He laughed “I thought you were with your mom tonight.”
“I was.”
“Okay, that look says a lot, and to tell the truth, I have no great desire to talk about good old Rika. Lovely as she is.” He looked at her glass. “What are we drinking?”
“I’m on my second double and I still have to drive home.”
“We’ll worry about that later. We had a big break in a case today, so let’s celebrate.”
When Joe handed him his drink, he took her arm. “Come, I promised the guys I’d have a drink with them. They gave us some good tips.”
Ellie noticed the others watching her and Clive all evening, but she ignored the looks and hoped their aloofness was convincing.
It was after eleven when she and Albert managed to get away.
“You can’t drive all the way back to the city now,” he said when they were outside. “My place is just around the corner. Besides, I don’t know when we’ll get to see each other again.”
She followed him in her car, not wanting to be alone tonight.
When he shut the back door behind them, he drew her to him with one hand and she dropped her handbag on the floor. He began to unbutton her blouse, but after just two buttons he pulled it over her head. Ellie felt her body tingle, and she drew his head towards her and kissed his lips with a hunger she hadn’t felt for a long time. He unclipped her bra and lifted her onto the table. His mouth searched for her breast and she leaned back and groaned when he gently bit her nipple.
It had been one of those nights when everyone had laughed just a little too loudly, talked a bit too much and drunk too much as well.
She pulled Albert’s shirt over his head and began to unbuckle his belt. He had already kicked off his shoes without untying the laces. He groaned when she removed his belt.
“Babes … have I told you I’m crazy about you?”
She made no reply, just lay back on the kitchen table. Behind her she heard something fall.
“What a feast!” he breathed as he began to kiss her all over.
Ellie woke to the sound of an alarm. She was lying on her stomach and struggled to remember where she was. Then she felt Albert’s lips on her shoulder. “Sorry, I have to be at work early.”
“What’s the time?” She turned onto her back and tried to open her eyes all the way. Her limbs were reluctant to play along.
“Six o’clock. I’ll put some coffee on.” She heard him walk to the kitchen then get into the shower.
She pushed back the bedding and got to her feet, feeling slightly dizzy. Away from the duvet, it was cold.
She walked to the bathroom and got into the shower with him.
“Do you want to make me hopelessly late for work?”
He groaned when she kissed his shoulder, but he didn’t turn around. “That’s what I call a dirty trick.”
Ellie laughed, and realised she was surprised every time that she still knew how. “I was at Williams’s house yesterday.”
“I know. I was planning to speak to you about it last night, but you had other ideas. He sent me a message and said he liked what he’d seen. He told me again that he didn’t want anyone else.”
“I swear, at times I thought I was dreaming. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought I was visiting a kind old married couple. I even got a packet of biscuits to take home.”
“It’s one of the reasons why he hasn’t been caught. His people think he’s the Messiah. He and his wife are very involved with the community. They help where they can.”
“I wonder whether she knows about his activities.”
“Maybe, but many wives prefer not to know. They keep quiet and enjoy the spoils. They don’t necessarily approve of what their husbands are doing, but they know if they kick up a fuss, the tap could run dry. So they do community work. It soothes their conscience.”
“Should I let him know tomorrow that I’ll take the job?”
“No, wait until after the weekend. It’s better to play hard to get than to be too keen. If he contacts me in the meantime, I’ll say I don’t know, but that I’ll try to find out why you haven’t let him know yet.”
When Albert got out of the shower, she washed her hair and soaped herself. She stayed under the hot water for a long time.
He was dressed when she came back to the bedroom. A steaming mug of coffee was waiting for her.
“My hero.” Gratefully she took a sip.
“Remember that.”
On leaving, he kissed her twice. “Thanks for a wonderful night.”
“Don’t mention it.”
He stepped back and looked at her closely. “You okay?”
“How many more times are people going to ask me that? What are you going to do if I say no?”
“Ahmed is on my case. I just want to make sure you won’t drop me. I can’t tell you often enough what this could mean for us.”
“I’m not stupid. I know how important it is. But every time you ask me that, you make me doubt myself, and I can’t afford self-doubt now.”
He kissed her. “Sorry.”
“Do you think Williams had anything to do with my dad’s death?”
“I really don’t know.”
“Would you tell me if you knew?”
He picked up his wallet and badge from the bedside table. “I don’t know. Maybe not now, because it would mess with your mind. And he’s no fool.”
“As long as you remember I want to be kept fully informed. I can’t fly blind.”
“I won’t let you fly blind.” He kissed her again. “Are you okay with us not seeing each other for a while?”
She nodded. “I’ll survive.”
Ellie had just enough time to stop at home for a change of clothing before she had to report for another day’s training.
Today they were learning to review and classify situations. They were taught how to assess low, medium and high risks. They learnt about communication and technical devices: from bugging devices to electronic apparatus that could block cellphone signals at base stations.
They finished late in the afternoon with a few situations where they had to think on their feet and improvise.
On her way home, she stopped at the office again. She had just unlocked the door when her cellphone rang. It was Brenda.
