“Are you a connoisseur?”
“By default. It was one of my dad’s true passions. For want of other children, he decided to teach me from an early age to appreciate good whisky.”
“Why do you look so worried?”
He sat down in an easy chair. She hesitated, then sat down opposite him. Apart from the conversation in the restaurant, the two of them had never really spoken to each other. Now he was leaning back comfortably, as if they were old friends. She switched on the red light in her head and reminded herself that he wasn’t a friend. In fact, he was hardly more than an acquaintance.
“Remember the two guys outside the club tonight?”
He nodded.
She told him about Reggie’s phone call to find out where Clara was. And that he had refused to believe her when she said she was home.
“He said she’d never left the club. Which means he’d been watching her. Apparently they have a sexual history.”
He was about to interrupt, but she stopped him. “I know she’s my responsibility. I’m not telling you this because I want you to do anything. I just want you to understand why I might be stricter with her safety in future. He won’t do anything to her, because he knows Nazeem Williams will show no mercy. I just prefer to avoid unpleasantness.”
“I’m glad you told me, because it affects Enzio as well. What I want to know is how he knew she was at the club.”
“I also wondered. I can think of only two possibilities. The first is that he’s got someone at the club who lets him know when she’s there. The second is that he’s been following us.”
“Do you watch out for suspicious vehicles while you are driving?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t like the idea that he might have a connection inside the club. Are you going to tell Williams about the call?”
“I don’t know.” She took a sip, slowly rolling the whisky over her tongue before she swallowed. She looked at him. “What would you have done in my place?”
“Are you asking for my advice?” He looked surprised.
“You’ve been in the job longer.”
“Don’t mention it to Williams now. Let’s watch this Reggie for a few days and see what his plan is. He might just be randy. Trying to rattle her.”
“How will you have him watched?”
“I’ve got someone who’s very good. Young Mr Williams will never know.”
“Will you tell me if you find out anything?”
“Sure.”
Silence fell between them. He was on the verge of asking her about the guitar. Fortunately he stopped himself in time. He could just imagine her reaction if she found out he’d been inside her home. Not to mention going through her underwear drawer.
“Is there really no one who cares that you’re working such impossible hours at the moment?”
“No.”
“No friends?”
“They’re used to my not working regular hours.”
“Don’t you miss your old job?”
Ellie felt like laughing. “Do you miss it?”
“What?”
“Being a cop.”
“Ah, of course you had my background checked.” He smiled. “Why didn’t you just ask me to tell you about myself?”
“Probably for the same reason you didn’t ask me.”
He laughed out loud and the dent next to his eye grew deeper. “Maybe we should start over. Is there anything else you’d like to know about me? As long as you remember I won’t talk about my employer.”
“Why did you leave the police force? You started your training in 1994. Despite affirmative action, you climbed the ladder very swiftly.”
“I told you money is important to me.”
“Is there anything between you and Gabriella Visser?”
“No.”
She tilted her head.
“Do you really think I’d take on Ken Visser?”
“If you work for the Allegrettis, your perception of danger is probably unlike that of the rest of the population. Why didn’t your marriages last?”
“My first wife wasn’t the person she pretended to be. The second one was exactly who she pretended to be. There were no surprises.”
“You choose a woman and then you leave her because she’s the person she pretended to be! Now I’ve heard everything.”
“I’m giving you the straight answers. Of course, it was more complex than that. And I didn’t leave her. It was a mutual decision.”
“What would you do if you knew Allegretti’s motives with Clara were less than pure? Would you warn her?” Ellie watched him while he pondered the question.
“Clara doesn’t pay my salary.”
“And if her life was in danger?”
He sipped his drink, studied her for a moment. “What do you want me to tell you?”
“The truth.”
“The truth isn’t always that simple. It depends on a number of things. Things I can’t anticipate.”
They sat in silence for a while. Then he downed the last of his whisky and got to his feet. “Thanks for the chat. See you tomorrow.”
Ellie followed him with her eyes as he left. She hadn’t taken him for the type to fall for the wide-eyed female “tell me what to do because you know better” trick, but he was just another man after all, it seemed. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she would have to stay wide awake.
Lying in bed that night, she thought of all the people she had met since she had come to live and work at the Allegrettis. She had always been able to size people up reasonably quickly. But at the moment she was struggling. Each one seemed to be wearing a variety of masks. As soon as she felt she had a grip on one, it slipped off, and she was left holding a different mask in her hand.
She lay awake for a long time, but she didn’t mind. It was only at night that she felt comfortable in her own skin. By day she played her role as well as she could, and though it felt easier, sometimes, she needed this time on her own. Even if she used it to cry. Quietly and uninterrupted. Without sniffing or sobbing.
CHAPTER 27
The number of people who attended the polo tournament at Val de Vie surprised Ellie. They had left Bantry Bay just after nine. She and Nick Malherbe were in the front seats of the Range Rover and Allegretti and Clara in the back. Two security guards followed them in the Land Cruiser.
