The Shudder Lingers Page 14

  Slade looked up in surprise, “What does Elon have to do with this? He is our client on the rhino project.”

  She replied, “I know, but he is aware of what happened with WKJD and the perlemoen smuggling. As much as he is committed to rhinos, it seems he is also committed to stopping corruption. I also think, some of what he does is to impress Lizzie. He asked how he could help. I think I know how.”

  This seemed to bring a thin, but tortured smile to Gerald’s face, “Thank you. I now know I did the right thing by coming to you. I should be on my way.”

  Stacey replied, “Only after you join us for a meal. Slade does a great egg and bacon breakfast.”

  He looked at Slade with a hint of a plea, which was met with “Of course. I’ll have it ready in a few minutes.”

  While Slade was cooking, Stacey refilled their coffee cups and again sat down opposite Gerald, hoping to probe a little further, “Is there any possibility of a link between Simon and inspector Jonas, and why did he hide his son’s drug issues?”

  He replied, “I cannot make any sense of it. He has been as committed as anyone in fighting crime and the syndicates. It appears as if it was only this week that he suddenly got all fidgety. I suspect it was when he found out about the debt that his son had with the drug gangs.”

  She replied, “I mentioned Elon just now, I think I will ask him to help by giving you more muscle power to investigate and put an end to it all, including Daniella.”

  The idea resonated strongly with him, and he was able to lift his chin and smile, “Thank you Stacey. I really appreciate your ongoing support. It seems like we have a kindred spirit, aligned to fighting evil.”

  She smiled, “It seems as if we do.”

  Slade called out, “Breakfast is ready. Come and grab a plate.”

  They sat in silence as they enjoyed the meal together. Once they were done, Stacey asked, “Gerald, would you mind if I had a chat with Simon, in private?”

  He slightly raised his eyebrow, but replied, “Sure. I’m not sure what you will achieve, but if it can help, let’s arrange it. What are you thinking?”

  Shrugging, she replied, “I don’t know yet, it’s just a feeling I have.”

  Slade chirped, “As long as it does not involve any stakeouts, or for that matter any private investigator activities. You seem to have a knack for attracting danger.” With that he got a slap on the shoulders.

  Gerald got up to leave, “Thank you for the opportunity to offload, and for breakfast. Chat soon.”

  After he had left, Slade turned to Stacey, “Do you think Elon would support giving Gerald some more capacity to fight crime?”

  She nodded, “I do believe so. His heart is in the right place, just like yours.”

  He smiled, and gave her a big hug, “I hope you don’t mind, but I’m off to catch up with the guys for lunch and then we are headed to Newlands for a rugby game.”

  She nodded, “No problem, I’m meeting the dressmaker this afternoon for my wedding dress.” She blew him a kiss, and said, “Enjoy the rugby, I’m off to have a shower.”

  While she was showering, she had a sense of urgency about calling Simon and meeting with him. When she was dressed, she dialled him, “Hey Simon, its Stacey. I’m so sorry to hear about the loss of your son. Please send my condolences to your family. How are you holding up?”

  The response was met with sobbing, “Thanks Stacey, but I’m really struggling to deal with his death. I am torn between running a thousand miles away and going after the bastards who killed my son. I just don’t know what to do.”

  Taking a deep breath, she softly replied, “I have never been in that situation, but my thoughts are with you. If it is any consolation, I will be praying for you. Better still, would you like to meet for coffee this morning? I would like to give you some moral support.”

  He replied, “Thanks Stacey that would be great. Please can we meet somewhere where it is busy, where we cannot easily be seen?”

  Hearing the fear in his voice, “Sure Simon. It’s a Saturday morning, let’s meet at the V&A Waterfront at ten. I’ll wait on the pier. Be safe.” After she had ended the call, she closed her eyes, and prayed for Simon and for wisdom in dealing with him. She contemplated calling Slade to let him know but decided to leave him to enjoy his lunch and rugby.

