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  Lizzie was the first to get up. Everyone slowly started to gather their things and pack up. Kirsty, who had hardly uttered a word all afternoon, came out with a short, not-to-be-repeated joke, which had Stacey roaring with laughter. The mood was positive as they all descended back to where the cars were parked. The light faded rapidly, and it was rather dark, when they got there.

  They drove the short distance back to Camps Bay in near silence. When they got home, Stacey gave a half wave.

  “Thanks for a great afternoon, Lizzie. It's been a long day, and I need some rest.”

  Lizzie smiled and gave her a high five. “It was great yes. Goodnight, Stacey.”

  She ambled up to her room, feeling rather light-headed after the wine. After a quick shower, she went to bed and was asleep within minutes. She stirred several times during the night. However, in the middle of the night, another convulsing shudder running down her back pulled her from her sleep, and forced her into an upright position. She looked at her phone. It was 3:23 a.m. Stacey whispered to herself, “Strange. That's the same time as last night.” She felt the shudder again. Thankfully, she was so tired that she decided to ignore this feeling and lay back down. Deep sleep took over.

  Chapter Three

  Stacey slept deeply, and awoke slightly after seven. She had a hot shower and got dressed. There already appeared to be a lot of activity downstairs, with sounds of voices travelling up the stairs.

  She made her way downstairs and found everyone in the kitchen, chatting away excitedly. Aggie was moving around with great haste, wiping here, wiping there. Gavin appeared to be in a better mood than the previous day. Lizzie looked bright and breezy. Stacey said cheerfully, “Hi everyone. It sure seems busy down here!” Aggie just frowned at her.

  Lizzie said, “I’m just getting ready to fetch Dad. Gavin and I will collect him at Cape Town International Airport shortly. I must say, even though it has only been a few days, I really missed him this time.” Stacey gave Lizzie an understanding smile and moved over to get some of the freshly-brewed coffee. She took a deep breath of the inviting aroma, and smiled to herself. She really enjoyed a good cup of coffee or a cappuccino.

  Lizzie grabbed an apple, then her keys and waved to everyone. “Travel safe,” chirped Stacey. When she turned around, she found Gavin staring at her, with a rather strange look in his eyes. Stacey could not figure out what his look was about, so she decided to break the ice, and said, “So, Gavin, tell me about yourself.”

  Gavin tentatively turned towards her and seemed to relax somewhat. He said, “Well, I only finished school last year, and now I am studying towards an industrial engineering degree at the University of Stellenbosch. I’m not really sure if I am enjoying it that much. Perhaps I should have done something more in the sciences, so that I can join my dad’s IT business.” Stacey nodded at Gavin, smiling to herself. She was glad to see she still had a way with getting people to relax and open up. Aggie is something else, she thought, I’ll have to work harder at winning her over.

  Stacey asked, “What is it you want to do in your dad’s business one day? Several friends of mine studied industrial engineering, and they seem to be doing some really cool stuff.”

  Gavin seemed to pause and ponder over what she had said. Eventually he said, “I guess my dad’s business seems to be doing well. All I want is to be successful. I just can’t imagine failing at anything.” After another pause, he asked, “What sort of cool things are your friends doing?” Before Stacey could respond, Gavin said, “It just feels like industrial engineering won’t make me a millionaire by the time I’m thirty.”

  She let that sink in. She knew what a struggle it was to find a job in today’s tough economic environment, and here was Gavin, acting as if the world owed him a favour. She replied, “Well, some of them are doing robotics, while others are involved in the internet of things, digitisation and others are figuring out really innovative solutions to complex business problems.”

  Gavin stared at her, looked away, and replied, “Sounds like hard work, maybe I should just work for my dad. Hopefully, he will give me a stake in his huge company.” Stacey pondered over this and thought, what a spoilt brat!

