Killed in Kruger

by Denise M. Hartman

  “In the meantime, I’ll go get some information and you get some rest.”

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  She convinced the person at the reservation desk to call over to the offices for her. She held the line, waiting for someone to speak. A vanload of morning safari seekers milled about the lobby. The smell of coffee drifted to her, along with their voices. Kindness Radebe answered the phone in Mpande’s office and Tabitha identified herself.

  “It’s terrible what happened to Daniel, isn’t it?” Tabitha asked. Perhaps conversation would warrant her special treatment.

  “It is very troubling, yes,” Kindness answered. “I am thinking that you are calling for Mr. Mpande, but he is out in the park.”

  “Are they still looking for Mhlongo, or is the body in the fire his?”

  “We don’t know anything about the body, but as far as I know they went searching for Mhlongo at first light and no one has come back—yet,” Kindness said.

  Tabitha twisted the curly phone cord around her finger. “So they haven’t found him. Do they have any idea where he might be?”

  “The rangers have not called me.”

  Tabitha sighed. It was a big park and the man who knew it best of all was the one they searched for. “Does Mhlongo know they’re looking?”

  “The radio tower was out until early this morning, so he could not have heard transmissions. But since then, they have been busy talking on the radios. He could have learned of the search.”

  Tabitha could almost hear the shrug at the other end of the phone as Kindness withdrew. If Mhlongo knew of the search, they’d be unlikely to find him.

  Kindness said, “He was driving a park vehicle and that has not been found, so he should be easy for the searchers to spot.”

  So there was a bit of hope. Tabitha knew firsthand that vehicles seemed to turn up. Too big to hide from the rangers. She hung up the reservation desk phone and headed for the public pay phones outside. She had her calling card out and pushed the numbers for the long distance call to Rian Minnaar. He answered on the first ring.

  “Rian, I found Daniel last night near the same road where they found Phillip.”

  “The same place? It must be a trek for a predator or they wouldn’t risk the same location. What cheek. Did he survive?”

  “Yes, he was cut up badly, but the predators hadn’t found him yet. He said Mhlongo accosted him on the road and hit him over the head. He woke up alone, bleeding in the bush.”

  “Ag, sies.” he muttered in Afrikaans. “Did they take Mhlongo into custody?”

  “They haven’t been able to find him,” Tabitha said after explaining her phone call to Kindness.

  “Man, he could be anywhere, since he knows the park well. The car is their loophole. It makes him noticeable.”

  “Get this, they found a body in that fire from yesterday.”

  “What? Is it Mhlongo?”

  “Daniel heard about the fire long before Mhlongo confronted him, so it doesn’t seem likely. For some reason the park is out looking for Mhlongo and not assuming it’s him. Maybe they know more than they are telling. I have the impression they still haven’t brought the police into it.”

  “No, I’m sure. I think Mpande is concerned about how he will appear to the director when he gets back. They’ll have to file a report about the body at some point.”

  “Between a body and a violent man on the loose, you’d think Mpande would alert Nelspruit’s office. Couldn’t Mhlongo be in the city by now if he’s bent on escaping?”

  “Maybe Mpande thinks it may be a case of Mhlongo’s word against Daniel’s.”

  “What? No way. Daniel’s got stitches down his arms. He didn’t make that up.”

  “No, I know. I’m inclined to believe Daniel’s side of the story, but not everyone will see it that way.”

  “You think Mpande will protect Mhlongo because he’s their best ranger?”

  “No. Mpande is a straight arrow. He just wants what’s best for the park.”

  “He certainly doesn’t want me to find out anything or print anything about this mess.”

  “I keep telling you he may be hush hush, but he’s not your bad guy.”

  “I guess so,” Tabitha sighed. “But doesn’t he have to call the police for an assault like this?”

  “They are probably handling it with more vigor and manpower than any of the police departments could really muster. They know the parklands better, too.”

