by Quig Shelby
Bheki looked over Felix’s shoulder, at the mangled bar.
‘Oh my,’ she said ‘he must be possessed.’
Felix just grimaced, as Zack beat him to the punch, and sounded the alarm. But at least he remembered to sign the hourly observations whilst no one looked.
Felix had to stay behind, and explain Lance’s absence, whilst Bheki made her get away with the others. Felix hoped she was in a rush to be somewhere, and she was, but not where he would have liked.
Meanwhile at the train station, a man with his head down slammed the carriage door shut.
Chapter Twenty Six
He should have been elated he was out, and under normal circumstances he would have been; after all he’d been dreaming of this moment for years. But he wasn’t quite certain how he’d managed to escape, or more importantly where he was going. Although there was something guiding him, an unexplained compass in his head that was pointing him to Bishopsfield. Lance opened the newspaper, and tried his best to look inconspicuous.
There was a heavy knock at the door, and Charles went to answer.
‘Come on in my dear,’ he said.
‘Thanks,’ said Lance ‘I don’t know why, but I just had to be here.’
Charles looked confused; this was definitely not Bheki Ncube.
‘I was hoping you could explain,’ said Lance forlornly.
They were still in the hallway when the phone rang.
‘Wait here a moment,’ said Charles, and he dashed into the lounge.
‘Yes, but it’s not her, it can’t be - it’s a man,’ said Charles.
‘Very tall, yes, quite powerful looking,’ Charles continued to explain.
There was a long pause on the other end of the phone, whilst Charles nervously looked at the door.
‘That’s brilliant,’ said Charles sarcastically ‘and what do I do with him in the meantime?’
‘I’ll do my best, but make sure they hurry up,’ said Charles before hanging up.
‘Let me get your coat,’ said Charles to Lance ‘and come and take a seat.’
‘I’m confused,’ said Lance as he followed Charles into the lounge.
If Charles had seen his file he wouldn’t have turned his back quite so quickly on Lance.
‘Don’t worry,’ said Charles ‘soon it will all make perfect sense - to both of us,’ and he looked at the clock.
‘You see my dear fellow I’m not sure why you’re here either, but someone is coming to explain,’ said Charles.
Bill and James arrived within half an hour, and helped settle poor Charles’ nerves, but not Lance’s, who was immediately suspicious of the newcomers.
‘I’m not going back,’ said Lance sensing the unease in the room.
And he didn’t care how many there were; at least no one could inject him here.
‘Back where?’ asked James hoping to throw him off guard.
Didn’t they know thought Lance? In that case how much should he reveal? But if no one knew where he’d come from, then where was he supposed to go?
‘What do we tell him?’ asked Felix in the car.
‘Well I don’t think we can let him see you Felix,’ said Din from the backseat.
‘Or any of us for that matter,’ said Dela.
‘Then what do we do?’ asked Vankoni sitting next to Din.
‘You still know how to use this Din?’ asked Dela taking a wooden pipe from her bag.
Din laughed.
‘Well it’s been a long time, but I guess so.’
‘And the dart?’ asked Din.
‘Here,’ she said handing it over.
Felix looked terrified.
‘Don’t worry Felix, I’m not that upset with you,’ she said ‘not yet.’
‘So what’s it all about?’ Lance asked the others, becoming increasingly agitated.
‘That’s what we’re hoping to find out,’ said James.
‘Maybe you have amnesia,’ said Bill following James’ line, and trying to throw Lance off the scent.
Lance scratched his head.
‘Don’t worry, Dela will be here soon, and she’ll explain everything,’ said Charles.
Lance wasn’t looking too impressed.
‘Has anyone got a ciggie?’ he asked.
‘No,’ answered Bill knowing no one else smoked, but James reached into his jacket pocket.
He opened a silver cigarette case, and offered one to Lance.
‘Eve forgot them at St Agnes,’ he explained to a suspicious Bill.