  Arriving just before ten, she found a street vendor, and ordered two cappuccinos and carried them to the pier where they had agreed to meet. She became aware of someone staring at her, his head covered in a hoodie. He was also wearing oversized sunglasses. Feeling a little uneasy, she searched for Simon, only slightly buoyed by the fact that there were many people around them. It was only when he came closer did she realise that it was in fact Simon, “Morning. I must say, the way you were staring scared me just a little.”

  Simon gave a strained smile, “Hi Stacey. Sorry, I am just being cautious, and checking to see that no one was following you. Thanks for meeting me.” With that he briefly lifted the sunglasses, showing the tears and blood-shot eyes; the physical signs of the emotional trauma he was undergoing.

  Stacey was tempted to give him a hug in support but held back. Gently she asked, “Simon, please tell me what happened? Why did they kill your son?”

  Simon turned away from her, staring at a yacht that was cruising past, sipping at his cappuccino, “I really don’t want to go through all the pain of the last few years, but briefly, my son had gotten himself into drugs, largely through the influence of bad friends. My wife and I tried countless times to talk him out of it. We have tried rehab several times and spent many hours trying to get him to change his ways. I suppose the harsh reality of the poor coloured community we live in, is that the kids are easily influenced, and for many drugs is a way out of the misery or poverty they find themselves in. Sadly, over the last few months, his drug habits got worse, and he started borrowing money to buy drugs. Last week he came home and said that he owed the drug bosses one hundred thousand rand. They had given him forty-eight hours to settle the debt. There was no way I could raise that kind of money on my meagre salary. I told him to ask them to call me; I hoped I could buy more time. They then called me and gave me an ultimatum of settling or facing dire consequences. I tried to sell some assets to raise some of the cash, but it is a lot of money. They called me yesterday and asked if I would have the cash ready. I indicated that I had some but could not raise the full amount in the short time. An hour later they called, and I heard the gunshot. They sent me a picture of him lying dead in a pool of blood.” With this he started shaking uncontrollably and dropped his cup to the ground.

  Stacey put an arm around him and tried to console him. She was struggling to find words, as the anger towards the criminals was burning deep inside of her, “I’m so sorry Simon. If I had known, I would have helped you find the money. Then this could have been avoided.”

  Simon steadied himself, “Thanks Stacey, but it I think it would only have delayed the inevitable. This was not the first time.” With that he shook violently, his fists clenched as he held onto the balustrade to support himself.

  Stacey felt a shudder running down her back, sensing something greater at play, before she gently whispered, “I’m so sorry Simon, what happened last time? I have a sense you need to let it out, and free yourself from guilt.”

  Simon stared at her, “I can’t tell you. It was bad.” With that he collapsed to the ground shaking and burst into a cold sweat that soaked his face.

  Stacey tried to help him up but struggled because of his shaking. A stranger ran up and helped her lift him onto a nearby bench. She nodded in appreciation and turned back to Simon. As she stared at him, she realised that there was something more sinister at play. Taking his hands, she looked at him reassuringly, “Simon. Please tell me what happened?”

  Simon stared at her, his eyes had gone cold, and his body continued to shake uncontrollably. With a heavy rasping voice, he replied, “Please forgive me for what I am going to tell you.” She nodded. He squeezed her ha
nds as he tried to steady his voice, “My son, Gelant, got into even worse trouble about five years ago. At that time, he also owed them a hundred thousand rand. I sold off a car and used my savings to settle his debt. We got him into rehab, and he was clean for a while. Then about two years ago, he got into drugs again. That time he owed nearly a quarter of a million rand. I was unable to find the cash, and they threatened to kill my son, wife, our younger children and myself. They wanted to teach the community a lesson.” With this he started sobbing heavily. After a few minutes, he softly said, “They offered me a supposed way out. I had to do a contract killing. I immediately refused, but then they came into our home one night and severely beat us all up. Against my better judgement I agreed to the contract killing. I live with that guilt now.”

  Stacey felt nervous and realised that there was something else, “Simon, who did you kill? Who was the target for the contract killing?”

  Simon froze, and his eyes glazed over, and with an almost inaudible whisper, he dropped the bombshell. “Kirsten Spectre.”

