by Rifi Strawn
“Those barbecues at your aunt’s new neighbors are information sharing gatherings,” he said. “There’s a reason why Neil and Mr. Reed get the weekly invite. During my personal investigation, I found out that Levi bought the farm next door to your aunt’s and planted a wholesome American family to keep tabs on you all. Your aunt’s neighbors told him about Mr. Reed’s heart condition, and your Aunt Zoie’s schedules for grocery shopping, church visits, and Tuesday bingo nights. Neil, Mr. Reed, and you played into Levi’s game without realizing it. He learned about your guilt-ridden weekend visits to your aunt during her last days. He used your regrets to lure you into spreading her ashes at Victoria Falls. Levi mailed a handwritten, certified letter from your aunt to Mr. Reed and had the neighbors mail it from the same post office that serviced the farm mail. The rest is history.”
Her voice choked. “Did he send the death certificate?”
“No. I did.” He looked at her in apology. “I needed to convince Levi you were killed by predators. I sent your used chewing gum to your dentist back in the US to match against your dental records for extra assurance.” He slumped in his chair. “I’m so sorry about this, but it was the only way to keep you safe.”
She teared up. “You put everyone at home through hell by making them think I was dead. They even had a memorial service for me. You had plenty of chances to warn me about this when we lived together.”
“You wouldn’t have believed me. I needed more proof, and now I have it.”
She glared at him. “You kept me a hostage for three-months.”
“I gave you a refuge from a deadly attack.”
“You faked a vacation to fool me.”
“I created an illusion to make your risky stay comfortable while Levi was hunting for you,” he confessed.
“You made me think I was a legitimate volunteer.”
“I gave you daily distractions from the danger you were in, and gave you chores to pass your time.” He scratched his forehead. “At times, it was difficult to keep your curiosities away while I investigated Levi’s trail.”
His perfect explanations for everything made sense. The relatives, the vineyard, and the shops she’d visited did exist. It was a relief that he was a licensed veterinarian who raised money to protect the elephants. And he had the bank records and government-approved papers to operate the non-profit charities to prove it.
She crossed her arms. “I looked up the Save the Elephant program, and the website is gone.”
“I had to close all my charity accounts after I found out Levi was draining them.” His face tensed. “He’d been using Claire to take money from my Mum’s non-profit jewelry shops. I found out about Levi’s schemes too late and couldn’t protect your inheritance or Mum’s non-profit funds.”
She inhaled. “Then, Levi knows I’m here.”
“As we speak, he’s looking for you in Zambia. My informant has been keeping a close eye on him since your arrival.”
“Why should I believe you? You could be Levi’s partner.”
He hesitated. “If I didn’t hide you at the lodge and at Mum’s house in Cape Town, Levi would’ve found you, drained everything you have, used you for sex, and then killed you just like his wife.”
Hand on her chest, she sighed. “I thought Tina died of cancer.”
“So, everyone thinks.” He lowered his voice. “Mum doesn’t even know this, so keep it to yourself. During my own private investigation, I found out Levi had paid off people at the hospital to switch his wife’s healthy records with a sick patient’s. Poor Tina believed she was sick. She died from chemo overdoses.”
“The hospital would’ve caught it. What about his wife’s doctor? He would’ve known.”
“Not if a shifty radiologist is paid off to switch the x-rays, and a lab tech mixes up the test results,” he said.
“Why did Levi want her dead? Wouldn’t divorce have been easier if he wanted to be with Claire?”
Jeremy smirked. “I don’t know how Levi’s mind works. But Tina might have been asking too many questions about his ample cash flow. They’d been fighting before she was suddenly diagnosed with ‘cancer’.”
“Who was responsible for the massive elephant massacre?”
“The poachers working for my uncle Stevens.”
“Doctor Stevens? Your mother’s brother? The guy who treated you at Torrey’s house?”
“Yes, her step-brother.”
She looked at him in disgust. “You have a deranged family.”