  Tabitha ran her fingers back through her hair. He was probably right on that count. She was just so angry and wanted to see justice for Daniel, and especially for Phillip. “I suppose you’re right. I just feel helpless sitting here.”

  “You already found Daniel, and that was the important bit,” Rian said.

  “Can you convince them or your superiors that they need police help?”

  “They’ve told me to get my nose out already, not to mention we don’t have the manpower here in our offices to take this on. Give them a little time. They’ll turn him over once they catch up to him. This isn’t the USA.”

  “I know. I know. It is quite evident to me.” Tabitha rubbed her forehead. “I just want to see something happen. I want to know the truth. I’m thinking surely Mhlongo killed my uncle, and that makes me more anxious for some sort of justice.” A little peace and closure would be nice too.

  Chapter 55

  “I have a job for you to do.” Mhlongo fingered the telephone pressed to his ear.

  “I am not your errand boy. I’m done. You are no conservationist. You’re a killer.” Christopher huffed on his end of the line.

  “Ah, yes, but I kill legally. How about you, young American?”

  The silence had a standoff quality to it that made Mhlongo grin.

  “I heard there was a body in that shed you had me burn. You’re turning me into something I’m not. It’s over. I’m done. I’m no killer.” Christopher sounded near to tears.

  “The man who died in that shed was a drug dealer, and he had taken lately to selling human beings.”

  “What, you mean like slaves? That doesn’t happen anymore.”

  “Young women and children are lured to come here for a better job, and then the drug dealer holds them captive making them do—” he hesitated, thinking of things he knew, “—horrible unspeakable things. This makes your worry over animal movements pale into a child’s game.” Mhlongo heard the disgust in his own voice. Could this fat man-child not understand? This was justice.

  “People really do that? Can’t they just run away?”

  Mhlongo’s mirthless scoff choked the phone line. “The man keeps their papers. They have no proof and usually the authorities are paid to look the other way. That man was less than trash. Nothing.” He let the silence take up space. “Listen to me. I cannot go to the camp right now, so here’s what I need you to do. Then I will leave you in peace. Or maybe you could go make trouble in the United States somewhere and leave the park in peace?”

  When Mhlongo finished telling Christopher about the horrible woman promoting animal capture and relocation, and worse—tourism, the boy warmed to the task. He told him where to find a rock dassie to kill. They were easy to kill; even Christopher could do it.

  Mhlongo disconnected the phone and turned up the radio. The tower must be up again. His jaw hardened as he heard what they were up to. Looking for him. He swore and slapped the steering wheel three times.

  His eyes shifted focus to the horizon. He’d have to leave the park Jeep and smuggle himself out with Pieter’s giraffe shipment. A new life for him after all.

  Chapter 56

  Tabitha went back to her round cabin and read through her notes from interviews. She had an assigned story to work on, but instead started writing a story she didn’t know if she could sell. The story of intrigue and poaching in Kruger National Park South Africa. Blast Mpande and his secrecy, she would tell this story, if anyone would listen. Since the beacon of the yellow bakkie was out front, she chose to jam the chair under the d
oor again and work sitting cross-legged on the bed.

  She carved out a draft and artfully included the few quotes she had from Mhlongo as a former ranger. She probably would need to do an interview with someone else for her other stories. The short night was catching up with her. She stretched and walked to the window. She couldn’t just sit here. Had Mhlongo been caught yet? She would check again. She wondered if she should go out looking herself, but could she force him into a camp?

  She grabbed her keys and moved the chair away from the door. The door pulled in and the stench of blood hit her senses. She muffled a scream as she saw the porch area of her rondavel. Blood dripped from the rafters into a pool on the cement surface. The edges of the pool were turning dark and thick. She looked away, afraid she’d be sick. A shaky hand over her mouth kept her exclamations stifled.

