Shudder in the Wall Read online

  Copyright © David J van der Merwe

  writing as David Vander

  ISBN -13: 978-0-620-78867-0

  ISBN-10: 0-620-78867-4

  All characters in this publication are fictitious

  and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead,

  is purely coincidental.

  Book cover design and typesetting

  by Gregg Davies (www.greggdavies.com)

  All rights reserved.

  The moral right of the author has been asserted

  No part of this publication may be reproduced,

  distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means,

  including photocopying, recording, or other electronic

  or mechanical methods, without the prior written

  permission of the author, except in the case of brief

  quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain

  other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This book is dedicated

  to family and friends

  who have inspired me.

  Prologue

  An eerie shudder triggers a complex sequence of events for Stacey Saranga. She is drawn ever deeper into an intriguing web of murder, attempts on her life, jealousy, love, coincidences, stakeouts and money laundering. A drone application she wrote at university becomes central to a Cape Town based IT business which apparently fronts for ulterior motives. The right to her application secures her a shareholding in the IT business and throws her into direct conflict with a crime syndicate. Stacey starts a journey on an emotional roller coaster in the fight for good over evil. A love interest and her unwavering perseverance give her a fighting edge of survival. Many answers surface in a dramatic turn of events in the semi-desert of the Karoo.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  Chapter 64

  Chapter 65

  Chapter 66

  Chapter 67

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Background

  Chapter One

  Stacey Saranga woke up suddenly from her deep sleep, a convulsing and cold shudder running up and down her spine. She sat upright, the shudder still making her tremble as it ran right through her body. She suddenly had the feeling that someone was right behind her. She reached for the bedside light and nervously flicked the switch. She glanced over her shoulder, stared at the whitewashed wall and then let her eyes scan the whole room. I must have been dreaming, she thought to herself. She glanced at her smartphone and the digital time glowed back at her, it was 3:23 a.m.

  She looked around the room again, but there was nobody there. She switched off the light, rolled over and tried going back to sleep. After having felt that intense shudder a few minutes earlier, she found it difficult to fall asleep again. The room felt stuffy, so she got up, walked over to the window and opened it for some fresh air. The sky was dark with heavy low-hanging clouds enveloping the view. There was no sound other than the waves crashing onto the rocks below. Stacey stared into the darkness for what felt like forever. Finally, she closed the window, got back into bed and tossed and turned, until the first morning light peeked though the curtains.

  Stacey got up, still remembering her experience from last night. She went to have a shower and washed her long brown hair. After the troubled night, the hot water running over her body was soothing. She rubbed herself down with the thick fluffy towel, until her body had a warm red glow. She went across to the window and took in the stunning view across Camps Bay, all the way down to the cold Atlantic Ocean. She got dressed in a pair of comfortable jeans and a sweater.

  She had arrived at the house late the previous night and was keen now to explore it and take in her new surroundings. Her room was situated in a side wing, away from the main house.

  As she made her way down the sweeping staircase, she bumped into an angry-looking young man.

  “Good morning,” said Stacey. “How are you?” The teenager gave her a quick sideways glance and deliberately skirted past her on the staircase. Strange, she thought to herself. While she was still contemplating the encounter, she felt a warm tongue lick her ankle. Slightly startled, she jumped back and looked down. A cute white Maltese poodle with champagne-coloured ears stared at her and then jumped up against her leg. She knelt down and gave the poodle a gentle rub. A lot friendlier than the teenager, she mused.

  She heard the sound of a kettle boiling and followed the sound to the kitchen. The kitchen was cavernous and completed in an appealing cherrywood finish, with black granite worktops.

  “Hello,” said a sweet-sounding voice from behind her. “I am Lizzie.”

  Stacey was taken aback by the stunning looks of the young woman in front of her. “Hi, there Lizzie, I’m Stacey.”

  “You must be the new house-sitter?” asked Lizzie, and without waiting for an answer walked up and gave Stacey a friendly hug. Lizzie then stepped back and stared at her. Stacey was in good physical shape and was strikingly attractive. Lizzie saw in her an eerie resemblance to her mother. Lizzie caught herself staring, so she snapped out of the thoughts of her mother and continued, “How about some fresh coffee? I found these awesome coffee beans at the deli down the road. They are imported from Kenya.”

  “Thanks, I would love a cup,” Stacey smiled

  While Lizzie made the coffee, Stacey carefully studied her. She was probably five ten in height with a gorgeous crop of brunette hair, a light Mediterranean skin, blue eyes and a body that showed she exercised, or at least did her bit to keep in shape.