  This time it was Stacey who was sent reeling in shock. The mystery of Kirsten’s murder had been unsolved for a long time, and suddenly here Simon had confessed to it! Her head was spinning with infinite questions that she wanted to bombard him with, but all she could do was stare at him. She pushed herself slightly away from him, distancing herself from him, trying to make sense of it all.

  Wiping away a running nose, he sniffed hard, “I’m sorry Stacey. I know you must hate me for this.”

  Shaking her head from side to side, she said, “No Simon, I don’t hate you.” She paused for a while, and surprised herself with her next question, “Was Daniella involved?”

  Simon looked away, and dropped his head into his hands, “Yes she was.”

  Stacey was not prepared for the reply and was left grasping for a response. She got up and paced around for a full minute, “Simon, I know you were forced into this. We need a plan to have Daniella jailed for this. I just need some time to think.” She saw a pleading look in his eyes but could not hold his gaze. Without a greeting she backed away and strode off in a hurry.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Stacey had looked forward to her dress fitting, but the afternoon was marred by Simon’s confession of Kirsten’s murder on behalf of Daniella. Stacey went through the motions of the fitting and not even the stunning wedding dress could lighten the dark veil covering her soul. Anger was building up inside of her, enhanced by images of Daniella laughing at her. She got home and put on her running shoes. The fresh air and cool breeze, allowed her to calm down, and she pushed herself hard. She had been running for ninety minutes before she arrived back at home, exhausted.

  It was early evening before Slade returned. As he entered the apartment she ran to him and held on tightly. Slade knew that something had happened, and embraced her tightly, “I know you missed me today, but I take it something else happened. What is it Stacey?”

  She remained in his embrace, needing to feel his strength and the comfort that it brought her. A couple of minutes passed before she moved out of his arms and motioned him to the couch. She held his hands and recounted the events of the meeting with Simon earlier in the morning. He focused intently and encouraged her as she told the story. When she was done, he stated, “In some ways it sounds like fiction, but knowing Daniella, I am not surprised. More importantly, are you OK?”

  With a shrug of her shoulders, she answered “I think so. In many respects, I want to be far away from all of this, but in a strange way, I am intrigued and drawn to it. I suppose deep in my soul; I know that I must face it. I sense that it is part of my purpose to make the world a better place.” She felt a crushing wave of emotion flow through her body, and leant closer to Slade, for support. They remained silent for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, she asked, “What now Slade? What is our next step?”

  Taking a deep breath, he replied, “I don’t really know. I am feeling rather anxious about it all. While I agree that we need to fight this evil, I must be honest that I am scared. Let’s sleep on it and discuss it in the morning. Maybe we will have more clarity then. Whatever it is, I don’t want this to disrupt our wedding. It is our special day, and it must remain that way.” She smiled and gave him a kiss.

  Despite taking a sleeping tablet, Stacey stirred restlessly all night, and her subconscious was troubled, with dreams of gangs chasing her everywhere. It was mid-morning before she surfaced, feeling weary, her body sore. Slade walked in when he heard her stir and gave her a hug.

  He made coffee, and they went to sit out on the balcony, “Yesterday, you indicated that perhaps Elon can help. I have been mulling it over, and I think we should take him up on his offer. More specifically, get support for Gerald, so that he can pursue Daniella for her crimes. However, I want you to stay out of it. Knowing what she is capable of, I am taking no chances. I love you, and I’m not losing my future wife because of a criminal.”

  She nodded in agreement, “I agree. Simon’s confession has been eating me up inside, since yesterday. I don’t think I can handle any more of it.”

  “Great” he replied, “I suggest we call Elon this afternoon when he wakes up in the USA. Please send him a text message to let us know when it would be convenient to talk.”

  They spent a few hours mulling over possibilities, without reaching any conclusive answers. It was mid-afternoon when Stacey’s mobile phone rang, “Good morning Elon. I hope you are well, and that this is a convenient time to talk?”

  Elon sounded chirpy, but cautious, “All good thanks. I sensed the urgency in your message. What’s wrong?”

