An Ordinary Day (29 page)

Stephanie gasped and then cupped her hands around Durant’s ear. ‘This wine’s
R
200 a bottle!’ she whispered.

Durant winked. ‘Sorry you had to wait until your thirty-second birthday before I bought you decent wine.’

‘And this restaurant. You’re really spoiling me, are you sure about this?’

‘I told you in the hospital that I had a birthday surprise for you.’

A violinist appeared at the table and began to play
Happy Birthday
.

Stephanie’s eyes filled with tears and she closed them.

‘You seem a hundred percent better to me. So I think we can celebrate, don’t you?’

‘I feel so much better. Thank you so much for this.’ She took his hand gently and fought back the tears to utter the words. ‘I love you so much and I’m so sorry about …’

‘It’s fine, Steph. It was my fault as well. I was neglecting you. I was out of touch with your needs. Dick’s an intelligence officer – he’s trained to exploit opportunities. That was probably the most successful operation of his entire career.’

‘Well, he wasn’t even successful. I didn’t know how to tell you. He was just such a good listener and I fell for it. All the time I was wishing it was you.’

Durant smiled awkwardly. ‘We’ll blame it on the medication. Maybe one of the side effects is lust.’

Stephanie slapped Durant’s shoulder playfully. ‘Definitely not lust! I find him quite nauseating actually. That just shows you how desperate I was to talk to someone … Seriously, though, I feel like a great weight’s been taken off my shoulders. Sorry you have to still see him at the office, though. Promise you won’t hit him?’

Durant laughed. ‘Sort it out the old-fashioned way! Hey, anyway, thanks for asking Mike to come and talk to me. He sort of messed it up, but it was nice having him there.’

‘I didn’t ask him to come and speak to you. Is that what he told you?’

Durant smiled and shook his head. ‘That devious—’

‘That guy must really love you. He knew where to find you and he knew what to say when he found you.’

‘Mike’s a good man.’

‘Kevin, this is the best medicine, all this love and attention. I feel so much better.’

Durant felt his cellphone vibrating in his pocket and ignored it.

‘We haven’t had time to just think about ourselves and little Alexis, it’s been so hectic. So that’s why we’re here. Just us.’

Durant felt his cellphone buzz in his pocket again, and he ignored it a second time.

Stephanie put her hand on his. ‘You’re treating me like I’m already better, and I really appreciate that. You’re treating me like normal.’

‘Oh, you’re normal, trust me. Me, I’m not so sure. I guess it’ll all work out. Things will be fine soon.’

Stephanie smiled and she could feel something changing deep within her. She was getting better.

Durant took her hand in both of his. ‘You’ve really got it together, babe. If you’re pretending … hey, you don’t need speech and drama. You’re like this … um … supermarket, where all your departments are, well, worth getting stuff from. The mothering department is really cooking; the working department, well, a real successful one and the, um, the bedroom department, that’s my favourite department, I could shop there all day. I’ll never shop anywhere else.’

‘Thanks for the compliment, I think. I never thought being compared to a supermarket could ever be seen as a compliment. You’re saying all the right things.’

‘Everyone who knows you loves you, because you’re real. No hangups, no gripes and groans and moods and complexes and issues and stories. Well, maybe a few. But you don’t show them to the world.’

Durant felt his phone vibrate again in his pocket, and spoke a little louder. ‘See how Alexis’s face lights up when you pick her up and hold her? For me, when you’re sad, the world stops spinning and starts falling apart.’

Stephanie smiled. ‘Now you’re just embarrassing me.’

‘Hey, how about another dance? I need to work up a bit more of an appetite.’

After a dance, Stephanie excused herself and went to the bathroom, while Durant quickly looked at his cellphone display. Shezi had phoned four times and left a message. He looked at the phone for a moment, his finger hovering above the dial button when the phone rang again. It was Shezi.

‘I need to see you, Kev.’

‘It’s my wife’s birthday, Mike, I can’t.’

‘Please, Kev, it’s important, it’s very important.’

‘Mike, I … I’m sorry, man. Can we make it tomorrow?’

‘Tonight, as soon as possible, now. You’re the only one who can help me. I need you, brother. I’m at Horizons.’

‘Mike, I can help you tomorrow, you know I can. Please, just this once, let it be Stephanie’s day. She’s getting better, I can’t leave now. I can’t, it’s impossible. I’m sorry.’

‘I’m sorry also.’

The voice trailed away and it took Durant a few seconds to realise Shezi wasn’t there any more. He dialled Shezi’s number, but cut himself off before it connected. Stephanie had rejoined him at the table. ‘Everything okay, Kevin? Is the wine kicking in?’

‘I just missed you, that’s all. Shall we have another dance?’

Shezi’s legs shook uncontrollably and he stalled the car as he pulled into the deserted parking lot at Horizons. He knew that once he stopped the car, the die was cast. It was close to midnight. He had no reason to be there, but he’d been drawn there unconsciously, by some invisible hand. It was supposed to provide comfort to him, knowing that he and Durant often sat on the outside benches and stared at the sea while drinking sweet coffee. It looked so different tonight – deserted, unfriendly, foreboding.

