Love in the Shadows. Lauri Kubuitsile

things. Sherell was Kedi’s publicist and best friend since primary school in Zeerust. She cared about Kedi, but she also had a keen sense of what the public would think about any action she took. Sherell knew fans were a fickle lot, and she did her best to keep up Kedi’s public image.

      She poured tea as she continued. “I know I may sound heartless, but what kind of message will that send out to people? That she’s a victim, a coward. The African Queen of Pop scared of a stalker. Running away. I can see the headlines. It’s not a good idea. Also, it gives this stalker power he shouldn’t have. It may make everything worse. Let’s rather get someone to find this guy before he tries anything again. Moving out of the house is not an option I’d recommend.”

      “You do sound heartless,” Kenamile said, her face not hiding her annoyance. “But it wouldn’t be the first time you’ve put the business ahead of the welfare of my sister.”

      “What does that mean?” Sherell was ready to fight.

      “Okay, listen, we don’t need that now!” Louise said.

      Dintwe was angry. “I can’t believe this guy thinks he can get away with this! Maybe I should stay here with you.”

      “What about Princess?” Kedi said. Dintwe was like a big brother, always ready to jump to her defence. When she first went to Ebony with her demo, it had been she singing and Dintwe on keyboards, and they’d been together ever since. He tried to protect her just like an elder brother would, but in this case she wasn’t going to let him. His five-year-old daughter, Princess, lived with him, an arrangement which had started the year before when his girlfriend died of a drug overdose. The little girl was still settling in, and Kedi didn’t want to upset the applecart. “No, Dintwe, we’ll make some other plan. But thanks.”

      “We need to do something. I won’t feel safe with you staying here,” Louise said. “We were told this system was one hundred per cent effective, and now look. I think you should move in with Clara and me.”

      Kedi looked over at Louise. Though she’d jumped out of bed and had been here within fifteen minutes after Kedi’s call, she was as calm and collected as always. Perfect hair. Perfect make-up. Camel jacket, navy skirt, heels so high they made Kedi’s feet hurt just looking at them. At fifty-four, Louise looked fantastic. Sexy, successful and gay. Clara, a head teacher at a posh high school in Sandton, had been her partner for the last twenty-five years.

      Kedi loved Louise, and though she cared about Clara too, she was pretty sure she couldn’t take living with someone who constantly demanded that she sit up straight and eat her veggies. Louise was stern, but Clara was just plain bossy. She never left her teacher face at work when she came home. No, Kedi knew herself and she knew Clara; the two of them wouldn’t last very long in the same house, and they’d make Louise’s life a nightmare in the meantime.

      “I think it’ll be better if I move in here,” Kenamile offered.

      “And how’s that going to help? You’re about as brave as me. And then there will be two women this guy can terrorise,” Sherell said. “We all know what we need to do. Why is everyone afraid of saying it out loud?”

      Kedi looked up at Sherell and knew immediately what she meant. She shook her head. “No,” she said firmly before Sherell could say anything more. Kedi was not going to have it. She was letting people take control of various parts of her life, slowly losing her say in things as this stalker continued his nightly visits, but she was not going to allow this.

      “You’re being crazy, Kedi,” Sherell scolded. “You need someone to find this guy. He’s the best man for the job, and he comes highly recommended. Don’t be ridiculous.”

      Kedi shrugged off the blanket and reached forward to pour herself more tea. “No, Sherell. Not him.”

      “Not him – who?” Louise asked.

      “Sefhemo,” Kenamile said. “Sefhemo Phaladi.”

      “The private detective? Isn’t he that ex-police officer who found that millionaire’s baby who was kidnapped recently?” Louise asked.

      “The very one,” Sherell answered. “We know him – Kedi, Kenamile and me – and he’s the perfect man for this job. He’ll find this guy and put an end to all of it.”

      “That might be just what we need,” Louise said. “A private detective will keep everything quiet and out of the media. I read about this guy, he’s very good.”

      “No, Louise. On this I say no,” Kedi said. “You can bring more guards. You can build a cage around the house. I might even agree to go and live with you and Clara, but this? No way.”

      Kenamile spoke up again, in her soft way. “Kedi, we need to put everything behind us. It’s serious now. This guy is dangerous. He might hurt you the next time. I think Sefhemo is our only option.”

      Kedi stood up, slamming her mug on the table. “How can you say that? Sefhemo can’t be trusted. I’m scared. Why would I want to make it worse by having someone around whom I don’t trust?”

      Sherell stood firm. “After all this time I thought you’d have seen that you were wrong. You were wrong about Poloko and you’re wrong about Sefhemo. Full stop. But not you. Stubborn. Always-right-Kedi.”

      A confused Dintwe looked at Kenamile. “What is this about? It sounds like there’s some kind of history here.”

      “Yes, there is. Poloko was Kedi’s old boyfriend, he was our next-door neighbour when we were growing up,” Kenamile explained. “He and Kedi started dating in high school. We all loved Poloko, but we also knew he was up to bad things. Stealing even when he was a kid. It was understandable; his home life was pretty terrible. But when he came to Joburg, things got worse. This man, Sefhemo, busted a car hijacking gang. Poloko was the leader and he went to prison.”

      “I don’t get it,” Dintwe said. “Sounds like the cop was just doing his job.”

      “The problem was Sefhemo and Kedi were dating at the time. She explained to him how Poloko was nearly a brother to her, not just an ex-boyfriend. She begged him not to arrest Poloko, but he did it anyway,” Sherell explained. “But you’re right, Dintwe, he was just doing his job, and besides that, it was years ago. But stubborn Kedi needs to stick to her position.”

      Kedi stood at the window, trying to ignore the others, looking out at the security vehicles. They hadn’t called the police, not this time nor the last time. They couldn’t afford that kind of publicity. Even so, despite their vigilance, last time it had leaked to the press and Kedi had had to play it down as the antics of an overzealous fan. Laughing it off at the press conference as if it were a silly incident, even though she’d been shaken to the core.

      Outside the security personnel were searching the grounds for any clues as to how this person had got in, and to get some idea of who he was. Kedi hoped they’d find something, but she was pretty sure they wouldn’t. This guy understood how to move unseen in the night. He was not going to be caught by untrained security guards. She knew that. She also knew Sherell was right. But she couldn’t allow Sefhemo back into her life.

      She knew danger. Sefhemo was danger, he was dangerous to her heart, to her sanity. She’d constructed her life so as to make sure she kept clear of him. For nine years she’d been successful. She was not going to allow Sherell to invite him back in, especially now when she’d been made so vulnerable by this stalker. It wasn’t safe.

      Kedi turned back to the room. She was calmer now. She needed to make them understand. “It’s not about me being stubborn. It’s about doing what’s right. He said he cared about me and loved me, but when I begged him not to arrest Poloko nothing mattered, not even me. He wanted to get all the glory for breaking a big car-jacking ring, it didn’t matter that it meant the end of us. He’s a selfish man. Untrustworthy and selfish.” Kedi sat down again, curling her legs under her. “I won’t have him here. I don’t want him on this case. Please, you must listen to me on this.”

      Kenamile spoke carefully. She knew