The Shudder Lingers Read online

  As the painstaking process of recording Stacey’s statement continued, the second police officer started becoming somewhat aggressive towards Stacey. It felt as if he were accusing her, as his voice increased in volume and the comments became more barbed. Gerald intervened, “Excuse me, Officer. This is a witness statement not a courtroom.”

  The officer moved into defensive mode, “I'm only trying to get the truth.” Gerald gave the officer a dirty stare. Stacey noticed the blood rise in the officer’s neck, but he backed off. She sensed, somehow that he had an ulterior motive. The process took well over two hours, by which time she was exhausted and emotionally drained.

  When they were done, Gerald said goodbye to Stacey. “I will be in touch soon.” He escorted the officers out and left her sitting in the meeting room, her head in her hands.

  Her boss had seen the police officers walking out and came in, “I don't know what is happening, but it looks as if you need sleep. Take the afternoon off and come back tomorrow.”

  She weakly smiled, not quite sure of what to make of her boss’s soft tone, “Thank you, I think I need it.”

  Before heading out of the office, she called Gavin to enquire about Lizzie. He answered, “Hi Stacey. I hope you slept well after our ordeal?”

  She replied, “Well not really. I was rather bruised after Daniella attacked me. I had a hectic night.”

  Gavin was genuinely shocked, “What do you mean attacked you?” She told him what happened at the Spectre house. He was slow to respond, and then said thoughtfully “Funny that. When I went to see Lizzie, I had a sense she was still in danger.” Stacey shivered, and thought, that does not bode well. She had hoped that all the mysterious events involving Lizzie were over, but Gavin’s words appeared to douse the glimmer of hope that she had of things normalising. She felt sympathy for Lizzie, as she had nearly been killed in the car accident that was meant for Stacey. While she was in a coma, Wang’s henchman made a second attempt on Lizzie’s life. Stacey recalled Lizzie’s striking beauty, and hoped that Lizzie would fully recover, both physically and mentally.

  Stacey decided to shut out any negative thoughts and asked, “How is Lizzie doing though?”

  “Much better, she is now fully conscious, but still in some pain, but at least able to talk and sit up. It will take a while, but it looks like she will be fine” replied Gavin, sounding hopeful.

  “Good news indeed,” Stacey said. “However, Gavin, given your sense that she might still be in danger, we need to keep her whereabouts confidential. Somehow, I don't trust Daniella after she attacked me.”

  “I agree,” he replied. They said goodbye and rang off.

  She headed home and after not having eaten much for a few days, she was famished and went to the kitchen to prepare some food. The fridge was rather empty, but she managed to scramble together enough for a wholesome meal. The sun was still shining when she headed to bed and fell into a deep sleep. Thankfully the vivid images seemed to switch off for the night and she woke up feeling refreshed.

  Pulling the bedroom curtains open, she welcomed in the early morning sunshine. She glanced at her phone, to find several messages from Slade. Her attention was drawn to the last message, which had a social media link. She clicked through and found an article titled, Mysterious death of local businessman. She rapidly scanned through it. Most seemed largely fabricated, and whoever wrote it clearly had no facts whatsoever. Then she froze, as the next paragraph had her name included, implying that she could have something to do with the murder of Wilson Spectre. She fumed and shouted at her mobile phone, “It's not me, it's Wang!”

  She called Slade, who answered immediately. “Did you see this nonsense? Who wrote this? They have it all wrong!”

  He replied, “I don't know, but I have already called Gerald, who will call the media house and apply some pressure for a retraction. It is obviously a case of journalistic exuberance.”

  She replied, “This is crazy. Who would want to do this to me?”

  Slade could offer no explanation but instead said gently, “You have survived and beaten the enemy so far, you will do it again. Together, we will fight to clear your name.”

  She sighed tremulously, “Thanks Slade, but this is really scary. I hope this living nightmare stops soon. Anyway, I need to get ready for work. I will call you later.”

  “Let's do dinner,” he said quickly. “I will call Rosa for a table. It has been a while since our Italian friend hosted us in her fabulous restaurant.”

  “That sounds great. See you later,” she said and hung up.

  As she drove to the office, Stacey saw a street vendor selling newspapers at the traffic light, and the headlines screamed out at her, “Murder in the Karoo.” She slowed down and waved the vendor over. She bought a copy and rapidly scanned over the article and stopped when her name jumped out midway through. It also implied that she may have been involved! She slammed her hands onto the steering wheel in frustration.

  At that precise moment, her phone rang, it was Uncle William, “Hi Stacey. Are you OK? I have heard about what happened in the Karoo, and obviously have seen all the hyped-up media reports. I will be in Cape Town later in the week. Let's meet and see how I can support you to get this all resolved.”

  She started crying, as the intensity of the moment was unbearable, and she felt so relieved to hear his voice. “Thank you Uncle William. I'll need all the support I can get. Thank you for having supported me through all the business-related challenges at WKJD as well. I really appreciate it.” He murmured that it was nothing and they ended the call.

  Kate approached her when she walked into the office and gave her a hug, adding, “I know someone is making up a lot of bad stuff about you. I pray that it all gets sorted out soon.”