I wonder if he knows about Christine and Vankoni thought Bill, who’d seen them standing awfully close at The Crossed Heart.
‘A light?’ asked Lance.
‘Sorry,’ said James.
Lance looked around the room for weapons, and decided to smash James on the head with the large glass vase, and then tackle Bill with the poker, if he had too. Charles he would take out last, and more slowly.
‘Let me look in the kitchen for some matches,’ said Charles quickly leaving the room.
The evil eye from Lance had sent a shiver down his spine.
‘At last,’ said Din to himself in the undergrowth, and he tapped on the window.
Charles got the message, and gently unlocked the back door for Din.
With Din now crouched in the hallway Charles shouted Lance to join him, and get a light from the cooker. At the bottom of the stairs the dart hit Lance in the neck. Immediately he screamed and went to pull out the needle, but the poison knocked him to the ground; Lance had been injected - again.
For once Dela looked apologetic, although it wasn’t really her fault, and at least she still had her magic touch.
‘Alright gentleman I know it’s not Bheki Ncube, but let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth,’ she said.
She saw the opportunity for both a sacrifice to the Spirits, and some extra muti for the freezer.
‘But we’ll have to be quick,’ she said.
Din and Vankoni carried Lance up to the bathroom, whilst Charles got some plastic sheets from the cellar. Dela was already on the phone to the others, and offering her services for free. Everyone wanted to improve something; be it Gasper’s golf swing, or Charles’ horticultural skills. Well now was the chance, and it wasn’t costing an arm and a leg.
Lance was still stunned, and even more confused as they all queued up; Dela prayed for them on the landing. First in was Gasper who landed a swing with his nine-iron at the back of Lance’s head. Then Bill let him have an uppercut with the knuckledusters he’d brought along; he would love to have the fighting prowess of his younger days.
Charles did a little nip and tuck with his secateurs, which wasn’t a pretty sight, but at least there was a shower above the bath. James was taking forever to decide but in all fairness he had little with him. In the end he borrowed Charles’ iron; he’d always been useless around the house.
Vankoni was denying his infatuation for Christine, despite their passion, but he ached to be her equal out of bed as well as in it. He used the silver fountain pen she’d bought him, and hoping to increase his knowledge. He crossed the t’s and dotted the eyes.
Felix was just too maudlin to take part, and as Dela’s husband none of the others questioned him.
Din was last, and finally decided to use Charles’ broom handle as a makeshift barbell. He just hoped he bulked up even more, and didn’t become obsessively tidy.
‘Din, Vankoni, you can bag him up now,’ said Dela, and with everyone else downstairs they prepared Lance for the short trip to Bill’s freezer.
‘Well at least the poison dart put him out of his agony,’ said Charles to Dela.
‘Charles you’re so sweet,’ said Dela ‘wrong but sweet.’
Din winked at Charles. He
’d only hit Lance with a mild tranquiliser, just enough to keep him paralysed as the real fun began.
Dela decided to keep an eye on Charles. Gladys had been a rotten apple, but Charles had been nestling in the same barrel.
Chapter Twenty Seven
Joost stared at the phone on his desk, and letting it ring. He didn’t recognise the number and was frightened to answer.
‘Shall I answer it?’ asked Themba.
‘No it’s alright,’ said Joost biting a fingernail, and looking forlorn.
Ever since Dela’s manikin had appeared on his front door, nursing homes were falling over themselves to book staff. Ordinarily this would have been great, only the truth was sinking in; it was do or die. And shortly there would be no Caring Hands, whatever happened.
‘She’s late again,’ said Themba, referring to Irena.
It wasn’t that she resented Themba’s appearance in the office. God no, she’d been asking for another body for ever. She’d just learnt there was more to life than end of life care.
Joost put the phone on silent, and logged onto the business account. Dilwood had withdrawn 10K last night, which was unusual. He decided to pay Themba a month in advance and take 5K for himself, whilst it was still there.