  Tabitha squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. See what’s dripping. She blinked hard then looked out. A small carcass had been strung up in the rafters of the porch. Without a head it wasn’t easy to tell what it was, but entrails dangled out of it, dripping blood. This wasn’t any sort of traditional ritual. It was pure hostility. Her hands shook and she dropped her keys on the doorsill. As she reached to retrieve them, her head swam. She knelt down for moment to regain her equilibrium.

  Could Mhlongo have snuck into the camp and done this in daylight, with everyone looking for him? She looked out at the sun-kissed campgrounds. Few people stirred. All the tourists were out photo hunting. She stood up and tried not to look at the mess on the porch. Mhlongo must not have driven a car up to the rondavel, or she would have heard something. She didn’t see anyone or anything to raise her suspicions. The pounding fear in her chest made her want to lock herself inside, but that wouldn’t get Mhlongo caught. She swallowed past the lump in her throat. She would not take this lying down.

  She locked her door and stepped past the blood without looking back. Her first stop was the front reception desk. A young woman concentrated on some papers on the desk.

  “Excuse me?” Tabitha got her attention. “Someone has killed a small animal at my rondavel and blood is all over the porch.” Her voice shook in spite of her valiant effort to be calm and steady. The woman just stared at Tabitha, open-mouthed. “Would you please arrange for me to be moved to another room?” The woman finally responded. They took care of the paperwork.

  “Madame, I am so sorry. We will arrange for a cleaning crew to go around immediately.”

  Tabitha felt a shiver run up her back as she tried not to think about the message sent loud and clear by that carcass and blood. It seemed to shake the staff member too, but Tabitha asked to speak to Mr. Mpande on the telephone. They always reminded her how important he was, but stopped short of refusing to place the call.

  Kindness answered the phone. “Oh, Ms. Cranz, I’m so glad you telephoned. Mr. Mpande plans to be back to the park in a half hour and would like for you to bring Daniel to his office.”

  “Yes, I’ve got something to tell him too. In fact, pass on the word that Mhlongo was at Skukuza.” She heard the intake of Kindness’ breath. “He left a dead animal outside my room. I’m sure it was him. Who else could it be?”

  Tabitha felt vulnerable walking back across the grounds to retrieve the bakkie. Was Mhlongo watching somewhere, or had he gone? She looked for people on the grounds, to reassure herself she was not alone. She reached the truck safely and drove over to the clinic. Daniel was dressed and waiting to be rescued from the nurses.

  “I’m so glad you have come.” He grinned.

  “You’re feeling okay? Well enough to leave?”

  “Yes, they took good care of me. Though I am to rest some before returning to work. God has preserved me from my enemy.”

  “I know your mother will be pleased too.”

  He answered with a full grin and a nod.

  Tabitha said, “I know you’re to rest, but the assistant director has asked to see you in his office.”

  “Let us go then.” He held out a big hand for Tabitha to lead the way.

  The atmosphere in the halls of the offices held a palpable static. People seemed in greater abundance than usual in the linoleum-tiled halls. No one rushed by American standards, but the tension was evident. People whispered to one another and their eyes widened at the sight of Daniel.

  Kindness brought them cups of hot tea to sip while they waited for Mpande to return. Tabitha marveled at Daniel’s calm exterior.

  “Are you seething inside?”

  “What? No, no.”

  “Aren’t you angry? I mean, seeing all those bandages on your arms makes me angry.”

  “Oh, oh, oh,” Daniel’s light chuckle. “I am glad to be alive. Thankful not to be hurt more than I am.”

  “It’s not fair, though,” Tabitha said.

  “No. I suppose not. Fairness is a luxurious commodity, not readily available I think. It is better not to harbor bitterness for what I cannot change.”

  “I can’t believe it. You are incredible.” Tabitha’s own emotions clamored for action, for justice and deep down for safety. Maybe even fairness.

  Their conversation was interrupted by sounds of Mpande’s voice from the exterior office. He seemed to be giving orders, though Tabitha couldn’t understand the language. He bustled into the office and greeted them. He turned a serious eye on Daniel’s bandages.

