Deadline

by Zaheera Walker

  “Forgive me. I’m just getting carried away.” His humour dried out and he cleared his throat. “The suspect cut his wrist with a blunt object. The prison staff found him

  hanging from a bar and cut him down.”

  “That doesn’t look good now, does it?”

  “Not for him, it doesn’t, but, for the case, it’s good. Shows that he is cracking up. Maybe willing to plead guilty. We must be hopeful.”

  “Is he all right now? Will he be strong enough to stand trial?”

  “You don’t have to worry about that. A psychologist is working with him and I’ve been told he is co-operating.”

  “I’ll tell Feriyal you called. Any idea when the trial starts?”

  “In two weeks. She’ll have to be in court. Someone will serve her with papers. Tell her not to worry. Everything is going according to plan.”

  ***

  “Can you set the table, please? Everything should be ready in the next ten minutes.” She slipped on her oven gloves and peeked through the window.

  “Whatever it is you are making smells divine. Do you know it’s the first meal you’re preparing for us?”

  “I know. Why do you think I’m nervous? Been checking the oven for the last twenty minutes. The salad’s right over there.” She pointed to the wooden bowl near the sink.

  “Did you make this on your own?” He crunched a strip of green pepper.

  “It’s much tastier than the one I buy.”

  “Well, I hope this is going to be as good.” She placed a steaming dish between them. “Tuna pie. Nothing fancy, I’m afraid. I want to start simple before I move on to other things.”

  He cut a piece and forked it into his mouth. His eyes shut. Nothing but his mouth moved. “Delicious. What are you waiting for? Tuck in.”

  Relief swept over her. “Glad you like it. I’ve never made

  this before. Saw a recipe in a magazine today. Thought I’d give it a try.”

  “Well, if you turn out dishes this good, then you can take the liberty of preparing all our meals.”

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I did mention on the day we decided to move in together that I do not like cooking. That might change in the future, but for now we’ll just have to see how it goes.”

  “No problem. I love being in the kitchen, so we don’t have to worry about our stomachs being empty!”

  “I’ll clear up after and you can do the dishes.”

  “Like I said, it’s not a big task. I just shove it all into the dishwasher and everything takes care of itself.” Shane picked the last crumb off his plate and realised he had eaten more than a fair share. “At this rate, I am going to pack on weight.” He burped his satisfaction and held his hand in front of his mouth. “Excuse me.”

  “Well, that’s a compliment to my cooking.” She stacked the plates and carried them into the kitchen.

  “I’ll sort the washing and make us some coffee. Why don’t you relax in the lounge?”

  “Sounds like a good idea. My feet are sore.” She blew him a kiss and disappeared down the passage.

  ***

  “There you go, babe. Strong and sweet, just the way you like it.” Hempassed a mug to her and sat down.

  Click. She switched on the TV and flicked the channels.

  “Is there anything you want to watch tonight?”

  “Not really. The programming content is not that interesting.”

  “Oh my God. Look at this!” She turned up the volume.

  It was the news at eight. “My nightmare is about to begin.” “The Phoenix serial killer trial is set to begin in the

  Durban High Court next month.”

  She switched off the TV and curled up on the sofa.

  “What am I going to do?”

  “Shane called me today. He said it was set down for the second week in March.” He nudged closer and lay on her stomach. “Sorry you had to find out this way. I didn’t know it was going to make the news tonight.”

  “Did he tell you what happens now?”

  “Just that you’ll be notified when you take the stand. Oh, and while we were busy with the wedding, there were a few developments. The suspect tried to commit suicide.”

  “He never struck me as a weakling. Why would he want to end his life?”

  “They got to him in time. A psychologist is working with him and Smith thinks he’ll be well enough to go to court.”

  “I’m tired of living in fear. The sooner I face this trial, the faster I can put it behind me.”