  Stacey sniffed and wiped her eyes, “Thanks Kate. It’s good to know I have a friend who understands. I really hope all this will end soon.” Despite all the tension, she was able to focus on work, using it as a welcome escape from all the overwhelming thoughts that threatened to engulf her.

  As the day thankfully moved to a close, Slade collected her outside the office building and they drove the short distance to the Italian restaurant. They were greeted by Rosa, the Italian mama who owned the restaurant. She hugged Slade and then turned to Stacey, "I saw the newspapers today. I hope none of it is true?" Stacey could not miss the underlying slightly accusatory tone. She felt cheated and realised with a surge of anger that clearing her name was going to be a battle. She stared at Rosa, wanting to chirp back but then realised it was not her intention to be hurtful. She hastily shook her head in denial.

  They sat at a quiet table, with Slade trying to create conversation, but she was distracted. She saw his lips moving, but she heard no sound, as her thoughts had drifted to Daniella attacking her, the police officer pressurising her and now these media reports. She looked up and asked, “Slade, do you think this is just a journalist’s mistake, or is it some sinister plot by Daniella?”

  He stared back, realising that she had not been listening to him. He took her hand and held it firmly, “I think that Daniella is just angry at losing Wilson, and I personally think it is the newspaper creating hype to capture headlines. Besides, there is no similarity between what you told me and what the articles are saying. I will tackle the issue tomorrow and go and see the journalist myself.”

  Leaning forward, she said earnestly, “Thank you. I'm still anxious, but it is great to know that you are fighting this with me.” He nodded and gently kissed her on the forehead. Their food arrived, and they focused their attention on the delicious caramelised honey and chicken pasta. For a few minutes, she managed to elude the fears, doubts and dreadful thoughts that were niggling her mind.

  Rosa came across, and placed a hand on Stacey's shoulder, “I'm sorry about earlier. I didn’t want to imply that you were involved.”

  “I know Rosa,” she replied, suddenly feeling tearful again. She was unable to finish her food, and politely pushed back the plate. Sla
de had no qualms about finishing off her food. When he was done, he looked up, seeing her staring at him.

  He sheepishly said, “Apologies, I was not going to waste such moreish food.”

  She smiled gently, taking in his rugged good looks, the crop of blonder hair, and as she stared deep into his green eyes, she realised more than ever before what a solid place he had established in her heart. She knew that without Slade over the last few months, she could well have been a disastrous wreck. They wrapped up dinner with a coffee and idle chatter.

  Chapter Three

  Two days later, she awoke to find a text message from Gerald Visser, asking her to call him. It was before six in the morning. She decided to go for a run first, which would allow her to clear her mind. After the run, shower and a light breakfast, she picked up her phone and called him.

  He replied, “Thanks for calling back, Stacey. I'm afraid I have some bad news. You have all been called in for questioning by the police. They want to revisit your affidavits—”

  Stacey picked up on the plural, and interrupted, “Who else is being questioned?”

  Gerald replied, “I see that investigator instinct coming through again. Anyway, to answer, it is Gavin, Daniella and yourself.”

  She was caught off guard, “Why Daniella?”

  He seemed surprised, “I don’t know. Why do you sound so surprised that Daniella is being questioned?” Stacey took a deep breath and told Gerald about how Daniella attacked her and punched her on the nose. He drew a deep breath, and said loudly, “I don’t like this at all. I will insist on being there to protect the family interests. I will send you the address. I need to do some snooping around and make a few enquiries before we meet them.”

  Stacey put down the phone and mulled over why Daniella was involved in the questioning. Standing on the balcony holding a cup of coffee with both hands, she forced her thoughts to go back to the Karoo, trying to recall if there was anything Wang had said that could offer some insights into why Daniella had reacted in the way that she did. She remembered being surprised when Wang suspected Daniella of murdering Kirsten Spectre. The shudder started running slowly down her back, and she suspected that it was probably true. The punch was a guise, but what still really bothered Stacey was how Daniella knew when they would get back to Camps Bay. She knew that she would have to be alert, aware that something else was at play. She said a silent prayer, garnering up all the support and wisdom she could. She wished that Slade could be present to support her, but he had indicated that despite a client deadline, he would be paying a visit to the journalist who had been behind some of the media stories.

  She took a slow drive, and then reluctantly got out of her car, taking the steps up to the police station. Gavin was waiting outside and gave her a hug, “Gerald arrived a few minutes ago. Let’s go in and get this over and done with.” He opened the door and allowed Stacey to enter.

  Standing directly in her path was the burly police officer who had intimidated her a few days earlier. He had his arms crossed and was staring intently at her. Noticing a rather self-satisfied look on his face, she immediately felt apprehensive, and felt her heart beating thunderously inside her chest. He stepped up close to Stacey, and said, “Morning, I’m Inspector Jonas, we met the other day. Follow me.” She paused but felt the comforting hand of Gavin on her shoulder, and noticed Gerald approaching. Inspector Jonas raised his hand at Gerald, and said in an overdramatic, loud voice, “Stay out of this!” At the sound of his loud voice, three additional police officers approached and came up next to the inspector, staring intently back at Gerald.