“My uncle was declared mentally ill two years ago, but no one knew it.”
“So, who kidnapped you?”
“Uncle Stevens.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“He wanted to punish me for saving the elephants. To him, they were nothing more than large useless beasts, who eat massive amounts of vegetation and robbed him of his oxygen.” His voice broke. “He killed my father in the most disrespectful and inhumane way for protecting the elephants, too. I haven’t told my mother the truth about how he died.” He swallowed his tears.
“How did you find out it was him?”
“The police traced my fingerprints on the knife I stabbed him with and questioned me. I told them everything I knew. When they revealed the whole story of his illness to me, I was shocked.”
Stanley saw the agony on his face that she’d witnessed many times after his abduction. He’d been an emotional wreck for days after his kidnapping. She sat in disbelief from the bizarre stories. The scars on his body and the emotional distress she’d nursed were proof that he wasn’t making things up about his sick uncle.
“You’ve given me a lot of think about,” she said. “These stories seemed like horror TV reality shows.”
“You have to trust me when I say I love you. I promise you I’m not making things up. In due time, you’ll have all the evidence you need. Somehow, I’ll get your money back. I can’t wait to win your trust and love back.”
She looked at him. “Are you even a real vet?”
“I earned all those diplomas on the rehab center wall. You’re welcome to check them out with the universities that issued them.”
“Do Tutu, Luki, and Makeda even exist? Are those their real names?”
“You saw the herd walking by the river at the resort. Yes. Those are their real names.”
“What’s stopping Levi from taking the farm, house, and the cosmetics company, too?”
“Too much paper trail. Levi got what he wanted—cash is king.” He rubbed his forehead in distress. “He might come after you when he runs out of money. He knows about the monthly oil checks coming to you. Mr. Reed talked about them at the neighbor’s barbecue. We need to warn Neil and Mr. Reed to be more private around their ‘friends.’”
Her breath quickened. “We need to stop Levi before he hurts Mr. Reed or Neil.”
“Yes, I know.” His pleading gaze fixed on hers. “It’s not safe for you to stay at the hotel. You should stay here with Mum and me.”
“I don’t feel safe anywhere.” Her suspicious gaze swept the grand house. “Am I allowed to leave here?”
“Yes, of course.” He pointed to the bracelet on her wrist. “Keep that on, so I can keep track of you. It’s a detecting device.”
“You are unbelievable. And I thought this was a thoughtful gift from your heart.” She slipped the bracelet off and put it on the table. “I don’t need your help.”
“The engraving inside, you are my world, is heartfelt.” He swallowed hard. “I can’t protect you if I don’t know where you are.”
She picked up her purse and stood. “I don’t trust you or anyone here right now. You could’ve warned me about all this when I was staying with you.”
“You would’ve panicked.”
“Maybe so, but at least I could’ve been prepared for the worst.”
“I thought I was protecting you.” He looked her in the eye. “You weren’t all that honest with me. You said you came here to spread your aunt’s ashes when you w
ere just fulfilling an obligation to get the inheritance.”
“I need to go.”
Torrey returned and looked at the bracelet on the table. Her gaze, full of motherly compassion, swept Stanley’s upset face. “I also wear one of these bracelets. Keep yours on until the danger is over. Levi is still on the hunt. I think deep down, you know Jeremy is telling you the truth, and he loves you. And I know you love him, too. That’s why you’re so conflicted.”
“I have to go.”
Jeremy walked her out and opened her car door for her. She got behind the wheel and drove toward the gate. In the rearview mirror, she saw him pacing.
~*~
Jeremy made a call on his phone. “Lucky. Don’t let Stanley out of your sight. She’s on the way to the hotel.”
“Yes, sir.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The cool crisp morning breeze blew Jeremy’s hair and long-sleeve, white shirt as he firmly tapped on Stanley’s hotel room. She’d picked a safe place to stay, but Levi would’ve found her here. His breath quickened from the long delay as he tried to take a peek through the window, but the curtains were drawn. Damn. Hope she is okay.
