“What sense are they making?”
“Well; that man. In the carpark. He is somehow connected with the Patels. I saw him on a photograph with the family. It's the same man – not many people have facial scars like that. He must be working for them.”
“Lisa?” Sue sounds afraid. “Is he there again?”
“He is. Listen,” Lisa continues. “I'll be alright.”
“You'll call the police?” Sue asks it, urgently.
“Yes. Yes, I will. This is serious. Someone has already gone missing in this case. And I think my chief witness was intimidated before. He's not saying, but he requested safe custody before agreeing to be a witness. I think he's being threatened to keep silent.”
“Hell, L.” Sue sounds worried.
“Quite.”
“Lisa? Please be careful.”
“I will.” Reassuring.
“And you will call the police?”
“Yes. I promise. He's here...they can arrest him right now, if they like. If nothing else, we could likely prosecute him for trespassing.” Lisa grins, trying to sound assured.
“Oh, L.” Sue breathes it; worry and exasperation mixed. Then,
“Call them?”
“I'll do it now. While they still have a chance to get him.”
“Good.” Sue's voice is calm, firm. The sound of home. “You do that. Love you.”
“Love you.”
Lisa puts the phone down. Breathes out. Rests for a moment, the sound of Sue's calm voice soothing her ragged nerves.
She stands, sways back from the window; moves round to the curtain so she can look out, unseen.
The car has gone.
Chapter 11
“Lisa?”
Sue has just arrived home. It is dark in the kitchen. She turns the light on; opens the blind to let in the late sunset's rays. The house is empty; the kitchen warm and still.
“Lisa?” She asks it again. Silence.
In itself, that is not unusual. Lisa is often late from work. Especially if there is heavy traffic, and especially just recently, with all the extra action happening at the firm's office. And besides, it is the day before an important case. Lisa is probably working late; preparing for tomorrow, Sue tells herself.
She takes her shoes off. The tight toes are pressing her feet, making her head ache. She carries them to the bedroom; puts them on the rack in her wardrobe. Goes back to the kitchen.
She cannot help but feel uneasy. Something is worrying her. Feels wrong.
“I'm sure it's nothing.” She tells herself, in a reasonable voice. “You worry too much, Ms Montmorency.”
She paces across the room, looks out at the hills, where the sunset has banked down to fiery coals behind the hills and night is falling fast. She watches the last rays. Pours some water and takes it through to the sitting room.
The television is set on the news. Scenes of chaos; pessimistic reports; violence. Sue switches it off after a minute. She dislikes the news at the best of times. Now, the last thing she needs is depression and violence.
She walks over to the long window at the far wall; watches the gathering blue-grey of evening. Feels the peace settle into her for a moment. Focuses her thoughts.
Someone has left Mozart in the CD player. Lisa. Sue smiles. Lisa likes Mozart; she and Sue bought the complete set together a few months ago, shortly after Lisa permanently moved in. She smiles, remembering back to then. When Lisa decides to do something, she does it swiftly. Within twenty-four hours, all her moveable goods were in the back of her Volvo, and installed in the cupboard or on the shelves in Sue's house. The car had to stay around the side, under the carport; there only being room for one in the designated parking-space built under the house.
They have bought some things together since then. The Mozart CD set; a lamp for the corner, for reading at night. New linen. Other things have come separately. Sue smiles at the porcelain vase that Lisa bought for her, filling the exact space that needed to be filled on the shelf across the room. The soft lighting shines on the pale curves of the porcelain; the veins of blue showing in the design of pure white. Lisa said it reminded her of Sue. Sue smiles; a warmth like pain in her heart.
“Lisa?” She asks herself. She looks at the clock. It reads a few minutes before eight-thirty. It is unlike her to be this late, not without phoning Sue to say she's had a delay of some sort. They always tell each other. It's part of their relationship.
“This is not like her.” Sue says to herself, aloud. Her voice is quiet in the still room; the soft furniture and finish on the paint muting sound.
Sue goes to the hallway; fetches her mobile from her bag. Dials Lisa at work.
The phone rings, and rings. After the eighth ring, Sue drops the call. Calls back. Still no reply.
She phones Lisa's mobile. That also rings off unanswered.
“Lisa?” Sue is worried.
She paces through the house to the kitchen; looks out of the window at the darkness spreading over the hills, thinking. Dials a number.
“Titus?”
“Yes? Titus Mokgotsi here. Can I help you?”
“Titus...This is Sue. Lisa's friend? Could you tell me if you saw Lisa at work after...after four p.m. today?”
“Hey! Ms Montmorency?” Titus sounds enthusiastic. “Yes. I saw Lisa. She was there when I left, at about five. Why?”
Lisa feels reassured at the tone, and at the confirmation that Lisa was at work after four; when she called to say she'd found the identity of the watcher.
“No..not to worry, Titus. I think I'm being silly.”
