Edge of the Rain

by Beverley Harper

  Moving in darkness because she did not want to alert any servant who might still be awake, she felt her way along the back of the house. The kitchen windows were shut and burglar-barred. She knew the front windows had burglar bars as well. That left the front door with its glass panels but it would be tricky; half the houses in the street employed guards at night. Breaking in with the security light exposing every move was dangerous.

  Something landed at her feet with a plop. She stifled a scream and then relaxed as the furry, slinky body of a cat wove in and out of her legs. Where had it come from? High, from the sound of its landing. She risked a brief flash of her torch. The laundry window was open and unbarred. ‘We’re in business,’ she muttered, swallowing the rising tide of fear.

  The laundry window was small and she barely managed to squeeze through. Kel had not bothered to lock the door between the laundry and the kitchen. She was still not prepared to use the torch, worried it would look suspicious if seen from outside, but the security light at the front threw light back into the house and, as her eyes adjusted to the dark, she found she could see quite well. Where to start?

  She knew the layout of the house. It was a Type-2. Government housing only had four designs and, although Kel worked on the curio scheme and not directly for the government, his family had obviously pulled enough strings to get him this one. She checked the two spare bedrooms in case he used one as a study. He didn’t. In fact, one was devoid of any furniture. The main bedroom had curtains pulled. Excellent. She shut herself in and, once she was sure no chink of light could be seen from outside, switched on the torch. ‘Phew! What a mess.’

  Talking to herself softly, for she found it helped to tame the wild beating of her heart, she went through his cupboards. But all she found was a jumble of clothes, some packets of photographs, a couple of books and a pair of handcuffs. ‘Just what do you get up to, you creepy little shit?’

  In the next moment she thought she knew. Playing the torchlight around the room she found a second pair. One end was secured to a brass rail at the head of the bed. The other dangled, open and ready to use. Madison shivered and wondered if this was what the girl at work had meant by ‘not normal’.

  She found nothing of interest in his bedroom. Okay girl, let’s try the spare bedroom. She had to do it without the torch for the curtains had been left open. But the cupboards and dresser were totally empty.

  Moving to the third bedroom took her further away from the light outside but she still couldn’t risk using her torch. The built-in cupboard door squeaked as she opened it, making her jump. Feeling with her hands along the shelves, she hit the jackpot. Papers. Piled haphazardly on shelves. She took a bundle into the main bedroom and, sitting on the floor with the torch balanced on her leg, she went through them. Nothing. Most of them were letters threatening court action if Kel didn’t pay his debts. Returning them to the cupboard she collected all the papers from the next shelf: bills, bank statements and a couple of girlie magazines.

  The bottom shelf had only a few things on it but she took them to Kel’s bedroom anyway. And then, she found the licence. Made out to Alex Theron, signed by Tim Boland, stamped by De Beers and dated. She shoved it into a pocket in her tracksuit pants and let out a shaky breath. Shining the torch on her wrist she saw it was 10.25. Good. She’d be home before her mother would start worrying.

  The cat was back inside and scared her half to death by meowing loudly as she passed through the kitchen. ‘I’m not cut out for this,’ she muttered. Should she leave by the laundry door or the window? She decided on the window. No point in alerting Kel that someone had broken in. With difficulty, she wriggled through it. On the ground she turned to close it back to where it had been before.

  ‘Hello, darling.’ The voice in her ear was so unexpected she screamed. Hands went around her arms, gripping hard. ‘Leaving so soon?’ The torch dropped from her hand, breaking glass loudly.

  Holding her arms behind her with one hand, Kel unlocked the back door and forced her inside. The kitchen light flooded the room and she blinked, unable to focus. ‘Missed you at the Russians’,’ Kel said conversationally. ‘I’d rather hoped you’d be there. That little show you put on for me last week got my attention. So I left early. Then I saw your car just up the road. “Oh, ho,” I thought. “What’s that little minx up to?” Something told me you might be here. And here you are. How nice.’ He had locked her arms behind her back painfully. ‘Let’s go to my room.’ She was pushed ahead of him and shoved so hard she fell on the bed.

  ‘Let me go,’ she spat at him, fear in her throat.