  “That’s the spirit, babe. I’ll be by your side throughout this trial. Always.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  “There you go. Take two of these when you get to court. The pharmacist said it works within minutes.” He fastened his seatbelt and looked both ways before easing into the traffic.

  “Calmettes.” She pulled out the card of pills and wondered if they were going to put her nerves to rest. “Hope these little goodies are going to help. Just to get through this day, I’ll try anything.”

  Shane focussed on the road. He didn’t want her to see the stress lines marking across his face. “Glad everything is progressing smoothly. Once this is behind us, we can concentrate on the future.”

  “I want that more than anything.”

  He dropped a gear and turned towards the court. “Good heavens. Word spreads around fast. Look at the photographers and reporters.”

  He evaded the news tent and parked in the basement reserved for his court reporters.

  She washed down the pills with a sip of water and emerged to meet her fate. “Let’s do this thing. Come what may, I am ready to face it.” Her balance was a tad wobbly, but she pulled herself together. I don’t feel too good. My head hurts. I want to throw up. Why now? Let’s hope it’s just the nerves and nothing more.

  They clasped hands and climbed the steps. Shane went ahead to check the court roll, but decided to flag down a court orderly. It was much easier that way.

  “Right this way.” He led them to the last courtroom on that level. “It’s the only matter on the roll today, but grab a seat in the front. It’s going to be a packed gallery.”

  Time passed, minute by minute. Feriyal rested her head on Shane’s shoulders. The darkness toyed with her mind. Butterflies winged in her stomach. She heard muffled voices and the rattle of chains behind the heavy door. This is it. There’s no turning back now.

  He came up from the holding cell, sandwiched between two armed guards. Nobody wanted to take a chance. His head was bowed.

  Where is she? I have to see her. There are things I need to say. Then it happened. He turned to the gallery and his eyes darted from face to face. There. He found her and his soul came alive.

  She gasped and squeezed her eyes shut tightly. “Help. Me. Shane. Something’s not right.” The sharp pain of the fall came first. Then everything went black.

  “Are you all right?” The guards restrained him before he reached her. The bigger one wielded his baton and smashed in his cheekbones. He lost his balance and tumbled down the stairs. “Just let me see her. Please.” The key turning in the lock barred him from her. “Call an ambulance. Quick. ” He looked helpless kneeling beside her… dabbing her forehead; giving her the kiss of life; searching for a pulse. “Stay with me, babe. We’re gonna get you to a hospital.”

  ***

  “That’s a nasty gash on your forehead, Mrs Black.” The doctor turned her head to the side and eyed the wound.

  “Mmmm. Nothing we can’t fix.”

  He made eye contact with Shane. “Hi. You must be Mr Black. Pleased to meet you. I’m Doctor Naidoo.”

  “Pleasure meeting you and thanks for looking after my wife.”

  “I guess you’re both wondering what happened. Well, there’s good news and bad news.”

  Shane could not meet her gaze. She was too numb to realise this. He turned away from the doctor and kissed her head. His tears conditioned her hair. “Life just hits you all at once, doesn’t it? Go o
n, then. Don’t keep us in suspense.

  What’s wrong with her?”

  The doctor was too busy doodling in the file to notice anything.

  “Mmm. Bad news is she needs to change her lifestyle. No more rushing around, drinking coffee and pushing herself too hard. At least for the next three months.”

  “So the fall this morning could have been stress related?”

  “Let me finish. Mrs Black.” A smile warmed his clinical look. “You are eleven weeks pregnant. Congratulations.”

  ***

  “Stop the press. There’s breaking news.”

  Everyone raced around for details. It was 6:30am! Way too early for drama. Court had been adjourned when the star witness had fainted yesterday. Now a press conference.

  What was going on?

  “Hi, Charmaine. Hate to buzz you this early, but I’m losing my mind. Can’t seem to reach Feriyal or Shane. I heard what happened to her yesterday. Is everything all right?”