“I’ve got some news. I don’t know if it’s worth anything, but you said every bit helps.”
Ellie wondered if she was imagining the uncertainty in Brenda’s voice. “Where are you?”
“The Caribbean.” She sighed. “Where do you think I am?”
“I’m in Darling Street. Can you come here? Take a taxi, I’ll pay.”
“It’s not such a big deal.”
“Doesn’t matter. I have some time this afternoon and I’m feeling generous.”
“It’s your money. What’s the address?”
Half an hour later the doorbell rang. When Ellie opened, Brenda stood there in sunglasses and a sunhat. She was wearing tailored denims and a white shirt, and if Ellie had run into her in the street, she would probably not have recognised her. The shirt was loose on her slim figure and the high heels had made way for flat sandals.
She must have seen the surprise on Ellie’s face because she did a twirl. “Thought it might be time for a makeover. Some men like the clean look. Not the married ones, though. It reminds them too much of Mommy at home.” She pointed at Ellie’s hair. “Seems it’s the week for makeovers. What’s your excuse?”
“I’m looking for a bit more fun in my life.”
Ellie closed the door behind them. Brenda took off the hat, but not the glasses.
“What happened?”
“What do you mean?”
“Brenda, there’s only one reason why a woman wears sunglasses indoors, unless she’s a celebrity and afraid of being blinded by flashing cameras. I assure you there are no paparazzi here.”
Brenda took off the sunglasses and Ellie spent a long moment quietly studying her face. Her left eye was black
and swollen almost shut. The swelling went up into her hair and down her cheek to her chin.
“I walked into a door.”
“I see.” Ellie motioned at the armchairs and they sat down. “Does the door have a name?”
Brenda looked around the office before she answered. “A pig who’s been nagging me for a long time to come and work for him. It would be suicide. They always pretend they can protect us, but most of them don’t give a fuck what happens to us. All they’re interested in is the money we can make for them. They’d send us straight into hell if they thought it’d score a few extra bucks. On my own, I can decide who I want to see and how much risk I’m prepared to take.”
“Did you lay a charge?”
“Of course.” She clicked her tongue. “Your parents must be very sorry they wasted school fees on you.”
“Assault is assault and if you don’t lay a charge, you’re just giving him permission to do it again.”
“My darling, he will do it again, and again. Even if I lay a charge, there’ll be a willing chorus to testify that he didn’t do it. Lots of girls can’t work on their own. They need pigs like him.” She looked around the room. “Are you in security now?”
“Yes.”
Brenda narrowed her eyes and looked at Ellie. “Since when?”
“This week. I resigned from the force two weeks ago.”
“You’re shitting me. Why?”
“My father died. He was shot at a roadblock. He was also a cop. It felt like the right time to hang up my cuffs.”
“Interesting. Why didn’t you tell me on the phone and spare me the trip?”
“Old habits die hard. I was curious to hear what you’ve got.”
“That girl who was in the Russian’s house is back. Apparently to fetch her stuff, but she doesn’t seem in any great hurry to leave.”
“I thought she got such a fright that she left for good.”
“The shock usually lasts only until the money runs out.”
“I’d like …” Ellie swallowed the rest of her words.
Brenda smiled. “Old habits, you say.”
When Ellie just nodded, Brenda said: “Not that you’d be interested any more, but the Italian has a new man doing his security. They say he’s actually the old man’s muscle, but he’s been sent to Cape Town to get the brother and sister back on the straight and narrow. Evidently Junior is getting too big for his boots, and this guy doesn’t take shit.”
“Does he have a name?”
She thought for a moment. “An ordinary name … Marais, Moolman … no, Malherbe. That’s it.”
“How’s business?” Ellie asked, changing the subject. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the wholesome-looking woman in front of her.
“Fine, but I’m lying low for a while. The men who come to me all have something they want to get away from. The job, the wife, the in-laws, the children, the debt, you name it. No need to bring them face to face with reality.”
“What do you live on, when you’re not working?”
“I have some savings.” Brenda laughed. “You sound like a social worker.”
“Why don’t you come and work for me? I need someone to answer the phone and man the office when I’m not here. Do some admin.”
Brenda looked around her. “The phones aren’t exactly ringing off the hook.”
“We only opened this week. Give it a chance.”
Brenda shook her head. “Thanks, but I don’t know anything about admin. And I don’t like being a charity case.”
“You’re not a charity case. I urgently need to find someone. We appointed someone, but her husband was transferred. It might as well be you.”
“I don’t want to insult you, but you can’t afford me.”
“I certainly can’t pay you what you’re making at the moment, but it’ll just be temporary, until I find someone else. You’re not working now, so you may as well make a few bucks on the side. That eye won’t heal by tomorrow.” The more Ellie spoke, the more she wondered where the idea had come from. She pushed the thought aside. It’s that guilt complex, a voice said at the back of her mind. The guilt a woman feels when she sees a battered woman and knows there’s nothing she can say, because she’s never been in a similar situation. Soon you start to wonder why you’ve been so lucky and before you know it, you can’t look the woman in the eye. “Think about it and let me know.” Ellie got up and went into her office. When she returned, she held out a two-hundred-rand note.