  He locked the bedroom door and put the key in his trouser pocket. ‘I don’t think so, darling.’

  She stared up at him, breathing hard. She was so frightened she couldn’t move. He shrugged out of his jacket and threw it across a chair. He removed his tie with quick flicking action and tossed it over the jacket. All the while he stared at her thoughtfully. ‘Couldn’t keep away could you, darling. Come for a bit of this?’ His hand went down and cupped his genitals, and he made an obscene thrusting movement.

  She was like a mesmerised rabbit, unable to move, staring at him with wide, frightened eyes, hearing the blood pounding in her ears. He moved to her slowly and stretched out his hand, running his finger lazily from her chin, down between her breasts, down her stomach, down between her legs where he pinched so hard she cried out in pain.

  ‘Don’t you like that?’ He pinched again, harder. ‘You could learn, darling.’

  ‘Leave me alone,’ she screamed at him, mobilised at last into words.

  ‘Keep your voice down or I’ll gag your mouth, bitch,’ he snarled, eyes glittering.

  Madison was suddenly deathly afraid. He was not just repulsive, he was evil. He was enjoying hurting her. ‘What are you going to do?’ Her voice trembled with fear.

  He laughed. ‘Do?’ He pushed his face down into hers. ‘I’m going to fuck you, darling. I’m going to give you what you want. You’re going to get it front and back. But first, darling . . .’ he stood away from her and unzipped his trousers, ‘. . . first we’re going to see how well you whistle.’

  ‘No!’ It was wrung from her. Released from paralysis, she came off the bed like a panther, swinging wildly at him. ‘No!’ she screamed again. Her clenched fist connected with his face.

  The punishing backhander lashed out, knocking her back onto the bed. ‘Right, you little bitch. Don’t say you weren’t warned.’ Then he was astride her, pinning her down, sitting on her stomach wrestling one arm up and back. She felt the cold metal of handcuffs close around her wrist. Pushing himself off her he went to the cupboard and got the other pair.

  This can’t be happening. She opened her mouth to scream and he hit her again, an open-handed slap which made her ears ring and snapped her head sideways. Then he was pushing something into her mouth, shoving it so far back into her throat she was gagging.

  The fight went out of her. He handcuffed her other hand to the bedhead and stood looking down at her suffering with callous indifference. She was heaving, trying to get her breath through the prickly, woolly gag. ‘Do you promise not to scream?’ he asked finally.

  She nodded, desperate for air. The gag was removed. He had used a sock. She dragged oxygen into her lungs, choking and coughing, tears of fear and pain running from her eyes, down through her hair, staining the pillow. Through eyes wide with terror, she watched him remove his shirt. ‘Like what you see, baby?’

  She could not keep the revulsion from showing. His deformed face was shiny with perspiration. His eyes gleamed with a strange madness. Saliva of anticipation wet his lips. The scar on his right cheek stood out, stark and red, pulling his features awry. ‘Can’t take your eyes off me can you, darling?’ The bed rocked as he sat down to take off his shoes. He spoke without looking at her. ‘Don’t worry about the face; the rest of me is just fine you’ll see.’ He spun around and stared down at her. ‘Alex Theron did this to me,’ he said softly, bitterness twisting hi
s features even more.

  She found her voice. ‘No he didn’t. I was there, remember?’

  ‘Yes he did,’ he spat out.

  She realised it was no use. He had convinced himself that the way he looked was Alex’s fault. But she tried anyway. ‘You asked for that fight. It was all your own fault.’

  He stood suddenly, his hand going to his belt. ‘Your boyfriend will pay for the way I look. We’ll see how he feels about you when I’m finished with you.’

  ‘He’s not my boyfriend.’ She tried to sound angry but failed. She was too scared. ‘He’s never been my boyfriend.’

  He undid his belt. ‘Yeah, right! I suppose that cosy little jaunt into the desert was so the two of you could count stars.’

  ‘We were looking for diamonds.’

  He leaned over her, light glinting on his deformed face. ‘Theron has to pay and you, my dear, will be the price.’ He straightened, smiling a ghastly smile. ‘Just lie back and enjoy, my dear.’

