Chapter 20

Sara parked her Denali in the parking lot of the Rift Valley Hotel that was reserved for guests. She had contemplated taking her department issue firearm with her but had decided against it. She was just going to look around, and it wasn't as if she was there on official business. She did however take her CSI ID-badge with her.

The hotel was styled around an African theme with a strong colonial feel to it. Above the reception desk was a mounted head of an African Elephant, its tusks projecting over the heads of the reception staff. The overall scene was impressive but rather macabre. Sara wondered if she would have found it as disconcerting if it wasn't for her heightened awareness of animal massacring due to the poaching. She didn't introduce herself as an investigator, but asked directions to the bar. There was a scattering of patrons in the lounge and bar, mostly of Asian or far-eastern decent. Sara was used to seeing lots of tourists in Vegas, especially in a casino. But, usually it was a more mixed group. She ordered a club soda and pretended to read a newspaper, all the time eyeing the guests in a non suspicious way. She's not had another drink since the night Grissom had to fetch from PD. It wasn't long after she arrived, that Conrad Nieves himself entered chaperoning a large group of clearly very wealthy clients. It was somewhat out of sync with the setting and the location of the hotel. Sara would much more have expected a group like that to be entering the Bellagio or the Wynn. This hotel did not even have a casino. Obviously the attraction lay in something else.

Sara casually finished her drink and walked back to her car. As she was driving away from the hotel her phone rang.

"Sara Sidle," she answered.

"Miss. Sidle, it's Kobus Gertenbach. We met earlier concerning a case involving some South Africans."

How could I forget, Sara thought wryly.

"Yes, I remember. What can I do for you Mr. Gertenbach?"

"I think we need to talk. Can you meet me at…. Say… Pete's Coffee? It's close to your police department."

"Yes I know where it is. When?"

Questions were firing through the back of her mind. Why was he in Vegas? And why would he suddenly call her just as she was leaving the Rift Valley Hotel?

"Would now suit you? Only I think it's rather urgent."

"Ok," she said, already planning the route. "I can be there in fifteen minutes."

Sara felt uneasy about this but her curiosity won out. She also considered herself a pretty good reader of people, and the first impression of Kobus Gertenbach had been good…

When she arrived, Kobus Gertenbach was already seated at a corner table. He got up as she came in and even drew out the seat for her.

"Thanks for meeting me Miss. Sidle."

Gertenbach's accent was strange on the ear and he always seemed to have laughter bundled up just below the surface. Like he was privy to the punch-line of a joke no-one else was. But now he looked deadly serious and his eyes seemed to carry more strain than it did last time she saw him. Sara waited while Gertenbach searched her face till he seemed to come to a decision.

"Wolmerans tells me you are still looking into the rhino poaching case."

It was more a statement than a question. She nodded slightly, the feeling of uneasiness returning.

"I can't tell you how much that implies. Basically no-one is interested in pursuing these cases. Wollie and I have been working on it for years. Agent Smith isn't the first person they have had killed." The honesty and respect displayed on Gertenbach's face placated some of her nervousness. "However we feel compelled to warn you. These are very dangerous people. And they tend not to play by the rules. Wollie phoned me to say that you are looking at Nieves. When I saw you at the Rift Valley just now I thought I had better give you the heads up."

Sara narrowed her eyes. "What were you doing at the Rift Valley? I didn't see you."

"I was tailing Nieves," Kobus explained quickly. "Wollie had a tip that some of his favorite clients, people we are very interested in, were on their way into Vegas."

"Why didn't you contact me?" Sara asked indignantly. She hated it when she was kept out of the loop. Who were these South Africans to decide to tail people in her city? In a case that she had put so many hours into?

Gertenbach must have seen some of this reflected on her face, as he added in the most serious tone she had heard him use yet. "These people killed Smith."

His eyes darkened and Sara saw anger and sorrow fly over his face.

"If you want to continue with this investigation, I feel it's my duty to warn you. These people don't play by the rules and they stoop very low. There is absolutely no pressure on you to continue. No-one will think any less of you if you decide to drop the case now. If you do decide to pursue this, and I sincerely hope you do, just know what you're getting yourself into. And please be very, very careful"

"I don't think I could drop this case," Sara answered truthfully.

"Ok," Kobus Gertenbach gave her a beaming smile. "Agent Scott from Interpoll and I have been working together for a while now. You probably met her already."

"Yes we did. Just after Agent Smith's murder. Mr. Gertenbach, are you working for Interpoll?"

He gave her a wry smile "No. I'm a detective from the South African Police Department. But I'm here working for a private company. They're paying me to track these guys down."

"Vigilantes?"

"No ma'am. Everything goes either through Wollie on our side or through Scott. I just tell them where to look. Ultimately the poachers, and more importantly the people they work for, must be arrested and tried by the law so it's important that we keep it above board. We just don't have the same resources these guys do. They have very deep pockets."

When she still didn't answer he added, with a grin "And, we're Afrikaners. We don't always play by the rules either."