Brenda seemed about to decline, but changed her mind. “Thanks.”
“Thanks for coming.”
“I presume I don’t have to keep my ear to the ground any more.”
Ellie repeated what she had said to Happy.
Brenda shook her head. “Too much trouble to get used to a new person’s habits.”
CHAPTER 15
Nick stood watching while the club’s security cameras were being checked. He had looked at some of the footage of the past few months and discovered that not all the cameras were working. In the past two days he’d had long meetings with the security and control room staff and two people had been fired. Everyone had been informed that their skills and fitness levels would be assessed. He had heard a few grumbles, but ignored them. They were all paid more than the going rate at any other security company. If they weren’t prepared to step up to the plate, plenty of others would trade places with them.
An hour into the assessment, he was satisfied that the staff knew what they were doing. As he walked out through the front door, he spotted two men sitting in a car across the street. They must have seen him pause, because the driver started the engine and pulled away a fraction too fast. It may have been his imagination, but he felt that tingling sensation that told him it was no coincidence. He made a note of the registration number on his cellphone. It wouldn’t be too hard to find out who owned the vehicle.
Before he got into the Range Rover, he called one of the shift managers and arranged for a few extra men that night. At the club and at Enzio’s home.
When Nick arrived at the Allegretti home, Enzio was adamant that he was going out that night.
After a while Nick lost his temper.
“I don’t give a fuck who you invited to the club. Call and cancel. They’re welcome to go, but you won’t be there. As God is my witness, even if I have to lock you up, you’re staying here.”
Allegretti’s eyes narrowed. “It’s dangerous to overestimate one’s worth.”
“I don’t have time for threats. I’m serious.”
“I have to fetch Clara.”
“I’m sure someone can bring her.”
“I’m not going to allow those fuckers to drive her. It’s just what Williams is waiting for.”
“Then I’ll fetch her.”
Allegretti hesitated. “Pick her up and bring her straight here. Don’t talk to her family. If they want to know why I didn’t come myself, tell them I’m in a meeting. Tell them I’ll bring her back.”
Nick kept quiet. The sooner he could get away, the better. Sometimes he really had to rein himself in not to give the man a backhand. One day he hoped to get the chance.
It was just after seven when Nick turned into Victoria Road. He noticed the tail immediately, two vehicles behind him. It was a different car, but he was convinced it was the same two men. He called Patrice.
“Patrice, I want you to lock away all the car keys. Phone me if Mr Allegretti gives you grief.”
In the official version, Nick had met Patrice at a Johannesburg hotel, liked him and offered him the job of managing the Allegretti household. The truth was that Nick had met Patrice in Zimbabwe. His father had been a member of an anti-poaching unit and had been shot dead by rhino poachers a few years earlier, leaving Patrice to care for his mother and two younger sisters. He had been very grateful for the job and Nick’s arrangements for a residence permit. Though Nick and he had never discussed it in detail, Patrice had an instinctive understanding of the role he had to pl
ay.
Nick decided to take Kloof Nek Road. When he crested the ridge and began the descent towards the city, he lost them for a moment, but where Jutland Avenue became De Waal Drive he picked them up again, still two cars behind him, as if they knew where he was heading. He picked up his cellphone and called Clara. At the fifth ring, she answered. She sounded surprised to hear his voice, and immediately asked if something had happened to Enzio.
“There’s nothing wrong, but I want you to do me a favour. Call him and say something came up and you can’t come over tonight. Don’t tell him I asked you to do it. I’ll explain later.”
“Is he in danger?”
“No, I’m just looking into something. It would be better if the two of you stayed home tonight.”
“I understand.” She gave a slight laugh. “You know he won’t be happy if I cancel now.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“Not to worry. You just have to know how to handle him. He’s not as tough as he makes himself out to be.”
Nick was about to tell her he was counting on it, but thought better of it. “Thanks, Clara. I wish he and Gabriella were as reasonable as you.”
He put his cellphone back in the compartment between the seats and looked in the rearview mirror. There was only one car between them now. Maybe his pursuers weren’t so sure where he was heading after all. He waited until the last moment, then swerved onto the off-ramp to Walmer Estate without using his indicators. He watched them try to brake in time, but there was a car behind them.
He turned into Roodebloem Road and drove towards Nelson Mandela Boulevard. He would circle the city and head back to Sea Point. The car didn’t appear in his rearview mirror again.
When he reached the flyovers at the bottom end of the city, Allegretti called.
“Where are you?”
“Almost at Clara’s house.” He wondered if everyone received his quota of lies and half-truths at the beginning of his life, to use at his own discretion without having to ask for forgiveness.
“She called to say her aunt is sick and she has to stay with her tonight. What kind of shit is that? She’s not a nurse. Why don’t they get someone else to look after the old lady? This is exactly why I want her out of there as soon as possible. I don’t feel like putting up with other people’s shit any more, especially not Williams’s.”
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