The Barracuda Night Club Mystery

The Barracuda Night Club Mystery

By

Vincent Gray

The Barracuda Night Club Trilogy.

Book No. 3

Copyright © 2017 Vincent Gray

Smashwords Edition

This book is a work of fiction. All the characters developed in this novel are fictional creations of the writer’s imagination and are not modelled on any real persons. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the author.

ISBN: 9781370825271

Author Biography

As a son of a miner the author was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He grew up in the East Rand mining town of Boksburg during the 1960s and matriculated from Boksburg High School. After high school he was conscripted into the South African Defence Force (SADF) for compulsory national military service at the age of seventeen. On completion of his military service he studied courses in Zoology, Botany and Microbiology at the University of the Witwatersrand. After graduating with a BSc honours degree he worked for a short period for the Department of Agriculture in Potchefstroom as an agronomist. Following the initial conscription into military service in the SADF, like all other white South African males of his generation, he was then drafted into one of the many South African Citizen Military Regiments. During the 1970s he was called up as a citizen-soldier to do three-month military camps on the 'Border' which was the operational theatre of the so-called counter insurgency 'Bush War' during the Apartheid years. Before and in between university studies he also worked as a wage clerk on the South African Railways and as a travelling chemical sales representative. The author is now a retired professor whose career as an academic in the Biological Sciences has spanned a period of thirty-three years mainly at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. Before retirement he lectured and carried out research in the field of molecular biology with a special interest in the molecular basis of evolution. He continues to pursue his interest in evolutionary biology. Other interests which the author pursues includes radical theology, philosophy and literature.

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Waterlandsridge (Novella)

The Man with no Needs

Hotazel: Journal Writings of a Lipstick Lesbian

The Wind Blows and the River Flows (Novella)

Metamorphosis (Novella)

The Black Maid from Ikageng: An African Novella

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For my wife Melodie and daughter Ruth

Chapter 1

In the distance, the hazy skyline of the coastal city of Lourenco Marques (LM) became visible. On the narrow two-lane tar road, the volume of traffic increased as they drew closer to the city. Aaron had to concentrate on dodging the oncoming traffic. Often trucks approaching would begin to drift across the faded broken white line separating the two lanes. Trucks loaded with vegetables or pigs or sheep or chickens almost forced them off the road several times. The main road to Lourenco Marques had definitely deteriorated. It had become steadily worse compared to what it was like when Aaron was a kid. It should have been resurfaced and widened years ago.

They drove past a military base. Soldiers wearing berets, dressed in sun-faded camouflage, khaki, or dark green battle fatigues milled around in groups outside the base next to the road. Others were walking along the road towards the city, thumbing lifts. Many of the soldiers were black. Two guards armed with FN rifles were on duty at the main entrance gate of the military base. Geraldine switched on the car radio and tuned into LM radio. The latest hit Sugar by the Archies came on.

Geraldine exclaimed, Oh I really love this.

She started to move her head, shoulders, arms and upper body in rhythm with the music. She was exuberant. She sang along with the chorus.

Tall acacia and jacaranda trees with spreading canopies, lined the pavements of the streets everywhere, their stretched-out boughs laden with the bright exuberance of red and lilac blossoms were a welcoming sight to the honeymoon couple. It seemed that LM beamed with more than just the warm radiance of summer. Aaron turned into Avenida Pinheiro Chaga following the road towards the bay. At the end of the avenue, Aaron turned left into Avenida Duquesa de Connaught, which became Rua A W Bayly. He took the right turn into the grounds of the gracious Polana Hotel.

The Hotel Polana sitting comfortably and serene, enthroned high above the bluff, presents its guests with an unforgettable panoramic view of blue skies and the vastness of the Indian Ocean. A towering row of majestic palms graced the front of the hotel, their fronds rippling gently in the shimmering light. Basking in the hazy sea-sky glare of the early afternoon sun the white washed Herbert Baker colonial-styled façade retained its power to dazzle the eyes of any onlooker. Aaron parked the Combi in a vacant parking space next to the porte-cochère. Before he could unload the suitcases, a hotel porter dressed in a white uniform arrived promptly to assist him. The porter carrying their luggage followed them into the pleasantly cool cavernous hotel lobby. While they strolled across to the reception counter, he deposited their suitcases on the polished marble-granite floor by the dark mahogany-cladded walls next to the staircase.

Cane chairs, settees, leather armchairs and leather couches were arranged around tables in the lounge area adjoining the lobby. In the lobby, the lounge and adjoining ballroom massive white-painted concrete columns supported huge white painted concrete beams that carried the full load of the three hotel floors. Except for the mahogany wall cladding, the white colour of the walls and white ceilings dominated the well-lit interior of the ground floor.

Geraldine standing barefooted on the marble floor still draped in traditional Swazi red, white and black geometrical patterned print cloth drew considerable attention from the hotel guests. She was not aware of the impact that she was having on the guests sitting in the lounge. A middle-aged American stopped his loud discourse on the war in Vietnam in mid-sentence, with his mouth still open, he gawked at Geraldine. A blond German woman reading a copy of Der Spiegel forgot to light the cigarette sticking out of her mouth. Her companion put down his newspaper and gaped over the top of his spectacles at Geraldine.

