The Missing Girl (eBook)

A Fabel Retief Thriller, Book 2

Meiring Fouche, Pieter Haasbroek (Autoren)

Pieter Haasbroek (Herausgeber)

eBook Download: EPUB

2025 | 1. Auflage
106 Seiten
Pieter Haasbroek (Verlag)
9780000923066 (ISBN)

Infos

He'd left the world of murder and mystery behind.

But when a beautiful girl's smiling face vanishes from the headlines and into the shadows.

One man must return to the life he swore he'd forget.

Johannesburg, South Africa. Former star detective Fabel Retief has traded his badge for the quiet life of a farmer, haunted by the ghosts of his past. But the inexplicable disappearance of the enchanting Rita Grimbeeck from the front page of the morning paper awakens the instincts he fought so hard to bury. A plea from an old colleague is all it takes to pull him back in.

The trail leads him from the city's darkest corners to the treacherous coast of Mozambique, uncovering a sinister conspiracy far deadlier than a simple missing person case. A mysterious finishing school for 'Oriental dance,' a charming master of disguise, and a phantom ship called The Dolphin are all pieces of a terrifying puzzle. If Fabel fails, Rita and other innocent women will be sold into a life of unimaginable horror, lost forever.

Outmanned and alone, Fabel must unravel a web of international deceit where allies are enemies and the truth is a deadly weapon. To save the innocent, he must become the hunter once more, even if it means he's the one being hunted.

This classic adventure thriller is a must-read for anyone who loves high-stakes mystery and relentless action. Perfect for fans of Alistair MacLean and Desmond Bagley.

For fans of pulp, action, and mystery, the case just got personal. In the electrifying second installment of the Fabel Retief series, finding The Missing Girl is only the beginning of the nightmare. Are you ready for the next chapter?

Textauszug

2. THE MISSING GIRL

Chapter 1

RITA GRIMBEECK

On the wide veranda of his elegant home, nestled in the green opulence of the Transvaal Lowveld, Fabel Retief glanced one more time at the photograph of the girl on the front page of the morning newspaper. Then he turned the paper over and looked at the sports report on the back page.

But as if a secret voice were speaking to him, Fabel returned to the front page and looked once again at the smiling girl. He had already forgotten her name again. Rita Grimbeeck, that was her name. A simple Boer name. Nothing special about it. And yet, there was something special about that girl. He liked her smile, her bright eyes, and the dimples in her cheeks. She had a beautifully chiseled face and apparently, her hair was raven-black. All in all, a striking girl who smiled so cheerfully at him from the front page of the morning paper.

“Why would such an attractive girl be missing of all things?” Fabel Retief thought. That is, after all, what was written. Miss Rita Grimbeeck had disappeared in an inexplicable and completely unexpected manner from her residence in Johannesburg. Not a word has been heard from her since. There is no idea what could have become of her... And then followed the details to which Fabel Retief was so accustomed. Approximately five feet ten inches tall, age twenty years, light blue eyes, jet-black hair.

For a moment, Fabel Retief frowned and his thoughts began to wander, but then he immediately restrained himself. “That time is past, old fellow,” he said to himself in his mind. It was almost second nature for him to start thinking about a case like this. That was why he quickly reined himself in. He had taken his final leave of the South African Detective Service when he had settled here at Saffier two years ago. He had said goodbye to his colleagues. He had said goodbye to his line of work, and for two years now, he had been trying to say goodbye to his profession as a former detective as well. When his father passed away two years ago, Fabel Retief had returned to the old farm to continue it as his father would have wished. For him, there was now no returning to the old paths of the detective service.

He ran his fingers through his dark, somewhat shortly cropped hair and looked out over his fertile orchards and fields toward the soft purple of a distant mountain. And as he looked, he caught himself thinking again about the circumstances of Rita Grimbeeck.

What could there be in the girl’s eyes that held his spirit captive? And why would she have disappeared?

He tossed the newspaper aside, rose from his veranda chair, and walked into the house. His body was not particularly tall, nor was it short. It was of medium build and very sturdy, although he gave the impression of being on the lean side. He moved with an almost stealthy motion, soft yet swift. He had a fine neck, and his eyes were wine-brown. His shoulders were angular, though not particularly prominent.

To any stranger seeing Fabel Retief for the first time, he created the impression of an unexpected yet disciplined strength in that sturdy, well-built body of his. And the man who looked into his eyes would immediately notice that he was a sharp fellow. An intelligent man, a clear head, as his colleagues in the detective service had always said to him.

When Fabel Retief stepped into the tranquil, spacious front room, straight to the liquor cabinet to pour himself a small glass of sherry, he felt the old nostalgia return to him for the umpteenth time. The longing for the days gone by, when he had walked the path of danger, the path of mystery, the path of murder and crime. His nostalgia deepened when he thought of his nickname, Fabel. His real name was Francois, but there were few people who even knew what his real first name was. To everyone, he was Fabel. And for that, there was a definite reason. He had gotten that nickname from his colleagues because he could solve crime secrets so swiftly, so incisively, and so relentlessly. After his third murder investigation in the detective service, someone had addressed him one morning as Fabel, and from that morning on, he was just Fabel.