  “You are okay? Did you need hospital rather than the clinic?” Mpande asked.

  “No. I seem to be mending fine. They were able to clean all the cuts and stitch them up.” Daniel extended a bandaged arm as proof. He flinched slightly and Tabitha imagined the stitches pulling at his skin. She could smell the antiseptic when he moved.

  “What are you doing to find Mhlongo?” Tabitha asked.

  “So far we’ve investigated all the places he is known to frequent. We’ve checked the tar roads. I’ve just ordered a helicopter to go up and search for the park vehicle.”

  “You haven’t found him, then.” Tabitha’s disappointment showed in her voice.

  “That’s why I wanted to talk to you.” Mpande addressed his remark to Daniel. “We recognize that, assuming you are not mistaken about who attacked you, he could still be dangerous to you.”

  Daniel nodded his agreement. Tabitha felt relieved the park finally took the threat seriously.

  Mpande continued. “We are prepared to give you a few days off to return home, but now you are in no condition to travel. I think that we will put you into a guest rondavel under a different name rather than have you return to the work quarters. This way Mhlongo does not know where you are. I have already made arrangements.”

  Tabitha broke in on their settling of everything and told them about the carcass hanging from the rafters over her door.

  “Why didn’t you say something sooner? When did this occur?” Mpande asked.

  “It happened just before I came here. I told the staff earlier to relay the message, and I am telling you now.” Apparently the message had not been passed along to the searchers.

  Mpande grabbed the telephone and barked commands about searching around Skukuza camp. “Maybe we will have him in hand before sundown. That would be best.” Mpande rubbed his temple with two fingers.

  “What will you do with him then?” Tabitha asked.

  “Turn him over to the authorities with our reports, if we can find him. He’s very elusive.”

  The idea that he might be on the run in the camps disturbed her. “Did he have anything to do with my uncle’s death?” It was the question that burned in her.

  “A few days ago, I wouldn’t have been too certain, but my suspicions are raised. I will put that in my report to the police also.”

  Finally something, Tabitha thought. “What about that slide my uncle took that you confiscated from me?”

  He nodded. “That picture further confirmed our investigation. Though there would be no way to prove it was Mhlongo in the photo at that distance. It proves that your uncle was perhaps killed because of
what he saw.”

  “If you’d told me, I wouldn’t have shown the slide to Mhlongo.” Tabitha’s frustration over the last few weeks boiled.

  “I couldn’t jeopardize our investigation.”

  A thought occurred to Tabitha. She rummaged in her tote bag and pulled out the photos of the scared faces. “These photos were on a roll of film my uncle took. Is this something else Mhlongo was involved in? Trafficking would make poaching into small change, from what I’m hearing.”

  Mpande took the slide and held it up to the light. “I cannot tell where these were taken or how they relate.”

  “Me neither. It’s just that my uncle wouldn’t have left the park once he was here. This had to be here somewhere.”

  Mpande rubbed at the age lines on his forehead as he stared down at his desktop. “May I keep this?”

  “If you tell me why.”

  His gaze shifted between Daniel and Tabitha. “We have heard rumors of the park being used as a trafficking highway, but we have never been able to pin anything down.” He paused, rubbing his fingers along the sides of the slide. “We had been keeping a close eye on the area that was burned where a storage shed existed, but we had not caught anyone either being transported or the transporter. It did have some evidence of recent use by a number of people. That’s what got us started watching it.” He shook his head.

  “That’s why you didn’t think the body was Daniel?” Tabitha wasn’t going to let anything go.

  “Yes, yes, but for now the priority is to make sure you are safe. I will put you next to Daniel’s rondavel and place a security officer there to watch over you both until we find Mhlongo.”

  His confidence was nice, but it didn’t boost Tabitha’s. A wild killer was on the loose, and possibly ticked-off traffickers. “Do we have time to get to another camp and stay there instead? It might add a little more peace of mind if we are in a different place from where he thinks.”