The Shudder Lingers Read online

  “Better thanks.”

  “Good,” he replied, “We have had great feedback from the rhino project team in Kruger today. It seems as if everything is on track and we should close out the project this week.” He rambled on for a few minutes about what the project team had been doing, before he realised that she was withdrawn and silent. “Hey, what’s going on?”

  As they sat down to dinner she recounted the interactions with Gavin and Lizzie, “What I cannot get my head around, is why Lizzie met with Daniella and whether she was there on her own or for Elon. I guess we may find out over the weekend?”

  He asked, “Why? What’s happening this weekend?”

  “We have been invited for dinner with Lizzie and Elon.”

  In between two mouthfuls of food, he chirped, “That should be interesting.” As he was chewing he watched her intently, “Stacey, what else? I feel as if there is something else you are not telling me.”

  She stared at him, surprised at how well he was getting to know her, but also feeling guilty for having kept the drone app from him. She felt her chest closing in again, a clear message from her body to share the burden with someone else. She told him about the RFID tags on the drones, and some of what she had seen on the app over the last few weeks.

  Slade had stopped eating and was pacing around the dining room table, “Wow, this is huge Stacey. No wonder you are so stressed out.” He paused behind her and gently rubbed her shoulders, “We really need to figure out how to stop this once and for all. However, who on earth do we trust?”

  Stacey felt the strength of his hands on her shoulders, and felt immediately comforted, “I don’t know Slade, as long was the two of us come out of this entangled situation alive and together.”

  Slade whispered, “I certainly hope that you are correct. Please just promise me that you will not do anything on your own. Together we will be stronger.” She stood up and kissed him. He picked her up and smiled, “I think it’s time to head for the bedroom.”

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  It was a glorious Saturday afternoon in Cape Town as Stacey and Slade headed off for dinner to meet Elon and Lizzie. Elon had reserved a table outside at the V&A Waterfront. Stacey had expected that it was only the four of them, but on arrival they found several couples gathered around Elon and Lizzie. Leaning close to Slade, she whispered, “This could be interesting.”

  Elon came over when they arrived and gave Stacey a warm embrace and gave Slade a firm handshake. With heartfelt authenticity, he greeted them, “Welcome to the newlyweds. I am so glad you could make it. Come, let me introduce you to the others.”

  Lizzie came across and greeted them, but Stacey sensed an awkwardness about her, however, she was unable to figure out what it was.

  Elon on the other hand was his charming self, as he introduced Stacey and Slade to the other guests. The last guest was a very distinguished looking man, probably in his mid-sixties, Elon led Stacey by the elbow “This is Richard Branson, not the British entrepreneur, only his namesake. Richard, this is Stacey Saranga… apologies, now Stacey Kent.”

  Richard shook her hand and smiled warmly, “What a pleasure to meet you Stacey. Elon has told me a great deal about you.” Stacey showed obvious surprise and glanced at Elon and then back at Richard, who continued, “I am told you are quite the businesswoman. Elon has told me all about the success of the rhino project under your leadership.”

  Stacey felt herself blushing, “Thank you for the kind words Richard, but credit should go to my husband who actually led the project.” She waved a hand at Slade.

  Richard shook hands with Slade for a second time, “Well great to meet you as well. It seems as if you make a rather formidable team.” Turning back to Stacey, he said, “I have a business proposition for you. Given the success of your drone project, I would like to engage your company’s services for a humanitarian project, to deliver drugs.”

  Stacey was visibly taken aback, at the audacity of Richard’s statement, “I’m sorry, did I hear correctly? You want me to deliver drugs for you?” She stared at Richard and glanced at Slade to see his reaction. He too was dumbstruck.

  Richard waved both his hands frantically, “My apologies, no! Not illegal drugs, I mean medical drugs and supplies.” He apologised again, “I’m sorry, I clearly did not leave a good first impression.” He went on to explain, “My ambition is the distribution of medical supplies to remote rural clinics in cases of emergency using drones, rather than waiting for vehicles which could take hours. The use of drones for critical medical supply delivery could save lives.”

