Matilda, the Adventuress

by Iris Johansen

  “That’s bull,” he said bluntly. “Do you think either one of us is going to undergo a miraculous change just because we’re apart?”

  “Maybe you won’t, but I’ve been noticing some pretty big changes in myself lately.” She tried to smile. “And I can’t say I like it either; it’s damnably uncomfortable. I need some time to myself.”

  His expression softened. “How much time? I’m not a patient man, Manda.”

  “You have a movie to shoot. Suppose we talk again when you’re ready to wrap up the filming here and go back to Sydney.”

  He was silent for a long moment. “You do know that it’s not going to be easy for either of us. I’m going to feel like marching down here and dragging you back to my bed at least ten times a day.”

  “And I’m going to feel like letting you,” she whispered. “But I won’t do it, because we need this time.”

  He was silent again. “I’ll try. I won’t make any promises, but I’ll try.” He hesitated. “Are you sure you won’t let me stay and help with Jacto?”

  “I’m sure. Don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine.”

  He smiled crookedly. “I’ll worry. I’ve found it goes with the territory.” He turned away. “Good night, Manda. If you need anything, for heaven’s sake, come to me.”

  “Good night.” She watched his retreating figure until it was a mere shadow in the distance. She was suddenly acutely conscious of how lonely and isolated it was here in contrast to the noise and bustle of the encampment to which Roman was returning. She experienced a wild desire to run after him.

  She took an impulsive step forward and then stopped. She couldn’t run after Roman; she couldn’t run anywhere. She had to stay and protect Jacto. He was her friend, and it was not only her duty but her privilege to care for him. The realization filled her first with surprise and then with an odd sense of serenity.

  She turned, went to the lean-to, and crawled over to Jacto’s knapsack. It took only a moment to locate his bone-handled hunting knife. Then she settled down beside him with the hunting knife in her hand and her gaze alertly searching the surrounding darkness.

  Eight

  “You have a call on the mobile phone.” Dennis squatted down before their campfire and accepted the cup of tea Manda handed him. “I’m glad I caught you before you went down into that hole this morning.” He made a face. “I don’t know how you stand it down there. I’d get claustrophobia in no time at all. It’s the wide open spaces for me. I guess that’s why I became a pilot.” He turned to Jacto. “How’s the old bean? You look a lot more chipper than you did day before yesterday.”

  “I am well,” Jacto said as he took a swallow of his tea. “The pills you brought helped to relieve my headache.”

  “Roman thought they would. He’s been very concerned about both of you. I’ve had to report back to him every time I’ve strolled over here.”

  Manda felt a swift glowing warmth cut through the cloud of anxiety that had settled on her at the news of the phone call. It had to be trouble again. She hurriedly put down her own cup and rose to her feet. “Stay here and chat with Jacto, Dennis. I won’t be long.”

  “Wait for me. I have to get back anyway.” He finished his tea in two swallows.

  “No, I’m …” She glanced at Jacto. It was broad daylight and she would be gone only a few minutes. He should be safe. “Ill be right back.”

  “I believe I will survive your absence,” he said dryly. “I have managed for many years.”

  She made a face at him before turning and striding off briskly across the opal field.

  Dennis fell into step with her. “You’re worried about the old man,” he observed. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you worried about anything before. Is his head wound so serious?”

  “No, a mild concussion perhaps. It scared me to death when it happened three days ago, but he’s practically back to normal now.”

  “That’s more than I can say for you.” He gazed at her thoughtfully. “You look a bit frazzled around the edges. I don’t mean to be overcurious about this mysterious business of yours, but is it really worth running yourself into the ground?”

  “Yes.”

  “You know you can count on me to help, mate.”

  “I know.” She smiled at him warmly. “Thanks, Dennis.”

  He grinned back. “As long as you don’t make me go down into that hole with you, I’m at your service.”

  They had come to the communication shed, and Dennis gestured for her to enter. “I’ll wait out here for you. It’s hellfire hot in that shack.” He leaned against the wall of the shed and reached for the cigarettes in his shirt pocket. “Then we’ll walk over to the mess tent and have a bite of breakfast. The food’s not half bad here.”