“Open, please. It’s me,” he said. “I need to talk to you. It’s urgent.”
She looked at his worried face through the latched opening. “What is it?
“May I please come in? I can’t be seen here.”
She gave him a suspicious look before unlatching the chain. Tightening the sash of her short robe, she let him into her modest room. “Why aren’t you out looking for my money?”
He closed the door behind him and locked it. “You’re not safe in Cape Town. Levi called Mum and wants to come over for coffee.” He checked the time. “We need to helicopter out of here, now.”
“To where?”
“Krueger National Park.”
She crossed her arms. “That’s not in my plans.”
His pleading gaze moved over her face. “You must believe me when I tell you Levi’s going to kill you. He must’ve found out that you’re here to get your money.”
“Where will I stay?”
At the park. There’s an extra room at the rehab dorm for you. It’s safe there for now. If Levi does find out I’m there, he’ll think I’m working on a sick elephant.”
~*~
Stanley checked into her room at Krueger National Park’s lodging facility, next door to Jeremy. Some of the new interns from America had checked into the other vacant rooms. The wide-eyed young vets were thrilled to see Jeremy, the elephant whisperer.
She eyed her charming room and put her suitcase down. The African décor came with a mosquito netting. The flying bugs and the insect repellent on the table were a sure sign she’d get bit here.
Absently scratching her arms, she stood in front of the open window. Elephants grazed in the distance. This trip was off to a good start.
She tested her bed on top of a raised platform. With no poking springs, she’d definitely get a good night’s rest. The thatched ceiling and earthy walls with art of the savannah landscape were typical of the safari lodges she’d seen.
A soft tap on her door had her rushing to open it. Jeremy’s gray eyes looked past her shoulder as he smiled. “My room is just like yours.”
“I like it.”
He rubbed his hands together. “Ready to check out the elephants?”
“Oh yes.” She put on her fedora and followed him to the Rover.
After a short drive, they arrived at the rehab center at the wildlife sanctuary. The staff and the interns treated Jeremy like a rock star. He needed no introductions here. He smiled and shook hands with the vets and the caretakers and called them by name. He must’ve worked with them before. Some of the elephants came to visit him. One friendly female wrapped him in her trunk and raised him up like a piggy back rider. Laughter filled the outdoor area as the elephant carried him around. After a kiss on the trunk, the elephant put him down.
Jeremy got to work and checked on the elephant in distress. “How’s our big girl?” he asked the attending vet about the pregnant female.
“We can’t find the calf’s heartbeat on the ultrasound,” said a nervous young vet.
After a quick examination of the elephant, he gathered more information. “When was the last time you heard it?”
“This morning…around ten.”
He stroked the expectant elephant’s belly and trunk. The distraught elephant swiped her tail side-to-side as she responded to Jeremy’s TLC and kind words. Once she relaxed, Jeremy nudged her huge stomach and put his ear to it. He gave another forceful nudge, and the elephant yelped.
His face lit up at the moving belly. “The baby is still there. Let’s do another ultrasound.”
After a full day of tests, he washed his dirty hands in the sink. As he dried his hands on a paper towel, he looked over Stanley’s shoulder at the notes she’d taken for him. His warm breath tickled the hair on her neck.
“You’re my favorite assistant,” he said with a wink. “Did you document the last test result?”
“Yes.” She looked at the huge pregnant elephant. “Is her baby going to be okay?”
“I’m a bit concerned about the development. I’ll need to monitor the progress during my stay here.”
“How long are we staying?”
“A month or more.”
She lowered her voice. “I can’t stay here that long.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Do you have something better planned at home?”
“Maybe,” she muttered.
“You’re better off with me.”
“What’s the latest on Levi’s travels?”
“Mum has sent him on several goose chases to buy time.” He hesitated. “The undercover police are secretly working with me now.”
