CHAPTER 1
"Excuse me dear. Haven't I seen you on the telly? Didn't you murder that nice girl off of Eastenders?"
"What?"
The old lady broke me from my reverie. I had been scowling at my husband, who was openly ogling a leggy white girl.
"Yes, I suppose I am. I didn't really kill her, you know."
I was tempted to add, "She's not a very nice girl, in real life."
"Can I have your autograph?"
"Why, of course."
I was not often recognised, as I have done very little TV work, and am certainly not a celebrity. Well, not yet. You might however recognise my voice, as my main employment is doing voice overs, for commercials. I do; however have several "voices". If you have a preschool child, they would almost certainly recognise my voice, as a character in a popular cartoon that goes out daily.
My husband, Ben, is hardly ever recognised, despite being, in his own words, "probably THE greatest living Lear. Many radio listeners will know him as the voice of God. Ben also does voice overs; "Vulgar; but it keeps one in cocaine", as he is so keen to joke. Although a pompous git, he is a well respected stage actor. He has certainly appeared in a number of Sunday supplements. I am Ben's third wife, and thirty years his junior.
Ben has an unhealthy interest in young white women. His current object of inspection was standing ten feet away from us, at Gate 23, at Gatwick Airport. She was having an animated conversation, on her mobile phone, and had not, apparently, noticed Ben mentally undressing her. The woman was tall, probably just shy of six feet. She had a shock of incredibly curly, shoulder length, ginger hair. She was wearing a rather pretty short dress; navy blue with white polka dots. The cap sleeves softened the impact of her muscular shoulders. The dress came to about mid thigh, and what thighs they were. Her legs were long and strong, and as she gently moved her weight, from hip, to hip, her muscles appeared and disappeared, beneath the smooth skin. She had very little subcutaneous fat, and clearly worked out. A lot. The woman's well defined calves disappeared into a pair of fawn pixie boots.
The bitch. Her skin was white. Not just Northern European white, but white as snow. I have always been proud of my skin, which is an even cafe au lait colour. Really pale white skin often looks unhealthy, which is why most of my white friends are permatanned. This girl's skin was even and unblemished. I too was staring, hoping to see a bit of stubble, or razor rash. Boy no.
I knew what Ben wanted to do to her. Bitch. I wanted to do the same to her. The woman appeared pretty flat chested, and had no real hips to speak of. Unlike me. Unfortunately her overall appearance was boyish, rather than butch.
Just how Ben liked them. The bastard. And how I had grown to like them too. I wondered how easily she cried.
Soon we were called to board, leaving the leggy beauty behind. Ben would not slum it in cattle class. We were going to have a long weekend of fun and frolics. Ben handed me a small envelope, containing the outlines of my script. He had the full script, in a little book. He would have learned his part, word perfect. Ben never fluffed his lines. I was to improvise, as always. Ben was Marshall, and I was Lisa. We were both excellent vocal mimics, and Ben's accent became effortlessly American Deep South, and my own, Jamaican, modelled on my Nan.
We had both been surprised to receive the email from the Puppeteer. His games were always wild and dangerous, but relied on total trust. During a game, I became my character, and would do anything. Strange how I could trust Ben totally, when we were playing, but not at all, in real life. The Puppeteer had, officially, retired a year ago.
Ben and I had been married for two years. To be honest, it was a good career move. I knew Ben's habits before we married, and had not expected him to stop; but maybe tone down. I soon discovered how sexually conservative, I had been. Strictly missionary, me. Ben had introduced me to a lot of new experiences. I discovered the joy of sex with other women, and the immense thrill of inflicting pain. On other women. Particularly white women. My best friend is white. I think it is the taboo that excites me so much. I am not a lesbian, mind you. There is one woman, though, with whom I would run off ; but she is strictly unavailable. I love Ben, I suppose, but I do not expect the marriage to last.