  Lizzie continued, “Anyway Stacey, welcome to our home. My brother Gavin is around and my dad should be back from a trip to Europe tomorrow. I'm sure he will give you the rundown on the job requirements, when he is back. I'm not really sure why Dad feels that we need a house-sitter, we already have a live-in domestic servant. Besides, I am twenty-two and Gavin is eighteen. It’s not as though we need someone to look after us.” Lizzie paused as she pushed the coffee, milk and sugar across the table, “I suppose you can clarify that when you meet Dad tomorrow."

  Stacey let that sink in, but was grateful that she had found a second income, which would help her make ends meet. The mention of the coffee beans from Kenya had her mind wandering. A friend of hers was on a consulting project in Kenya. Many Kenyans had a moonlighting job, which they fondly called ‘the hustle’. Here she was, house sitting for some wealthy businessman with grown-up children, her own little ‘hustle’.

  She was keen to find out more about the members of the household and asked, “So, tell me about yourself, Lizzie? And is that your full name? You did not mention your mother… where is she? Sorry, you barely know me and here I am bombarding you with questions.”

  Lizzie half smiled, but there was a strained look to the smile. “The easy answers first,” she replied. “My full name is Elizabeth. I have just completed an honours degree in Business Science. I have joined a small consulting group to get some practical hands-on experience in the world of business. I don't really know what I want to do eventually or where I want to go, but I know it will be somewhere in the corporate world. I seem to have a passion for entrepreneurship and innovation. So I guess, I am still finding my way.” She stopped, gave a deep sigh as a trickle of a tear rolled down her cheek, and continued, “As for my mother, she mysteriously disappeared six months ago. In fact, it is six months to the day since she disappeared. Despite the efforts by the police, my Dad’s private investigator Gerald, and family and friends, there has been absolutely no sign or trace of her. Dad has also spent the better part of a month searching for Mom himself. The two of us were very close.”

  Stacey was shocked and replied compassionately, “That is absolutely terrible! I am sure the two of you were very close. You must be so upset. What is her name?”

  “Kirsten,” replied Lizzie, sniffing and wiping her e
yes. “The scary thing is how closely you resemble her.”

  With that comment, she picked up her cup of coffee and walked out of the room. Strange, thought Stacey to herself. Here I am, a house-sitter to some businessman, whose wife has disappeared, and she resembles me. I felt cold shudders during the night; there’s a rude son here and a clearly distraught daughter. Weird, what life brings you, she mused, as she sipped her coffee. “Wow, the coffee is good”, she said appreciatively to herself. While digesting all this new information, she topped up her coffee and went out to the deck. The view was simply dazzling, with an infinity pool, which gave the appearance of the water pouring straight into the ocean below. Stacey sat down on an enormous outdoor couch with huge soft pillows.

  She became aware of the vibration of her mobile phone. It was an unknown number. When she answered, she could hear wind blowing on the other side of the phone. “Hello? Who is this?” Whoever it was hung up. Stacey again felt a small shudder through her body. This is turning into the strangest day, she thought.

  Lizzie reappeared on the deck and gave her a strained smile. It was clear that she had been crying. Stacey smiled back at her, but could not find any words. “Come through and have some breakfast,” said Lizzie. They went to the kitchen and she introduced Aggie, the domestic helper. “She is unhappy about your presence here as a house-sitter,” whispered Lizzie. “Just ignore her. She has been with us for fifteen years, and tends to think she is the boss around here.”

  Stacey went across anyway and held out her hand. “Hi Aggie, I'm Stacey.” All she got in return was a nod. She felt the silent animosity from the woman. She made a mental note to win her over anyway. Gavin entered at that moment, offering a noncommittal,

  “Hi.” Stacey nodded to him and smiled.

  Everyone sat down and ate the scrambled eggs, toast, smoked salmon and rashers of thin bacon. “Thank you, Aggie, this is really delicious,” said Stacey, giving her a warm smile.

  Seeing that it was a Saturday, there was no rushing off to work. After breakfast, Stacey excused herself to go and unpack and settle into her room. She went back upstairs and opened her door. Immediately, she sensed that someone had been in the room while she had been downstairs. Being meticulous and rather orderly, she noticed that both her iPad and handbag had been moved. She opened her bag, but everything seemed to be in order. After unpacking her suitcase and hanging up her clothes in the spacious cupboard, she went across and unpacked her laptop to check on e-mails and perhaps do some of the unfinished work she had not completed at the office the day before. She became engrossed in her project and only realised that she had spent several hours on the laptop when the sun hit her desk.

