Chapter 37

My last encounter with Patricia McLean before her mysterious disappearance was when she thrust an article at me that had been cut from the newspaper.

Her only biting comment while impatiently for me to take it from her was “I believe you may find this of some interest Mary... since having visited this city and met this person.”

***

Mail & Guardian (Cape Town)

An employee of Loosdrechts Porselaina factory located in the South African city of Johannesburg has been killed in what is being regarded by police as an industrial accident.

The remains of a Marius Bakeberg were found next to a damaged kiln that had been used in the manufacture of blue delft porcelain. No one from the factory or the van Steenwyk family could be contacted for comment concerning either to the nature of the accident or of the employee’s position with the company.

Reading the newspaper clipping again I was taken back to my time while in Johannesburg where I visited the mentioned porcelain factory then to the Monarch hotel where I had been staying at when receiving an anonymous (at the time) note.

At that moment three very dissimilar facts suddenly connected. Because of the nature of the alleged industrial accident I realized I had now uncovered where the pellet that had been used to kill my husband was manufactured... and as the outcome of a business conversation and a misaddressed warning note there had been another murder.

Finally I felt sure I now knew the name of the person who was responsible for this shocking event and possibly for John’s, Dr. Briggs and Marius Babenberg’s deaths.