  “Anne? All I know is everything took a toll on her. She’ll be taking it easy for a few days. Anyway, I’ve been up for a while. Just heard about the press conference. It is on the news. Is that why you’re calling?”

  She was breathing heavily into the mouthpiece. She had never missed a scoop in her career, but now she had nothing. “Yes. It’s at the police headquarters. Where’s Shane?

  Does he know what this is about?”

  “He didn’t return after the drama at court. Asked me to screen his calls and change meetings around. Afraid I don’t know much about the conference. Maybe one of our reporters can help.” She squinted at the hands on the clock. “You’re out of luck, though. Way too early for anyone to be at the office. Don’t have their cell phone numbers on me right now.”

  ***

  “Members of the media, ladies and gentlemen. Good morning. Thank you all for joining us at such short notice.” Director Carolyn James sipped her coffee and perused her notes. Her eyes were heavy with sleep, but she had to keep awake. “This is the first time in my work history I had to call a press conference just as a gripping trial is about to start. How do I say this?”

  “Just say it, Director. Our readers are waiting to hear what happens next.” Aneel thrived on sensational pieces. He was irritated too, because he had no direct contact with Feriyal.

  “Captain Smith, I’m Anne Jones from the Daily Voice.

  We bumped into each other at the Black’s wedding. How are you?”

  “Oh hi. Nice seeing you again. Despite the circumstances.” He folded his arms and looked ahead. “I’d be doing a whole lot better if I knew what was going on.”

  “Nice seeing you too, Captain.” She shook his hand. “Guess you’re in the same boat as me then, hey. I’m just filling in for our court reporter and can’t seem to find the right people to talk to.”

  A dark-haired man crossed his lips with his index finger.

  “Ssh... we’re trying to hear what she’s saying.”

  “At 10pm last night, I got word the suspect wanted to make a statement. This was after he consulted with his psychologist and attorney. The official document was emailed to me and other senior authorities.”

  She waved a sheet of white paper at them. “I have it right here with me. You’ll get a copy at the end.”

  An international correspondent asked his cameraman to zoom in on her. “This has never happened before. After all the time you spent hunting this man, you now choose to give him a platform. Why should anyone care at this stage? We are just lucky one victim is still breathing today. Any word on her condition yet?”

  “I understand your concern. In a dramatic turn of events, the suspect stated he no longer wants to waste the court’s time. He wrote the statement on his own. He is taking responsibility for everything the state is charging him with.”

  Cell phones beeped; some walked out to make contact with their offices, voices pitched louder. It was chaos.

  Smith coughed up a smoking surprise. “I pray his reason is well worth the stress he put the entire police force through.”

  Anne wasn’t paying much attention to him. “Imagine the headlines. The trappings of a book deal. Even a movie.” Her eyes grew with fascination.

  “Either way, this is going to make for interesting reading. What are his relatives saying?”

  “Doesn’t look like he has anyone other than his mother. She is in denial. Insists the police are framing him.”

  “Shame. Can’t be easy for a mother to hear such things about her own flesh and blood.”

  Someone from Phoenix Radio hit record on her machine. “What does the main witness have to say about this? I hear she lived in Phoenix at some stage.”

  “She is recovering from the incident in court yesterday. Her cell phone is switched off, but I left a message for her to call me. It’s true she lived in the area, but she has since moved away.”

  “We’ve lost enough time as it is, but I have to ask one last question. Why the sudden change of heart?”

  “That is in his statement. Turns out he grew fond of her. He opened up to her. She did what others couldn’t. She listened. News of her marriage made him angry. Then he saw her collapse and everything changed.” She skimmed through the statement for clarity. “He said nobody treated him with kindness before. That he’ll never know if she was genuine or not. He saw fear in her eyes yesterday and he realised then it was not fair to torment her any further.”

  Smith let out an unusual laugh; a mixture of frustration and humour.

  “What a rare phenomenon; a serial killer with a conscience. Now that should go down in history.”