  Stacey had recovered from her initial reaction, “Oh yes! That makes sense. Thanks Richard, it sounds like a wonderful project. We would love to do business with you.” He grinned broadly and shook their hands for a third time. Stacey noticed Lizzie leaning closer, desperately trying to listen to the conversation.

  Elon invited everyone to take their seats and ordered wine for the table. Stacey sat between Richard and Slade and chatted away to Richard. She found out that he was involved in the pharmaceutical industry and wanted to give something back now that he was on semi-retirement. They also had similar passions for the bush and birding. During a lull in the conversation, Stacey’s eyes met those of Lizzie, who immediately broke eye contact. Stacey observed that she seemed almost distant and was not really engaged in the conversation. Although she was smiling, there was once again a distance between her and Elon. She was tempted to mention her encounter with Lizzie to Elon, but something held her back.

  As the waiters brought in the food, the conversation soon drifted to cooking, and one of the other guests turned out to be a master chef who had for many years run his own restaurant. He held centre stage for the conversation over dinner, regaling them with stories of his days in the culinary industry.

  At one-point Lizzie excused herself to go to the bathroom. Stacey was quick to react, “I’ll join you.” As they left the table, Stacey walked in step alongside Lizzie, “What’s going on Lizzie? You appear to be very far from your usual self this evening. For that matter, when I saw you during the week, you also seemed to be out of sorts. Are you OK?” Stacey kept a firm gaze on her.

  With slightly trembling lips, she replied, “I’m fine. Just some personal stuff I need to sort out in my own head.” She was quiet for a few seconds, and unconvincingly said, “It is nothing for you to be worried about. I will be OK.” With another stranger in the bathroom, the conversation had to end.

  Stacey observed her closely and saw a slight shaking of Lizzie’s hands, and just a suggestion of a tear. As they approached the table, she whispered, “Lizzie, if there is anything I can do to help, please let me know. I will be there for you.”

  They got back to the party, where conversation had become animated and slightly louder. The ambience of the restaurant and the quality of the food lent itself to a great evening. It was late evening before Elon called for the bill and bid everyone a good evening.

  Slade was the first to speak in the car going home, “Well, I’m fairly excited about the project that Richard has for us. What do you think?”

  Stacey ignored the question, she was more concerned about Lizzie, “Did you notice Lizzie tonight? Something is amiss with her. I wonder what it could be.”

  He pondered for a moment, swerving to avoid a pedestrian that had wandered into the road. “I did notice. I agree something is wrong. I had an overwhelming sense that she was getting involved in some bad stuff. I think it might be that she is actually taking drugs. The signs are there.”

  Stacey stared ahead through the windshield, knowing that Slade was probably right. After a brief silence, “I wonder if that was why she was meeting Daniella during the week. I will meet with her next week. Elon flies out tomorrow, so it will give me an opportunity to get in touch with her. I also felt that Elon was genuine, and I doubt he is involved in anyway.”

  “I agree.”

  As they took the elevator to their apartment, she asked, “Have you given
any further thought to who we can trust with the information of the drones we are tracking?”

  Slade replied, “Yes, I think we should bring Gerald into the conversation. He has demonstrated his trustworthiness, and I think after Simon’s murder, he has a vested interest in bringing down the criminals and Daniella.” She nodded in agreement.

  Chapter Forty

  Lizzie was persistently in the thoughts of Stacey over the next few days. She sent Slade a message to say that she would be going past Lizzie’s place on the way home. As she headed out of the parking garage, she felt a sense of urgency, but was frustrated by the peak-hour traffic around the city centre, and it was almost forty-five minutes before she arrived at Lizzie’s apartment block. She entered the lobby and pressed the intercom to get access. It took a while for Lizzie to respond before opening for her.

  Stacey knocked on the door, but there was no response, although she could hear someone moving inside. She knocked even louder, until eventually Lizzie opened the door and stumbled backwards. The sight of Lizzie was a shock to Stacey, as her eyes were bloodshot and it was apparent that she had not changed clothes or washed in a couple of days. She rushed in to support Lizzie and guided her to a chair. “What’s happening to you Lizzie?” she cried fearfully. Almost knowing the response to the next statement, she said it anyway “Please tell me you are not taking drugs!”