  They placed the mobile phone on speaker, before Stacey responded, “Thanks Elon. Following our discussion earlier this week, yesterday we received some rather startling news. It would seem that Daniella ordered a contract killing on Kirsten—”

  She was interrupted, by Elon, “You mean Kirsten, as in Lizzie’s mother?”

  “Yes…”

  Again, she was interrupted, “OK, I am at full attention. If Daniella is at the centre of Kirsten’s murder, then for Lizzie’s sake, I am ready to provide you with the resources to fight her to the bitter end. You can share the details with me next week, when I get back to Cape Town. What do you need from me? Just name it, and I will seek to make it happen.”

  “Thank you so much Elon. We will strategize with Gerald and have an action plan for next week. Thanks for your support and travel safely.”

  He replied, “Will do, and I’m looking forward to the wedding. See you next week.”

  Slade looked intently at Stacey, “I am chuffed that we have backup from Elon. I guess we need to meet up with Gerald.”

  Nodding in agreement, she picked up her mobile phone to call Gerald. After a few rings he answered, “Hi Gerald. I met with Simon yesterday. I have some important information to share with you. Something I don’t want to share over the phone. When can we meet?”

  He replied, “I can come over right away. I tried calling Simon this morning, but his wife indicated he was sick in bed and could not talk. I knew something was up. Should I come to your apartment?”

  She replied, “Yes, we shouldn’t delay getting together. We will be waiting for you.”

  It was not long before Gerald arrived, looking apprehensive. Slade showed him in, and gestured to a chair, ‘Can I offer you something to drink?”

  He nodded, “Yes please, a whisky would be good. I have a feeling I am going to need it.” He sat down and clasped his hands tightly together. He accepted the drink from Slade, and took a sip, before saying, “OK, I’m ready. What did Simon say?”

  Nervously Stacey sat forward and looked intently at Gerald. She first recounted some of what Simon had told her regarding Gelant’s drug history. His reactions varied from shock to acknowledging some of the information he was aware of. She braced herself, and took a deep breath, "Gerald, with all of that as background, there is one more issue. Simon agreed to a contract killing to settle some of hi
s son’s debts. Furthermore, the target was Kirsten Spectre, and it appears as if Daniella ordered the hit.”

  Gerald stared in disbelief, before slugging the remaining whisky in one gulp. He tried to speak, but his voice failed him, instead letting out a piercing growl. Slade jumped up and laid a reassuring hand on his shoulders. Stacey took his glass and gave him a refill. He took another gulp before shrugging his shoulders. He flipped his gaze between Slade and Stacey, desperately trying to find words.

  Stacey broke the silence, “We have shared some of this with Lizzie’s boyfriend, who also happens to be our client. He has agreed to provide you with support to bring Daniella to justice. He will be here in a few days and expects a plan of action from us.”

  For the first time since he had heard about Gelant’s shooting, his eyes and face lit up, “That is good news. I’m still shocked that Simon did it; even more annoyed that I did not see the signs. On the other hand, I have seen first-hand how drugs destroy families, and how they resort to desperate measures to rid themselves of the curse. Stacey, tell me everything about yesterday again.” She repeated the whole conversation, as best as she could remember. He summarised it for himself, and with a puzzled look, “Did he indicate who actually approached him? There is no way Daniella would do so directly.”

  Shrugging her shoulders, “I don’t know. He didn’t say, and I suppose I did not ask specifically.”

  Gerald got up and paced the small room. He seemed miraculously to have shaken his depression, and his detective instincts seemed to kick into gear. He took out his phone and dialled. “Hey Simon. How are you doing my man?” He nodded as he listened intently, “I just want you to know, that I am going to help you track down your son’s killers and those behind it all.” After a brief silence, he nodded at Stacey and Slade, before continuing the conversation with Simon, “Listen my friend, Stacey has told me all about your conversation about the contract killing on Kirsten. I will do everything I can to clear your name. I just need to know one thing: who actually approached you to make the hit?” After a long pause, he nodded and said, “Thanks Simon. I guess I should have known. By the way, stay at home this week and keep a low profile.” He faced Stacey and Slade, shook his head a few times, “Believe it or not, he was approached and paid by Inspector Jonas.”