Patrick strode across the room and out into the suite's foyer to answer the doorbell, returning half a minute later with Garth and Jack. After introductions, Valerie motioned to the couches and chairs in the smaller lounge. "Sit and tell us what you've learned."

"The police know little about it so far, beyond a helicopter has gone missing from the Cape Town Helicopters fleet. They directed me to the all-news channel and suggested News24 online."

Chloe clicked away at her keyboard as Garth continued the briefing, and when he had finished, she turned the computer and said, "Here are the people in charge of the company, Mummy. They should know more."

Valerie looked at the screen. "Excellent, Sweetheart." She opened her phone and went to the email app and typed in the addresses of the Base Manager, the Operations Manager, the Commercial Manager and the head of Flight Operations. Then she composed a quick message.

Hello, Gentlemen;
I am the partner of Mr Benton who was aboard your missing helicopter on the way to Franschhoek. Please contact me. We have information on where they may be.
Valerie Redburn

She read it through and pressed Send, then she turned to Chloe. "What else have you found?"

"News24 has some details. There were five people aboard. The pilot is Lisa Haas, of Cape Town, but the four passengers remain unidentified." She turned the computer so her mother could read the brief news item.

As Valerie read, she conveyed pertinent points aloud. "The emergency location transmitter aboard is not compatible with new satellite technology. The Mountain Club of South Africa has members of its Search and Rescue team on standby, and the Air Force will have a search helicopter on site at daylight." She looked up at Garth, Jack and Patrick. "When is daylight down here this time of year?"

Chloe pointed to her computer. "The weather channel shows sunrise tomorrow is 06:24."

"That means it'll be light enough to fly by six," Garth added, glancing at his watch. "A little over seven and a half hours from now."

Valerie nodded as she twirled a lock of hair around her finger. "So, what now?"

"Wait." Garth shrugged. "Little we can do but wait and hope there were no injuries."

"Yeah." She looked up from her twirled hair and winced. "They'd have a first aid kit aboard, wouldn't they?"

"A comprehensive one," Patrick replied. "They're regularly inspected and updated by regulation at home. I'm sure they would have the same requirements here."

"What about the plane, Garth? I'm sure it has an ongoing schedule."

"We've a booking to Montreal on Saturday afternoon, then deadhead to Toronto for a five-day layover for scheduled inspection and maintenance."

"So, you can remain here another day?"

"We won't leave without Mr Benton."

"Yeah." She stared at her twirled hair again, then began unwinding it. "We may as well all camp here for the night." She stood and pointed. "Let's see what we have. I know there are two main bedrooms, so with all this space, there are likely others."

Valerie led the way on an exploration through the suite, Patrick gawking in awe. As they made their way back toward the smaller of the lounges, he said, "This is huge. Bigger than any house I've ever been in."

"It's a little over forty-one hundred square feet. But that's inside only, not counting the terraces and the balconies." Chloe smiled up at Patrick. "I was curious, so I looked it up."

He chuckled. "You look up a lot of things, don't you?"

"Keeps me from wondering –" She stopped as Valerie's phone chimed. "Your email sound. Mummy."

Valerie fumbled for her phone, then thumbed in and read.

Ms Redburn;
I'm the Helicopter Base Manager.
Call me at 021 418 9465
Donovan

She clicked on the phone number and pressed Call.

It was answered immediately. "Donovan Timm here."

"Val Redburn. Thank you for your quick response. Look at the Virgin Mobile no-reception area between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek."

"There are extensive dead zones up there."

"The small one, the most northerly. It's on their direct route. Lorne – Mr Benton uses Virgin, and he would have returned my texts had he not lost reception. Look at the chart or at Google Earth. They are likely down in that steep-sided valley west of the reservoir above Franschhoek. That's why air traffic control lost VHF and why we lost cell contact." Valerie switched her phone to Speaker so all could hear.

"Valid points. I'm in my car at the moment, and I don't have access to a chart or a computer."

"Can I hire a helicopter now to fly over the area? Pick up their locator transmission and contact them on VHF."

"I'd love to, but it'll be extremely difficult to find a night-qualified pilot at this hour."

"Think how much more difficult it will be for those in the chopper up there if there are injuries."

Patrick stood in front of Valerie, raising his hand to catch her attention. He pointed to his chest, then covered his eyes before moving his hands as if controlling a helicopter's cyclic and collective.

Valerie nodded and spoke into her phone. "I have an ex-RAF helicopter pilot here with his commercial license and night qualification."

"Pass him your phone."

"We're on speaker. He's been listening."

"Patrick here. I'm qualified IFR on the Boeing Chinook, the Bell 206 and the Bell 407. Are there any of those for hire in the area?"

"We use the Bell 206 Longranger. Are you current?"

"I fly one every week or two in London to help out a friend."

"And your hours?" 

"Over twenty-one hundred on rotary, much of it with RAF Search and Rescue, and I'm nearing my fifteen hundred on multi-pilot turbine."

"Yeah, well-qualified. Far better than most of ours." There was a brief pause, then Donovan continued. "How soon can you get to East Pier?" 

"We're at the One&Only. Less than a quarter-hour walk."

"I'm quite close. I can pick you up in six or seven minutes. A silver BMW X3."

"Tall with messy sandy hair and a green shirt."

"See you shortly."

Valerie spoke up. "Thank you for doing this, Donovan."

"Thank you for your initiative. One of mine is up there too."

"Yeah." Valerie clicked off her phone and turned to Patrick. "You okay with this?"

"I wouldn't have offered if I weren't."

Garth removed his jacket and handed it to Patrick. "Take this. It's cool out there."

"You going with him, Mummy?"

Valerie chuckled. "No, Sweetheart, stuff like that is only in cheap pulp fiction, Hollywood movies and American TV. We'll remain in reality here." Turning to Patrick, she said, "Nothing risky. Understand?"

Patrick nodded as he headed toward the door.