Blindside

by Wilna Adriaanse

  Against the opposite wall a DJ was welcoming the revellers, while music began to play in the background. Bodies started swaying to the pulsating rhythm.

  She stopped a passing waiter and ordered a rock shandy. The thin blond man with the glasses brought it over himself.

  “No one’s ever ordered one before. I wanted to make sure the waiter got it right.”

  Ellie took the glass from him. “Thanks. He got it right.”

  “What’s your usual poison?”

  “Whisky.”

  “Sure you won’t have one now?”

  She shook her head. “Maybe one day when I’m off duty.”

  He put out his hand. “Paul Smith. I’m the manager. Shout if you need anything.”

  “Thanks.” Ellie wondered again how on earth he had got the job. He didn’t look the part at all.

  She sipped slowly, making sure she could see Clara. The girl was undoubtedly the belle of the ball. She basked in the glow of Enzio Allegretti’s name and status. When Allegretti was not by her side, he sat on the balcony, from where he had a view of the big hall.

  He was as attractive as his photos had promised. Maybe even more so, because the photos didn’t reflect the warmth in his eyes. He and Clara made a lovely couple. Whether the smile was as warm and sincere as it seemed, was an open question. If you watched him for long enough, you noticed that the smile appeared and disappeared. He might not be as clever as his father, but he certainly knew how to turn on the charm.

  Ken Visser was quite the opposite. He wasn’t unattractive, though he looked like he spent long hours outdoors. His blond hair was sun-bleached. There was a sunspot here and there on his skin. But his eyes were cold. It wasn’t hard to believe the rumours about him. Yet something told Ellie that neither he nor Allegretti was going to be the real problem. Allegretti was clearly in love, which probably made him less vigilant, and Visser appeared to have an enormous ego. In his world, someone like Ellie posed no threat. If he thought she was turning into a nuisance, he would not hesitate to get rid of her.

  The one she would have to watch out for was Malherbe. He was focused, suspicious and hard to fathom. She reminded herself to ask Clive to find out more about him.

  When she had finished her drink, she did another round of the club, introduced herself to the rest of the security staff and chatted a while. She wasn’t sure exactly what they had been hired for, but all the men were big and burly.

  She was talking to two of the guards when she spotted Nick Malherbe. He stood some distance away, deep in conversation with a beautiful brunette in a black mini, open to the navel. Two thin straps covered her breasts. In her silver stilettos, her suntanned legs looked endless. Malherbe was dressed in dark trousers and a white shirt. The two of them looked serious, yet there was a certain intimacy about the scene. Nick Malherbe looked up, saw Elli and frowned briefly, before nodding a greeting.

  She walked on, surreptitiously trying to locate the cameras. Back in her spot against the wall, she watched the waiters, wondering what kind of tips they earned, and what it felt like serving drinks and snacks that cost more than your monthly salary night after night. She also wondered whether the lights and music contributed to making the night more than it actually was. Whether every flash and beat splintered your reality and put it together anew, just to disintegrate it again, over and over. There was unending potential in a night like this. Maybe she should have similar lights installed in her house, Ellie thought.

  Nick watched Ellie from the balcony. The prickly feeling would not subside. She was good at blending in with her surroundings, whether it was by keeping still or moving just enough to make herself invisible. She didn’t look around openly. He saw her searching for Clara every now and then among the dancers, and he cursed Allegretti again. He would be first to admit that Clara was a beautiful girl and more pleasant than many of Enzio’s previous girlfriends, but there had to be close to three hundred girls here tonight. Among them there had to be one or two as beautiful, if not quite as wide-eyed and nice, as Clara. Why did Enzio have to pick the one who could potentially cause enormous problems? While he was studying Ellie, he added to the list in his head: Find out why she resigned. Does she have a family? Husband, boyfriend? Where does she live? Does she smoke, drink? Have other habits he should know about? Does she have debt? The list got longer and longer.

  It was long after midnight when he came across her near the bar. She looked up when he spoke next to her.

