Wages of Sin (A James Acton Thriller, #17) (James Acton Thrillers)

by J. Robert Kennedy

Still nothing.

  She pushed the door all the way open, noting that the chain wasn’t on, suggesting Maggie either wasn’t home, or if she was, was expecting someone with a key—and as far as Shirley knew, that would only be Dawson. She closed the door behind her, reaching for the wall switch, suddenly feeling insecure, the living room curtains obviously closed, leaving the apartment dark. The hallway flooded with light, nothing out of the ordinary visible, though that did little to calm her nerves.

  “Maggie?”

  She glanced to her left, the kitchen empty, there no evidence of an evening meal having been cooked.

  Could she have gone out with friends?

  She shook her head.

  She’d be home by now. Unless she spent the night somewhere.

  She paused. If she were spending the night at a friend’s, she would have told Dawson.

  Unless she didn’t want him to know.

  A pit formed in her stomach for a brief moment then was pushed aside as she dismissed the ridiculous notion. Maggie loved Dawson desperately, and there was no way she would cheat on him. Though she didn’t know Maggie as well as she knew some of the other women in the family that was the Unit, they had become close over the past year when Maggie and Dawson had finally become a couple.

  She was difficult to avoid, what with Dawson and her husband being best friends.

  And she never avoided her. Maggie was a delight, and she clearly made Dawson happy, which was all that mattered to her and Red.

  She flicked the living room lights on, again finding everything in perfect order, pressing deeper into the apartment with increasing speed, her desperation to find the missing woman growing. The bedroom was empty, the bed made, the bathroom empty, the shower floor dry.

  Her heart pounded hard.

  She fired a text message indicating her failure to the other wives who were searching Maggie’s known haunts including her gym and yoga studio, and the ceramics class she took.

  And all replied that they too had no luck finding her.

  She slowly examined the apartment for clues, no longer searching for Maggie, but for any evidence of where she might have gone. As she retraced her steps, the bathroom to the bedroom, the living area to the hallway, she paused, staring at the table near the door, a ceramic bowl sitting there, empty, it where she knew from previous visits Maggie kept her keys.

  And her security pass.

  Her jaw slowly dropped.

  If she had come home, then gone back out, she would have left the pass here.

  She quickly looked around for a purse, finding none.

  She never made it home!

  She tried Maggie’s cellphone one last time, and again it went directly to voicemail.

  Something’s definitely wrong.

  35

  Erasmus Farm

  Outside Belfast, South Africa

  Gorman secured the gold coins and the “clue” in the back of their vehicle, sealed in a backpack, away from curious eyes, as Acton distracted the farmer and his wife.

  “So, waste of time?”

  Acton shook his head, not needing to fake any of his excitement. “On the contrary! We found the bodies of several British soldiers.” He gestured toward Gorman as he joined the group. “Professor Ncube will be contacting his university and they’ll notify the proper authorities. I expect a team will arrive within the next couple of days to do a proper excavation.”

  Marius frowned, glancing at the rear of his farm. “I need to plant this field in the next week. They better be done by then.”

  Acton smiled. “They won’t take up much space, and you can probably ask for some sort of compensation for your losses.”

  Marius grunted. “The last time Pretoria did anything right, I was a young man with a good hip and a flat belly.” He slapped his prominent stomach before his eyes narrowed. “Did you find the gold?”

  Acton laughed. “No such luck. Just some coins from a purse on one of the soldiers that had broken open. Pretty much worthless to anyone besides us archaeologists.”

  Marius sighed. “Too bad. I might have retired. I’m getting too old to work this farm, and without children”—he shrugged—“well, perhaps it’s time to sell.”

  Acton felt for the man, and suddenly saw himself in twenty years. His lifestyle had him crawling all over hell’s creation, and it was taking a toll on his body. Would he eventually be in constant pain from bad joints, cushioning his six-pack abs with a keg? He absentmindedly scratched his stomach.