  At 10.50 Alex rose quietly. Pule was deeply asleep on his mattress. On bare feet, he moved slowly to the door. Pule stirred and mumbled, then rolled over. The bolt slid back with a slight sound but Pule was snoring and did not move again. Alex let out his breath. He half expected that he had made a mistake, that the guard had in fact locked the door. He shut the door behind him. ‘Stage one,’ he thought.

  He had to make it through the avenue of cells. Alex knew if he were seen by one of the occupants the alarm would likely be raised. The brotherhood of inmates did not extend to a white man. However he made it down between the cells and stood in the darkened archway at the end, his heart beating loudly.

  Five minutes later he heard the crunch of shoes on gravel and a guard passed him on his way to the office. A minute after that a second guard made his way into the building. Is this all?

  He heard the sound of loud conversation coming from the room the guards used. He was just about to move from cover when a third man appeared. Alex shrunk back into the shadows. He waited another minute. No-one. Now. It’s got to be now.

  Expecting a shout, or worse, a shot, he ran into the open towards the vegetable gardens. Light from the front of the prison enabled him to see where he was going but it also meant he could be seen. He dashed along a line of silver beet, aware that the damp earth would give a clear indication as to which way he had gone but unwilling to stop and cover his tracks. Then he was across the dirt road which ran up to the warden’s house and into the quarry. Another hundred yards.

  He cursed his stupidity for not bringing a blanket to protect himself from the barbed wire. Too late. He reached the fence and climbed the wire netting easily. Then, ignoring cuts on his hands and feet from the three strands of wickedly sharp barbs, he vaulted over the top, landing hard and rolling. He’d done it. He was free.

  The telephone rang in the next room, loud and insistent. Kel frowned, looked at Madison, shrugged and said, ‘I’m expecting this call. It’s important. You just wait there, darling. I’ll be back in a minute.’

  On her own, her arms painfully handcuffed over her head, Madison realised just how much trouble she was in. She was at his mercy. When he finished with her he could probably do with her anything he liked. He’d have to. He could not risk her going to the police. Her mother would raise the alarm but it would be too late. Tears of helplessness rolled into the pillow under her head. Paul had been right. What a dumb thing to do.

  She heard him in the next room, shouting into the telephone. ‘Can’t it wait? I’m in the middle of something important.’

  Silence while he listened.

  ‘Jesus, Uncle Ben, this can wait until tomorrow.’

  More silence.

  ‘No. No. Don’t come over here. I’ll come to you. I’ll be there . . . Uncle Ben . . . Uncle Ben . . . oh, fucking hell.’

  She heard him bang down the receiver. Two minutes later he returned to the bedroom, a roll of adhesive bandage in his hand. ‘You’ll just have to curb your impatience, beautiful.’ He smiled, his plump little lips wet and slack. ‘The wait will be worth it, you’ll see.’

  He wound the bandage so tightly around her ankles that her shinbones jarred painfully together. Then he placed five separate strips over her mouth, each one overlapping the other. She tried, but it was so effective she could not even move her jaw. After pulling his shirt back on he went out, closing the door carefully behind him.

  How long did she lie there? She had no idea. Minutes ticked by, rolling into one long, painful experience. Her jaw ached from her attempts to loosen the gag on her mouth. The pressure of her shinbones forced together became an excruciating throb. Her arms screamed to be free, wrists chaffing against the handcuffs.

  She heard the doorbell ring and Kel’s footsteps as he went to open the door. ‘I could have come to your place.’ He sounded angry.

  ‘Boland has been found.’

  ‘So what?’ Kel was smug. ‘He’s still got to prove it.’

  ‘Don’t you see, you young fool. Whether it can be proved or not, it places us in a bad position. I have a reputation to protect.’

  ‘Look, Uncle Ben, what’s the problem? I’ve got the original here and you’ve destroyed the copy. There’s no way . . .’

  ‘Here! You’ve got the licence here? You idiot. Go and get it.’

  ‘Well no, not here exactly. It’s in a safe place.’

  Why is he lying?