‘Hi guys sorry I’m late,’ shouted Irena into Joost’s office, leaving her umbrella up, and putting it next to the radiator to dry.
She wasn’t just wet from the rain, and had bags under eyes. Her hair was ruffled, and the zip on her skirt was slightly undone below the top button. She couldn’t have made it any more clearer why she was late.
‘It must be love,’ joked Joost as she walked by to the kitchen.
‘He’s just a nice guy,’ said Irena smiling ‘I’ll bring him in to meet you one day.’
Irena didn’t say he was always asking about Joost; but he was.
Joost was just glad Irena wasn’t fawning over him anymore, and she actually looked pleased whenever Bheki phoned.
Irena transferred the calls to her office, and was soon busy booking shifts for the rest of the day. Maybe she could start up her own agency with the remnants of Caring Hands thought Joost. But he was dreading telling her it was all over; she’d been his rock.
‘Ouch,’ came the shout, quickly followed by ‘bloody hell it’s freezing.’
‘Hello,’ said a voice ‘I’m John.’
There was a pause. He’d met a lot of new people lately - and they’d killed him.
Eventually he said ‘Lance, pleased to meet you,’ and his head was a lot clearer, even if it was separated from the rest of his body.
He hadn’t felt like this in years. He was back to his old self, sharp as a pin.
When the rest of Lance had joined him in the freezer, Bill slammed it shut. John was glad of the company, and it didn’t take long for Lance to enlighten him in their tomb full of scampi.
The chips flipped between his fingers, and he looked through the crowds at the door. But still he didn’t come. He’d vanished into thin air, never even returning for his coat. Vankoni wasn’t the only one to give The Four Horsemen a wide berth; Dela and Din were also absent punters.
At the end of the table, a big ass in a tight dress was looking even more like cake on a plate, as it pressed into the rim of the table. Joost could even make out the outline of a suspender belt, but despite feeling horny he refused to be hooked. The last of his three grand, unlike Joost, was blown.
‘Hi Joost,’ said the dress ‘remember me?’
‘Sure, Monica, right.’
‘You got any sugar left for me?’ she purred in his ear.
‘Sorry honey,’ he replied.
‘Never mind, you can have it on credit,’ she said ‘I know you’re good for it.’
That wasn’t the only thing Joost was good for, as half the hookers in town knew.
‘No can do babe, I’m trying to be good.’
‘Don’t worry,’ she whispered in his ear ‘I’ll be bad for both of us.’
Joost was tempted, and her voice was hypnotic.
‘I’ve got a date,’ he stammered.
‘Well why didn’t you say,’ said Monica ‘I love a party. Why don’t I come along?’
Now he was hooked; line and sinker. But he wasn’t sure how Bheki would take the news.
‘I’d love to Monica, but I can’t ask her that.’
Monica raised her eyebrows.
‘You surprise me Joost. I guess it must be love then.’
‘But don’t worry,’ she added ‘you’ll ask one day, men always do.’
With that Monica, like a bird of prey, moved on and sharpened her claws ready for the next titbit.
Joost left the club for Bheki’s. She wasn’t working any more, but doing a lot of praying.
Any motel would have done for Koni, but Christine insisted it had to be this one. Their room was overlooked by the back of a nursing home.
Agatha went to close the window, always at the same time like clockwork. A tight elastic belt with a silver buckle pinched into her dark blue nurse’s uniform, and making her hips appear wider. She unscrewed a flask and poured herself a stiff one. Across the way someone opened the curtains.
‘Shouldn’t they be closed?’ asked Vankoni.
‘Not at all,’ replied Christine as her dress fell to the floor.
She immediately had Koni’s attention and mounted her bull as he lay on the bed. Koni really did have the stamina for a long hard night, and Agatha watched the two love birds at play.
During the games Christine caught Agatha’s gaze whenever she could. It was even better than when she brought her toys.