  Don’t worry. With the luck you’ve been having lately, you won’t live that long.

  He extended his hand to the farmer. “Well, we’re going to get back to our hotel. It’s been a pleasure.” He nodded toward the dig in the distance. “Hopefully we’ve given you something to talk about with your neighbors.”

  The old man’s face brightened. “Yes, it would appear grandmother was telling the truth after all.” He shrugged. “At least some of it.” His eyes narrowed. “Maybe the gold is there, after all.”

  Acton desperately wanted to steer him away from the thought, but if he did, it might mean revealing their secret, a secret that must be kept. “Oh, I think if there was any gold here, it would have turned up long ago. If there were thousands of coins, surely some would have shown up by now.”

  Marius grunted, disappointment written on his face. “You’re right, of course. Just the dreams of a tired old man.” He led them to their vehicle, handshakes exchanged. “Good journey.”

  Acton smiled as Sipho started up the vehicle. “Thank you once again.” Marius waved as they pulled away, Sipho turning the opposite direction from the way they had come, setting off alarm bells. “Umm, aren’t we going the wrong way?”

  Sipho glanced in his mirror. “No. That way is if you want to go for food. This way is direct to the lodge. It will save us some time.”

  Acton leaned back in his seat, smiling. “You’re the expert.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Professor.” Sipho stared in the rearview mirror. “A fruitful day?”

  Acton nodded. “Very interesting. I think Professor Ncube’s people will be busy for quite some time examining the find.”

  “What did you find?”

  “Just the bodies of some British soldiers from the Boer War.”

  “Oh.” Sipho sounded disappointed. Acton thought back on the conversations that had taken place in front of the man, trying to figure out if he could possibly have known what they were truly searching for. He suppressed a frown, concluding the man might actually know, and in fact, probably did, Marius having mentioned the gold minutes ago.

  Acton turned away, staring at the passing shantytown, his heart beating slightly faster.

  Could we have just created a problem for Mr. Erasmus?

  36

  Lightman Residence

  Fort Bragg, North Carolina

  Sergeant Will “Spock” Lightman rubbed his eyes and yawned as he opened the front door. His eyebrow popped at the sight of his buddy, Sergeant Donald “Sweets” Peters.

  “Dude, you need other friends or I need better ones. I told you about showing up here drunk in the middle of the night. I’ve got a family now.”

  Sweets pushed past him. “Yeah, yeah, that happened one time, and check your watch, it’s not even dinner time.”

  “Huh?” Spock yawned again, glancing at the clock on the microwave.

  Whadaya know!

  He and his wife had been spending some quality time together, quality time that had ended in the bedroom, monkey business ensuing before much-deserved naps.

  None of which explained why Sweets was here.

  “Have we been called up?”

  “No, but you did ignore my calls.”

  Spock shrugged. “Went to bed early.” He grinned. “You know.”

  “Uh huh. Well, I just got a call from Red. Maggie’s missing.”

  Spock’s eyebrow nearly shot up to his hairline, a surge of adrenaline bringing everything into immediate focus. “Jesus, are you seri
ous?”

  “Yup. Apparently she’s not at home, not at the office, and her cellphone’s going straight to voicemail. The Colonel’s the last to have seen her. She was apparently just getting ready to leave the office, but that was yesterday.”

  “And someone’s checked it?”

  “Yup, security swept the building. She’s not there.”

  “Man, BD must be going apeshit.”

  “Yeah, he left on an op last night so it’s up to us.”

  “Okay, give me a sec.” He strode quickly to the bedroom, pulling on some clothes quietly, his still sleeping wife not deserving to be disturbed, not after how good she had made him feel earlier. He tiptoed out, firing her a text message with the gist of what was going on. Slipping his shoes on, he followed Sweets outside. “So what’s BD want us to do?”

  “Try and retrace her steps. See if she stopped anywhere after work, got stopped. Anything. He’s worried something might have happened, you know, with her head wound.”

