Blindside

by Wilna Adriaanse

  He had just passed Pick n Pay in Sea Point when he spotted her car. The Range Rover was higher on its wheels, which made it easier. To his surprise, she was not on her way to Goodwood.

  Now he was looking at her house, where the lights were on and the car was in the driveway. He wondered what she would do if he knocked. A few cars were parked in the street, but none in front of her house.

  A light was switched off. Another one went on. Maybe she had decided it was too late to visit her mother. He walked back to his car. He really didn’t have time for this, especially now that Allegretti seemed to be losing the plot. He started the engine and drove away. At the stop he had to wait for a white bakkie with a male driver. It was Saturday night. People were relaxing. He was the only idiot following his bloody nose.

  “I think your friend Malherbe just passed us.” Ellie began to sit up but Clive pushed her down again. “Not now.”

  “Why do you think it’s him?”

  “Silver-grey Range Rover. Registration number matches the one we’ve got. What’s he doing in your neighbourhood? Do the two of you have unfinished business? Doesn’t he trust you, even though you’re buddies now?”

  “I don’t know what he’s doing here. It’s no secret that he doesn’t trust me. Maybe he wanted to see if I’m home.”

  “Mac, it’s normal to develop feelings for someone when you work together so closely, but please be careful. Malherbe isn’t working for Allegretti because he’s a nice guy.”

  Ellie didn’t answer. There was a burning sensation in the pit of her stomach. A few blocks later Clive said she could sit up and she turned sideways and looked through the window. Saturday night. What did normal people do on a Saturday night? She could hardly remember.

  “Divert the calls on your cellphone to the unlisted one. I’ll go back to your house and leave your phone inside. If Malherbe gets it into his head to trace your phone, he needs to think it’s in your house.”

  “What are the chances he will?” Ellie didn’t know why she felt annoyed.

  “I don’t know, but I’m not prepared to risk it.”

  Half an hour later Clive turned off the tarred road and they bumped along a gravel track up the mountainside for a few hundred metres.

  “Whose place is this?”

  “I don’t know. We rented it from an agency. We considered a hotel or guesthouse, but there are cameras and staff.”

  She saw lights among the trees and Clive stopped behind an unfamiliar Subaru.

  “Whose car is this?”

  “Greyling’s new wheels. Clearly he doesn’t have a wife and kids to support.”

  Ellie looked at the car for a moment before she got out. The front door opened and Albert came walking out.

  “What the hell happened to you?”

  “There was a delay.” It was Clive who answered. He looked at Ellie. “Cellphone.”

  She diverted incoming calls to the other phone and handed him her phone. Albert took her bag.

  “Unless something crops up, I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon.”

  Ellie nodded. “Thanks.”

  They watched the bakkie leave. Then Albert scooped her up in his arms and spun her around. “Damn, I’m happy about this little bonus.” He kissed her.

  “When did you buy the car?”

  “Last week. Didn’t I tell you?”

  “No, only about the TV.”

  “Why are you cross?” He shut the door with his foot and she followed him into a spacious bedroom, where he put down her bag.

  “I’m just wondering where the money came from.”

  He took a step back, crossed his arms and looked at her. “What are you implying?”

  “I’m not implying anything. I’m just asking where you suddenly get all the money.”

  “I might not be as smart as you, but I’m not an idiot. And I know you.”

  Ellie lifted her hands. “Albert, I’m exhausted. It’s been a bloody difficult three weeks and I’m not going to fight with you now. It’s your money. You can do what you want with it.”

  He stepped closer, put his hands on either side of her face and kissed her. “Sorry, babes. It’s been a hard three weeks for me as well, and I’ve been waiting for you since six o’clock.” He leaned over her and she lay back on the bed. “Let’s forget about everything out there.”

  Ellie tried to silence her mind but it was difficult, even though her body responded when he touched her. Her mind went around in circles and for some reason it always came back to the Range Rover in her neighbourhood tonight.

  She had often teased Albert that he had to be the world record holder in getting a woman out of her clothes. She noticed that he hadn’t lost his skill. When she lay beside him naked, she forced the voices in her head to be quiet. Albert was real. He was part of her reality. And she needed to connect with that part of her.

  “It’s Saturday night, Nicky. Have a bloody heart. It’s time you got yourself a life again.” Monica sighed.

  “Stop complaining. I’m the one being inconvenienced, not you.”

  “I take it you’re not calling because you miss me.”

  “I want you to have the McKenna girl’s cellphone traced.”

  “Now?”

  “Yes, and again tomorrow.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “I don’t know. Just a feeling.”

  “Where is she supposed to be?”

  “Her vehicle is at her home.”

  “Where’s the lovely Miss Veldman?”

  “With her family. She and Allegretti had a fight.”

  “Why don’t you sound more excited? If the relationship has foundered, you get rid of two thorns in your flesh at the same time.”

  “I don’t think it’s that simple. There’s something else going on, and for that I need McKenna and Clara back with Allegretti in the house. Just trace that cellphone for me and have them keep an eye on it for the rest of the weekend.”

  “Anything else?”

