They all went off, and Simon and I joined Natasha for dinner. At one point in the meal, she leaned over and took my hand.
“Sandi, honey. I gotta know, are you and Simon lovers?”
“Yes Natasha, we are. Have you a problem with that?”
“Oh thank God. I was terrified he was going to turn out gay, and I’d never have any grandkids.”
“You have other children,” I pointed out.
“Sure, Michael is a hairdresser, and as gay as they come, and Rebekka is so tied up with her job as an attorney she has no time for men. She doesn’t know that I know she prefers women in any case. No, Simon was my last hope.”
“Just as well I am on the bloody pill then,” I said, and she roared with laughter.
From then on she treated me like a daughter, and poor Simon was almost ignored. He was actually quite pleased, as it meant he was free from her manipulative control.
Simon moved all his stuff into my room, and we were quite open about our relationship. I adored him, and our night was spent exploring a sexual world of delights.
He had changed considerably since that first evening in New York. Gone was the shy and quiet young man, and in his place was a confident and erudite man, who calmly turned round and told his mother what he thought. He treated me like a lady, and I felt cherished and adored. The feeling was mutual, and I knew that no matter what I did, or where I went, Simon would always be there for me.
We had breakfast together after our early morning swim, and we made sure we had a table for two.
The show started at 2p.m., and once again was a great success. I strutted my stuff, and Natasha was delighted with the response from the buyers. The press were more interested in me, but the publicity for her clothes was exceptional.
I had called Frankie, and told him that my father had called and would be meeting me in the hotel parking lot at 11 p.m. He said nothing, and just rang off.
I had dinner with Simon, and was getting nervous. They had given him a small .38 revolver. Just in case anyone tried to get to me. We went for an evening stroll along the beach, and I just held his arm and took my strength from him. So many things could go wrong. I was always seeing worst case scenarios.
Finally, we were in our room, and I was fitted with some lightweight body armour, and pulled a baggy sweater over the top. I had a wire put under my bra, and was all set.
I walked out into the parking lot, and looked about. I couldn’t see anyone, yet I knew at least six sets of eyes were on me.
I was standing by a large palm tree, and just when I thought nothing was going to happen, I saw someone walking towards me. It was my father, and he was carrying a briefcase.
“Hello love.” he said.
“Hi Dad, you sod.” I said, and he grinned. Suddenly I saw a little of what my mother must have seen in him, for he had a charming smile.
“So, what happens now?” I asked. We were standing about six feet apart.
“Look as if you are pissed off with me.” he said.
“So, you selfish, pig headed bastard.” I shouted. “Why the hell should I believe you?”
“Brilliant. Keep it up.” he said, making it look as if he was pleading with me.
“Bugger off, and leave me alone. You have brought me nothing but misery, and that is the truth.” I screamed.
“Yeah, I know, but it will be over soon.”
“Oh yeah, I’ll bloody well believe that when it happens.” I shouted. I was getting into this now.
A police car pulled up alongside us, and two officers got out.
“Are you okay Miss?” one officer asked me.
“Yes, fine. I am just having a domestic with my dad,” I said, uncertain whether this was part of the act or not. Then I recognised one of the police officers as being an FBI agent.
“Sir, step back one pace, please, and put the case down,” the other officer told Dad.
Dad put the case down, looking very nervous. He was a good actor.
“Sir, what is your name?”
“William, ah Smith.” he said.
No so good, no Oscar here.
“Do you have any I.D.?”
He patted his pockets, turning slightly, as he started to produce a gun.
I screamed (no act) and one of the officers shouted, “GUN.”
The other officer drew his side arm and fired twice, and two holes erupted from my father’s chest, and I was covered in blood. I screamed as my father fell back into the bushes.
One officer held me back, saying, “Its okay, Sandi, really its okay.”
The other officer walked towards my father, still pointing the gun, and he bent over the ‘body’.
“No pulse, call it in.” he said, and I wailed, “No. Daddy.” The officer had to hold onto me really tightly. Reality and pretence had blurred and my tears were for real.
The case was left forgotten on the ground, and as I was placed on the front seat of the cruiser, and the officer marked off the area with tape. I saw Frankie surreptitiously walk through the parking lot, pick up the case, and walk off.
An ambulance arrived, and Dad was strapped to a trolley and lifted in. I wasn’t allowed to ride with it.
The charade was played to the hilt, and it was not long before reporters arrived, and a photograph of me sitting in the front seat of the cruiser with the door open and covered in fake blood appeared on the front page of the morning’s papers.
Superbabe’s father gunned down by police
Late last night, in the parking lot of the Hilton Sands hotel, Miami Beach, British underworld figure Jonathon Lake was meeting his daughter, the stunning young model, Sandi Lake (17), nicknamed Superbabe, when a routine police patrol saw them arguing. The officers demanded I.D. from Lake, who attempted to draw a firearm on the officers. Thirty one year old Officer Bruce McFadden, drew his side arm and shot Lake twice in the chest. The man was pronounced dead on arrival at the Miami General hospital half an hour later.
Lake is connected with various dubious business deals and is currently wanted by the British police in connection with three homicides in Sussex.
Sandi, over here to promote and model the Kysinski range of clothing, was said by friends to be in shock today.
Seen last night, still with her father’s blood on her face and clothes, the young supermodel was almost hysterical, having been only yards away from her father when he was shot.
Natasha Kysinski, her current employer and close friend, said, “Sandi is a darling girl, and she has not seen her father for a long time. They were not close, as she hated everything he stood for. They were arguing over his current business deals, which Sandi felt were illegal, and she resented his ruining her life with his activities.”
Simon Haddow, Natasha’s son, and Sandi’s current boyfriend, was said to be deeply hurt by the intrusion into their lives by her father. He told us, “Sandi has achieved everything through her own hard work. This man has brought her nothing but grief and sorrow. Even her mother was forced to leave, and died in tragic circumstances because of this man. She just wants to live her own life, and forget he ever existed.”
Asked whether she wanted to call off today’s fashion show, the plucky English girl was said to have declined, saying, “No, I need to keep going, there is nothing I can do about him now, and I don’t blame the officer. He simply protected me and himself. It is just such a tragic end to a tragic life.”
More on page 4.
I did what was expected of me, and the press were very much in evidence. I actually didn’t feel much like smiling in any case, as everything was so real. I still didn’t know whether Dad was alive or dead.
The show went beautifully, and Natasha was wonderful. She had no knowledge of the little charade, as was everyone else, with the exception of Simon. Simon was great, he was next to me at all times, and every time I looked for him, he was there.