  Spock climbed into the passenger seat of Sweets’ car. “Shit, never thought of that. Let’s boogie.” Sweets fired up the engine and they were quickly on their way to the Unit, a thought occurring to Spock. “Wait, she takes her car to work, right?”

  “I think so.”

  “Did anybody think to check the parking lot?”

  Sweets shrugged. “You’d think so, but I don’t know for sure.” He leaned over, letting one rip. “Oh God, I needed that.”

  Spock’s eyes watered, his face scrunching up as he reached to lower the window. “For the love of God, what the hell was that?”

  Sweets had a satisfied expression. “That, my friend, was the thunder from down under.”

  Spock waved a hand in front of his nose, leaning closer to the open window. “Dude, see a doctor. No healthy human being should make a smell like that.”

  “Your fault. You’re the one who insisted on burritos yesterday.” He let another one rip. “Oh man, can we stop by my place for a minute?”

  Spock eyed him suspiciously. “Why?”

  “I think I just shit myself.”

  “You’re a pig.”

  “This surprises you?”

  Spock grinned. “Not a bit.” His eyes narrowed as he turned in his seat. “Ahh, did you really shit your pants, or were you just joking?”

  Sweets leaned over, cocking a cheek. “Reach in and check for me.”

  Spock belted him in the shoulder.

  “Ow, now I think I really did shit myself.”

  37

  En route to Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge

  Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa

  “Recognize this?” Acton held up the small stone they had found carefully wrapped with the gold coins so Sipho could see it clearly without turning his head too far. Their guide took a quick glance and shrugged.

  “Coal?”

  “Yes.”

  “Sure, everyone knows what coal looks like.” Sipho glanced in his mirror. “Why, you want more?”

  Acton smiled, handing their clue to Laura who carefully rewrapped it. “Not exactly. Do you know if there are any old abandoned mines around here? And I mean very old, like over a hundred years.”

  Sipho’s eyebrows climbed slightly, his eyes taking on a distant look as he thought for a moment. He flicked his lights on, it now dusk, Acton not realizing until that moment how dark it had become. Sipho glanced in the mirror. “Sorry, not that I can think of.”

  Acton frowned, yet wasn’t willing to give up, not when they were so close. “No old cave entrances? Maybe boarded up?”

  Sipho’s eyes went wide. “Yes, actually, there is! In the preserve, I remember seeing such a thing once, years ago.”

  Acton and the others exchanged excited glances, Laura squeezing his hand. “Did you ever go inside?”

  Sipho shook his head. “Nooo, you never know what could be living in there. Very unsafe. And no point. Tourists want to see animals outside, not hiding inside.”

  “Good point. Any chance you could take us there tomorrow?”

  Sipho’s head bobbed. “Sure, you’re the boss, Mr. Professor. It’s not that far from here. We could—wait, what’s this?”

  38

  Somewhere up Shit’s Creek

  “Does anyone know where we are?”

  Courtney Tasker ignored the question from Gina, instead kicking the tire of their Jag rental, the vehicle completely dead. Her boyfriend, Dyson, pulled out his cellphone, once again uselessly trying to get a signal, and once again uselessly telling everyone he didn’t have one.

  He’s an idiot. Why am I dating him?

  She jammed her hands onto her hips, an exasperated breath escaping, letting the world know how inconvenienced she was by this entire scenario.

  A cat screeched in the distance.

  A big one.

  A chill raced up her spine, and for the first time, fear pushed annoyance aside.

  Maybe this is why the guide said it wasn’t safe.

  Gina walked over, nervously scanning the area. “There’s only one road, and we know it leads to the lodge. Maybe we should just start walking.”

  Gina’s boyfriend shook his head. “It’s going to be dark soon. And we’re in Africa. There’re animals here that could eat us!”

  Gina glared at him. “So, what, Phil, you’d rather stay here and starve to death?”

  Phil gave her a look. “We’re hardly going to starve to death. There’re not a lot of roads here, somebody is bound to come along and pick us up.”

