Water Music Read Free

and disturbances to the soil in a way that another woman might read a book. There wasnt much just a flattening of the leaves, a frightened animal seeking refugefrom the storm, perhaps. Clare looked up at the thick undergrowth that ringed the clearing. The bridle path was a narrow opening in the reeds; beyond, on the other side of the river, a forest where shadows shifted the shapes of the trees.
    Clare examined the belt that had held the child fast to the fallen oak. She looked up at the bridle path. The arms carrying her had tired, perhaps, and so thechild was tethered to the fallen tree, its branches providing some protection from the sleet.
    A movement drew Clares gaze. A porcupine breaking cover. The creature paused at the edge of the clearing and looked back at Clare, then it turned and ran, dropping a quill as it disappeared into the reeds.
    From the other side of the reed bed came the sound of car doors slamming. The voices of the uniformedofficers floated above the reeds.
    Jirre, vok. You uniforms could fuck up a crime scene in your sleep. Why your mothers didnt drown you at birth is a mystery. Ina Britz had arrived, the hapless uniformed police straggling in her wake. Secure the place; dont act like a herd of hippos on Viagra, for fucks sake.
    A constable looped crime-scene tape around the trees in a wide arc. There was a photographer,someone from forensics. The 28s fanning out, searching. A crime scene, not made to order, as on TV, but a good enough approximation.
    Ina was stomping over to where Clare stood.
    You managed to get rid of Cwele? Clare asked.
    How many chances you think snowballs get in hell? Ina said. Well have a press conference. This is going to be big news. Maybe itll shut Cwele up long enough for you to finishwhat you started. What does she look like?
    Look through those. Clare handed her camera to Ina.
    Ive seen a lot of sick stuff, said Ina, scrolling through Clares photographs. But what the fuck is this? Who is she? Where does she come from?
    Its as if we found a ghost. Clare spread her map out on a nearby rock, but it writhed in her hands, agitated by the wind. Mandla Njobe and Ina held the mapsteady. From the river, there was a radial fan of bridle paths and dirt tracks. Across from it there was a pine forest. Beyond was the expanse of nature reserve that stretched from Judas Peak across to Hells Gate, the narrow entrance to the series of dams along the spine of Table Mountain. The waterfall was visible from where they stood. In this weather, with this amount of rain, the area would bealmost impassable.
    Did your Mountain Men report anything, Mandla? asked Clare.
    They had two patrols out on the contour path. The storm was bad last night, even the gangsters stayed inside.
    The security logs, said Clare, there might be something there.
    Not many cameras this side of town, said Mandla Njobe.
    Call them in, said Clare. Everything. CCTV from the whole area. Alarm signals. Thereare number-plate recognition cameras in quite a few areas now. Get those too anything that might come up this way. Someone must have seen something. Also a house-to-house search for this whole area.
    Wont take that long, said Ina Britz. These plots are so big you could fit a whole township on each of them.
    Gypsy cocked her head and whined, looking in the direction of the trees. The roar of theriver on the other side.
    Somebody carried her here, said Mandla Njobe. Ill see where Gypsy takes me.
    Ina lit a Lucky Strike as she and Clare watched Mandla Njobe disappear into the trees, Gypsy at his heels. Man and dog moving as one.
    Kak place to leave a laaitie to die.
    If thats what the intention was. Clare held out the length of leather. She was tied to the tree. She couldnt have got away,even if shed wanted to.
    What the fuck? said Ina.
    Thats what I want to know, said Clare. Like youd tie up a puppy so it wont wander. To keep it safe, maybe.
    Or a lamb if youre going to slaughter it. Ina looked up at the expanse of mountain.