Kiss and Die

Chapter 46

It was 2 p.m. when Nina knocked on Lilly’s door. Rizal answered. He looked at her, intrigue in his eyes.

‘Yes?’

‘Is Lilly in?’

He shook his head, pulled up his vest and scratched his stomach.

‘Do you know when Michelle will be back?’

He shook his head, his eyes glued to the flesh showing around her slim midriff.

‘Who’s going to make the curry for the stall? I have brought the meat, the spices.’ She lifted up her arm with the carrier bag in her hand.

Rizal shrugged and walked back into the flat. He sat down on the sofa and opened a beer, put his feet on the table and kicked off the newspapers. Rizal looked at her. She was still waiting in the doorway.

Nina looked at her watch. ‘Do you want me to do it? You will lose customers otherwise and Michelle will lose money. Plus I can’t get rid of this pork anywhere round here.’

Rizal waved the beer bottle at her. ‘Sure. That would be very nice. You’re a good girl, Nina. Come in, close the door.’

Nina glanced nervously backwards. She didn’t like being alone with any man, let alone Rizal, but Michelle was a good friend to her. If Ali caught her coming out, she would be punished. She was going to be married next month to a man old enough to be her father, but it wasn’t for her to choose. The one thing she had to be was pure. Any scandal and the man might call it off. She was already at the age when she should be married with three children. She had delayed whilst she was needed to run the restaurant but now she must bend to her father’s will. She must marry a man she didn’t love. She looked back at the landing. It wouldn’t take her long. She could have it done in half an hour and then it would slow cook for the next eight and that would be all she had to do. It was worth it to help Michelle. They relied on one another in the Mansions.

Nina placed the groceries on the kitchen surface. The kitchen and the lounge were all one room. Rizal rested his arm on the back of the sofa, turned to watch her over his shoulder. She worked with one eye on him and one eye on what she was doing. She chopped the meat and fried the spices and onions. The room filled with the familiar smell that the whole landing had come to know. She worked quickly, her hands flew around as she tried to finish the job and get out. She was so busy stirring she didn’t notice Rizal standing behind her until she turned. He was watching her bottom moving beneath the silk sari as she stirred vigorously. She turned and nearly fell into him as she went to put a pan in the sink. She jumped back.

He laughed. She stepped to the side and placed the pan in the sink.

‘It’s a joy to watch you work. You have really quick hands. You love to keep busy, don’t you? I see your whole body moving when you’re working like that. You have a nice figure. I hope you have someone to show it to, do you, Nina?’

Nina ignored him and began to tidy away the things she had used. She had finished. She could leave it now. He stepped forwards and pulled her to him from behind. His hands around her waist…

‘Please…no…’ She pushed down on his hands, she struggled to get away. He held her tighter. His rough hands slid up under her top. Nina screamed, struggled.

‘You’re strong.’

Nina was strong. She lifted her grandmother in and out of bed every day. She carried heavy groceries all day long. She pushed him off and lurched forward out of his grip, knocking the spoon out of the pot, showering Rizal in scalding curry.

He screamed in pain. ‘All right. All right.’ He lifted both his palms in the air as if he hadn’t meant to touch her and it was all a mistake.

There was a knock at the door. After much cursing Rizal answered it, still wiping the curry from his face. It was Shrimp and two other detectives..

‘Please…’ Nina stepped past Rizal. She kept her eyes locked on Shrimp’s, willing him to help her.

‘Are you all right, miss?’

She nodded and hurried past, disappearing down the stairs.

A dirty-faced, naked child came to cling to Rizal’s leg and there was the sound of another one crying somewhere in the flat.

‘What?’ He looked nervously at Shrimp. ‘What do you want?’ He shook the child away from his leg, irritably.

‘We just want a word. Can we come in?’

Rizal muttered under his beery breath as he turned and walked back into the flat and Shrimp and the detectives followed. Shrimp could see that it hadn’t taken long for the place to fall apart without Michelle.

‘When is she coming home? I can’t cook. My business is going down the pan. I’m lucky Nina helps.’ Rizal handed the crying child a piece of bread and pushed it protesting into another room. He threw off the papers from the couch and half fell, half lurched as he sat heavily down. He broke the top off a beer and drank it. He offered one to Shrimp. Shrimp declined.

‘Michelle’s still helping us with our enquiries. These gentlemen have come to tidy your flat for you and collect the samples that you forgot to give us downstairs. Is Lilly about?’

Rizal wiped his mouth with a disgusted growl. ‘She doesn’t come near here unless she wants money. She should be here to help me with all this.’ He swept a drunken arm around as the noise of the crying child in the next room began to rise again. ‘She should be cooking for the food stall. She should be doing something to help her family, right?’

‘Where do you think I would find her right now?’

Rizal leant the rim of his beer bottle against his cheek as he thought. ‘Right now? How the fuck should I know? Out with her boyfriend probably. The girl’s got no morals. If you know what I mean. She gives it away to a lot of boys.’ He looked at Shrimp questioningly. He got a blank face back. ‘Not just boys. She likes her men does Lilly. Way older than she looks. Likes to hang around the bars at night-time, if you know what I mean. All dressed up. Skirt up to here.’ Rizal ran a hand across his lap. Then he wiped his hand on his filthy trousers before finishing his beer and slamming the bottle down on the table.

‘I will leave these officers here to do their job. Do what they ask; otherwise you’ll be taken down the station.’

Rizal sat back on the sofa and put his feet on the table. He lit a cigarette. ‘Tell Michelle I miss her. Tell her her loving boyfriend is thinking of her and misses her,’ he said to Shrimp’s back as he left.

Shrimp looked around for Nina, she was gone. He took the stairs down to the Delhi Grill. He went to find her.