  Courtney let out a growl, kicking the tire repeatedly. “Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!” She yelped as she jammed her toe, hopping around for a moment. She screeched at the dead vehicle. “Stupid piece of shit!”

  Phil winked at the others. “I guess you should have listened to the guide.”

  Courtney turned on him. “To hell with him, what does he know?”

  “Umm, that this vehicle could break down in the middle of nowhere and leave us stranded to be eaten by lions?”

  She jabbed a finger at him. “Watch your attitude! Remember who’s paying for this trip!”

  “How could I? You never let us forget that we’re your charity cases.”

  Courtney glared at the ungrateful bastard. “I knew it was a mistake bringing you two. You just don’t fit in, you’re too…” She couldn’t think of the word.

  “What? Common? Middle-class?” Gina stepped toward her slightly. “I’ll tell you one thing, I’d rather come from a family where my parents worked their asses off to put me in a good school, than one where everything was just handed to me.”

  Rage gripped Courtney as her so-called friends turned on her. “Go to hell! I can have your father fired in a heartbeat!”

  Gina was having none of it. “That’s the thing about you rich kids! You think you’ve got all this power, but you don’t! Maybe your daddy can have mine fired, but you can’t. You’re just a spoiled rich bitch who thinks just because her family has money, she’s better than everyone who doesn’t.”

  Dyson finally decided to be a man, stepping between Courtney and her accoster. “Hey, you can’t talk to my girlfriend that way!”

  Gina glared at him. “Oh, but she can talk to me that way? Or those people back at the lodge? Or that poor woman who was just trying to feed her family?” She shook her head. “Have you listened to yourselves at all on this trip? You’ve talked down to everyone from the chauffeur in New York to that poor vendor. You haven’t had a kind word to say to anyone in three days!”

  Courtney flicked her wrist at her former friend. “You wouldn’t understand, it’s not your money paying for this trip. I expect excellent service for what this is costing me.”

  A burst of derision erupted from Gina’s lips. “It’s not your money either! It’s your dad’s. And just because his money bought him his job, doesn’t make you any better than us!”

  Courtney’s fuse lit. It was one thing to attack her, but to attack her father was inexcusable. “He earned his job, he didn’t
buy it!”

  “Riiight, a man who’s never been involved in politics becomes the Secretary of the Treasury, not because he made a massive campaign donation, but because his résumé screamed experience.”

  Courtney’s chest heaved in and out, the rage blinding. “You are so dead to me, you have no idea!”

  Dyson pointed down the road, headlights bouncing toward them. “Somebody’s coming!”

  The argument was put on hold as they all stepped into the road, waving their arms as what turned out to be a safari vehicle came to a halt. Courtney pushed through the others. “Thank God you’re here! Our car broke down.”

  A man stepped out from the rear and her heart sank as she recognized him.

  “I guess you should have listened to my wife.”

  39

  En route to Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge

  Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa

  No matter how much Acton would have loved to leave the four spoiled brats on the side of the road, this wasn’t rural Maryland where you might be threatened by an aggressive squirrel after your nuts, this was Africa, where the wildlife was as likely to sniff you as eat you.

  It did make for slightly cramped quarters, though only for the new arrivals. The vehicle was a good size, with two bench seats behind the driver designed to comfortably sit three across, there room for seven plus the guide—they were now nine crammed into the Toyota. Little Miss Priss, whom they had learned was named Courtney Tasker, was in the middle seats with her friends, Gorman having moved to the passenger seat beside Sipho, his wife now with them in the back. He could tell Courtney wasn’t pleased to be jammed in with the others, there some conflict going on between them, glares exchanged. Courtney crammed against the door, attempting to avoid any physical contact with her boyfriend, the other couple sitting with their bodies turned away from her.

  As long as they kept their mouths shut, he didn’t care. If whatever dispute they were in the middle of were to break out again, he might just reconsider his decision, and leave them on the side of the road.