Bite Read Online Free PDF

huge carious grin that almost broke my heart under the weight of trust. The only word I could catch was ‘medicine’.
    All we could offer was a little food for her, some clean water and hydrolite solution to relieve the child’s dehydration. After that it would be up to his system. I asked Amy about sharing the anti-malarial tablets we were taking. She replied that the formulation we had was useless once infection was established. And what if it wasn’t malaria, but something else?
    The only option was to squeeze them in with us. Georg didn’t think the nuns at Zizunga would have any better supplies, but at least a diagnosis was possible. But when he opened the door the woman refused to get in.
    Then she turned to me and thrust her sick child into my arms. ‘Medicine, Zizunga’ she said to me. Georg remonstrated with her, and tears started freely down her face. She wouldn’t come with us because she had to return to bury her husband, but Georg refused to take the baby alone, despite Amy’s protestations.
    â€˜Amy, we can’t turn up at Zizunga, dump a dying child with Sister Margaret and then drive off to the airstrip. And we’ll never find the mother again even if the child survives. You know the MFA rules, ‘never create an orphan’. Both mother and baby or neither.’
    Amy bit her lip as she watched Georg gently take the boy from me and return him to the woman. The mother nodded, and turned away. She gathered the child in her arms, and walked away, until the dusk swallowed her.
    (Erica’s Diary 1992)

Chapter Six
    â€˜I know you must be concerned, but you should not worry after just one night. I am sure she will return.’ The young Dutch policeman reached across his untidy desk for a stained and chipped coffee mug, and took a gulp.
    â€˜But where could she be? She doesn’t know anyone here,’ Max said.
    The policeman shrugged. ‘Of course, I cannot answer your questions. Amsterdam is a big city, with lots of distractions. You know why people come here. They like to go to a coffee shop, have a little smoke, maybe have too much. They find new friends, go to a club. Maybe drink too much. It is not so strange. It is not even 7 a.m. yet. Someone missing eight hours is not yet for us a missing person case.’
    â€˜What about an accident?’
    â€˜It is possible of course. I will check later, if she hasn’t turned up. There were no road fatalities in the city last night. If she was injured the hospital would have contacted your hotel by now.’
    Max sighed. ‘I guess so.’
    â€˜Did you and your friend have an argument?’
    â€˜No.’
    The policeman’s head remained cocked, his eyebrows arched as if he had not heard the answer.
    â€˜No, really. Everything was wonderful between us.’
    The policeman nodded sympathetically. Perhaps he sensed a jilted lover clutching at straws. So far he had noted nothing but their names and the hotel.
    â€˜Did she take her passport?’
    â€˜Maybe. I haven’t seen it, but I’ve got the return air tickets. The rental car’s still there and she didn’t take her luggage. Why wouldn’t she take her luggage if she was leaving?’
    The policeman shrugged and looked at Max above steepled hands. ‘Perhaps if she has not arrived by Monday morning…’
    Max rubbed his tired eyes. ‘She is presenting a paper at a conference this afternoon. Five o’clock. There will be thousands of people there, waiting to hear what she has to say. No way she would miss that.’
    â€˜Then I’m sure she will be there.’ The policeman stared at Max for a long while. ‘Mr Carver, may I ask you a question?’
    â€˜Sure.’
    â€˜How long have you and Ms Stroud-Jones been together?’
    â€˜Just a few months.’
    â€˜How long, precisely?’
    â€˜I guess three months.’
    The cop leaned back in the chair, arms behind his