Tokodi put down his phone in frustration. He had been trying to call Tracy without success for a while now. Several days had gone by since Tanasha’s burial and that was the last time that they had spoken. Tokodi had driven past her place twice now but she wasn’t available. Her car was always parked at the apartment complex but she was never there. Tokodi went through the morning with complex emotions as he wondered where Tracy could be, she was not one to disappear without a word. They had grown closer in the recent past and he knew she would not just disappear. A call came through when he was almost heading out to lunch and he reluctantly received it.
“Speak,” he said arrogantly.
“Tokodi, it’s Tracy. I’m at the West Square police station. Please come for me,” the caller said. Tokodi was shocked for a minute then
Tracy stirred herself out of sleep as the hip hop music got louder and louder. She stretched in bed and smiled as the warm fluffy blanket wrapped itself around her naked body. The bed was a big mess and she could not tell where the bedsheets were. She spotted a pillow on the floor beside the bed as she stood up and wrapped herself in the blanket. The open wardrobe showed an assortment of clothes and she wore one of the oversized t-shirts that had been neatly folded. She collected various articles of clothing on her way to the door and she stacked them on a chair. She neatly spread the bed once she located all the linen and then headed towards the kitchen. That was where the loud music was coming from. She was surprised to find Tokodi cooking yet again.“You know you could have just woken me up instead of blasting this music so loud,” Tracy said when she got to him. She hugged him from beh
It had been three months since Ella had been accused of orchestrating the attack on Victoria’s house. Ella had since disappeared without a trace and several people were looking for her. The first was Victoria. Victoria had made plans with the intelligence agencies to watch Victoria so as to control her subsequent actions. She had agreed with the authorities that clashing with individuals within diplomatic circles was not feasible. The agreement reached had been to leave Victoria out of the report that mentioned Ella’s release, on condition that Ella’s whereabouts were observed at all times.On the morning when Ella left Eddie’s house, several people were supposed to be keeping watch. Victoria had posted several men at all the exits and she was sure that Ella would not leave undetected. However, Ella had observed these strangers the night before and made note of their faces. He
Tracy kicked off her shoes and walked into the house. She walked into the living room and plugged in her phone to the charger. She noticed it was still early so she decided to take a long bath and wash away her exhaustion. But first she went to the kitchen and placed some marinated chicken and potatoes in the oven to roast. After her long shower, she sat in the living room ready to watch a movie. Tokodi came in about an hour later.“Welcome home,” Tracy said as Tokodi sat beside her and kissed her forehead.“Thank you sweetie. What smells so good?” he asked.“Roast chicken and potatoes,” she said.“Nice. Let me take a shower and then we ‘ll eat.” he said and left the room. Tokodi took his shower quickly and was
“You’ve been quiet for too long,” Tracy said to Tokodi. They were still seated on the floor and Tracy had confessed everything to Tokodi, but excluded the part where she once thought of ending Tanasha’s life. The accident had taken that out of her hands so she felt vindicated and chose to bury this. She explained her situation and how she had accepted Blake’s extra work in exchange for the large amounts of money she needed to maintain her sister’s lifestyle plus the blackmailer's constant demands.“How much have you paid your blackmailer so far?” Tokodi asked.“A little over two million. Maybe more. He would trick Tanasha many times when she was drunk so she paid him double in some months.”“What makes you think giving him more money will satisfy him?