“No way. If you're worried, it's not silly.” He sounds genuinely concerned. “L has been really jumpy lately; stressed. This case is...not good. Not safe.”
“I know, Titus.” Sue's voice is stiff with worry.
“Well, she was fine when I left.” He confirms. “That seems a good thing.”
“It does.” Sue is relieved.
“You called her?”
“Yes, I did. There was no reply.”
“Hell.” Titus breathes out, heavily. Then, “Well, that might not be a bad thing...perhaps she's driving?” He asks, sounding hopeful. 'You'd rather she didn't talk if she was driving. You know Lisa,” he continues. “A hands-free set for her means that she's driving with her knees.”
They both laugh. “Yes. That's true.” Sue says, voice warm.
“Well, I'll keep an eye out, and if I hear anything, I'll call.” Titus offers.
“Do that.” Sue affirms. “And...thank you.”
“No problem.”
After she has hung up, Sue wanders back to the sitting room. She leaves her mobile on the counter, and sits on the velvety leather couch, her knees curled underneath her.
Titus is probably right. She is probably driving. Sue lets herself relax, settled somewhat by his lively enthusiasm; his inability to be discouraged or deterred. The relief of tension flows through her. She is still worried, but less so. The tension of the day and the demands of work and meetings flow through her, exhausting her. She dozes.
Sue is woken a few minutes later from her doze by the sound of her mobile. She reaches for it groggily, the light low and her mobile somewhere on the counter behind her. Her fingers find it, open the message. It is a text message, from Lisa.
‘Kidnapped.’
Sue feels herself grow cold. Her mind stops. Does not understand the word. She reads it again; slowly; each letter flowing in at its own time through the numbing worry. Her brain wraps itself around the word trying to deny it; to believe it isn't true. She clicks “Call”, holds the mobile to her ear. The line on the other side is cut off. Engaged. The tone of it rings off into the darkness.
I Stand With You - Book 3
Chapter 1
It is dark outside. So dark; the starlight stark on the shadow of the ridge outside.
Sue is opposite her window in the darkness of the kitchen, but she is not looking out at the stark, silent beauty of the night.
“
Hello? This is Sue Montmorency; Gold Ridge Mines? Yes. Yes, I'm well. I'm calling to report a missing person.”
Sue's voice is rising with frustration and panic, each second she is delayed.
As she suspected, her status as CEO of one of the country's most prosperous mines brings a quicker response than she might otherwise enjoy from the police.
“When did you notice the disappearance?”
“About two hours ago.”
Sue's voice, despite her composure, is trembling. Lisa, her partner, has been missing for at least that long, and each second could make things more dangerous for her, wherever she is.
“You can provide a description?”
“Yes. Tall woman, late thirties; long red hair. Brown eyes.” Sue's voice softens, describing Lisa.
“She went missing from work?”
“Yes. Yes, I think so. The last time I heard from her, she was at work. In her office, at Naidu and Marsden law firm.”
“So that was the last place she was seen?”
“Yes. I think so.”
“We will send a team round to you for information, and another to start the search. If anything else happens before they arrive, please keep us informed.”
“Yes. Thank you. Yes, I will.”
Sue is distracted; pacing. She cannot stop the rising panic; she is trembling with concern and worry.
The click of the phone being put down on the other side leaves her alone again, locked in her doubts and fears. She paces the room, unable to sit still; unwilling to contemplate anything too closely.
As one of the country's top corporate defense lawyers, Lisa has a dangerous job. So many people could bear a grudge against her. And with this latest case...Lisa had said there was something strange going on; that she felt she was being followed. And now this.
Sue looks back at her mobile, reading the last message from Lisa: “kidnapped”.
That was half an hour ago now. Sue has tried so many times to call Lisa, but the phone is unresponsive. Where is Lisa? Who has her? And why?
Who would know the answer?
Sue stops pacing a moment; stands and thinks.
Titus. Lisa's colleague and trusted friend. He will know where Lisa was. He might even have seen her leave, or seen who she was with before she went missing.
Sue has his number after meeting him at a luncheon for Lisa's work promotion. She finds it on her mobile; calls it.
“Titus?”
“Hey?”
The voice is relaxed, as if disturbed in sleep. A slight African accent, overlaid with years of education in college and the law-courts.
“Titus. It's Sue. Montmorency? Lisa's partner.”
“Hey, Susan.”
Titus' voice is still lazy, but warmer, now, than it had been. “Can I help you? What's the matter? You sound...stressed.”
“I am stressed, Titus. It's...Lisa hasn't come back home tonight. And I received a message from her mobile. It said “kidnapped.” I am...more than worried.”
There is a moment of silence on the other side of the telephone.
“Titus? You're still there?”
“Yes. Yes, I am. That's...terrible. Are you sure?”
Strange, how the mind always questions such things.
