speurder hou daarvan om die staatslykshuis in Durhamstraat, Soutrivier, te besoek nie.
Dit is om mee te begin ’n onaansienlike plek, van die verbeeldinglose staatsdiensargitektuur van plat bruinbaksteen-en-rooidakgeboue agter ’n verweerde heining van betonpaaltjies, tot by die spartaanse en neerdrukkende binnekant: die nou gange, die kaal, koue teëlvloere, die reuk van formalien en fenol en ontsmetting en ontbinding. Om by te wees wanneer ’n patoloog sy post mortem-disseksies doen, bly ’n ontstellende ervaring, ongeag hoeveel keer jy dit al meegemaak het. Maar dit is die groot ongemak wanneer ’n lyk uitgeken moet word, die hartverskeurende emosies en diepe rou van die naasbestaandes, wat speurders die diepste ontstel.
Daarom haal Vaughn Cupido ’n vyfrandstuk uit sy swart leerbeursie en vra vir Griessel om te kies.
“Kop,” sê Griessel. Hy weet hy gaan verloor. Hy verloor altyd as Vaughn ’n muntstuk opskiet, al verskaf Bennie self die geld.
Cupido lanseer dit behendig, vang dit, klap dit op die agterkant van sy linkerhand neer. “Sorry, Benna. Tails.”
“Laat ek sien.” Want sy kollega haat die uitkenning nog meer as hy.
“Oh, ye of little faith,” sê Cupido en wys dan die muntstuk vir Griessel.
Stert.
“Fok.”
“Wat kan ek sê? The universe loves me.”
Ná ’n oomblik se nadink sê Griessel: “Ek gaan vir Robyn bel en hoor of sy beswaar sal hê as die A.O. by Brackenfell die liggaam gaan uitken.” Want hy weet watter blywende skade dit aan die vrou kan doen om haar eksman só te sien. En hy wil homself die trauma van haar smart ook spaar.
“Good thinking,” sê Cupido. “Ek wag vir die kwaai Hollandse auntie se email.”
“Nederlandse auntie, Vaughn. Nederlands.”
* * *
17 Soestdijker Road
Den Dolder
Utrecht 3734
Netherlands
To Whom It May Concern
I am Mrs Thilini Scherpenzeel, a Dutch citizen permanently residing at the above address. I am 91 years of age, of sound mind and body. I confirm that the contents of this statement are true to the best of my knowledge and belief and that I make this report voluntarily, knowing that, if it is tendered in evidence, I would be liable to prosecution if I have wilfully stated anything which I know to be false or that I do not believe to be true.
I have no conflict of interest of any kind in this matter.
Herewith, my statement: I undertook a holiday to South Africa from 19 July (the date of my flight from Schiphol to Johannesburg) to 8 August (the date of my return flight from Johannesburg to Schiphol).
During that time, I spent seven (7) days in the Royal Malewane safari lodge in the Greater Kruger National Park (20 July to 27 July), and nine (9) days in Cape Town as a guest of the Cape Grace Hotel (28 July to 5 August).
From 5 to 7 August, I travelled with the Rovos Rail train from Cape Town to Pretoria.
I found South Africa to be a beautiful, friendly, hospitable country, and I am deeply saddened by the events that transpired during my visit. I wish to extend my most heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Mr Johnson Johnson, and would like to request the investigating officer to forward me the telephone number or email address of his family. I would like to offer my sympathy personally.
During my stay in Cape Town, I had daily contact with the daytime concierge of the hotel, a lovely man by the charming name of Vinnie Adonis. I do apologise for not knowing his full and proper name. Mr Adonis was very helpful in organising the various day trips I undertook during my stay, inter alia to Cape Point, Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and up Table Mountain. He constantly urged me to be careful while exploring the city and peninsula, as men often do when confronted by a woman of my age, I presume. He also mentioned, on several occasions, the services of a personal security expert he could recommend.
I would like to hereby clearly state that Mr Adonis never overstepped or intruded in any way, and was always at his most courteous and professional in all his dealings with me.
However, being a well-travelled and world-wise nonagenarian, I surmised that this personal security expert was a friend of Mr Adonis, and that Mr Adonis was extending a helping hand in procuring employment for his friend.
I am the widow of a well-known businessman and entrepreneur, the late Joop Scherpenzeel, who founded the Sonnenborgh Breweries in the Netherlands. Therefore, I am acutely aware of the necessity for private and personal enterprise. Furthermore, I am of the opinion that job creation is the cornerstone of a sound and prosperous economy. Thus, my sole reason for contemplating the employment of this private security expert, was to make a small contribution to the wonderful people and the struggling economy of this marvellous country, as I had the means and opportunity. I did not require any personal protection or security. I am perfectly able to take care of myself.
I met Mr Johnson Johnson in the lounge of the Cape Grace Hotel on the morning of 3 August, at my request. I enquired as to his background, his current profession, and his hopes and dreams. He impressed me as a thoroughly courteous, kind and ambitious individual. He showed me photographs of his beautiful daughters. During the meeting I took the decision to ask him to accompany me on the Rovos Rail journey to Pretoria, in his professional capacity. It is a decision I have deeply regretted since hearing of the tragic fate of this family man, since I feel some responsibility for placing him on the train, in harm’s way, and triggering whatever circumstances that transpired to engineer his very dreadful demise.
Nonetheless, I contacted Rovos Rail, and was fortunate enough to procure a booking for Mr Johnson. I proceeded to call Mr Johnson, assisted by Mr Adonis, reserved his services, and met him in the Rovos Rail departure lounge on the morning of 5 August.
Soon after departure, Mr Johnson joined me on the viewing deck in the very last carriage of the train. He indicated various landmarks as we travelled out of the city, showed me the proximity of his home as we passed through the suburbs, and lamented the sad state of public train transport in the peninsula.
He then escorted me to the lounge after I complained of the wind chill, and we spent most of the afternoon there, enjoying high tea and the magnificent views of the Breede River and Hex River valleys, meeting other passengers, and engaged in conversation with them. It was, to say the least, most agreeable.
In the late afternoon – I did not make any pertinent effort to check the exact time – the train stopped at the delightful historic village of Matjiesfontein, where Mr Johnson accompanied me on the guided tour. In the hotel pub, a man was playing the piano, and Mr Johnson impressed me with a fine singing voice as he indulged in Afrikaans traditional folk songs.
He then accompanied me back to the train, and we both retired to our compartments to freshen up for dinner.
At around seven-thirty, Mr Johnson collected me from my compartment, and we proceeded to the dining car for what turned out to be a five star meal. We were invited to share a four seat table with a charming couple from Taunton in the United Kingdom, whom we had met at high tea. I am a former pupil of Queen’s College in Somerset, and so had much to catch up on and discuss with them. Regretfully, Mr Johnson must have felt