  She gave him an absent smile and disappeared into the radio shack. She came out five minutes later with a puzzled frown on her face. “Dennis, you like to place a bet now and then. Have you ever heard of a gambling casino called The Wombat in Brisbane?”

  He shook his head. “Not that I remember. Is it important?”

  “I think it could be.”

  “You know a lot of people. Isn’t there someone you could ring? Government and media people usually have odd bits of information.”

  “No one in Brisbane.” She brightened. “I know Jack Landford at the Sydney Star. I met him when he was in Christ Church on a story.”

  “Just the ticket. Give the man a ring.”

  She turned and walked back into the shed. This time she was gone more than a quarter of an hour, and when she returned, her frown was no longer puzzled but definitely worried.

  “Trouble?” Dennis asked.

  She nodded. “I have to get to Brisbane right away. I’ve just rung Addie and told her to meet me there. I hate to ask it of you, but will you take Jacto and me to Brisbane in the Cessna? I don’t have much time. I think my sister may be sailing right into trouble.”

  “No problem. I have to drop some rushes off at the studio in Sydney anyway. I’ll just make an extra stop in Brisbane. If you can be ready to leave Brisbane early tomorrow morning, I’ll even pick you up on my way back.”

  “I’ll try. I don’t know how long this will take. I shouldn’t have to be gone long, if I can catch my sister before she leaves her apartment.”

  He grinned. “I’ve always fancied myself as one of those bloody knights rushing to the rescue of a fair damsel.”

  “Well, you’ll definitely be doing that, Dennis. Thanks a million.” She started across the opal field at a half trot, calling, “I’ll fetch Jacto.”

  The feature article in the Sydney Star was spread over two pages instead of one this time, and the accompanying story included at least ten pictures and several amusing anecdotes of happenings on the set.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” Dennis said quickly. “And you’re wrong, Roman. Manda would never do this. She’s too damn honest.”

  “You’re being very protective.” Roman didn’t look up from the newspaper on the coffee table, and his voice was charged with tension. “And I’m wondering how you’ve suddenly become a mind reader.” He paused. “Unless the same thought occurred to you.”

  “I’ve known you a long time and you were easy enough to read the last time this happened.” Dennis’s tone became persuasive. “Look, Roman, I flew Manda into Brisbane myself and then I picked her up there the next day. Brisbane, not Sydney.”

  “There are regular flights between Brisbane and Sydney, or she could have arranged to have been met and delivered the film in Brisbane.”

  “It was her sister, Sydney, who rang her. It was a family emergency.”

  “She appears to have an uncommon number of convenient family emergencies,” Roman said wearily. He felt sick. Just looking at these pictures made the bile rise in his throat. Why, for heaven’s sake? He would have given her anything in the whole damn world. Why had she sold him out?

  “You have fifty or sixty employees here in Deadman’s Ridge. Any of them could h
ave smuggled the story out.”

  “By carrier pigeon?” Roman asked ironically. “We’ve been watching the mailbag, remember?”

  “There has to be some explanation,” Dennis said desperately. “I know Manda. Whatever she’s doing here has to be on the up and up. Confront her with this, Roman. Let her explain.”

  “I’ve asked her for explanations before. Hell, I’ve practically begged her to tell me why she’s here. She won’t do it.”

  “Then it all comes down to a question of trust, doesn’t it? You’ll just have to trust her, Roman.”

  A question of trust. How many times had Manda asked him to trust her? Trust me not to hurt you, she had said. Trust me not to betray you, trust me not to lie to you. How could he trust her? She was a child, a Peter Pan, a butterfly. Yet it had been no butterfly hovering next to Jacto the night he had been hurt. He could have sworn the child was at last becoming a woman. But the evidence was entirely against her and Dennis was right: It all came down to a question of trust.

  He stared blindly at the pictures in the newspaper, lost in thought for many minutes.