  “No, except I suspect that Allegretti and Visser’s plan to keep Mang happy has failed. He got a call yesterday that upset him badly. I’ll leave him to stew tonight and go see him tomorrow. He likes to talk, and if he’s mad at Visser, he may cry on my shoulder.”

  “Well, all the best. I’ll speak to you later.”

  CHAPTER 29

  The next morning, Ellie battled to wake up. When she opened her eyes, she didn’t know where she was. She jumped when she became aware of someone beside her. For a fleeting moment she thought of Nick Malherbe and grew ice cold.

  “I was beginning to think you’d never wake up.”

  Ellie felt her body relax. It was Albert’s voice. What on earth had made her think it was Nick Malherbe? Maybe she needed to find another job. This one was definitely messing with her head.

  Albert drew her nearer and she felt his erection.

  “I don’t think Clive meant to arrange a sexathon for us. You do realise there’s a lot we have to talk about?”

  He lifted her on top of him and nuzzled her neck. “Speak, I promise to listen.”

  “As if you’d hear a word I was saying.”

  “Depends what you say.”

  “Nazeem Williams and Allegretti …”

  He kissed her lips to stop her from talking. “A very boring subject.” Before she could say anything more, he rolled on top of her. “I need a little sweetness with the sour.”

  Ellie kissed him and smiled when he groaned. She knew he also lay awake about things sometimes, but in general he was better at separating his work from his private life. She took after her father.

  It was half past ten when Nick arrived at Allegretti’s house on Sunday morning. Patrice had just made breakfast and Enzio was eating at the bar counter. He had either drunk hard the night before or he had started early this morning, Nick decided – he didn’t look very good.

  “If you’ve come to gloat because Clara isn’t here, you can leave right now.”

  “When did she go? Why didn�
��t you call me?” Nick didn’t know why he didn’t mention Ellie’s visit.

  “Yesterday afternoon. She went home to that pig Williams.”

  “What happened?”

  “We had a fight. She doesn’t understand that my work is stressful. And yesterday wasn’t a good day.”

  Patrice came to ask if Nick wanted to join Allegretti for breakfast. He declined and asked for a cup of coffee. He had eaten last night’s leftovers after he had gone to check whether Ellie’s car was still in her driveway.

  Monica had let him know that they had traced her cellphone to her house last night, and that it had been there ever since.

  “What happened yesterday? Anything I can help you with?”

  Allegretti took two big mouthfuls before he pushed back the plate, came around the counter and poured himself a drink.

  Nick decided not to comment.

  “I’m trying to decide whether you’re loyal enough for me to use you.”

  Nick took his coffee from Patrice. “I can’t help you with that. If you can’t trust me after two years with your family, you probably never will.”

  “I need someone I can trust, but the old man can’t know about it.”

  “Believe it or not, your father sent me here to make sure you’re safe, not to gather information. I’ve told you, he has his own informers.”

  “I’ll try to make another plan today, but if it doesn’t materialise, I’ve got a job for you. If you screw it up, I’ll kill you myself. And that’s not an idle threat. I want you to know it before you agree.”

  “I get it.”

  Allegretti took a small packet of coke from a drawer, shook out the contents on a mirror and cut two lines. He looked at Nick. “It’s Sunday. Join me for a change. What else is there to do?”

  Nick leaned over and snorted a line. He felt the drug enter his bloodstream before he sat back in his chair. He was too old for moral objections and had long ago made peace with the fact that people made their own decisions and lived with them. A few years ago he might have found this part of the job easier, but he had no desire for this any more. He’d got selfish: he wanted the freedom to decide where and when he wanted to give over to what kind of poison. It was time for this job to end.

  When Allegretti took a few bottles of booze off the shelf, Nick sighed to himself. It was going to be a long day.

  “Wait. Slow down. Start from the top. What are you worried about?”

  Albert and Ellie were sitting in the lounge of the rented house. It was after midday and Ellie had made some more sandwiches. She wanted proper food, but Albert had evidently thought no further than buying bread.

  She finished chewing before she spoke again. “Allegretti and Visser are in Mang’s debt. They managed to get hold of rhino horn, but it was confiscated at a routine roadblock. Mang is getting impatient. They’re going to have to do something drastic to keep him satisfied. In the phone conversation I recorded, Allegretti mentions a final option. It has something to do with Williams, and I have a feeling with Clara as well. If you ask me, it’s time to get Clara out of there. There’s nothing to lose if I’m wrong.”

  “I hear you. But if you’re right, all the more reason why we need Clara in Allegretti’s house. It might be our best chance to catch him and Visser. If they’re planning something that includes Clara, we’ll be ready. You’ll be there to manage the situation.”

  “I won’t take that responsibility. What if I can’t manage the situation?”

  “Babes, you’re not responsible for Clara’s choices. Don’t tell me that girl didn’t know from the start what she was letting herself in for.”

  “She’s a child, Albert. A child who grew up without a father and has been searching all her life for men she can depend on. At the moment she thinks Allegretti is such a man. You can’t hold it against her.”

  “And you can’t allow your emotions to run away with you. Those people are nothing to you. You have no obligation to any of them. You have a job to do, and that’s what you need to focus on.”