  Stacey was now intrigued to discover what the family business was all about. “Well, I guess I’ll find out soon enough,” she whispered under her breath. Gavin glanced at her with another strange look and walked out. She mulled over the stare he had given her, trying to understand it, but she could not. She also started to ponder over Lizzie’s comment about her resemblance to their mother. Maybe that was what had quietly bothered her. She topped up her cup with some more of the great coffee, and strolled out onto the deck. The view was just as breathtaking. It was Sunday, and there were several cars snaking past on the lower road, probably heading off somewhere for a Sunday breakfast or perhaps taking a scenic drive on a glorious Cape day. The roads were also teeming with cyclists, all in brightly coloured gear, some peddling furiously, others slowly moving along, and all were soaking in the early-morning sun. Stacey went back into the kitchen, and poured herself a bowl of yoghurt and muesli. She headed back onto the deck.

  After what felt like ages, Stacey snapped out of her deep thoughts, and realised that there was a shadow falling over her from behind. Someone was standing there. She spun around, knocking over the coffee cup. She was facing a rather large, rugged man.

  He said, “Good Morning. I’m Wilson Spectre. You must be Stacey.” He stared at the coffee spill, and bellowed, “Aggie! Aggie! Get a mop out here.” Stacey felt immediately intimidated. Wilson Spectre was tall, probably at least six foot three, was well groomed and had a strong commanding voice. Aggie came striding out, scowling at both her and Wilson.

  While Aggie mopped up the small coffee spill, she was able to regroup. Despite the intimidating appearance, there was a handsome edge to him.

  “Well, Mr Spectre, it is good to meet you. I hope you had a good trip to Europe?” she said, coolly. She seemed to notice a small lump in his throat, appearing somewhat emotional, as he swallowed hard before answering her.

  “Yes,” he replied. Wilson stared briefly into space, and then caught himself and turned on some charm. “Welcome, Stacey. I hope you are going to enjoy working for me. I mean, us.”

  Stacey felt somewhat uneasy. There was something odd in his response. She was convinced that he was lying about having had a good trip to Europe. She let it pass. “Well, Mr Spectre, when you have a moment, please can we discuss my job and what you expect from me?” she asked politely.

  He responded, “Well, let’s start with you calling me Wilson. Let me grab a shower, get some coffee, and then we can sit down and discuss the job.”

  Stacey nodded. “Of course.” Wilson glanced out over the deck and took in a deep breath of sea air. He looked back at her, staring intently, shook his head ever so slightly, and headed off inside.

  She collected her muesli bowl and went inside. She said, “Sorry about the coffee spill, Aggie. Mr Spectre did give me a bit of a fright.” For the first time, Aggie gave a half smile. Stacey sensed that it was a pained smile. There was something unexplained and private about Aggie, something private that seemed to bother her..

  She headed back up the stairs. As she went up, she saw a small boarding pass lying on the stairwell. It was from Cathay Pacific Airlines and showed a flight from Hong Kong. She stared. The boarding pass was dated for the day before. That meant Wilson Spectre had not been in Europe at all. He had flown in from Southeast Asia. Stacey felt an uneasiness pass over her and quickly dropped the boarding pass. She left it on the stairs and hurried to her room.

  She closed her door and stood with her back against it, thinking about Wilson and the lie he had told her straight after meeting her. She anguished over her situation and contemplated what this moonlighting job still had in store for her or even what it would do to her. She was drawn out of her thoughts, when a loud voice boomed up from downstairs, calling her name. She hurried down the stairs, noting that the boarding pass was no longer on the stairwell.

  She found Wilson in his study. It was a large, spacious study with a huge mahogany desk as its centrepiece. One wall was covered by a huge bookshelf, that was, rather oddly, mostly devoid of any books. The other wall featured a stunning painting of a zebra in a Karoo landscape, while the third wall was dominated by a fireplace. The study presented the same spectacular view over the sea as did many of the rooms in the house. “Take a seat,” He told her in a rather dictatorial voice. Stacey acceded to the instruction by seating herself in the high-backed chair. Her attention was immediately drawn to a family photo on Wilson’s desk. She stared at the photo and zoomed in on Kirsten. She felt a small shudder, and understood immediately why Lizzie had mentioned the resemblance. Stacey thought to herself, This is weird. It is almost as if I am looking at a photo of myself in the future.