Shezi stepped out the car and sat on the bench he had found Durant sitting on twenty-four hours earlier. Perhaps Durant would still join him. One day, when this was all over, he would buy the coffee and sit down and listen, as he always did. He could almost smell the coffee. Durant would say the right things, save him from this wretched indecision. He looked around. Everybody had gone home, he was alone. He looked at his cellphone again, hoping beyond hope that Durant had phoned him back. A few missed calls, none from Durant. A warm wind tugged at Shezi’s shirt. Durant must have finished his dinner by now and was probably back at home.

The cellphone vibrated and Shezi saw the call was from Mojo. He stood up slowly, his muscles resisting the impending path, and there were tears in his eyes, tears of defeat and shame. He wandered back to his car alone, clutching his solitude like a mantle, and drove off into the darkness like a man who is already dead.

The ownership details of the telephone number Amina had obtained from Ali’s wife were on Durant’s office table the next morning. He picked up his phone and dialled Anja’s number.

‘Hi there. Please do me a favour. Take a drive to Castle Lane in Pinetown. There’s a building at 36 called Merton Towers. Use your magical powers and tell me who’s in apartment four. Be discreet, it’s a sensitive one.’

Amina walked into Durant’s office and he motioned to her to sit. His uneasy stillness frightened her. She would have expected Durant to still be showing signs of awkward tension.

‘You okay?’ she asked.

‘Ja, I’m okay.’

‘And Stephanie? She’s okay?’

‘She’s good.’

‘And … are you guys … still fighting?’

‘No. Did Mike leave the profiles of Salem with you?’

Amina shook her head. ‘No, was he supposed to?’

‘I was hoping he would. I’ve been trying to get hold of him this morning on his cell, but he’s not available.’

‘I also tried him this morning. He’s keeping a low profile. Maybe he took your advice and is doing the Stellenbosch wine tour.’

‘Mr Masondo needs those profiles urgently. He wants to run them by Interpol – see if Salem is on some international wanted list and also see if the Maltese police can shed any further light on Rafar Estates.’

Amina wasn’t really paying attention. ‘I was so stressed. Phew, you guys are alright then?’

Durant nodded, looked at her and said, ‘The files?’

‘Locked in Mike’s office safe.’

‘Damn. We need that stuff. Where is he?’

‘I dunno.’

‘Spoke to him last night, briefly, and he sounded stressed. Hope he’s not falling off ladders again.’

‘Mmm. I can get the key from security and find the documents for you if you like.’

Durant nodded. ‘I hate doing that, but we’re desperate. I don’t know why his phone is off.’

‘If security has a problem, they can phone you. And Kevin – Happy New Year.’

‘I hope so.’

Scott looked at Vitoli with an incredulous stare. ‘Who the hell’s Kevin Durant?’

Vitoli smiled. ‘I’m glad you’re sittin’ down. He’s an intelligence officer at the
NIA
.’

‘You’re kiddin’ me. And Elhasomi had his number?’

‘His number was on the card. It was hushed up, but I managed to get it. I confirmed it with a contact inside
NIA
. Durant’s working organised crime.’

‘Durant’s handlin’ her? She’s
NIA
’s asset?’

‘I guess. Why else she got his number?’

‘So
NIA
’s on this thing too? They gotta know about the shipment and Ali as well. Why didn’t they liaise it with us?’

Vitoli smiled. ‘Damn selfish of them. So you think the Libyans found out she’s an asset and sent her to coach?’

‘Why here? Easier to just double-tap her in Tripoli and toss her down a mine shaft. Albirai’s here to help the
NIA
identify the assassin.

I dunno know if the Libyans have made the connection between the
NIA
and Elhasomi.’

‘You sure about this intel?’

‘It’s
AI
. There’s a confirmed link between Elhasomi and Durant. Just gotta figure out what the link is.’

‘I’ll phone Baker and update him … not today, tomorrow. He’s keen to liaise with the
NIA
and I’ve been tryin’ to convince him to hold on until we figure out more. This thing’s unravelling nicely … We’re still one step ahead of the
NIA
. We know who their agent is – was. And I’m damn mad they didn’t release this info to us.’

Vitoli smiled wryly and nodded. ‘Just maybe there is intelligent life out there. Maybe Kevin Durant’s way ahead of you, Paul.’

‘Whaddaya mean?’

‘This thing ain’t personal. It ain’t about us and them or you and Durant.’

‘Hey, listen up, Vitoli. Don’t think you can tell me what this is about.’

‘Yeah, Paul, I know. I’m old-school. I still believe in values. And here’s a tip: keep ya eye on the ball. Durant ain’t the ball here. He’s a friendly.’

Scott scowled at Vitoli. ‘Thanks for your analysis, but I strongly disagree with your conclusion. Beating the active opposition isn’t my goal. Hell, I’m a professional. The competition …? Hey, you’re in the Third World, buddy, we’re the
CIA
– there
is
no competition. I don’t want them getting in my way.’

‘They ain’t in your way. Only thing in your way is ya ego.’ Vitoli stood up and walked briskly towards the exit without looking back.

Amina waited anxiously at Durant’s office door until he’d finished on the phone, then walked in quickly, hesitated, and closed the office door behind her.