Over an hour had slipped by and Annie was ready to leave when she spotted Estelle Bruce Hathaway enter the café. The woman looked daunted as she searched for her contact. Seeing Annie she slowly moved toward her, carefully checking her surrounds and Annie knew this woman was fearful of something but why.
"Thank you for meeting me." Estelle taking a seat across from Annie.
"What may I do for you? You seem worried somewhat. Is there something wrong?" Annie's empathy, that wonderful natural ability of hers that had been so deeply buried was creeping back - back to the once Annie.
"I need your help." Estelle forcing a smile at the waiter and ordered tea. Her eyes remained down casted giving all indications of being intimidated by something or someone. She continued to speak, "You have CIA backing and I know where Landric Von Friedric-Kristiansen will be day-after-tomorrow but I'll only exchange that information for your promise of help."
"I don't know if I can help you or not if I don't know what the problem is. My CIA backing right now is limited and if this is a very serious matter... well maybe you seek help elsewhere."
"There is no other place for me to turn. Landric has an inside track within the CIA and I don't know who to trust anymore. I also believe he has MI6 in his back pocket for several reasons but no proof. Please Nicole, I am getting desperate for help." Estelle eyes shown great duress and urgency.
"Please fill me in and I'm sure we can find a way to be of assistance."
"Landric's wife is being abused by him and she wants out of the marriage."
"There are many agencies in Florida she can seek help." Annie slowly touching Estelle's hand that was tightly wrapped around her tea-cup as if the warmth from the hot tea gave her comfort.
"You don't understand. Landric is a very powerful man with far reaching powers and you should know that. She is a prisoner in her own home in Florida."
"Tell me why you want to help his wife?"
"She is a friend." Estelle looking over her shoulder still searching for something.
"That is not all Estelle or should I call you Marie Davy Marwick. We need to clear the air here and be honest with each other." Annie taking the risk but it had to be done.
She just looked at Annie, not knowing what to say as her identity had been protected for years. Taking a long and slow slip of her tea, she weighted her options. The opportunity was now to get her sister away and this woman called Nicole was her only hope. "Nicole isn't your real name is it."
"Yes, Nicole is my real name but Remy is my surname and I'm a French national working for the CIA." Annie came across smooth, lying was second nature to her and deception came without any trouble.
"If you know who I am you should already know Marlyn is my sister, same father but different mothers. Look, I begging you, please help." There being desperation in her voice as she pleaded with Annie.
"I'll do my best. Now fill me in on the details." Annie reaching across the table with a gentle pat on Estelle's hand.
"They found our brother, Kyril Davy dead two days ago in one of his gold mines, apparently he committed suicide. The funeral will be on Friday in Johannesburg and both Marlyn and Landric will be there. Landric never travels to Europe but South Africa is his second safe heaven. They should be staying at Kyril's estate just outside of town. I'm leaving for South Africa in the morning to join my sister at the compound and you should come along as my travel companion and supporter in time of grief. My husband had a stroke last year and no longer can travel with me therefore a companion is very acceptable."
"Good idea since we have been seen together as traveling companions, oh how old British is that." Annie surprised at the suicide news but showed no reaction.
"I have a London flat and you can stay with me tonight and we leave in the morning." Estelle's gradually showing signs of hope, there could be a way to get Marlyn safely to England - hope was all she had left.
"I need to do some shopping first, you know buy clothes suitable for a funeral."
"I'll go with you if you don't mind, need a little retail therapy myself." A tiny smile quickly crossed Estelle's face.
"Good, yes we'll make a day of it." Annie putting on her helpful hat and it fitting very well and felt right to her. Maybe the old Annie Walker was finding her way out of a harden shell she had built and helping Estelle or Marie was just the right move.
"What do I call you in South Africa?"
"Marie, Estelle Bruce Hathaway is my pen name to protect my husband's very stuffy British family. My novels can get right down steamy."
"I know. I'm now reading 'Wicket Dawn'. They both laugh as arm in arm the left the café for an afternoon of retail therapy.
Kyril Davy's estate was more like a fortified compound with high walls and tight security. Several black limousines parked in the courtyard and men, all dress in black stood on either side of the main door. Marie and Annie were met by Kyril long time house keeper, Lerato and showed them to two rooms, telling them other guest were gathered on the veranda.
As soft breeze was blowing and the air cool with the sweet scent of jasmine, the vine gracefully covering the protective wall around the veranda. Mostly family were gather, two cousins with their wives, a nephew and Landric and Marlyn. The sisters embraced and both started to share tears and walked to one side, away from the others. Landric had been talking to one of the cousins and only nodded to his sister-in-law, not important to him as his current conversation. To one side stood a Jahia Jones alone and Annie recognized her from Florida - the Mossad planted inside Davy's inner camp.
Annie getting two glasses of wine from the bar and walked to Jahia, offering her a glass, "Hello, I'm Nicole Cohen and I remember seeing you in Florida."
"Oh yes, you are with the author. I'm Jahia Jones and friend of Kyril Davy." She taking the glass and trying to connect the name and it was a long shot. "You said your name is Cohen, I know a Cohen."
"Cohen is a fairly common name but let's give a spin. I'm from Paris, France and my companion is Kyril's sister."
"Paris, I spent time there and love the place. Okay I'll play along to see just how small our world is. The man I know is Israeli by the name of Eyal Cohen."