  He also stared at the photo and then at Stacey. She could see a slight look of confusion in his eyes. “Let’s get down to business. I assume the agent told you about the house-sitter job,” said Wilson. “What I expect from you is to manage the household affairs, especially when I am not around. That includes supervising Aggie and the gardener, and also collecting up groceries, when necessary. My wife Kirsten took care of the house, which allowed me to focus on my career and the business. I need someone to make sure everything ticks over. I really don’t have time to worry about all this household stuff. Since she disappeared, I have found it distracting.” Wilson stared at her and continued, “Don’t worry about what the family says. I know they think having a formal house-sitter is crazy. Also, please keep an eye on Gavin for me. He seems distant and unfocused at the moment.”

  “Yes, Mr Spectre. Sorry, I mean Wilson,” replied Stacey. She sensed a strong domineering, maybe eve
n narcissistic, personality in him, someone who always wanted and got his way. He carried on, “Here is an extra credit card for when you need to get anything. I do expect a full reconciliation of any spend every month. No personal expenditure, please, except that I am prepared to pay for a tank of petrol every month. I guess that’s about it.” Wilson turned to his laptop and started going through his e-mails. She felt awkward and uncertainly walked out of the study after a few moments. She had assumed that he would have asked about her; at least find out who she was. He knew nothing about her. She whispered to herself, “This is going to be interesting.”

  She went back upstairs and got changed into some running shoes, planning to get some exercise, then went outside and headed down the road at a brisk pace, allowing herself the time to clear her head. She was aware of a gentle breeze blowing through her hair. She returned after a good eight-kilometre run. She felt her chest heaving, but felt all the better for the exercise. As she got back, Lizzie was on her way out. “Oh, by the way, Dad said we are having a braai this evening, so that we can all catch up and get to know you. See you later.” Stacey nodded.

  Chapter Four

  Stacey joined them on the deck late in the afternoon. Wilson, Lizzie and Gavin were laughing at something. There was another couple with them. Lizzie smiled and grabbed her hand. “Come, let me introduce you to my Dad’s business partner. This is James Arundel and his wife, Daniella.” Stacey shook hands with them and greeted them politely. James was short, not very attractive and slightly overweight. He seemed to be fidgety, and Stacey sensed that he was very nervous or at least appeared to be. Daniella was a tall redhead with unusually dark, piercing eyes. Quite the opposite of James, she had a well-proportioned body. And again, unlike her husband, she seemed to be totally relaxed and at ease with herself. She wore a rather low-cut dress that showed off her ample cleavage.

  Wilson passed Stacey a glass of white wine, then went and sat next to Daniella. Stacey observed with interest how Daniella almost openly flirted with Wilson. There seemed to be some hidden chemistry between the two. Gavin was busy prepping the fire and the meat for the braai. Lizzie caught Stacey’s eye and said, “Any chance you can help me with some salad?” She led the way to the kitchen. As soon as they got there, Lizzie stood silently staring back at the deck, and finally turned to her, “I really don’t trust Daniella. She seems to always be teasing my Dad, showing off her cleavage and flirting with him. Even more so over the last few weeks, since Mom disappeared.” Stacey remained silent, but what Lizzie had said was exactly what her initial feeling about Daniella had been. Given that Lizzie was quite engrossed in her thoughts, Stacey set about making a salad.

  They all sat down at an elongated wooden table that appeared weathered, but was obviously designed to give an old-world appearance. The first few minutes were very quiet around the table as everyone was munching away at the Karoo lamb chops, baked potatoes and salads. “Great salad,” said James to Lizzie. She smiled and simply pointed to Stacey. James nodded at her.

  “Thank you,” replied Stacey. It was one of her favourites, pan-fried pears in honey, roasted almonds and cranberry cheese tossed over a mixed salad.

  James then addressed her directly and said, “Thanks for the salad, Stacey,” and then said to no one in particular, “Almost weird, how Stacey has some of Kirsten’s good looks”. With that comment, everyone focused on her. “So, Stacey, tell us about yourself,” said James, encouragingly. She felt an eerie sensation, gave a somewhat embarrassed smile and tried to wave the conversation on. James, however, continued to look at her in a questioning way.