  Lizzie burst into a nervous laugh, but was unable to respond, as she slumped sideways, falling off the chair. Stacey helped her up and seated her on the chair again. She glanced around the room and found the evidence of the drugs on the kitchen counter. She stared at her friend, “Damn you Lizzie. Why did you have to do this? You have everything going for you!”

  Lizzie could only manage a barely audible whisper, “I’m sorry Stacey.”

  Stacey stared back at her friend, anguishing over her state, but seeing in stark reality the impact that the drugs were having on Lizzie. She felt the anger rising in her body, “Lizzie, did you get the drugs from Daniella?” She nodded listlessly, before slumping forward again.

  Stacey headed to the kitchen and put the kettle on, she needed to give Lizzie a strong cup of coffee. She then went to the bathroom and started running a bath for her. As she stood up she looked in the mirror and was surprised to see the anger on her own face. She steeled her eyes as she stared back at herself, “Now it is war Daniella. Nothing will prevent me from destroying you and your drug business.” She closed her eyes and prayed.

  After Lizzie had consumed the strong cup of coffee, Stacey helped her into the bath. She gently washed her friend and spoke soft words of encouragement to her. As she helped her dress, Lizzie started crying uncontrollably, “Thank you Stacey. I’m so sorry.”

  They sat on the sofa for a long while, with Stacey hugging and holding her friend tightly. As she settled down, Stacey asked, “Please tell me how you got into this mess Lizzie. How did you let Daniella get to you?”

  Lizzie sniffed loudly, “I don’t really know. I think it started at a function, where a drink of mine was spiked. It felt quite good to be honest. Daniella was also there and gave me some tablets to take home. She said it was from a pharmacist friend, and apparently helped her to relax. Before I knew it I was hooked. When I asked for more, Daniella linked me up with a middle-aged woman who agreed to obtain some more of the tablets, but I had to pay cash up front. I don’t even know what drug it is. It has got to a point where I am in serious debt.”

  Stacey comforted her with a hug, “What were you doing with Daniella last week?”

  Lizzie reacted in surprise, “How did you know that I met her?

  She replied, “That’s not important. Why did you meet her?

  Lizzie broke down in tears again, “To access money. As you know Dad’s estate has not yet been finalised. She agreed to give me a loan, in return for pledging my shares in WKJD.”

  This revelation hit Stacey like a ton of bricks, “You did what?”

  Lizzie stared back, “It’s just a pledge! I’ll give her the money back. She assured me it will be fine. She said it was just to help me.”

  Stacey felt like shaking Lizzie but surmised that Daniella had set Lizzie up on drugs specifically to get access to her shares.

  Before she could reply her phone rang, it was Slade, “Hi. Are you OK? I was just worried as it is rather late already.”

  She replied, “I’m fine thanks Slade. I’m with Lizzie. I am going to spend the night here. She is in a serious state and cannot be left alone tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow morning, sleep tight. Love you.” As she ended the call, she noticed Lizzie falling asleep, sheer exhaustion having taken over.

  Stacey mulled over the situation for a few minutes and decided to call Clyde. She briefly recounted how she had found Lizzie, and that Daniella had got Lizzie to pledge her shares in exchange for money to buy drugs. She was careful not to highlight the connection between Daniella and the drug sales. “Do you have any suggestions?”

  Clyde took a deep breath, “Besides wanting to throttle Daniella, yes I do. I will make some calls tonight. The best option is to get Lizzie into a drug rehabilitation centre. I will make sure we get it organised for tomorrow. Can you stay with her tonight?

  She replied, “Yes, I will. Thank you Clyde.”

  “No problem,” he said. “And leave Daniella to me. I will find some way to ensure that the pledge does not see light of day. Keep well, Stacey. Also, best you pray for your friend, she will need it to get through her ordeal.”