Fabel Retief looked down into the golden liquor in the large round glass, and for a moment he imagined that the eyes of Miss Rita Grimbeeck, a complete stranger, were staring up at him from the sparkling liquid, so that he quickly closed his eyes and took a sip of the sherry. Then he walked back to the veranda and finished his drink.

And when he was done with that, the old servant called him to come and eat.

Fabel Retief ate alone because he was alone in the large house. He was a happy bachelor. A very sought-after bachelor. He had reached that interesting stage where a man steps from his youth into maturity, that stage where he has reached ripeness and yet has retained the attractiveness and sturdiness of youth.

Despite his thirty-five years, Fabel Retief had never become truly serious with a girl. He was a discerning man who set his standards high, and although a number of attractive starlets had made advances toward him, he had never taken the bait. Not one of them had completely met his requirements.

Fabel had barely taken his seat at the large mahogany table when there was a knock on the front door. The old Zulu went to open the front door, and for a moment, Fabel imagined he had heard a familiar voice.

He heard a footstep in the hall. Then he stood up and turned around.

His brown eyes brightened, for a moment there was tension in his body as he saw the man standing there, who had come in so wet from the rain.

“Hello, Fabel!”

“But, old Valk!” Fabel Retief exclaimed. “Where on earth did you come from?”

Captain Teunis Mare, of the South African Detective Service, pulled off his raincoat, plucked his hat from his head, and then he and Fabel walked toward each other. They greeted each other warmly, for it had been at least more than a year since they had last seen each other.

“But, old Valk,” Fabel said again, “what a terrible surprise to see you! Come in. Come have a bite with me.”

Teunis Mare stood for a moment, smiling at his old friend. “I think I should also come and farm,” Teunis said. “You look excellent, man. Better than I’ve ever seen you.”

“Farm life agrees with me, old Valk,” Fabel said. “It’s a wonderful life.”

He led Teunis into the dining room. “Do you want to go wash up first?” he asked.

“No, no, thank you,” replied Captain Teunis Mare. “I think I’m still clean enough.”

“A whiskey?” Fabel asked.

“That would taste good,” Mare answered. “I drove hard in the rain.”

Fabel gestured for the old Zulu to set another place at the table, and while he was busy with that, Fabel and Teunis sat down on two chairs.

“And what brings you here, Valk?” Fabel asked.

Teunis Mare took a sip of the whiskey and then looked meaningfully at his former colleague.

“Did you read today’s morning paper?” asked Captain Teunis Mare. “Or are you so obsessed with your papayas, your oranges, and your bananas that you no longer take an interest in the daily news?”

“Oh, no,” Fabel answered. “I read the morning paper.”

“I suppose you saw something about Miss Rita Grimbeeck who is missing? Or do such things no longer interest you now that you’re not in the detective service anymore?”

“I read it, yes,” Fabel said. “There is something... there is something interesting about the girl. Even from the photo, something speaks to you, doesn’t it?”

“She’s attractive,” Teunis answered. “I’ll grant you that.”

“That’s not what I mean, Valk. I mean that there’s something in her personality that captures one’s spirit. She is, as far as I’m concerned, not just an ordinary girl. She has personality.”

“That’s true,” Mare answered and took another sip of his whiskey. “A peculiar case,” he said. “She just vanished right from under their noses. Disappeared without a trace, like the proverbial large pin.”

“What’s so special about that?” Fabel asked. “Young people disappear every day. Maybe she decided to go on holiday in Durban.”

“No,” Mare said, “it’s not that simple. As you said, she’s a girl with personality. She’s not just one of these rebellious teenagers. She’s very attached to her mother, for example.”

“And her mother knows nothing?” Fabel asked.

“No, as far as I know, her old mother knows nothing,” Mare answered. “I’m actually on my way to her now. She lives at Tamboekiekloof, about sixty miles from here.”

“Oh, is that so,” Fabel said, somewhat surprised. “She lives here in my area?”

“That’s right. Tamboekiekloof. I came to see if you wouldn’t like to drive along, Fabel.”

Fabel’s hand tightened around the glass. “Don’t tempt me now, Valk,” he said. “You know I often long for the old paths. I’m extremely successful here. I’m farming well and doing well, but I do miss the excitement, the danger, and the old thought processes that are so unique to a detective.”

“You can certainly come along, old fellow,” Valk said. “To tell you the truth, I would like your advice in this matter.”

“No, no,” Fabel answered immediately, “don’t ask that of me.”

“Don’t be so difficult now,” said Teunis Mare. “I know you often long for the detective service. You can certainly solve this case with me. Without payment, of course.” Teunis smiled, and when Fabel looked at his old friend, he couldn’t help but smile back.

“Don’t you...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 18.9.2025
• Übersetzer: Pieter Haasbroek, Ai
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Fantasy / Science Fiction ► Fantasy
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Krimi / Thriller / Horror
• ISBN-13: 9780000923066 / 9780000923066