The diffuse alcohol-fuelled buzz of conservation that filled the entire hotel lobby with a constant undifferentiated drone of white noise instantly evaporated into a complete hush of silence. All eyes were fixed on Geraldine.

Geraldine who seemed to be in a manic state of elation that Aaron had never seen in her before remained completely oblivious of the stares that were fixed on her. Aware of their presence among strangers he felt an amused grin forming on his face. Aaron suddenly wanted to burst out laughing. This was their wedding day and it was taking such a surreal turn. He looked at Geraldine and could not believe how exotically beautiful she was in her bridal outfit. Her incandescent presence filled the foyer transforming it into her stage.

The desk clerk called the porter and gave him their room keys. They followed the porter up the stairs to the third floor. All the rooms opened onto a carpeted and elegantly furnished hallway. He stopped at their door, put the cases down, opened the door and carried their cases in. They followed him into the room. The porter immediately walked over to the window, opened the curtains, and then opened the windows wide. Turning round he asked if they wanted anything.

We would like a big jug of ice-cold water and glasses, Geraldine said.

Aaron gave him the tip. The room that had been booked for them had a queen-sized double bed opening onto a small veranda overlooking the bay. While Geraldine rummaged in the suitcases for her things, Aaron feeling hot and uncomfortably sticky in his suit from the humidity announced that he was going to take a quick shower. He took off his suit jacket and hung it in the cupboard. After the shower, he put on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. Brushed his teeth and put on some cologne and deodorant. He slipped on a pair of sandals and opened the bathroom door. Geraldine who was busy packing stuff into a small bag looked up at him and gave him a smile that was filled with mystery. She bent over and picked up a package from the bed:

I have something I want to give to you, it is a gift, a wedding present from me.

She presented Aaron with the silver-wrapped package. He had also bought her a wedding present, a gold bracelet. It was still in his jacket pocket. He retrieved the little box and gave it to her. She opened the box and examined the bracelet.

Oh my gosh! What have you done, it's so beautiful, she said. Then looking at him, she urged: Open your present.

Carefully unwrapping the gift, he discovered that it was a leather-bound Bible. He gave her a tight hug and a passionate lingering kiss. She gently broke free from his embrace, knowing what he wanted, knowing what he expected from her, their time had come:

I think I will have that bath now, she said, giving him a seductive look.

She carried her bag to the bathroom and shut the door. While he was busy showering Geraldine had opened the doors to the balconette. The curtains billowed as a light cool sea breeze filled the room. He went out on the balcony and stood for a while staring at the sea. A fishing trawler steamed slowly across the bay. He felt aroused and restless, turning round he walked back into the room, sitting down on the bed he began to page through the Old Testament. He noticed that Geraldine had left the bookmark ribbon at the Song of Songs; she had read the chapter before wrapping the book up as a present. To calm his nervous distraction he began to read from the Song of Songs.

Before he had made much headway, the bathroom door swung open. Geraldine dressed in a shiny white satin gown entered the bedroom and stood before Aaron. She was radiant. As a devout Catholic, she had never allowed Aaron to touch her. She had always said: I love you, I trust you, I know you will never hurt me. Now she was ready for Aaron to touch her. She had lovingly and carefully groomed herself for Aaron, she had prepared her body with perfume, creams, and lotions, for him to take, to have, to enjoy. She had done this with such love, trust and care. Smiling she presented herself, her body to Aaron.

She had done something amazing to her face. Against the dark skin tones, the foundation cover, the eyeliner, the mascara, the purple eye shadow, the lip liner, and the red lip-gloss, were so carefully and perfectly done. Aaron stood up and untied the girdle of her gown, and slipped the white satin gown off her shoulders. It fell into a heap around her feet. She stood naked unveiled before him. He pulled his shorts off and took off his T-shirt. They stood before each other naked. He put his arms around her lower back and pulled her against him, she placed her arms tightly around his neck pressing her breasts against his chest. She lifted her head, gazing deeply into his eyes, a smile formed on her lips, and he began to kiss her deeply and passionately. In a state of sacred mystical silence, they embraced each other tightly, both aware of their naked bodies pressing against each other.

As husband and wife, they were, at last, ready and prepared to freely give their virgin bodies to each other in an act of mutual and reciprocal self-donation in the same way that Christ gave His Body to the Church, saying, ‘…take this is my body…’ Aaron felt a huge throbbing overwhelming surge of excitement in his loins and a strong pounding in his chest, they released their embrace, everything was beyond expectation and when he looked at her magnificent dark naked body, it was impossible for him not to remember the words:

Dark am I, yet lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, dark like the tents of Kedar, like the tent curtain curtains of Solomon.