Allegretti was quiet and distracted and had his phone in his hand, sending and receiving messages. Clara was doing the same. Ellie wondered whether Allegretti had slept in a guest room the night before.
They found parking, got out and walked to the clubhouse. The women were elegant and chic. Those who weren’t in designer outfits had definitely shopped at exclusive boutiques, Ellie thought.
Clara had sent Ellie a message that morning, asking her not to wear her customary black slacks.
If you don’t have anything to wear, come and look in my wardrobe.
As if she would fit into any of those size-30 outfits, Ellie thought wryly. In the end she had chosen a white linen dress – the only one she had brought along. Her pistol was strapped to her thigh. She seldom wore a dress while on duty, so it felt awkward. She had turned several times in front of the mirror to make sure the firearm wasn’t visible under the A-line dress. She preferred wearing it under her arm or at her side. It made her feel more in control.
Mingling with the crowd, she was glad she wasn’t in her usual work clothes. She would definitely not have blended in. Despite having bought her dress at a department store, she did feel less conspicuous.
Inside the clubhouse, Allegretti began to greet acquaintances, while Clara took a glass of champagne from a waiter, downed it, and helped herself to another. She was visibly glad when she saw a familiar face. Obligatory air kisses were exchanged, after which the two girls gave each other the once-over, followed by compliments and smiles.
Ellie inspected her surroundings. She took note of the exits, the location of the bathrooms, the potential problem areas
. Now and again she spotted Nick Malherbe in the crowd. He looked surprisingly at ease in his light chinos, navy sports jacket and white shirt. Another disguise, she thought. Today he was the country gentleman. Despite the pistol under his arm.
Ellie took up position under one of the large umbrellas outside. If she hadn’t been on duty, she would have enjoyed watching the people.
Most of the women looked as if they had just stepped out of a beauty salon. From head to pedicured toe, they were the epitome of good grooming. She was sure their heels had never been cracked and their hands had never felt cold water. It was a charity event, and the theme was white and pink. Here and there someone had ignored the dress code, but most women had followed the brief. A number of men had also responded, even if it was just with a handkerchief in a jacket pocket. Ellie wasn’t really familiar with the who’s who, but occasionally she recognised a face she had seen in the media. Waiters brought out an endless array of trays, laden with drinks and designer snacks.
Ellie missed Melissa. And her dad. He always had an interesting way of looking at things.
“One of the first things you have to learn in this job is not to show your emotions on your face.”
Ellie looked up at Nick Malherbe, who was standing next to her. “I wasn’t aware that I was showing anything.”
“That’s why it’s important to acquire the skill as soon as possible.”
“And what did you read in my expression?”
“You think all this is a waste of money and the women are mere extensions of their husbands’ wallets.”
“That’s an incredibly sexist statement.”
“I’m not the one who said it.”
“Neither am I.”
He smiled. “I could swear that was what I heard.”
“You look at home in these surroundings.”
“Any person can be at home in any kind of environment … it’s all in the mind. It hardly ever has anything to do with the environment itself, or the people.”
Ellie looked at a group of women, delicately sipping at long-stemmed champagne flutes with their perfectly made-up lips.
“I don’t agree.”
“You won’t, because you don’t want to.” He gave her a lopsided smile. “By the way, you look very pretty today. A pity about your hair. I’m still wondering why you did it.”
Ellie heard the alarm go off in her mind again. She didn’t know how he had managed to turn their initial awkward relationship into something that felt almost intimate. Maybe it was her imagination. It was a long time since she’d met a new man, let alone had a long conversation with one.
“Thanks.”
Before Nick could say anything more, Gabriella linked her arm through his and pulled him away without a word. Ellie looked at their retreating figures. It wasn’t only Clara’s life that was complicated. Just in time she stopped herself from crying out when her cellphone began to vibrate against her thigh. She had brought the unlisted phone. It was a good thing she had no plans to be undressed by a man. He would get the surprise of his life if he saw everything that was attached to her thighs. Ellie pulled the slit of her dress aside to reach the phone.
“Where are you?” It was Clive.
“At a polo match near Paarl.”
“Fuck! In my next life I want to be rich too. Can you talk, or should I phone later?”
“I can talk.”
“Just after midnight last night the police in Limpopo stopped a truck at a roadblock outside Makhado. They found five rhino horns hidden in crates. The driver insisted he knew nothing. He just had orders to take the load to Johannesburg.”
“Shit, no! Didn’t I warn you to be on the ball? There’s a good chance it was Allegretti’s load, but we’ll never know now, will we?”
“No one thought they’d move so fast. Our guys on the ground were still trying to figure out where they would find the horns.”
Ellie kicked at a tuft of grass that was just a bit longer than the rest. Even the lawns looked manicured. “Mang’s not going to like this. Next time he won’t be shooting at Allegretti’s car, but at the people inside it, probably. Shit, Clive, it was such a good opportunity.” She wondered if Allegretti had heard the news. “Who told you?”
“One of our guys let me know.”
“Do you think Allegretti knows?”
“Depends on how effective his network is.”
