by Susan Harper
A Killing in Kenya
A Flight Risk Cozy Mystery
Susan Harper
Copyright © 2018 Fairfield Publishing
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Except for review quotes, this book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the written consent of the author.
This story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual people, places, or events is purely coincidental.
Contents
Message to Readers
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Thank You!
Thank you so much for buying my book. I am excited to share my stories with you and hope that you are just as thrilled to read them.
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1
Kendell McDonald could hardly believe the company she had found herself in. If someone had tried to tell her a month ago that she would be taking any time to herself, let alone traveling the world with a near stranger, Kendell would have laughed in their face. As a flight attendant, Kendell had taken her job hoping for adventure. Five years later, and there had been very little adventure outside of eating dinner at whatever airport her plane landed at. She had never experienced any of these places, but that all changed on a very special flight to London less than a week before.
Kendell had met Pauline, an old granny-type woman from rural Georgia who just so happened to have been a flight attendant herself. The old woman had a lifetime of money saved and was planning on traveling the world with Dot, her fluffy white purse dog. One thing led to another, and suddenly, Kendell had befriended the old woman and earned herself an all-expense paid-by-Pauline world tour. Kendell’s supervisor had been kind enough to let her take a month of leave to get rid of five years’ worth of unused vacation time.
In other words, life was good. They had boarded their plane to leave London and now were heading to Africa. Specifically, the two of them were headed for the beautiful country of Kenya. Kendell could hardly contain her excitement. She glanced at Pauline, who was happily petting Dot, and Pauline smiled back at her. “I just cannot wait for Kenya,” she said, grinning. “You think a little uppity New York City girl like you can handle the humid air?”
“I can handle it,” Kendell assured her, laughing. The two women had known each other less than a week, but they picked at each other like old friends. Kendell called Pauline a backwards conservative, and Pauline would counter with a snowflake liberal comment, but it was all in fun. “So, in London, our big events consisted of a tour of Buckingham Palace as well as watching Macbeth at the Globe Theater. What sort of things would you like to do in Kenya?”
“Ooh, I already booked us a room at Giraffe Manor!” Pauline exclaimed.
The little light telling them they could remove their seatbelts came on, and Kendell quickly obliged. She hated being strapped in. “Giraffe Manor?” Kendell asked.
“It’s this beautiful, old colonial mansion. It’s a boutique sort of hotel, very intimate with only a few guests able to stay at a time. I booked us one of the largest rooms there that has the best view of the courtyard. I’m told that giraffes will come and poke their heads in the windows!” Pauline seemed nearly breathless. “I’ve never even been to the Atlanta Zoo, so I’ve never seen a giraffe anywhere other than pictures. Can you imagine a giraffe poking its head into your hotel window?”
“Wow, that sounds really fun.” Kendell smiled.
“I booked us the safari package,” Pauline said. “So, in addition to staying in the manor on the giraffe preserve, we will get to go on an actual African safari trip! It’s going to be just lovely!”
Kendell felt more excited than a child at Christmas time. She had been to a zoo before, but being up close and personal to a giraffe would be a very different experience. Plus, a safari sounded very exciting. Just as she was about to start asking Pauline more about what she had planned, a familiar voice muttered her name, “Kendell?”
She glanced up to see her friend Lil, a gorgeous, curvy black woman who looked relieved to see a familiar face. Lil was a flight attendant with the same airline that Kendell worked for. Flying aboard her company’s airlines, she figured she was bound to run into someone she knew sooner or later. “Hey, Lil!” Kendell said perkily.
“Girly, did you really take a month off work? Because that’s the rumor I’ve been hearing,” Lil said, smirking.
“I sure did,” Kendell said, almost proudly.
“Miss Never Have Fun took off a whole month!” Lil exclaimed.
“Hey, I’m fun,” Kendell countered. Lil raised a brow and gave her a look that said you-know-you’re-not. “Oh, whatever. Yes, I took a month off work. Taking some time to myself.”
“Who’s your friend?” Pauline jutted in suddenly.
“Woman, is that a dog in your lap?” Lil asked. “You…you’re supposed to check your animals into baggage claim.”
“We’re thousands of feet up in the air,” Pauline said. “What are you going to do about it now?”
The look on Lil’s face was priceless; Kendell could not help but laugh. If there was one thing Kendell had learned about Pauline in the brief amount of time she had known her, it was that the woman rarely obeyed the rules. That, and for some reason, no one ever noticed she had a dog with her until it was too late. She snuck her dog in everywhere; she had even brought the dog to the show at the Globe Theater. There was just something about Pauline’s attitude that made everyone bow out and just let her do whatever she wanted to do.
“I guess nothing,” Lil said and almost laughed.
“Lil, this is my new friend, Pauline. We met on the flight into London, and she sort of just nabbed me as a traveling companion,” Kendell said. “The two of us have been hanging out in London, and now we’re headed to Kenya for some more vacation time. Pauline, this is one of my good friends, Lil. She’s from New York like me.”