Ella was at the bus park waiting for the bus to depart for the capital city. She was returning to the city and she couldn't help but feel a measure of anxiety when she remembered how she had left the city. Ella had gone to great lengths to create a new persona for herself. To maintain it she needed to go back to the capital city. The sound of hawkers and transport operators at the bus park reminded Ella of the first day when she arrived at this town. She had been afraid and had no idea where to start from. She had wandered not too far from the bus park until she had seen a poster advertising a technical training school. The college only required identification for admission. Ella decided to enrol for a two week tiling course as she thought of what to do with herself.The two weeks had gone by fast and Ella had learned how to install wall and floor tiles. She had made many new friends at the institute and t
“So you were robbed on your first day back?I can’t help but find it funny,” Eddie said to Ella. She had showered and changed into fresh clothes and she was explaining what events had led her to this point.“It's a tragic comedy. I’m just glad I carried all my work gear today. I would be budgeting for new tools now,” she said. Ella was watching Eddie lay out the array of food that they were to have for supper. They had both brought over take away . The food ended up being plenty and it looked like a feast. Ella served herself and the two began eating while catching up. Ella detailed the weird robbery and the unassuming receptionist that had done nothing to help her.“So how did you survive in another city? I thought it was much more insecure there considering you were all alone in a new place. Didn’t you stan
“What is going on? Why does it sound like there are dozens of children here?” Blake asked as he walked into the house after work. Both children were crying while two adults were shouting. No one seemed to hear Blake so he walked up the stairs towards the nursery. The noise got louder as he came closer and closer. He opened the door while the cries of Clara intensified.“Why are the children crying while the two of you are bickering like market women?” Blake asked. He picked up Clara whom Jason was rocking gently. She was wrapped in a towel while Jason was only wearing a pair of shorts. Jason was also crying and he hugged Blake’s leg while sniffling silently. Clara had started calming down and her breathing was slowing down steadily. She held onto Blakes shirt tight and lay on his chest.“Someone had better say som
The end of Ella’s contract was drawing closer and closer. Her team was exceedingly efficient and it looked like they would be able to finish everything before schedule. Ella was feeling pensive about this because she was getting accustomed to Eddie’s company every evening. He would come over after work and they would have dinner together. Their conversations were long and intense and their friendship had blossomed further. Ella would miss these social interactions because they were rare. Her team only interacted socially during lunch breaks and the one time celebration once each contract was over. The other girls in the team sometimes went shopping together and Ella joined them once in a while. Ella always felt uncomfortable as the girls were younger than her and they displayed some youthful exuberance. Ella was also not interested in the nights out in the club. That was why Eddie’s wholesome company was precious to Eddie.
“Dad, if you were in my shoes what would you do to your parents?” Blake asked when they were left alone.“Son, it’s been a long day. Let me go and get checked by a real professional. We can discuss other things later,” Aurelia said.“Your daughter in law just saved your life yet you cannot give her the slightest bit of respect?” Mr Raymond asked.“I don’t have a daughter in law. Besides, I didn’t ask her to touch me with her filthy hands,” Aurelia said. Blake’s eyes turned ice cold.“Your stinking attitude just made things much easier for me mum. As of two hours ago, your passport has been recalled and you no longer have diplomatic immunity. There are some people outside who will escort you out
“What is the meaning of this?” Aurelia asked.‘Have a seat mum,” Blake said as he sat down and pulled Ella on the seat next to him. His parents sat down reluctantly while Blake dismissed the security personnel.“Mum, please meet the governor Richard and his girlfriend Jessica. I’m sure you have met Kevin before,” Blake said.“I have never seen that man in my life,” Aurelia said haughtily.“Well, let me play a little video that will help you jog your memory,” Blake said. The tv switched on to show Rose, Kevin and Aurelia in a luxury hotel having dinner in a private room. Their conversation revolved around building a solid case that would ensure that Ella was put behind bars. Ella was so shocked that s