“Yes. I am sure. It's her number. But I can't get through to her, Titus.” Sue's voice comes out in a strangled sob. She puts her hand to her throat, holds it; tries to keep the sobs inside.
“...Sorry.” Her voice is still choked. “I can't...can't...”
“Hey. Susan.” Titus' voice is mellow; measured; low. “It's okay.”
“I wish it was.” Sue is sobbing now; bent over with one hand braced on the counter, hot tears running down her cheeks; the other hand holding the phone and trying to mop away the tears.
“Can I come over?” Titus sounds concerned.
“Please do.” Sue's voice is small.
“I'll be there soon. You just hold on. Don't go anywhere.”
“I won't.”
Half an hour later, and Titus is at the door of Susan's stylish home at the top of the hill, overlooking the dark stillness of the nighttime town.
“You've called the police?”
Titus asks, sitting in Sue's sitting-room, a mug of hot coffee held between his cupped hands. Sue is on the elegant white sofa opposite, her legs curled under her, a cup of tea on the counter behind her. She looks worried, exhausted, but still beautiful; the pale light from through the window shining on her pale hair and making it glow softly.
“Yes. They said they'd send a team here to ask for information, and another to town, to her office.”
Sue pauses, then continues. “That was almost an hour ago, now.”
“Yes. They take their time.”
Titus' voice is mild, inscrutable. “We'll just have to wait.”
They sit in silence for a moment.
“Lisa...” Sue starts; pauses to clear her throat, tight with emotion. “Lisa was...she felt in danger on this case she was working on. Said she was being watched.”
“I think she was. She showed me the car outside.”
“Did you...did you see her leave work?”
“No.” Titus looks pained; his head lowered as he watches the liquid reflections on the coffee's surface.
“No. She never left before me. Ever.” He smiles at that. “You know Lisa...she was addicted to her work.”
“Yes. She was. Is. Titus? She is...she is going to be alright, isn't she?”
A small voice; asking for reassurance as a child might ask it; with hope mixed with terror.
“I...I don't know. We can't know.”
Titus looks down, shakes his head. Then continues,
“...But I do know I will stay here tonight...If you like, that is. If they've come after one of you...I can't risk that I let them hurt you as well.”
“I don't...I don't think they even know me, Titus.”
“If it's the people from the case; maybe no.”
“It must be.”
“We don't know.” Titus says reasonably.
“No. We don't know.” Sue agrees. “Thank you, Titus. I would like it if you stayed here tonight. I would feel...safer. Less...alone.”
“No problem, Ms M.”
They sit in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts and worries.
“I...” Sue starts. Downstairs, the doorbell rings.
“It's the police, I think.” Sue is half-rising to answer the door; her white dress gathered in one hand as she swings her legs from the couch.
“I'll get it.”
“No...no. It's alright, Titus. I'll go and let them in.”
Sue lifts herself to her full height, squares her shoulders and sniffs, stiffly. She might be lost in the sheer nightmare of Lisa's kidnapping, but she is Susan Montmorency, CEO of Gold Ridge Mines, and she is redoubtable. Remote. Unassailable. Her face is stiff and still as she walks down the stairs, a slight, slim woman with achingly-straight posture; pale and slender in the wan light from the windows.
“Hello?”
“Inspector Nozamo from the police. You are Mrs Montmorency?”
“Ms Montmorency.” She is about to shake hands, somehow the structured politeness of introduction is reassuring; automatic. Something she does every day.
“Right, Ms Montmorency. Let's get down to business.”
There are three policemen in the hallway now; boots on the white carpet; their eyes roaming over the pictures, rare china and porcelain decorating the hallway walls. Sue feels strangely uncomfortable with their presence here.
“If you'll come up?” She gestures to the stairs, smiles with forced brightness; reverting to perfect, chilled hostess polish.
She leads the way up the stairs to the main sitting-room, where Titus is already rising from his seat to greet them.
“Hello. Titus Mogkotsi. Naidu and Marsden law firm.” He says it smoothly.
The inspector looks unimpressed. Blinks once. “You worked with Ms Marsden, yes?”
“Yes.” Titus affirms, standing his ground; the still-polite smile broad on his face, and only slightly frozen.
“Well, perhaps we can ask you a few questions?”
Sue takes a seat beside Titus on the main couch, and the policeman lowers himself onto the white one. Sue swallows the protest at the dirty marks from his boots. Nothing else matters now. These men could find Lisa. That is all that matters.
They start asking questions. Sue and Titus do their best to answer.
“Anything else?” he asks, finally. They are all standing, ready for the police to take their leave. Sue has risen to escort them downstairs and out of the front entrance.
“I'll...I'll keep phoning Lisa? Maybe she will be able to reply.” She asks; her mobile in one hand.
I Stand With You (Gold Streaks Book 1) Page 10