  Ellie was dying for a cup of coffee, but Albert hadn’t remembered that either.

  “What will I tell Williams if something happens to Clara?”

  “Do you think Williams doesn’t know the risk? Bloody hell, he’s smarter than that. Those people understand only too well the game they’re playing.”

  “It could be dangerous for you too if something happens to her. He trusted you to find someone who would protect her.”

  “Or it could mean that he’s in my debt. If he withholds important information from me, I can’t be held responsible if something goes wrong. You have to understand how their minds work if you want to deal with them.”

  “I don’t want anything to happen to that girl. Regardless of who her uncle is and her bad judgement when it comes to men, she’s innocent.”

  “And I’m telling you again, she’s not as innocent as she looks. You live in that house with them. Do you really think a good girl would choose to be a part of that life?”

  “You can’t compare her to other girls.”

  His eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms over his chest. “Tell me this is just a bit of a meltdown and not something I have to worry about. It’s the chance of a lifetime. Please don’t fuck it up with sentimental shit. I wouldn’t have recommended you if I thought you were going to fold. And please don’t repeat all your fears and suspicions to Barnard. He’s good at his job, but sometimes he’s way too cautious. This thing requires balls.”

  “I’m not folding. I’m discussing the possibilities with you, as we’re supposed to. I don’t want to be told later that I withheld things from you. If you’re telling me you don’t see potential problems, I’ll believe you and we’ll carry on.”

  “Babes, these people have been playing cat and mouse for many years. One moment they’re making threats or taking potshots at each other and the next moment they’re clinching a business deal.”

  “It’s not just potshots, you know. Quite often they shoot to kill.” Ellie pushed her plate aside. She’d suddenly lost her desire for the sandwich. You can only eat so much bread, after all.

  “It’s not your responsibility. The sooner you realise it, the easier your job will be.”

  Ellie looked at her watch. It was only half past one. She wondered if Clive could come and fetch her now if she called him.

  “Hey, there’s no need to get uptight. Let’s stop talking and enjoy our last few hours together.” He sat down beside her and lifted her onto his lap. “Smile, why don’t you? I’ve just realised you haven’t smiled once since last night.”

  Ellie got up. “I’m going to have a nap.”

  “Now?”

  “At the moment I’m not sleeping properly. I always have one eye open because I never know what’s going to happen next.”

  He opened his mouth to speak, but ended up waving her away with his hand.

  When Ellie woke up, she heard voices. Slightly disorientated, she lay without moving for a moment before she knew where she was and whose voices she was hearing. When she came into the sitting room, Clive was there with Albert.

  “Ready to go?”

  “Yes, give me a minute to get my things.”

  She was packing her toiletries when Albert put his arms around her from behind. “Babes, I know it’s difficult and you’re scared, but we can’t pull out now. I’ve said it before: This is the chance of a lifetime. Stay a little longer. If things keep going the way they are now, we’re going to strike a big blow, soon.”

  “I’m not afraid for myself. I just don’t want Clara to get hurt in the process.”

  “In every operation there’s some collateral damage. We have to make peace with it, or we won’t be able to do our jobs.”

  “Was my dad also collateral damage?”

  He took a step back. “Now you’re just being difficult. We’re not talking about your father.”

  She zipped up her overnight bag and carried it to where Clive was waiting in the loun
ge. They had reached Clive’s bakkie by the time Albert came out of the house, kissed her briefly and raised his hand in greeting when Clive pulled away.

  “What’s up with the two of you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “That was a rather chilly goodbye.”

  “Just a difference of opinion.”

  “One that could affect your job?”

  Ellie looked at him. “Dammit. We’ve been working together for how long – for some reason I didn’t think I’d get that response.”

  “Then you still don’t understand the job you’re doing at all. The best thing I can do for you is to make sure your head is clear and you’re able to do the job. Anything else would be negligence on my part.”

  She said nothing and was glad when Clive dropped her off a block from home. She went through the neighbours’ property again and was grateful when she closed her door behind her. No matter how badly she wanted to pour a glass of whisky and soak in a hot bath, she had to see her mom first. She tried to phone her at least every second day. Sometimes she answered, sometimes not. Their conversations hadn’t become any easier. If it were up to her, she’d make do with a phone call now. But she imagined she could hear her dad’s voice telling her off.

  There was a strange car in the driveway. Ellie parked in the street. When she unlocked the front door, she heard voices in the kitchen. She couldn’t decide whether to call out or enter quietly. In the end she tried to make herself audible as she walked down the passage.

  A man she did not know was sitting at the kitchen table with her mom. On the table was an open bottle of wine, almost empty. They were eating sandwiches. She felt like she’d been surrounded by sandwiches since the day before.

  “Mom.”

  When her mother looked up, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were shining. She was smartly dressed and her hair had recently been done.

  “Good heavens, don’t frighten me like that. Why didn’t you knock?”

  “I didn’t realise you had a visitor.”

  “You could still have knocked.” Her mother looked at the man who had risen halfway out of his chair. “Janus, this is Ellie.”