The VIP lounge at the airport had suddenly turned to a buzz as a certain celebrity came into the country. Mrs Aurelia Raymond took advantage of the chaos to slip out of the lounge and into the company of Rose. Aurelia had spotted one of Blake’s men waiting for her but she wanted to bypass him so she could communicate with Rose without any interception.“Why did you take so long?” Rose asked irritably.“I think you have forgotten who I am, young lady. I don’t owe you any explanations,” Aurelia said. She took out her compact kit and began dusting her face.“I’m sorry madam. I’m just a little anxious,” Rose said as she rolled her eyes. If it wasn’t for the fact that she had been unable to infiltrate the Raymonds finances then she wouldn
“What do you want to do today?” Richard asked Jessica. They had returned to the hotel room after the buffet breakfast and Jessica was reading a book.“I thought I would buy some gifts for the children,” Jessica said.“Ok. I’ll come with you,” Richard said.“Are you not going to visit Eddie?” Jessica asked.“We can go in the afternoon,” Richard said.“I wanted to talk to you about something,” Jesssica said.“I’m listening.”“I was just wondering what you did with Kevin,” Jessica said. Richard’s face darkened and
It was the weekend and Tokodi and Tracy woke up mid morning. They showered together and changed, then packed all of Tracy’s things and headed home. Tracy was eager to open her gifts and she began to do so. Each gift was thoughtful and impressive and Tracy ended up showering Tokodi with many kisses. By the time she opened all the gifts, Tokodi was feeling like the king of the universe. He helped Tracy to unpack and arrange her jewellery, clothes and appliances that he had bought her. Tracy looked as happy as a child eating ice cream, and she even shed a few tears when Tokodi said that he had bought all those gifts to celebrate their engagement. Later that afternoon, Tokodi went out to buy some groceries and toiletries while Tracy cleaned up the house. He had been itching to leave the house so that he could attend a meeting with Blake.Tokodi had woken up that morning and taken Blake’s numb
Back at the Raymond residence, there was confusion and excitement amongst the staff. Only one driver was aware of when Ella had returned, and he explained how he had simply picked her up from an apartment complex. He had been with the Raymond family for years and he knew how to be discreet while releasing just enough information to generate some counter intelligence. The man could clearly recall the animated conversation which he had subsequently narrated to Blake.“Are you sure you picked her up from an apartment? I was there when the police dragged her out of the house. Blake must have picked her up from a police station,” Dora said. She had come downstairs with rage and explained to the other staff members how Blake’s criminal ex-wife had sneaked back into the house.“We picked her up at a middle class estate. I don&
“You are a really good dancer,” Tokodi said to Tracy when she returned from the dance floor. She took a large gulp of her drink and sat down.“You should join me for the next one,” Tracy said as she tapped her foot in rhythm to the music.“I have two left feet,” Tokodi said as he watched the flushed look on Tracy’s face. They had decided to enter this night club when Tracy heard the invigorating music from outside. He was accompanying her as she went to pick up her things from the serviced apartment she had been staying at.“How do you get sleep with this noise?” Tokodi asked. The serviced apartment was adjacent to the club and the walls were literally vibrating because of the beat.&ldqu
“Is everything okay?” Jessica asked Richard. He was staring at his phone during breakfast and had barely touched his food.“I’ve been trying to call Eddie since last night. The phone keeps ringing and he doesn’t respond,” Richard said.“That is odd. Do you think maybe he left the phone in his car? It’s still early in the morning and he may not have noticed,” Jessica said. Richard shook his head in disagreement.“He doesn’t usually leave his phone unattended. His work calls come in at all times of the day,” Richard said.“Maybe I should call Ella. She may know where it is since they work together and they are dating,” Jessica said. Richard nodded in approval and Jessica removed her phone f
Ella woke up feeling confused in her new home with Blake. She stirred out of sleep and looked around the elegant bedroom tastefully furnished with brown and white hues. She sat up wondering how she had ended up in bed while all she could remember was drinking milk and eating cookies at the sofa.Ella took a cold shower and dressed as she wondered If Eddie and Bryer were ok. She looked around and could not see any of the bloody clothes from the day before. Ella used the brand new toiletries that had been laid out and she finished getting ready.She was feeling a little hungry and wondered what time it was. There was no clock in the bedroom and she still had no idea where her phone was. Her phone had been in her handbag which had remained in Eddie’s car. Tracy felt tears fill her eyes when she remembered how Eddie had been shot. She had never known that Blake could be so violent and cruel. The mem