’ Collie nodded to walk out. At the door Coetzee stopped him however. ‘On
second thought, I don’t need any more people wandering about. I’m sure they
will show up soon enough.’ Collie looked in confusion at Coetzee but resumed
his former position. Coetzee turned to face the group. ‘People, please. I’m
going to say this one more time. And please listen to me. It is of the utmost
importance that we all stay together. Please. You can’t go wandering off on
your own. As long as we’re together, we’re ... safe. Okay? Okay.’ He looked at
Dora. ‘Anyone else missing?’

Dora Cooper
scanned the people around her. ‘I don’t think so.’

‘Wait a
minute. Sergeant, where’s Mrs Jakobs?’

Jansen looked
up from his scribbling. He was now standing at the table with the Sacks and the
Mohapi couples. He frowned. ‘I told her to come here. She said she’s on her
way.’ Irritation laced his voice. Coetzee stared at his deputy in silence.
There was no use in rebuking him publicly. It would serve little purpose. He
had no choice but to accept Jansen’s word and hope the cantankerous old woman
would show up shortly.

Neither he nor
Jansen had any way of knowing they would never see her again.

‘People,’
Coetzee continued, ‘once we’ve done a roll call we need to decide on our next
course of action.’ The Bishop residents looked at Coetzee with piqued interest.
There was even something akin to hope in the eyes of some. ‘The way I see it,
we have two possible options. We can stay here and send out various scouting
parties to neighbouring towns. And get them to send rescue teams.’