Ellie remembered how annoyed Clara had been the night before because Allegretti and Ken Visser had spent all night in the office, and how distracted he had seemed later when he’d got home. Was she reading too much into it? This morning he kept looking at his phone – but that was nothing new, of course.
“I have to go. Let me know if you hear anything else.”
Ellie replaced the phone under the strap around her thigh, turned and began to search the crowd. She was sure she’d be able to see from Allegretti’s expression whether he’d heard the news. She was glad to see that Clara was still with the same group of young people and had not moved. Some distance away she saw Nick Malherbe and Gabriella Visser. She wouldn’t mind knowing exactly what was going on between them. It took her about ten minutes to locate Allegretti in one of the tents. He was deep in conversation with two men. One hand rested lightly on his trouser pocket, while the other held a glass. At first glance he seemed to be having a good time. In the other corner of the tent, Ken Visser was also engaged in conversation. Did they use occasions like these to make deals? Or were they just relaxing and making small talk? Would their conversations ever be about insignificant things? Surely the kind of business deals they were involved in demanded hours of planning?
She turned and made sure she still had Clara in view. She seemed to be having a good day. She was the centre of attraction: most of the young men in the group were hanging on her every word, and she clearly knew how to flirt. Though the men were much closer to her own age and she was obviously enjoying the attention, none of them was a real threat to Allegretti, Ellie thought. Clara might be young, and naïve at times, but she knew that love would only get you so far.
For the rest of the afternoon Ellie tried to keep Allegretti and Visser in view, all the while making sure she could also see Clara. Now and again she glanced at the riders, skilfully manoeuvring their horses on the field. She was no expert, but she could see these were no ordinary horses. It’s not for nothing that polo is known as the sport of kings, she thought. She wondered whether she could ever adapt to this lifestyle, then swiftly banished the thought. When she looked at the women, it seemed like too much trouble. Besides, she would never be able to walk in those heels.
Just after four, Nick Malherbe came to inform Ellie that Allegretti wanted to go home. She was grateful. Both Allegretti and Clara were quiet on the trip home, and spent most of the time on their phones.
They had just stopped in front of the garage when Allegretti’s phone rang. He answered and cursed loudly. With one hand he motioned them out of the car. Impulsively, Ellie switched on the recorder and hid her phone under the seat. She would retrieve it later. The guard at the gate had opened the garage doors and Ellie went in with Clara.
“Did you enjoy the day?” she asked when they got into the lift.
Clara smiled. “Yes, it wasn’t too bad in the end. But I hate it when Enzio goes off on his own like that. I have a good mind to go and sleep at home tonight. A night alone might do him good.”
“Let me know what you decide. If you do go home, I’d like to go home as well. It would suit me, actually, because I have a few things to do at the office.”
“Okay. Let’s do it. I’d rather not be with Enzio anyway, if he’s going to be in a mood. I’ll pack an overnight bag. We can come back on Monday.”
Ellie hurried downstairs to her flat, took out the other phone and called Clive’s unlisted number. She walked out onto the balcony when it began to ring. “Clara wants to go to Williams’s house until Monday. Can you arrange for me to see the people I have to see over the weekend?”
“Go home. I’ll see what I can do.”
Ellie threw a few items of clothing into her bag, made sure the windows were closed and hurried down the stairs. She hoped Allegretti had finished talking so that she could retrieve her cellphone from the vehicle. The front door opened just as she reached for the doorknob. It was Allegretti. The man who had looked sharp all day and seemed to be having a good time looked as if he had been through the wars in a matter of minutes. His hair was tousled, his tie was loose, his face looked like a thundercloud. He was usually polite to Ellie, but now he all but shoved her aside without apologising.
Outside, she was just in time to see Nick Malherbe drive through the gate in the Range Rover. She had forgotten that he used the vehicle. Brenda’s words that this was not a world for amateurs echoed through her mind. She remembered Clive’s warning to stay focused. If Nick Malherbe found the cellphone in the vehicle and saw that the recorder had been switched on, she’d be in big trouble.
She felt her heart rate go up, but realised it was no use speculating about what could go wrong.
She had just reached her flat when she heard loud voices and realised that Allegretti and Clara were having an argument. She went to the staircase to eavesdrop.
“Why don’t you go and tell your uncle you’re a spoilt little bitch who doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘gratitude’? And while you’re at it, see if they’re as glad to see you as you think they’ll be.”
“They love me. It’s more than I can say about you.”
“Don’t hold your breath, darling. Your moving over the mountain suits them to a T, no matter what they say.”
“Ellie!” Clara called out. Ellie jumped and began to retreat. “Let’s go. I’ve had enough of bastards in my life.”
Ellie grabbed her bag and caught up with Clara at the front door. They left in Ellie’s car.
On their way to Rondebosch, Clara sat quietly beside her, and when Ellie glanced at her briefly she saw her wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand. Ellie wondered whether she would ever stop feeling sorry for the girl. The self-assured young woman who had been surrounded by admirers all day was gone. Next to her sat a sad, lonely child.
Blindside Page 26