She looked at him. “You should’ve told me everything when I got here the first time.”
“You would’ve gone home. How could I have protected you from the neighbors?”
The month long stay at the park kept Stanley busy helping Jeremy care for the pregnant elephant. Even though they worked together every day, she kept him at a distance. After her shifts, she’d stay in her room or go on drives with other staff members.
~*~
Two weeks later at dawn, Jeremy tapped on Stanley’s room door at the lodge just as she was waking up. She ran her fingers through her hair and opened the door for him in her robe. He gave her the once over. “Hey. Why don’t you come along with me and the interns for a ride? We’re going to a new part of the park to study the rehabbed elephants out in the wild.”
She glanced at the time. “I’ll be ready in twenty minutes. I can’t wait to see the baby elephant we released into the herd when we first got here.”
“You’ll see that and more,” he promised.
She rushed to dress in her regulation uniform as she bubbled over with excitement. Adjusting her fedora, she met Jeremy waiting for her in the jeep with three eager interns from the United States, and Peter, the tracker in the parking lot. He’d saved the front passenger seat for her as usual. The tall, lanky Masai tracker sat in the jump seat attached to the front bumper. She missed Lucky after one look at Peter’s ebony skin, pearly smile, and tan bucket hat.
The interns took notes and paid attention to every word Jeremy said. He pointed Stanley to the herd. “When an elephant stands tall with a direct gaze and its chin up, looking down over the tusks, it’s a warning to a predator ‘I’ve got my eye on you.’ If it shakes its head abruptly with ears sharply flapping, that mean it’s annoyed. Elephants will also spread their ears if they’re excited, surprised, or alarmed.”
As they drove on, Peter signaled to Jeremy, who jerked to a complete stop. “There’s a leopard ahead,” he said.
Jeremy handed her the binoculars. “It’s in the tall grass on the right.”
Her breath quickened. “If I was on foot, I would’ve missed it. I’d be dead by now if it weren’t for you.”
He gave her hand a
gentle squeeze. “You’ll be a pro at spotting animals at the end of these rides.”
“I don’t know about that.” She zoomed in on the leopard. Ears up, its gorgeous green eyes swept the Rover. “It’s got something in its mouth.” Whatever it was yelped. The clever cat squeezed it like a squeak toy.
“The leopard doesn’t want the baby impala, there’s not enough meat on it. If it wanted to eat it, he would’ve done it by now,” he whispered and pointed to the large, female impala standing behind a tree ahead. “Notice each time the baby cries out, she steps closer to rescue it.”
The leopard’s cunning move worked. It seized the moment and grabbed the surprised mother by the neck. The brief squeals silenced quickly from the iron grip on the neck. The baby ran off, and the leopard dragged the mother’s limp body into the brush.
Jeremy’s sympathetic gaze switched from her to the stunned interns. “This is nature’s way of balancing things out. We’ve had an overabundance of impala with the recent rains. They breed rapidly. To the carnivores, the impala is like chicken to humans. The leopard just scored several meals for its family and other animals. It’ll put the kill in a tree for safe keeping. After it’s done, the vultures and insects will feed off the carcass for days. In nature, nothing goes to waste. Everything has a purpose.”
The leopard’s cunning move reminded her of the cut-throat competitors in the cosmetics industry. Only the fittest survived there, too. She’d better find some cunning moves to keep Levi away.
~*~
In the evening, Stanley found a cup of hot coffee with Amarula waiting for her on the table outside her room. If Jeremy kept spoiling her like this every morning and evening with her favorite treat, she might just give in.
He’d been so sweet to her lately without trying to get in bed with her. Every night, he checked her mosquito netting for holes or tears to protect her from bites. She must admit the love notes he left on her pillow and his tender gazes were weakening her willpower to resist him by the minute. She’d missed sleeping in his arms and taking in his earthy scent, especially after the hearts he’d drawn in the dirt for her yesterday. Oh, what she’d do to caress his broad, beautiful chest again.
