Appetite For Love

Chapter Thirty One

The detective's poker face made Johanie want to run away.

"Mrs Harmse tell me, why did you not raise the alarm when you woke up alone in the flat."

Johanie looked down at her fingers and rubbed her sweaty palms together.

"I thought that she left for work. She goes to work very early in the morning. I had to leave early too. I had an audition to get too."
"Hmm. So you left right after waking up. Did you take a bath or shower."
"No. I got dressed into my clothes from yesterday and left. I...I was in a hurry so, I didn't shower. I only washed my face and brushed my teeth.  I didn't even have time to eat. Aïda had given me a toothbrush the previous night. It was with the pyjamas."

Kannemeyer stared silently her for a few seconds but, to Johanie it felt like forever.

"Mrs Harmse, I need you to write everything that you've just said down in a report. I also need timestamps," Kannemeyer handed her a sheet and a black pan, "Start writing. I'll be back I  first minutes."

Johanie did as she was told while Kannemeyer was away.

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

Aden was sitting inside his car at Aïda' s flat. The forensics team were inside looking for evidence. He daydreaming about her returning to get flat of Tuis Kombuis as if never happened.

He tried Zoë's number again by there was still no response. He was both fuming and worried at the same time. How could she not answer her phone with her line of work?

Tiffany was missing, Zoë's phone went straight to voicemail and even Adriaan did not answer his phone.

Adriaan had called the coach last night. According to the coach he had pulled out of the remaining games of the tournament due to his mother's illness. Aden had heard this from the coach when he had called him to inform him about his withdrawal from the tournament.

He dialled Adriaan's number again but, to no avail. According to what Johanie had told him, in the afternoon, cellphone reception was very bad where the senior Harmses lived.

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

Back in Detective Kannemeyer's office Johanie was feeling like a duck out of water. The officer had been staring at her report for the last ten minutes. She just wanted to go home.

"May I leave? I want to leave before it gets too late." Johanie said.
"Not so soon, Mrs Harmse." Kannemeyer responded.

He folded his arms across his chest.

"Is something wrong?" Johanie asked.
"Mrs Harmse, did you write all the events of last night and this I
morning down?" Kannemeyer questioned cocking his right brow.

Johanie fumbled with her fingers in her lap.

"Did you, Mrs Harmse?"
"Yes, I did."
"Why are you lying to me, Mrs Harmse?"
"Wh...what are you talking about, detective?"

Kannemeyer got up from his chair and leaned on the wall behind the chair, crossing his arms. Johanie was so scared.

"You told me that you got up washed your face, brushed your teeth and left. You were in such a hurry that you did not even shower or eat, yes?" Kannemeyer questioned.
"Yes, I said that. It is the truth." A nervous Johanie responded.
"Hmm. You were in  such a hurry that you left without cleaning yourself yet, you had more than enough time to clean Miss Völlenhoven's flat. The neighbours saw you." Kannemeyer retorted.

Johanie was paler than usual and she was naturally very pale.

"You left her door open while cleaning. Neighbours observed you singing and cleaning. Apparently, you even mopped the floors yet, according to you, you had no time. One of the tenants even took some photos of you."