“New York is such a fascinating city,” Pauline said, smiling. “Before London, New York was my first stop along the world journey I’m on.”
“How did you like it?” Lil asked.
“Not as fabulous as London, but I just adored it,” Pauline said. “You look tired, hon.”
“Long couple of days,” Lil admitted. “These new uniforms are killing me.”
Kendell nodded, recalling how they had been issued new uniforms right before her trip to London. She had hated them with a passion; they were very 1950s stewardess wear, and the male passengers were eating those costumes up like the flight attendants were dressed like strippers. Lil, who was a larger woman, looked like a busted can of biscuits in the tight skirts. She had been the first to voice her dissatisfaction on the matter.
“I broke my heel in the first five minutes of my flight to London,” Kendell said.
“I wish I could,” Lil muttered. “I tried.”
“Hey, let me ask you something, if you got a second,” Kendell said, and Lil nodded to let her know she was good. “It’s about Jack. When I told him that I was taking some extra time to myself, he kind of freaked out. Brandon said he worked a double shift and was just cranky, but he is still being kind of a jerk about the whole thing.”
“Wow, r
eally? Your boyfriend doesn’t really seem like the controlling type,” Lil said.
“My point exactly, but he is really giving me a hard time about this whole thing.”
“Jack…your TSA boyfriend?” Pauline asked for clarity.
“Yeah, that’s the one,” Kendell said. “He has been acting like a real tool lately. At first, he was all supportive about me taking some time to myself, but then he just freaked out on me. He got really mad, and that’s not really like him. I was just wondering if you have spoken to him any this week?”
“No, I haven’t seen him,” Lil said. “You know us—always working. The only people I see are the other flight attendants.”
“You sound like you could use a little vacation yourself,” Pauline said and then snapped her fingers like she had something very important to say. “Oh, I know! We have an extra bed at the manor! I ordered us the suite. There’s a queen and two twin beds in the loft area. You should come stay with us for a night or two at Giraffe Manor.”
Lil’s eyes widened, and she cocked her head in Kendell’s direction as though to ask is this batty old lady for real? “I don’t know if I could afford to stay in a place like that,” Lil said.
“Sweetie, it’s already paid for,” Pauline insisted.
“You’re offering a complete stranger to come stay in your hotel suite?” Lil questioned.
“Well, who do you think Kendell stayed with in London?” Pauline countered. “I suppose this world tour of mine is starting to have a theme of making friends with strangers! But, why not? We have the space, and you are friends with Kendell, aren’t you?”
Lil and Kendell exchanged glances, and Kendell nodded her head slightly. “Pauline has been very sweet,” Kendell said. “She let me crash in her hotel room in London, and she and I toured the city together. She’s a hoot.”
“I bet,” Lil said, and she thought for only a second. “I do have a few days off…”
“Oh, wonderful!” Pauline exclaimed and then tapped Kendell’s shoulder. “Remind me when we land to make sure I book an extra seat on the safari tour for Lil. Oh, this is just going to be a fun girls weekend, I’m sure!”
“I… um…”
“Just say thank you,” Kendell told Lil.
Lil laughed. “Yeah, okay. Thank you, Pauline. That’s just so… generous.”
“Of course!” Pauline said, and returned to patting her dog on the head.
“I guess I have to get back to work for right now,” Lil said, still looking quite baffled that she had managed to earn herself a free weekend trip simply by knowing Kendell.
A little over eight hours later, the flight touched down in the city of Nairobi. Kendell could hardly contain her excitement. She’d had such a blast with Pauline in London, despite some unexpected ordeals, so she was really looking forward to this African safari adventure. Plus, having a friend of hers tag along would only add to the fun. Lil was a fun woman; she always knew where the best clubs were in town, always had fun ideas for double dates, and was generally more relaxed than Kendell could ever hope to be. Lil had dreams and goals much like herself, but Lil was much more inclined to know how to enjoy the moment at hand, which Kendell was certain would make Lil a fun traveling companion.
Kendell and Pauline headed to an airport restaurant to fuel up since their ride would not arrive for another hour and a half. Lil met them shortly after they ordered food, and Kendell had ordered an appetizer dish in case Lil didn’t make it to them in time to order. “So, I’m good for a few days!” Lil said as she sat down with them. “Thanks for inviting me along…Pauline?”
“Yes, that’s me!” Pauline exclaimed. “And this little fluffy cutie here is Dot.”
“Dot?” Lil questioned. “She’s pure white.”
“One of my great grandsons named her,” Pauline said. “But I like the name.”
By the time they had finished their dinner, it was time to meet the ride Pauline had booked online. A yellow, topless jeep painted to look like giraffe’s spots was waiting for them, the driver a young kid holding a sign with Pauline’s name on it. The boy didn’t speak English, but he welcomed them with a giant smile nonetheless. “This is going to be a lot of fun,” Lil whispered to Kendell as they all crowded into the jeep, Pauline sitting up front with the driver with Dot in her lap.