  “Well, OK,” she said at last. “I grew up in Johannesburg in a middle-class home, and did all my schooling there. I enjoy being active, playing hockey and running. After school, I was fortunate to get accepted at Stellenbosch University, where I studied for a degree in Computer Sciences. I lost my mother to cancer, while I was still studying, which made me angry with everything and everybody. It took a while to get focused again. Anyway, as a distraction, I developed an interest in data analytics, and wrote several programmes through crowd-sourcing platforms, while studying. I was introduced to crowd-sourcing work through a university professor. After I graduated, I struggled for several months to find a permanent job. For the last few years, I have effectively been an independent contractor to the IT and consulting industries. I also continued doing ad-hoc work on crowd-sourced websites. Most of my work has been in writing algorithms for data analytics, data modelling and data visualisation.”

  “Sorry to hear about your mother. Your work is very interesting, and somewhat similar to what Wilson and I do in our company,” said James. “You must come and visit us there some time.”

  Daniella gave James an irritated look and raised her glass, “Gavin, some more wine please.” Gavin reluctantly got up and topped up her glass. “So Wilson, how was your trip to Europe?” continued Daniella.

  He gave an irritated huff, “Fine thanks. You know how boring business trips are, and wasting time in stupid airport lounges is not my idea of fun.” The table went silent for a few minutes.

  Stacey stared out to sea, still absorbing the spectacular scenery. She simply could not get enough of it. At the same time, she had to wonder if all these rich folks in Camps Bay actually appreciated the view.

  Lizzie was the next to break the silence, and softly said, “I really miss Mom at these Sunday afternoon braais.” A tear ran down her face. The emotion was palpable after that statement. Stacey noticed that almost everyone reacted in some way, except Gavin, who was absorbed in his smartphone. Wilson seemed irritated; James pensive and Daniella had a small, smug look on her face.

  Wilson weighed in with his rugged voice, “Well, I received an SMS from Gerald, the private investigator, this morning. Still no news. Not even a sniff of a lead or a titbit of information on Kirsten’s disappearance.” Stacey was tempted to probe for more, but bit her tongue. Her curiosity was certainly gnawing at her.

  She did not have to wait long. Daniella looked at her and felt duty bound to inform her. “I can see a curious look on your face, Stacey. You are probably wondering what happened to Kirsten.” Wilson leaned forward trying to get Daniella to keep quiet. She simply waved him off and met Stacey’s eyes. “Well, about six months ago, while Wilson was on one of his overseas trips, Kirsten disappeared. The police found her car outside a coffee shop in Regent Street in Sea Point. Her handbag and wallet were inside the boot of her car. There was simply no trace of her.”

  “I’m so sorry to hear that,” said Stacey weakly. “Surely she must have tried to communicate with someone?”

  Lizzie’s tears were running freely now as she choked out her reply. “Nothing, absolutely nothing. We don’t know if she is alive or dead. It is frustrating and heart-breaking. For me, it’s not about closure; it’s about the horror continuing. Each day, I expect to see her walking through the front door, but nothing.” Lizzie got up and ran off the deck.

  “I’m sorry, Stacey, I should not have brought that up,” said Daniella. There was a pause, then she stood up and said, “Come, James, it’s time we left.” She walked past Wilson, and gave him a kiss on the cheek, while James gave him a half-hearted pat on the back.

  Wilson just sat there at the table, staring out at the last rays of sun on the horizon. He turned to Stacey, and said, “It may not seem like it, but I really miss my wife. We were… I mean we are close. I also wake up each morning, thinking it is just a bad dream. I even find myself waking up during the night, thinking she is back. But when I wake up and open my eyes, she is not there. I spent a month searching for her, hardly sleeping during that time. I still struggle to sleep.” Wilson got up, holding his wine glass and went to the end of the deck, and just stared off into the sunset.

  Stacey sat for a while, somewhat disturbed by all that she had absorbed over the afternoon. She sensed that Wilson wanted to be left alone. She got up and carried all the dishes and empty bottles through to the kitchen. Once she had packed the dishwasher, she headed upstairs.