  “I don’t think they’ll be staying much longer. If you want to go home, I’ll tell Clara you left. I’ll see that she gets home safely.”

  “That’s kind of you, but I’m afraid I’m not on your payroll, so I can’t make use of your offer.”

  “What is the duration of your contract with Mr Williams?”

  “He wasn’t sure.”

  “I understand he’s worried, but you should look at it with an open mind. It’s no good deploying an entire army if no one knows what the next person is doing. It leads to confusion. That’s why I need to understand what your job is here.”

  “I’m being paid to be available more or less around the clock. It means I don’t leave her side.”

  She looked him in the eye while she spoke. She was assertive, but not hostile. If he had been in her shoes, he would probably have acted the same.

  “Where do you live?”

  “Walmer Estate.”

  “Don’t you have a family who needs you?”

  “No.”

  “Being on duty around the clock can be exhausting.”

  “I’ll survive.”

  “You might think you know what the job entails, but it’s much more complicated than people think.”

  “I’m sure it is.”

  He hesitated a moment before he turned and said over his shoulder: “I’ll see you tomorrow and we’ll coordinate their schedules for the next fortnight.”

  “You know where to find me.”

  Ellie followed him with her eyes as he walked away. One of her lecturers used to say people make too much of body language. You can’t make assumptions based on random actions. Be on the lookout for the clusters, the micro-movements. The muscle that makes the corner of the mouth twitch, the gritted teeth. Those are the ones that tell the story. Not whether someone crosses her arms or stands with her feet turned out. There could be many reasons for that. Nick Malherbe’s movements and facial expressions were controlled. Too controlled, perhaps. But suspicion was as dangerous as naivety and she would have to find the balance.

  Shortly before three, Clara sent a message that she was ready to go home. Ellie made sure she was at the front door and stayed a step ahead of Clara as they walked to the car. Nick Malherbe got into the front passenger seat with Fritz and Ellie was left behind on the pavement.

  “You can ride with us,” one of the guards called out and she got into a four by four with him and another man. They pulled away fast and stayed reasonably close to the car Clara was in.

  When they rounded the last bend, the gate was open and the garage doors slid open. Fritz drove in quickly and the door closed.

  A few moments later the front door opened and Nick Malherbe came walking towards them. “Thanks, guys. Have a good night. I’ll speak to you tomorrow.”

  Ellie opened her door and got out. Nick held the front door for her.

  “I have to make arrangements with Clara.”

  “Can’t it wait?”

  It had been a long night and even in her comfortable boots her feet were aching. Behind her eyes a headache was throbbing from the lights and music. She drew herself up to her full height and shifted her feet slightly. She clenched her fists at her sides and let go again.

  “Must I remind you again that I work for Mr Williams?” Ellie took out her cellphone and began to dial.

  He took the phone out of her hand and ended the call. The lift doors opened and he allowed her to step out first.

  Enzio Allegretti was sitting at the bar counter, emptying a packet
of cocaine onto a mirror.

  Clara sat next to him. She had taken off her shoes and dress and was in nothing but a G-string.

  “What time should I be ready tomorrow?” Ellie asked.

  Clara gave an embarrassed laugh and pulled her dress over her head. “Sorry, I forgot about you. Lovey, what are we doing tomorrow?”

  Allegretti looked at Ellie. “Why don’t you join us for an after-­party snack?”

  She shook her head. “Thanks, but unfortunately it’s not one of my perks.”

  He laughed. “You’ll have to speak to your boss. Or come and work for me instead. Ask Nick how well I look after my people.”

  “Lovey, stop it now, she wants to go to bed.”

  “I don’t know what we’ll be doing tomorrow yet. You’re right here, so we’ll give you a shout, or phone.”

  Ellie nodded. “Goodnight, then.”

  “Thanks,” Clara called after her. Ellie didn’t look back as she went down the stairs.

  She heard Nick Malherbe say goodnight as well. The next moment his footsteps were behind her on the stairs.

