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.“Got thepainblockers, got the other things.Those people in that store, they crazy.Make you stand in aline even when you only got a few little things.”She smiled.“Have you eaten anything?”“No.” He frowned.“I forgot to cook.”“I’ll make you something.You’re going to have to get your own breakfast tomorrow becauseI’m going to work early.”“What for?”“It was the only chance I could get for some uninterrupted lab time.”“You never home, girl.” He slumped onto the edge of his bed, looking sullen.“Leave me herealone all the time.”“I’m trying to do something about Stephen, Papa.You know that.” She suppressed a frown asshe pulled out a six-pack of beer and put it under the table, then hitched up her bathrobe and gotdown on her knees on the rough sisal mat to look for the vacuum-sack of mielie flour.“I’mworking hard.”“You doing something about Stephen at your work?”“Trying to, yes.”While she fried griddle cakes on the two-ring halogen mini-range, her father pulled her pad ontohis lap and scanned a few pages of Early Mesoamerica.“What’s this about? This whole book about some kind of Mexicans.These the people that usedto cut out people’s hearts and eat them?”“I guess so,” she said, glancing up.“The Aztecs used to perform human sacrifices, yes.But Ihaven’t had much chance to look at it yet.It’s something that I think Susan might have left forme.”“Huh.” He snorted and closed the book.“Rich white woman, big old house, and she leaves youa book?”Renie rolled her eyes.“It isn’t that kind.” She sighed and flipped the griddle cakes.“Papa,Susan had relatives of her own.They’ll get her property.”Her father stared at the book, frowning.“You said they didn’t come to the hospital.You bettercome to the hospital when I’m dying, girl.Otherwise.” He stopped and thought for a moment,then grinned and spread his arms, encompassing their tiny room and few salvaged possessions.“Otherwise, I give all this to somebody else.”She looked around, not realizing for a moment that he had made a joke.Her laugh was as muchsurprise as amusement.“I’ll be there, Papa.I’d hate to think someone else might get that mat Ilove so much.”“You remember, then.” He lay back on his bed, pleased with himself, and closed his eyes.Renie was just beginning to fall asleep when the pad beeped.She fumbled for it, groggy butalarmed – there were very few good things anyone might be calling her about just beforemidnight Her father grunted and rolled over on the far side of the compartment, mumbling in hissleep.“Hello? Who is it?”“I am Martine Desroubins.” She pronounced it day-roo-ban.“Why are you trying to find me?”Her English was accented, her voice deep and assured – a late-night radio announcer’s voice.“I didn’t.that is.” Renie sat up.She unblocked her visuals, but the screen remained black, theother party choosing to retain her privacy.Renie lowered the volume slightly so it wouldn’t wakeher father.“I’m sorry if it seems like.” She paused, straggling to collect her thoughts.She hadno idea how well Susan had known this person, or how far she could be trusted.“I came acrossyour name through a friend.I thought you might be able to help with – might even have beencontacted about – some family business of mine.” This woman had already tracked her backthrough her inquiries, so it wouldn’t do any good to lie about her identity.“My name is IreneSulaweyo.I’m not anything to do with a business or anything.I’m not trying to cause trouble foryou, or interfere with your privacy.” She reached out for her pack of cigarettes.There was a long pause, made to seem even longer by the darkness.“What friend?”“What.?”“What friend gave you my name?”“Doctor Susan Van Bleeck.”“She told you to call me?” There was real surprise and anger in the woman’s voice.“Not exactly.Look, I’m sorry, but I don’t feel very comfortable talking about this over thephone with a stranger.Is there somewhere we could meet, maybe? Someplace where we’d bothfeel safe?”The woman abruptly laughed, a throaty, even slightly raspy sound – another smoker, Renieguessed.“Where is halfway between Durban and Toulouse? I am in France, Ms.Sulaweyo.”“Oh.”“But I can promise you that at this moment, outside of a few government and military offices,there is not a more secure phone line than this one in all of South Africa
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