  Stacey helped Lizzie to bed and sat with her for a while. She gazed intently at her face, beautiful, but temporarily impacted by the drugs. Her thoughts went to Simon and his son, both dead because of the curse of drugs. Images of destroyed families flashed before her, intensifying her resoluteness to continue fighting Daniella. She made herself a cup of tea and reclined on the sofa. As she settled in for the long vigil, it dawned on her just how scared she was, just how small she was in the universe, how insignificant in the world of crime. She closed her eyes, praying for strength and wisdom. She needed all the back-up in the world and beyond.

  Somewhere in the early hours of the morning she stirred, convinced that there was someone at the door. The lights were still on inside the apartment. She tiptoed across to the kitchen and found a large knife in the drawer. She looked down and saw that her hands were shaking. She held her breath, listening intently for any sound. She glanced at her watch, it was 3.23 a.m., and immediately a shudder ran down her back. It was the same time that Kirsten Spectre had made her last call before dying a couple of years before. Mild panic set in, and she found herself gasping for air, struggling to breathe. She stood in silence for several minutes, until she was convinced that there was nobody outside, and only then did she hear a trickling sound coming from the bathroom, and she realised that it was Lizzie in the bathroom. She replaced the knife and went through to the bathroom, to find Lizzie sitting on the toilet. Lizzie was not aware of her standing there, so she quietly retreated back to the lounge. She went across to the door, making sure that it was locked. Since she was unlikely to sleep again, she sat on a chair, attempting to read a magazine, waiting patiently for the long night to crawl forwards into a new day.

  Stacey must have dozed off somewhere just before dawn and stirred to life when Lizzie started to boil the kettle in the kitchen. She gave Lizzie a tired smile and rolled over on the sofa. She dozed off again for a while until a text message beeped through on her mobile phone, it was a long message from Clyde. He had secured Lizzie a place at a rehabilitation centre. She could check in mid-morning. She sent Slade a brief text to update him.

  She went through to the bedroom where Lizzie had dozed off again. She shook her gently, “Get up Lizzie, we are going for a short trip. I’ll help you pack a few things.”

  Clearly confused, Lizzie wanted to object, but all that came out was, “OK.”

  As they drove off, Stacey felt guilty about what she was doing, but knew that in the long run, it would be best for Lizzie. O
n arrival at the medical facility, two nurses arrived and quickly escorted Lizzie away. As she was guided away, Lizzie turned, her eyes pleading not to be left there. She paused briefly and waved, almost as if she would never see Stacey again.

  Stacey stared after her, and only when she was out of sight did she slowly walk back to her car. She sat behind the steering wheel and gripped it firmly with both hands. She looked into the small rear-view mirror, and said aloud, “Girl, you need a shower and a clean-up.”

  Chapter Forty-One

  It was early afternoon as Stacey headed into the office for the day. Her phone rang in the car, showing Slade calling, “Hi Stacey. I trust everything went well with Lizzie. I received a call from Gerald, he has agreed to meet with us late afternoon at his offices. I indicated that we had some interesting information to share. More good news is that all the initial milestones on the rhino project have been met.”

  Stacey smiled as she was driving, “Thank you Slade. You have done an amazing job on the rhino project. Thanks for leading the team. I’ll see you shortly.”

  Arriving at the office she was greeted by Emily, “Gavin is waiting for you in your office. He appears to be rather anxious about something.”

  She nodded, “Thanks Emily. Please be so kind as to bring us two cappuccinos.” She entered her office and closed the door, “Hi Gavin. How are you?”

  Jumping up, he approached Stacey, “I’m really worried about Lizzie. I have tried calling her most of today, and I am getting no answer. Do you have any idea where she is?”

  Stacey guided him back to the chair at her desk, “Have a seat Gavin. Lizzie will be just fine.” After Emily had handed over the cappuccinos, she told Gavin about the drugs that Lizzie was taking and the fact that she was now safely in a rehabilitation centre. She was careful not to disclose the involvement of Daniella at this stage. She continued, “I am confident that we can get her back on track and clean of any drugs. She will be taken care of.”