  In the living room of her flat she looked at him, waiting for him to speak.

  “Did Patrice show you where everything is?”

  “Yes, thanks.”

  “Mr Allegretti can decide to go out on the spur of the moment, so I suggest you see that you’re dressed and ready early in the morning.”

  Ellie felt an impulse to raise her middle finger, but she controlled herself and nodded.

  “Call me if you’re unsure about anything.”

  Another nod.

  He wished her a good night, turned and she heard his footsteps on the stairs. Smiling to herself, Ellie wondered whether he was going to sleep at all.

  Before she switched off the bedside lamp, she set the alarm on her cellphone for seven. But her eyes refused to close. It had been a long time since she’d slept in a strange house. She lay listening to the unfamiliar sounds, or lack of sounds. There was something unnerving about the thought of sharing a house with two total strangers. At the same time she felt a slight tremor. Her senses were working overtime. They blocked the thoughts that were circling like predators, waiting for an opportunity.

  She thought of Clara in her G-string, and Allegretti with his mirror and white powder. Then she thought about Albert, who didn’t like boundaries either.

  At last she fell asleep. She dreamed of Enzio Allegretti.

  She woke at six, opened the curtains and lay looking at the sea for a while before she got up and switched on the kettle in the kitchenette. While the water was boiling, she had a quick shower. The dream was a vague memory. She couldn’t remember the details. She hoped it was a good omen that she had survived the first night. She wondered if Clara had felt safe.

  Crime paid, she thought as she stood on the balcony with her coffee. The flat was a beauty spot at the bottom of the house. The pool she had seen through the windows last night had to be directly above her. After she’d had her coffee she began to search the apartment systematically. She opened every cupboard and drawer, looked under the beds, behind the chairs and on top of the fridge. She felt sure there had to be cameras somewhere, if not in the bedrooms, then in the living room. She finally found one, just below the smoke detector. Why were there cameras all over the house? Were they switched on and, if so, who was watching the footage?

  CHAPTER 18

  It turned into a long morning and she was relieved when Patrice arrived at one with a tray. When she’d eaten her lunch, she watched TV for a while. She was startled when the intercom sounded at four. Clara was ready to go and fetch the rest of her belongings.

  “I think Enzio is afraid Uncle might change his mind,” she laughed when she entered the garage, where Ellie was waiting for her. She indicated the white BMW and handed Ellie the keys. It was no ordinary BMW, Ellie noticed, but an M5. She looked at the other vehicles in the big garage. Besides the BMW, she saw a black Hummer, a red Ferrari, a white Maserati, a Toyota Land Cruiser, a Lexus and a silver Mercedes SLK. Expensive toys for a rich boy.

  Clara was wearing jeans, flat sandals and a white blouse. Her hair was tied in a ponytail and Ellie wondered which Clara Enzio preferred: the model, or this young girl with the scrubbed face.

  Nazeem Williams’s home was swarming with family who had come for lunch, and Clara was welcomed like a long-lost daughter. They might not like Allegretti, but the fact that Clara was going to live on the other side of the mountain seemed to enhance everyone’s status. Even if the chances were zero that she would ever invite them over, Ellie thought as she stood at the fringe with a soft drink in her hand. Mavis Williams wouldn’t hear of her waiting in the car.

  “It’s just family,” she had said firmly, and once inside, had handed Ellie a drink. “Have you eaten? We always overcater.”

  Ellie assured her she had eaten. She was given a side plate with a koeksister and a slice of milk tart nevertheless.

  Clara took her time greeting everyone but didn’t eat anything, not even when Mavis put a side plate in her hand as well.

  “Auntie Mavis, I can’t afford to have a tummy tomorrow.”

  “As if one koeksister and a slice of milk tart would give you a tummy!”

  Three of the younger girls accompanied Clara to her room to pack.

  “Hi, how’s it going?” It was the tall one who had come to fetch her a few days ago, Ellie realised. He pointed at himself. “Elroy. My cousin Reggie and I fetched you the other day.”