"My husband is named Eyal and a diamond broker from Tel Aviv and Paris. Could it be the same man."
"Tall, dark and with the most charming smile..."
"And sedative dark eyes. Yes I think it is the same man." Both chucking quietly not to draw attention.
"You are the art dealer. He told me about you." Jahia smiling, another Mossad agent.
"Did he now? That is a surprise because he is a very secretive man. Anyway, it is a pleasure to meet you." Both know each was Mossad but not a word was mention.
Annie and Jahia were paired off, the only two non-family members and by all rights, outsiders, which was fine with both of them and they spent time with aimless chit-chat and all the while observing. Each sizing up the saturation and formulating their individual plans - get Landric Von Friedric-Kristiansen with Annie's extra to rescue Marlyn and get both sisters to safety.
That evening at dinner, little conversation as most were trying to portray sadness at the death of Kyril but only Marie and Marlyn were having real grief, remember their childhood and wonderful times together in Greece. Marie and Kyril's mother had died and the two children in their early teens went to live with their Greek father in Athens. Marlyn was especially fond of her big brother Kyril whom adored his little sister. Marie being the oldest was more of the watchdog for her two siblings and the responsible one.
Jahia did her share of tears over the lost of her lover and Marie genuinely felt sorry for her. The others were cold toward Jahia, the skin color a put off to them and there were whispers. Little did the distant greedy cousins know Kyril's will only names three heirs, Marie, Marlyn and Jahia with the lion's-share going to his beloved Jahia Jones but now that is another story.
The next morning the skies were gray and overcast as the family departed the estate headed into Johannesburg and the funeral home. The parade of black limousines gave the impression of a VIP person had passed on. Two motorcycle security people lead he procession with Marie, Annie and Jahia in the lead car followed by Marlyn and Landric in the second, cousins and household employees and the next three. A few drops of rain fell but for the most part remained only threatening skies.
"How long have you known Kyril?" Marie asking Jahia.
"Only a couple of months but we hit it off from the very first. There was a magical connection between us even with our age difference. He was so kind to me, a real gentleman. It's hard for me to think I will not see him anymore." And as if on que, tears started to well-up in her dark eyes.
Marie reaching over to take her hand, "I'm delighted he found you even if only for a short time. He has also had trouble relating to a woman on a personal level. Thank you for making his last few months happy ones."
The two women holding hands, an outward show of affection, both supporting the other in time of sorrow. The service was being held in the chapel of the funeral home and the family gather in one of the back rooms waiting to be seated. Annie starting to feel a bit uncomfortable as she would be on parade with the family for all the guest to see when they were led into the chapel to be seated. She so wanted to see who was in attendance but not to show her face she keep her head down as a sign of respect. Seated on the front row, Marie, Marlyn, Landric, Jahia and Annie. The cousins, nephew and wives took up the second row with estate employees on the third. Other than that, there were very few guest, several of his business associates, employees and a few others - a wealth of friends he didn't have.
The Anglican service was routine and impersonal, it was clear Kyril Davy wasn't a church member and the service brief. They filing out to waiting cars and another parade to the graveyard, Annie still trying to keep her face hidden, there was a feeling of eyes watching her. A quick look and there standing near Landric's car - two men and Joseph Neilson. Oh shit!
The hearse carrying Kyril's remains lead the funeral procession to the burial site, a picture perfect spot on the side of a hill overlooking a lovely memorial garden. The eight pallbearers, all employees of Kyril carried the casket in precision steps, well rehearsed. There wasn't much she could do but go along with the so call program and as they all gathered around the casket Annie noticed two men made their way to stand very close to Jahia and she herself stood a bit out-of-the-way of the family members.
"The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Dear family and friends we are gather here today to bid a last farewell to..."
A sudden flash cut through the gray overcast misty drizzle and Landric fell to his knees, holding his chest and then to the ground, blood running in a pool on the damp grass. Screaming and chaos broke out, people scatting or themselves falling to the ground. Annie grabbing Marie as she grabbed Marlyn and the three running... running to where Annie wasn't sure but she had to get them away. As she looked over her shoulder to see two men leading Jahia in another direction and to a waiting black SUV. A planned hit by Mossad was her guess but she now needs to find safe grounds, away from the grave site. Stopping at a distance from the group, Annie holding the crying and scared Marlyn and Marie also watching the group, deep in thought.
"We have to go back. There will be questions." Marie being the responsible one. "Look Marlyn, get hold of yourself, we need to tell the police what we saw or they will turn to you thinking it was all your plan to get rid of your hateful husband. You have to be brave here and I'll stay with you every step."
"He is dead isn't he." A sobbing and shaken Marlyn stepping back from Annie's hold.
"It would be a miracle if he is living." Annie watching the crowed and no one was leaving, only Jahia and with a quick check, Nielson has also vanished.
"Come on Marlyn, you and I will go back." Marie taking her sister's hand, "We'll do this together."
"I going to have to make myself very undetectable. I can't be question by the police." Annie touching Marie, "You really don't need me anymore."
"Yes you are right and thank you. She is now very free." Marie with nod and smile thinking Annie was the one planning the hit. A future scene in one of her novels.
Annie watched for a moment and in the distance the sounds of sirens could be heard. A second longer she look on the site as a small few more people had decided it best to leave before she too turned to pull her own vanishing act.