  Inspector Jonas pointed at two rooms, and Stacey and Gavin were guided in, each to a separate one. Gerald was left standing in the front hall of the police station. As they were on their way in to these offices, an overdressed Daniella entered the police station. Stacey slowed down slightly to get a better look, and in the brief moment before the door was closed, she noticed inspector Jonas greeting Daniella with a broad smile. Once again, she knew that there was something bigger, more sinister, at stake.

  The police officer slammed the door shut and sat opposite Stacey. He read through her previous affidavit, and shook his head on several occasions, eventually looking up, “This does not look good for you. I mean this affidavit sounds improbable. It also contradicts what Gavin had said.”

  Stacey felt anger welling up inside and had to refrain from jumping up. She took a deep breath, and boldly retorted, “That’s nonsense, and it should not contradict what Gavin said. Besides we have the video to prove it.”

  The officer seemed genuinely surprised, but did his best to cover it, “Video? What video? I am not aware of it.” Stacey fumbled, realising that they were not aware of the video. She knew how critical it was, but also did not want the video to get into the wrong hands. The officer stared hard at her, and realised that no response was forthcoming.

  He got up and left the room, leaving Stacey alone. She wondered what was happening in the next room with Gavin, and for that matter, Daniella. After what seemed like an eternity, the police officer returned, and said, “You might be lucky, Gavin has brought the memory stick from a drone, which has the video on it. Our guys are going to have a look at it now.” With that, he barged out again. As he exited, she saw Daniella walking out of the front door. The wait continued for at least an hour, by which time Stacey was pacing impatiently around the confined room. She decided to call Slade and reached for her mobile phone but soon discovered there was no signal at all. She knew that the room was probably jammed to prevent access to a signal.

  While she contemplated her next move, the door was thrown open again, and Inspector Jonas walked in, with an arrogant look plastered all over his face. He pointed at the chair, and she quietly sat down. He towered over the desk and stared at her, his eyes piercing into hers, “There is something about this that I don’t like. The video is empty, nothing on it at all. I think you are guilty; you are covering up something. Just so that you know, you are being formally charged with a double murder.”

  Stacey fell back in disbelief, her whole world seemed to shatter in front of her. But then she thought she couldn’t allow this lie to destroy her. She closed her eyes and plucked up every ounce of courage she could muster, and slowly got up, “I didn’t murder anyone. Someone is behind this, and I will prove my innocence.”

  Her bold reaction caught inspector Jonas by surprise, but he quickly gathered himself, “You are free to go now, we will be drafting a warrant for your arrest today.”

  Stacey walked slowly to the door, making sure she did not turn her back on Jonas. With some relief, she saw Gavin and Gerald waiting for her, but as she walked across, she felt her legs give way. Both of them reached her at the same time and helped her up, guiding her outside into the fresh air. Gerald passed Stacey a bottle of water, “I assume they gave you the same message as Gavin, in that the video was empty, and you are up for murder?”

  She nodded, looking distraught, before turning to Gavin, “I thought the video was real!”

  Gavin looked around first and then looked at her, “It was the real memory stick, and it definitely had the video on it. They obviously deleted it.” She felt her heart drop, before he continued, “Don’t worry, it is not the only copy. I made sure that there are several copies in cyber space. Our video is secure.” She nodded thankfully.

  Gerald jumped in, “Based on my experience, something is horribly wrong. I watched when Daniella came in. Inspector Jonas treated her like royalty, and even took her a cup of tea. There was no way she was being questioned. I have a growing suspicion that she is framing you Stacey. I guess, we are going to have to outsmart her, but I think we will have our work cut out to do so.” Stacey nodded, her mind racing.

  She headed for her car and sat quietly for a minute. She looked into the mirror and stared at herself, surprised at how gaunt and tired she looked. Despite her appearance, she felt a fire of determination lighting up inside of her.

  Chapter Four
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  As she drove off her mobile phone rang, and Slade’s voice came through clearly. “Hi Stacey. How did the questioning go? With Gerald there I assume it was a mere formality?”

  She replied, “Not great, they are formally charging Gavin and me with murder.” All she got was a stunned silence, so asked “How did it go with the journalist?”

  He replied, sounding a bit disheartened, “She was really evasive and would not disclose her sources. I pushed her a bit, and I saw her reacting nervously. I don’t think her sources are credible at all. More importantly though, how can they possibly be charging you with murder?”

  She replied, “I don’t know, but clearly we have some evil and mysterious forces at work. We will have to be on guard as I don’t trust Daniella. She is definitely playing some high-stakes game.”

  Stacey headed back to the office, where she tried her best to lose herself in her work, but her mind was buzzing, trying to unravel the twist that the latest events had brought along. To exacerbate matters she received a text message from Gerald, “I have been trying to intervene through informal channels, but you and Gavin have been formally charged for murder. The state prosecutor has requested that your bail hearing is heard in front of a magistrate, which is most unusual.” She was reeling from the shock of seeing the reality in a message. She tried getting up from the chair, but collapsed, and being unable to pull herself up, she curled up on the office floor and held her knees close to the chest, tears rising in her eyes. “Why me?” she shouted out.