  “I remember you. I’m well, how are you?”

  “Nei, cool. So, you’re going to be looking after Princess Clara?”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  “I didn’t think Uncle would allow her to move in with the Italian.”

  The short one, Reggie, came up to them. He looked considerably less friendly than Elroy.

  Ellie kept quiet.

  “What do you think?”

  She gave Elroy a questioning look.

  “Do you think it’s all love and sweetness? Or do you think it’s just a way to get at Uncle?”

  “Why would Mr Allegretti want to get at your uncle?”

  Elroy took a step back and looked at her with raised eyebrows. “Look at her playing all innocent now. Every cop knows bad things are said about Uncle. All lies, but many people think it’s the truth and hate his guts.”

  “I don’t know how Mr Allegretti met Clara, and I don’t know him well enough to know what his motives are.”

  “Ah, but the million-dollar question is: What are you going to do when you discover he’s not really sweet on Clara, he’s just after Uncle’s blood? Will you tell Uncle, knowing that Clara will be heartbroken?”

  “I work for Mr Williams. If there are things he should know, I’ll tell him.”

  “Convenient for a cop to work on the inside,” Reggie spoke for the first time.

  “I’m not a cop any more, and I didn’t ask to work for your uncle. If you remember correctly, he approached me.”

  “That’s right,” Elroy said when Reggie remained silent. He smiled. “It’s not that Reggie doesn’t trust you. You look okay. He’s just shaking the tree to see what falls out. That’s his job. He shakes trees. You’d be surprised what falls out sometimes.”

  Ellie nodded and hoped the gooseflesh wasn’t visible on her arms. “And my job is to keep Clara safe. I’m not looking for complications.”

  Elroy looked her in the eye. “Nice chatting to you.”

  It was after seven when they finally got away, Ellie with a takeaway container of food and more koeksisters.

  Enzio and Nick Malherbe were on the patio when they got home. They seemed to be deep in conversation.

  “I was beginning to think the old man had kept you there,” Enzio called out when he saw Clara.

  “You should be so lucky!” Clara called back, and told Patrice and Ellie where to take her luggage. Ellie had thought she’d have more than two big suitcases and a few bags. But the day you moved over the mount
ain there was probably a lot of your old life you didn’t take with you, Ellie thought.

  The main bedroom on the top floor was huge, with sea and mountain views. The carpets were thick and luxurious and the bed large enough to accommodate a harem. Clara led them to the spacious dressing room.

  “Just put them down. I’ll unpack later.”

  When Ellie was about to go downstairs to her flat, Nick Malherbe got up and said: “I’d like to go over a few arrangements with you.” He motioned at a room behind the bar. It was a study, she saw when she entered, with a large window overlooking the mountain. On the walls was an assortment of photographs. Some of Enzio Allegretti with an older man and woman. In some the brunette she had seen at the club last night was present. There were photos of Enzio and others on yachts, in the snow, on skis, at the club, with a variety of beautiful girls on his arm. In two photos he was standing next to very expensive-looking sports cars.

  Nick Malherbe sat down behind the desk and pointed at a chair facing him.

  “I have Clara’s programme for the next two weeks. On Monday and Tuesday she has to be at The Bay Hotel at nine. The show starts at eleven. Between one and two they break for lunch, then the show goes on until four. After that she comes home. They might be going out again later, they’re not sure yet.”

  “No problem.”

  “On Wednesday she has to be in Franschhoek for a magazine shoot. Thursday is still free. On Friday there’s a studio shoot in the city. On Saturday they’re going to a polo match at Val de Vie in Paarl. I’m not sure about Sunday yet.” He gave her another page. “This is the schedule for the following week. But it can change in an instant, so I suggest you don’t make too many plans.” He waited a moment before he continued. “When they’re together, they’re primarily my responsibility, so my orders supersede yours. When she’s alone with you, you can do as you please, as long as you realise that, if anything goes wrong, you won’t only have to explain to Nazeem Williams, but also to Mr Allegretti.”