She lay down on the bed on her side, resting on her elbow, her body making a Z. Aaron looked at his wife’s naked dark ebony body as she lay in full sight on the white bed cover. He laid next to her, and she rolled over onto her back with her head resting on the pillow. He bent over and kissed her lips. Moving his head from her lips, he kissed her breasts as she smiled. He then kissed her on the mouth while he caressed her firm and beautifully shaped virgin breasts. He could not believe how beautiful her breasts were and how exquisitely wonderful it was to touch them, fondle them, feel them. He touched her erect nipples. Touching, fondling and caressing every part of her firm smooth body filled him with the most sensations of erotic pleasure that he never thought possible. He struggled to control his breathing, his excitement became feverish. He began to kiss her body everywhere. Resting on her elbows, her upper body lifted, still smiling indulgently at Aaron, she out of sheer curiosity and pure innocence watched what he was doing to her, as her own state of arousal increased with each touch, with each kiss, with each caress. Her body began to respond to his sensual explorations. Filled with the rising heat of her own excitement she sank down back onto the bed, resting her head on the pillow, her arms thrown behind her head, moving her supine body in response to Aaron love making, her torso, hips and legs writhed beneath him. She started to moan softly with pleasure. As her own excitement grew she also began to reach out and touch Aaron as well, caressing him softly everywhere.

Aaron’s hand moved down, and he began to lightly stroke and caressed her inner thighs. She gasped as he carefully, softly and gently stroked and caressed her vulva. When he touched there, her breathing quickened and her chest rose and fell, as he continued to gently explore her vulva. Tentatively and gently, he probed his fingers into the moist cleft, her vulva that had become swollen, engorged with blood. She abandoned to herself to the waves of physical pleasure that had taken possession of her body. Her orgasm came as a sudden exquisite surprise to both her and to Aaron. After her climax, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips tightly against his. Aaron moved now to position himself between her thighs, just before he was going to go into her, she softy said:

Please put that white towel under me, I don’t want us to stain the bed with blood.

As she bend her knees, and lifted her hips up, he spread the white towel under her buttocks. Kneeling between her knees, he leant forward and mounted her. They became one flesh, husband and wife. Geraldine was right about the blood. Afterwards, they lay in each other arms eventually falling into a deep and blissful sleep. The cool fresh sea breeze on their naked bodies eventually woke them up. It was already dark outside. It felt as if they had slept for hours. Aaron switched the pedestal lamp on. There was a wicked smile on her face and a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

We have finally contravened the Immorality Act with God’s full blessing. I feel so free and unburdened.

Filled with incredible desire for her Aaron mounted her again, she held him tight,

My husband, my master, my king, I love you so much.

I love you too.

It was almost 8.15 pm. They had not eaten all day and were feeling famished.

I am hungry I could eat a horse.

She replied: I am also starving and I think we missed supper.

We could go eat at a restaurant somewhere. I'm sure we can take walk along the esplanade and look for a place where we can eat.

That’s a wonderful idea.

They quickly got dressed. Outside the hotel, they gazed at the beautiful flood light-lit white three-storeyed terraced facade of the Polana hotel. Walking past the swimming pool, they made their way to the Caracol road that wound down the hill to the Polana beach. With his arm around her waist, they walked along the Esplanade. They could see the lights of several fishing trawlers piercing the darkness of the bay. Soon a half-moon would be rising in the east. Gazing up at the stars strung out above the Baia de Lourenço Marques Aaron identified clusters of stars grouped into the following constellations: Perseus, Taurus and the Pleiandes, Orion’s belt, Canis Major and Sirius, Canopus, Vela, Puppis, Carina.

Crouching behind her, he helped her to align her vision along his outstretched arm, which he aimed like a rifle with his index figure pointing out the different constellations. In this way, he was able to eventually point out each of the constellations so that she too could see them as well.

Afterwards, she wanted to know why the Southern Cross with its Pointers was not among the constellations.

He searched for the Southern Cross. It took some time before he spotted the Southern Cross hovering just above the horizon. They gazed at the South Cross and used their figures to estimate the position of the intersection of the two lines, one projected from the cross, the other one through the two Pointers they found where due south lay.

I love the Southern Cross, she said, it symbolises our intellectual quarantine from the pathologies of the European mind, allowing us to think differently and see things in a fresh new light, without the distorting lenses of Western Civilization .

That is quite strong, he said, surprised at what she had said.

It is what I feel, she said.

OK, just for fun I am going to ask you a European kind of question, he said.

Let’s hear, she said.

Have you ever wondered why the night sky is so dark? The obvious answer that comes to anyone’s mind is that the sun does not shine at night. But that is the wrong answer, he said.

Well then, why is the sky so velvety black at night? She asked, playing along with Aaron.

The fact that the night is not light but dark has been called The Paradox of the Dark Night or Olber’s Paradox.

Paradox of the dark night! What kind of a paradox is that? Why should the night sky not be dark? Should I have reason to wonder otherwise? she replied with a slightly puzzled look on her face.

However, her curiosity had been pricked. She had an inkling that there was something profound about the sky being dark at night. There was something that was not quite obvious or self-explanatory about the night being dark, even though most people took it for granted that at night when the sun had passed to the opposite side of the globe, the sky changed from bright blue to black.

"Yes, this a good reason why