“Our driver looks like he’s eight,” Kendell said nervously.
“Welcome to Nairobi!” the boy said, clearly the only English words he knew, and he spun out of the airport. The boy messed around with the CD player for a moment, and then an extremely touristy-sounding voice came through the jeep’s speakers.
“Welcome to Nairobi, Kenya! You are about to embark on a wonderful adventure! Nairobi is both the capital of Kenya as well as the country’s largest city. It is the tenth largest city in Africa. Nairobi is home to the famous Nairobi National Park. It is also a home to thousands of Kenyan-based businesses as well as over one hundred major international companies and organizations. Nairobi also hosts the United States National Embassy…” the voice droned on and one with varying facts about the city as they drove to the manor.
By the time they arrived, it was getting dark. The sun was still peering over the horizon when the first cluster of giraffes came into view. Kendell’s eyes widened; the creatures were just beautiful as they grazed throughout the forest area they were driving through. Up ahead, Kendell spotted the manor. It was simply lovely. It was a cluster of small colonial buildings, vines growing up over the old brick. Kendell could already tell this was going to be a magnificent trip.
2
“Welcome to Giraffe Manor!” a tall, slender Kenyan man called as they pulled the jeep up just outside of the manor. “I am Jahi, the manor’s current in-house resident. I just saw your booking for the safari has changed, so I do not have all of your names?” The man held out his hand for Pauline. Pauline smiled.
“What a gentleman!” she said, taking the middle-aged man’s hand as he helped her out of the jeep. “I’m Pauline.”
“Ah! Yes, your name was on the booking,” he said, picking up her bag. “David! Bina! Oye, come here!”
Two children bearing a resemblance to Jahi came darting out of the manor with big, gorgeous smiles. “Why, hello there,” Kendell said to the little girl, Bina, who could not seem to stand still to save her life.
“And you, miss, your name?” Jahi asked.
“Kendell,” Kendell said, hardly able to contain herself as she spotted a giraffe in the distance making its way over to the manor.
“Kendell! Beautiful name!” Jahi said, then looked at Lil. He put his hands to his heart. “Beautiful lady, you have Kenyan in you, I can tell.”
“I have no idea,” Lil admitted. “But sure, why not?”
The two children giggled and started grabbing suitcases and bags. “Oh, they don’t have to do that—” Pauline started to protest. The little girl paused; she saw Dot in Pauline’s shoulder tote. Pauline smiled and bent down, handing the little girl the bag the puppy was in. “How about you get this bag for me, dear?”
The girl nodded excitedly. The boy looked incredibly disappointed as he got stuck with Pauline’s enormous suitcase. Jahi grabbed Kendell’s luggage as well as the purse Lil had thrown over her shoulder. He began leading them inside. “This is the famous Giraffe Manor!” Jahi called, and Kendell realized that it had been his voice on the CD. “All of our other guests have already retired to bed, so you will get an opportunity to meet them at breakfast. Have you all had dinner?”
“Yes, we ate at the airport,” Pauline said.
“Wonderful! I will have my wife, Jina, bring you up some treats!” he exclaimed.
Kendell got her first look inside the manor, and the inside was just as stunning at the outside. There were lots of windows and large doors on the exterior for giraffes to poke their heads in, according to their excited tour guide. Most every room and hall they turned down had some sort of giraffe themed décor, with some rooms subtler than others. Their room was the
large suite, so unfortunately for Pauline, that meant going up a flight of stairs, but she assured Kendell it would be worth it. And it most certainly was.
When they arrived, David and Bina were playing with Dot after having carefully laid out each bag in the room. “David, Bina, very unprofessional!” Jahi insisted. The two children laughed and scurried out of the room.
Kendell glanced around. The room was enormous with tall ceilings. Two large, glass doors led out onto the manor’s giant balcony that overlooked some of the forest where giraffes probably grazed quite regularly. The room gave off a quaint, cottage-like feel, but the giant, private shower was something of excellence. An enormous queen-sized bed was against the far wall, a set of spiral stairs going up beside it to the loft where two twins could overlook the entire room. The chandelier hanging high above their heads brought a certain elegance to the room. “Whoa,” Lil said under her breath and nudged Kendell. “Where did you meet this woman?”
“On a flight,” Kendell whispered back.
“You realize she’s loaded, right?” Lil asked, and Kendell merely snickered.
As Jahi was chasing his children off, a lovely woman arrived with a tray of local goodies for them to try. She set it down on the coffee table, and the family informed them of their early breakfast time before leaving them to themselves.
“Pauline, I’m pretty sure you should take the large bed on this level,” Kendell said with a wink.
“You better believe it!” the old woman said, practically throwing herself on it. I’m exhausted; I can’t wait to sleep after that flight!”
“Same,” Lil said, quickly running to claim that gorgeous bathroom.