  “It’s wise to acknowledge this statement considering he raped and strangled women, but… is he of sound mind? Can you take the chance and acknowledge everything? Have you thought about the consequences?”

  “All those factors have been taken into account. The psychologist advised the statement was genuine and should be taken as the truth.”

  “Does he understand this is not going to make things easy? That punishment will still be meted out to him?”

  “He fully accepts the punishment will be in line with his crime. We no longer have the death penalty in our country, but he was willing to hang for all his actions.”

  “There will be a judgement and then the sentencing, right?”

  “Correct. Legal officials are looking at this case and making a decision on the way forward. What I do know is that a decision was made to have that done on camera.”

  “No ways. We have a right to be in court. It’s in the interest of the public.”

  “I hear your point, Aneel, but I am just telling you about a decision that was made today. Feel free to lodge a complaint with the attorney general.” She neatened the pile of papers in front of her and pushed back the chair. “If there are no further questions, this meeting is now over.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  “Everything is falling into place. Our baby looks healthy and

  I am counting the days to the birth.” She studied the ultrasound image taken earlier. “If only this little monster wasn’t camera shy, I would know if I should go with blue or pink for the nursery.”

  “Don’t think I want to know the sex beforehand. It will ruin the joy of parenthood, don’t you think?”

  “That’s true. I want to be surprised as well, but sometimes there’s a little part of me that wants to know.”

  “Oh babe.” He pulled her close and kissed the veil of curls multiplying in her pregnant state. “We’ll be together when the baby arrives. That will be the best gift.”

  “Have you given any thought about names?”

  “I’m not a creative man. We’ll leave that to you. Whatever you choose, I know it will suit our baby.”

  “Darius is the name I fancy for our son. If it’s a girl, I want to name her Imaan.”

  “Mmm. Imaan. That’s a beautiful name. What does it mean?”

  “Faith. It was faith that brought me back to you. I want our daughter to know t
hat, if she has courage and conviction in her heart, she can achieve anything she desires.”

  “Done. Our daughter will be named Imaan.”

  They stopped at the hospital cafeteria for a light breakfast. The aroma of chocolate muffins and sandwiches was too good to resist. “Give me a mega coffee. My wife will have the Five Roses tea. Bring us one muffin to share, please.” He placed the order at the cashier and led her to a corner table.

  “Do you have a hectic day ahead?”

  “Not really. Just a planning meeting this afternoon. We want to expand the paper and secure more advertisers. Boring stuff, but someone’s got to do it. Why?”

  “Just asked. No special reason.” She folded her serviette into a fan and fluttered it in front of her face.

  “Are you okay, babe? You seem a thousand miles away.

  Do you still have nightmares?”

  “I’m over that. The fear is dead and buried. Sometimes I wonder if things could have been different. He had his whole life ahead of him. All he will see now are the prison walls. Locked away for six hundred and fifty years. He’ll never experience love or hear his children cry. I feel for him.” She tossed aside the fan and shielded her face.

  “You have the biggest heart. To feel sadness for someone who hurt you is amazing. Maybe you should keep a journal. That could be the first step towards healing. I’m no counsellor, but I think writing about stuff helps you heal.” A waiter brought their order to the table. “Coffee for you, sir. Tea for the lady. There are two side plates for the muffin. Let me know if you need anything else.”

  Dear Vishen,

  Thank you for being brave. It was a big decision you made. I will always wonder what brought about the change. A part of me believes you did it for me. To save me from the

  stress of the trial. I appreciate it.

  I think about you every day. Try to question if things could have been different. Whether you would have been happy if your parents had raised you together. If you fell in love and chased the goals you set for yourself. I guess I’ll always wonder.

  Do you believe in reincarnation? Maybe in the next life you will experience all that I hold dear in my heart. Faith, love, happiness and hope. I trust the time away from society is helping you to find answers and healing.