Rift

Rift

Beverley Birch

Language: English

Pages: 224

ISBN: 1405215895

Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub


In a vast African landscape, four teenagers and a journalist vanish without a trace from a camp below a steep rock ridge. As Ella, the sister of one of the missing girls, helps Inspector Murothi piece together what happened, she realizes there are terrifying possibilities for her sister and the four others. There has been sinister behavior and bullying in the camp where the missing were staying. Has there been foul play? Then one of the missing turns up—but with no memory of what has happened. As the search helicopters continue their constant hum over the rock ridge, Ella and the inspector begin to wonder whether they are already too late.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

be very strong. People can endure many surprising things. We see them every day in this place. You should hope – hope is the strongest force there is. Hope gives courage. Truly, I know this.’ She went to put the sleeping boy in a cot and Ella followed, working out how to pull up the side and lock it for her. The child lay splayed out in damp exhaustion on the sheet. ‘I can stay with him, if you like. I mean, I could help some more till Inspector Murothi comes . . . ’ For answer, Pirian only

there. Just another group at the next table. Boys and girls. No one looking their way. Nothing in particular Ella could see. Tamara turned her attention to Ella. ‘They say you’re Charly’s sister? Are you going out on the searches? We’re not allowed to. They’re afraid we’ll get lost. So we’re just all hanging about. I’m Tamara, this is Janey. Are we allowed to talk to you? Miss says –’ ‘Miss doesn’t get to say any more,’ Joe broke in, abruptly shedding the vagueness. ‘He does,’ indicating

something about seats and that. About Silowa –’ ‘ – called him names –’ ‘ – stupid stuff. Anna went crazy –’ Murothi spoke carefully, recalling those sentences in Tomis’s interview: Charly said there was something nasty happening . . . she said it was shaming. ‘So, it was stupid, but it upset Anna?’ ‘Well, some people tried to stop Silowa going. Miss Strutton started it. Because she went and pulled down Matt’s tent and that, didn’t she, when . . . ’ the girl looked round her for support, and

out. Promise.’ He glanced from one to the other, seemed on the point of saying something else, and didn’t. He went out. ‘He’ll come back,’ said Ella. She meant Sean. ‘Maybe,’ said Joe. ‘Yeah, he’ll try.’ He put his arm round her shoulder, pulled her against him and sat holding her. ‘I’ll stay. Two of us?’ Outside, all the torchlight had gone. Only a sliver of moonlight slipped across the groundsheet. Suddenly Joe got up, zipped up the tent, and moved Ella’s pack against the entrance. ‘Trip

Murothi had caught them and had his hand on Joe’s shoulder, as if terrified he would dart out of sight. It took only moments. The lower boulders offered easy stepping places to the higher. From on top you could see a shelf jutting from the cliff, well out of sight from below, reachable from boulders wedged against it. Scrawny bushes clung here and there, and a short distance to their right, the shelf crumbled away. The dark place seen by the girl in the tree was close. With the angle of the

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