They didn’t speak again as the truck bumped and rattled over the track across the highlands. Geoffrey felt ill. He wasn’t sure whether he was angry or worried. He was certainly mad with himself. He should have checked before they left instead of being convinced by Derek’s summation of the weather forecast for the next six days. He should have gone into the office with Derek when they registered for the hike.

“The one thing you have to remember about Derek is that what you see is not necessarily what you get, what he says is not necessarily what he means, and what he assures you is fact isn’t necessarily so,” said Michelle several years ago when Geoffrey expressed surprise their friend had not arrived at a charity event Geoffrey’s company had sponsored.

“This is the guy who has been your closest friend since primary school?”

Michelle chuckled. “He’s not all bad. You just have to take everything about him with a truckload of salt.”

Geoffrey wished he’d heeded her advice.

Eventually, having steered the vehicle down a twisty, rocky track into the valley, Simon turned onto a smoother, sandy road that sliced through the trees. Grootkloof Cabin came into view. Framed by the shaggy forest and with the ragged mountains behind it, the view was picture-postcard perfect. Geoffrey wished again that Clare had seen it. Simon pulled up alongside the cabin.

“Will you radio the office to get an update?” asked Geoffrey.

Simon nodded. “Once we’ve found your friend. I want to let them know we have him and are on our way back first.”

They climbed out of the vehicle, looking around. They expected Derek to appear. He didn’t. Geoffrey followed Diane and Bruce into the cabin. Their friend’s backpack lay on the floor, an empty blister pack of painkillers and a silver hip flask alongside it.

“Bloody hell,” said Diane, rolling her eyes. “I’ll check the lapa. You go to the bathroom.”

They called for him but still, no Derek.

“Where did you last see him?” asked Simon.

“I left him at the river, but assumed he would have made his way back by now.”

“He was walking okay?” asked Diane.

“Not easily or without pain, but he was mobile.”

“One of you stay here in case he appears. We’ll go to the river,” said Simon.

Bruce sat on the stairs of the lapa as the others climbed back into the vehicle and drove off. There was no sign of him at the river either. Diane and Geoffrey walked downstream while Simon went the other way.

“Where could he be? Why would he go anywhere?” asked Diane.

“I don’t know. He didn’t move from the bed until yesterday. I was surprised to see him at the river.”

“He didn’t walk here with you?”