  Chapter Two

  There was a knock at the door, and before she could reply, Lizzie entered and said breezily, “Come Stacey, it's Saturday, it's a glorious afternoon. Let's get out of here.” She sensed that Lizzie liked to live the good life, and judging by their home, money was obviously not an issue. She desperately searched for a reason to give the outing a miss. Lizzie, however, considered that if she was house sitting, she was probably financially constrained and so said reassuringly, “Don’t worry, Stacey, we are only heading off for sundowners with my friends. I have a rucksack packed for us and I am ready to go. You don't need much more than your mobile phone for photos of the awesome views and the glorious sunset.” Lizzie had to smile as she saw the relief in Stacey’s eyes.

  “Sounds awesome. I'm in,” replied Stacey.

  They set off in Lizzie's compact SUV. Stacey took in the scenery and some of the spectacular homes that framed the winding coastal road or were etched into the steep slopes leading away from the coast. She could not help thinking that Cape Town was amongst the most beautiful cities in the world, and could see why tourists were so enticed by its beauty. Lizzie called over to her, "Stacey… Stacey… you are so quiet, what’s wrong?”

  Stacey smiled, shook her head and said, “I’m sorry, just taking in the scenery. It really is stunning.”

  Giving her a warm smile back, Lizzie said, “There will be far more stunning views shortly. We are headed up to Signal Hill for sundowners. The weather looks great, with no wind and a few scattered clouds. It should be an awesome sunset tonight.” They drove on in silence, until they got to the parking area. Several people were huddled together, leaning in, intently listening to someone in their group. They all suddenly roared with laughter, obviously sharing some joke.

  “I hope that wasn't aimed at me!” Lizzie called out to them in jest. “And hey everyone, I would like you to meet Stacey.” They all waved, nodded or smiled in acknowledgement. A few of the girls gave her a hug. Stacey felt instantly at home.

  A few moments later when everyone had arrived, they all grabbed rucksacks, small coolers or blankets and set off up to the mountain. It took a short while to make the climb from the car park up to where they were to settle for the afternoon. Stacey savoured every moment, soaking in the scenery and views, absorbing and storing it into memory. She really thrived on nature and all the beauty it offered. As she looked out to sea, a small school of dolphins broke the surface, dancing on the waves and then disappearing again. She felt as if they had showed up and danced just for her.

  When they got to the spot, a tall lanky guy, who had introduced himself as Tommy, said loudly, “Time for a glass of Franschhoek’s finest. Stacey, Lizzie, a glass of Sauvignon Blanc?” Without waiting for a response, he poured wine for everyone and raised his glass to his friends in a silent toast; not taking a sip, until he had made individual eye contact with everyone. Tommy let his eyes linger over Stacey, and gave her a wink. She smiled politely and took a sip of the delicious wine.

  She then laid out a blanket, sat down, and continued to take in the magnificent view across the Atlantic Ocean. Lizzie opened the snacks and set them out. Cheese, savoury biscuits, green figs in syrup and a delicious liver paté. Her friends tucked in, and Tommy made it his personal mission to ensure no glass was ever empty. The conversation drifted from topic to topic, and moved seamlessly from wine to restaurants, to food, sport and politics. The afternoon seemed to be caught in a time warp and each minute of the animated conversation seemed to have a life of its own. Lizzie was careful to include Stacey in the conversation. Stacey felt a bond, the start of a friendship that could grow.

  The sun started drifting lazily to meet the horizon, and the few high clouds were taking on pastel pink and orange hues. Nothing more beautiful than an African sunset, thought Stacey. She picked up her mobile phone and took a few photos, capturing a digital record of the moment. Lizzie organised her friends and a few group photos were taken.

  Stacey felt slightly giddy, and she realised that she had consumed more wine than she normally did. Somehow, she felt more relaxed than she had been in a long time. She realised just how the stresses of the last year or two had taken their toll. She tried hard to shut out some of the sad memories; the thoughts of her mother dying and the stress of having to find work. She deliberately seized the moment, choosing to absorb and soak up the here and now. She allowed herself to be transfixed by the beauty of the sunset. The sun's last rays shone brightly, and then it slipped away, as if pulled down by some magical hand. They all had gone quiet, either absorbed by the moment or possibly reflecting on their own lives.