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before she usually got up.
    She stood in the doorway and said: ‘What are you reading? Is it that the stuff you received yesterday? You said you would show it to me.’ She walked closer.
    Krige stopped reading, ordered the papers and folded them over. He knew he again had to lie and hope she believed him. ‘The papers are not from the Cooperative,’ he said. ‘They cover the details of a business deal I might get involved with. I have to go to Pretoria for a few days to see these people. When I get back I’ll let you know what it is all about. We could be onto something good.’
    She looked at him in disbelief. ‘Why can’t you tell me before you go? And, when are you going?’
    ‘Probably tomorrow,’ he said. ‘I want to go and get back here as soon as I can.’
    ‘I hope you are telling me the truth this time and not going on another operation for the group.’ She couldn’t help being suspicious. ‘You lied to me then and I don’t want your lies now. Those men are evil and I don’t want you near them.’
    ‘I am certainly n ot involved with them,’ he said, compounding the lies. ‘Last time was something I got into, after they put pressure on me to retrieve the file that had been stolen from them and sent to a Durban lawyer. I got the file but the copy sent to the DSO by David Staples went astray and it is up to the DSO to find it. The DSO want him to make another copy but for security reasons he will not. One copy has already disappeared and he does not want copies flying about all over the place.’
    ‘Someone killed Cartwright,’ she said. ‘I hope it wasn’t you.’
    ‘It wasn’t me even though that was implied by James Steiner. He wasn’t there and has no idea who shot Cartwright.’ Krige refrained from saying Richter and Koch had not gone to the house on that fatal night. If she knew she would instantly conclude he had done the killing.
    She mellowed a little and said: ‘I am glad those thugs, Richter, Koch and Muller, got what they deserved. If the group were civilized men, with respect for the human race and did not behave like the old Nationalist Party that used to rule this country, I would not despise them so much. They deserve death. She did not mention Steiner and that he had killed Richter and Koch; to her he was in a different class. She wished she could see him now.
    ‘I have to trust you or our relationship is finished,’ she said with finality. ‘Go to Pretoria and sort out your business. I can run the farm for a few days. We have good men. You must phone me.’
    ‘I will,’ said Krige. ‘I am beginning to think it will be a waste of time. I can’t say it really interests me. Let’s have breakfast. I want to go to town for essentials.’
    Krige reached town at ei ght and parked his Land Rover near the public telephone box. He fished in his pocket and took out Dalton’s number. He had Teichmann’s papers with him when he dialled. In less than a minute a woman answered and he asked for Dalton. He soon heard Dalton’s voice.
    Krige introduced himsel f. ‘I have received the information from Teichmann.’
    Dalton listened quietly.
    ‘You can read it in the car on the way,’ said Krige. ‘I will drive for the first part. We can meet here in the town cafe tomorrow morning at nine.’
    ‘I’ll be there,’ said Dalton.
    Krige cut the call and crossed the road to the general store. He had to return with something.
    While Krige was in town, Kirsty noticed the envelope sent to her husband had gone. She let it pass and felt she had said what was on her mind. She knew she would not find out any more without a fight.
    That evening Krige said he was leaving early the next morning. He looked at her on the sofa. ‘I assure you there is nothing devious going on. The deal is simply something I want to look into. If we agree to it, I think it will benefit both of us.’

Chapter 8
     
    North of Pretoria
     
    The next morning Krige kissed his wife and left the farm. They said