Felix knew he was in for it; they were back at the flat, and Dela had her hands on her hips. She then pulled her naked ‘manimal’ along by his most prized possession, until he was facing the wall. His nose was pushed against a small drawn circle, and he remained obediently still.
‘Stick it out,’ screamed Dela, and his posterior lifted upwards.
Dela was sitting on the sofa holding a leather belt. As she slapped it into the palm of her hand she kept repeating ‘Bheki not Lance.’
Felix was scared; he hadn’t had the strap for a long time, and it came as keen as hell. He kept his nose in the circle, avoiding extra punishment.
‘Ah well,’ sighed Dela ‘let the lesson begin.’
It was difficult keeping your ass in the air when you knew what was coming, but Felix was well trained.
Six of the best, then ten more; Felix felt ready to faint. Dela too was becoming light headed with the sight of the wheals, and the bruises were already turning purple as she counted fifteen.
‘Steady,’ she ordered as Felix waivered.
‘All done,’ she said on the stroke of twenty, and finally becoming overwhelmed by desire.
Chastisement was no longer required, but Dela did blame Felix for her actions. And she gently coaxed an admission of guilt out of him, whilst rubbing lotion onto his cherry red behind.
Because he’d made Dela feel guilty for hurting him, her pain doll had to sweeten her up. Felix lay with his head in a sling underneath the queening chair as Dela closed the bedroom door, and picked up a book; he was in for a long night.
Chapter Twenty Eight
Mrs Greene waved goodbye through the front bay window as her husband left for work. She was busy putting up the laundered net curtains, and standing on a stepladder. Adam their first born was asleep upstairs in his cot.
They had a new build house on the outskirts of Bishopsfield, and were very comfortable. Richard Greene was a diamond dealer. He didn’t care where they came from, or whose blood was spilt on the way. His own life was sanitised.
Dela was with Christine at the vicarage as they donned their respective tunics. Dela was a nurse, and Christine a health visitor. Christin
e was petrified; this time she really was getting her hands dirty.
Vankoni picked them up in a stolen car, and kept his hands on the wheel. Although Dela already guessed what they’d been up to.
As Vankoni waited a little further down the street and out of sight, Dela briskly marched up the path with Christine dawdling behind. Dela rang the doorbell.
‘Mrs Greene?’ asked Dela.
‘Yes.’
‘Sorry we’re a little late, but it’s been a busy morning,’ said Dela.
Mrs Greene looked them up and down a little suspiciously, but a uniform could work wonders. When Dela held up an ID badge, stolen by Felix on an agency shift, her guard dropped completely.
‘I don’t understand,’ said Mrs Green.
‘Just a quick call to check on Adam,’ said Christine becoming conscious of her silence.
Mrs Greene still had the door only partly open, and was shielding herself behind it. The chain was on.
‘No one told me about a visit,’ she said.
‘Has the hospital not written?’ asked Dela with mock concern.
‘No.’
Jane Greene was running her fingers through her short black hair.
‘Typical,’ said Dela turning to face Christine, placing her large bag on the floor.
‘And I was looking forward to seeing him,’ said Christine ‘the hospital say he’s as cute as a button.’
‘Would you mind phoning them Mrs Greene?’ asked Dela.
Jane Greene paused in thought.
‘All right, but please come and wait inside, it’s starting to rain.’
‘I think we’re in for a storm,’ said Dela.
Jane had made a fatal mistake, and as she turned around to make the call Dela stabbed her in the back. Dela calmly went upstairs, whilst Christine nervously watched the door. What had scared her most was the smile on Dela’s face as she had twisted in the blade repeatedly; she really was a psychopath.
It didn’t take much to suffocate a baby, and Dela thought how much fun Felix must have had in the nursing homes. She stuffed the little corpse into her bag, and they both stepped over Mrs Greene on their way out. It would be a difficult day for Mr Greene; this wasn’t the sort of thing that happened here. The dirt was always hidden, and his guilt would be magnified by the trip he’d made to see his mistress.