  Madison suddenly realised he must know what she came for. What he didn’t know was whether or not she had found it. And he wasn’t about to let his uncle know he’d made a mistake. ‘I’ll get it in the morning.’

  ‘Make damned sure you do. Bring it to me. I’ll destroy it. And that’s the end of it. You’ve had all the help from me you’ll ever get. Your mother . . .’

  ‘Leave her out of it.’

  Madison heard Uncle Ben pacing. ‘I’ve helped you in the past because she’s my sister. Stealing Theron’s licence was because she begged me to help you. I destroyed the duplicate for her, not you. Everything I’ve done, I’ve done for her. Backing you up against Boland was for her. If it ever comes out that my son lied about Tim Boland’s racism he’s likely to be PI’d himself. God knows why but your mother loves you.’ Uncle Ben stopped pacing. ‘But no more, kid. This latest plan goes beyond human decency. I want no part of it. If you go ahead with it I’ll . . .’

  ‘You’ll what, Uncle Ben? Come on, you’ll what? Report me? I don’t think so, I know too much about you.’ Kel laughed threateningly. ‘Don’t think I wouldn’t take you with me.’

  Madison heard a sharp intake of breath. ‘You little bastard. You’re rotten right through.’

  ‘What’s the matter with you? You won’t be breaking the law. All you’ll be doing is paying two men for looking the other way.’

  ‘What’s stopping you from paying them? And why so much?’

  ‘I’m paying the men in the desert, remember? They’re not cheap. They know they’re in a restricted area. If they’re caught they’ll go to prison,’ Kel whined. ‘I don’t know why you won’t help to pay them. After all, you’re getting half the diamonds.’

  ‘Yes, yes,’ Uncle Ben said impatiently cutting him off.

  Madison heard leather creak. One of them had just sat down on the sofa.

  ‘You’d better fill me in. What have you arranged?’ Uncle Ben sounded resigned.

  More leather creaked. She assumed they were both sitting. ‘They’ve got him working inside the prison. He’s not a happy boy. He’ll probably jump at the chance to work with the road gang. He’s to be transferred to them in a fortnight. He’ll escape the first day out.’

  ‘What makes you sure Theron will go for it?’

  Alex! What are they planning?

  ‘Wouldn’t you? The guards will make it so easy he’ll have to try it.’

  ‘He might get away, did you consider that?’

  Kel’s laugh contained genuine mirth. ‘I don’t think so, Uncle Ben. They’ll be ready for him. Besides, I’ve told
them no recapture, no money.’

  ‘There’s more to this than just keeping Theron out of the desert isn’t there? Why are you doing it?’

  Yes, why, you little shit!

  ‘Five years isn’t long enough. He’ll be out in three if he behaves. I want him put away for much longer than that.’

  There was a long silence as Uncle Ben digested this. Then, ‘What if he’s shot?’

  Another genuine laugh. ‘What if he is?’

  ‘It’s as good as murder. I want Theron out of our way as well as you but I don’t want any part in murder.’

  Leather creaked. One of them stood up. ‘It’s not murder, Uncle Ben. How can it be murder?’

  The other one stood. ‘It is if you’ve told the guard to shoot.’ Uncle Ben’s voice had gone quiet as he made the same connection, at the same time, as Madison. Kel had told the guard to shoot. Alex would walk straight into a trap.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ Kel soothed. ‘Nothing will go wrong. Trust me.’

  ‘Oh God!’ Madison thought. ‘All the evidence I need and I can do nothing.’ She realised she could hear a clock ticking and turned her head sideways to find it. It was on the bedside table. It was 10.55.

  ‘You bring that licence to me tomorrow. I’ll expect you before ten.’

  Don’t go, Uncle Ben, please don’t go. Kel knows I’ve heard every word. He’s planning to kill me.

  She might, just might, have been able to convince him she enjoyed his sexual advances. If she could then maybe he would have let her go. But now?

  Footsteps passed the bedroom door. The front door opened. ‘One more thing before I leave. I’ve had word that last shipment reached Amsterdam safely. We should be paid next month. You’ll have to warn your men to be careful. Jwaneng is seriously off limits. If they’re caught in there and you’re implicated there’ll be nothing I can do for you.’