CHAPTER 2
The flight arrived at Arecife at 11:30 pm. The baggage took ages, and we finally entered the arrival lounge to be greeted by a tall Spanish man, called Jose. Ben described Jose, enigmatically, as a policeman, and "fixer". We followed Jose to the short term car park, where he had parked a black Range Rover, with darkened windows. The air was hot and dry. 1 am; Lanzarote, in early summer. The most easterly of the Canary Islands; nestling, like a,sun blasted, black jewel, in the Atlantic Ocean, a few miles off the African coast. We often visited, for some winter sun. I had always considered it too hot, in the summer. The car thermometer said 25 degrees Celsius. It had been 15, when we left London.
A mile along the road we came across a woman, walking, alone, along the hard shoulder, pulling a small suitcase. It was the redhead in the polka dot dress. Jose slowed down and quipped "Why don't these English girls just wear a big sign, saying. Rape me."
"Come on Jose", said Ben, "Where's your manners? Slow down and offer her a lift."
"Are you ready?" asked Jose.
"You bet!"
As the car slowed, Ben lowered the window. The woman turned, shielding her eyes, with one hand. Then the car suddenly accelerated. Ben threw open his door. There was a thump, and a scream. I was thrown forward as Jose braked, then reversed.
"Quick, Lisa, out." Shouted Ben.
The woman was lying in the road, and trying to get up. She managed to get to her knees, and stared, confused, at the Range Rover, illuminated by its reversing lights. Her right hand was pressed against her temple, and blood was seeping from between her fingers. Blood was also running from her nose and mouth. I could barely speak. Jose rushed past me and kicked the woman, in the stomach. She fell onto her side, winded. I felt winded too. Jose grabbed the woman's arms and pulled them behind her back. Ben handed him a white cable tie. Where the fuck had that come from? Jose ripped off the woman's boots and secured her ankles with another plastic tie. Then he stuck a large piece of duct tape over the shocked woman's mouth.
My legs had turned to lead, and I wouldn't have been surprised if my bottom jaw had hit the tarmac.
Ben brought me back to earth.
"Grab an arm, Lisa."
Numbly, I did as I was told, and we threw the poor woman into the back of the Range Rover. The men brutally pushed her, off of the seat and, onto the floor.
Ben commanded again. "Get in, quick. Put your feet on her neck."
Now I knew why he had made me wear such ridiculous stilettos. As I pushed the points, of the heels, into the girl's long neck, she stopped struggling, but continued hyperventilating, and screaming into her gag.
Jose pulled off. It had taken ten seconds. Jose and Ben were really high. Ben was going through the woman's handbag.
"Well lookey here, Jose. She's one of yours. WPC Isabel McMahon, Metropolitan Police. Twenty four years old. Return ticket in seven days."
Jose was talking on his hands free mobile phone. He half turned to me. "I have rung her hotel. Miss McMahon has been involved in an accident. She has severe head injuries, and has been flown to the trauma centre, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The hotel wished her well, and confirmed that she is travelling alone."
I finally spoke up, still Lisa from Jamaica.
"You pair of fucking mentallists. You've kidnapped a fucking policewoman. This isn't like one of your little whores, who can be paid off."
Our last sex-weekend had involved using a teenage prostitute, who resisted beautifully, but broke, like they all do. She turned out to be quite costly to keep quiet.
My Spanish was limited, and I was likely going to have to learn some new phrase, like: "No Officer, I didn't say anything.", "No, I would not like that broom handle to be rammed up my arse," and, "Yes; I would love to lick your pussy."
"Chill," drawled Ben, "By the time she's missed, we will have concluded our games, and the fair WPC will be working really hard, in an African brothel. Eh Jose?"
"Si amigo. Young, pale skinned European? Rare as hen's teeth, but very valuable. I'll make the call."
"How long will she last?"
"Strong, fit girl, like her? Six months."
"Then what?" I asked.
"The desert is a very big place."