  Dennis watched him. “You’re wild about her,” he said softly. “Anyone with eyes can see that. Let me call in Security and have them investigate the rest of the crew. Give the girl a chance.”

  Roman became very still. His gaze narrowed on the article in front of him and something flickered for an instant on his face before it became shuttered. He carefully folded the newspaper and stood up. “I intend to give Manda a chance. Let’s go see what she has to say.”

  “Right.” Dennis sighed with relief. “You’ll see, she’ll have a good explanation.” He turned to the door. “It’s nearly sundown. She and Jacto should be having supper about now. We’ll be able to catch her before she goes back down into the mine.”

  Roman nodded, his face still totally expressionless. “I just want to make a stop at the radio shack for a minute. I have a question or two to ask the communication operator and a call to make to Security in Sydney.”

  Manda looked up from the newspaper, her face pale, her eyes wide with disbelief. “You think I did this?”

  “The pieces fit,” Roman said impassively. “Every time you leave Deadman’s Ridge the stories appear. You even placed a direct call to a reporter in Sydney before you left here the last time.”

  “She did that only to find out some information,” Dennis protested. “I was right there.”

  “Or perhaps to set up a method to pass information,” Roman said. “You appeared here the very first night I arrived in Deadman’s Ridge and refused to explain what you were doing here.”

  Manda dazedly shook her head. He really believed she would betray him. “I had already been here for days before you showed up, and I couldn’t tell you anything. Sydney, Addie, and I agreed not to reveal anything about our plans to anyone.”

  “How convenient. Your sisters also seem to be the reason for all your little trips.”

  The sarcasm in his voice flayed her raw emotions. Lord, she hadn’t known she could hurt this much. “Yes, they were responsible. They needed my help and I gave it.” Her hand clenched on the newspaper. “Roman, I would never do this. Don’t you know me well enough to realize that?”

  “The pieces fit,” he said again.

  “To hell with the pieces.” Her eyes were suddenly blazing up at him. “Does everything have to fit in a neat little bundle for you? I would never suspect you of anything like this even if it were spelled out in black and white. Yet you’re accusing me of being conniving, greedy, and completely unethical. For Pete’s sake, I suppose you think I was the one who hit Jacto on the head too. What’s a little assault to a monster like me?”

  He went still. “Jacto was hit on the head? You led me to believe it was an accident.”

  “I didn’t want to worry you. I was trying to protect you. Wasn’t that stupid of me?”

  “Dammit, you had no right to keep anything like that from me,” he said harshly. “What kind of games are you playing here at Deadman’s Ridge?”

  “I can’t tell—” She broke off. “It’s no game, it’s dead serious.”

  He smiled thinly. “Dead seems to be a rather prophetic word in this scenario. When you’re dealing with violent assault, it opens entirely new horizons.”

  Manda wearily combed her fingers through her hair. “I didn’t plan on telling you about that. It was a slip. You made me so upset.…”

  Dennis gave a low whistle. “Lord, Manda, how could you keep something like that to yourself?”

  “We’re getting off the subject. The attack on Jacto has nothing to do with this.” She slowly balled the newspaper in her hand, stretched her arm straight in front of her, and deliberately dropped the wad to the ground at Roman’s feet. “I’m obviously not going to be able to convince you I wouldn’t betray you. What do you intend to do about it? Have me thrown into jail?”

  Roman was silent a moment, his expression once more guarded and closed. “I don’t think that will be necessary. I could press charges for trespassing and possibly theft, but the newspaper story wouldn’t be considered a criminal act. I feel the best course would be to send you and Jacto to a hotel in Coober Pedy tonight under heavy security to wait until I get a chance to investigate the matter further.”

  Manda’s eyes widened in alarm. “And when will that be?”

  “When I finish filming here at Deadman’s Ridge.” His lips curved in a crooked smile. “Wasn’t that the time frame you gave me, Manda? Now you’re the one who’ll have to be patient.”

  “But I can’t wait.” Her voice was shaking with desperation. “You don’t understand; that may be too late. I have to stay here and work.”

  “You’re going to come with me right now.” His tone was inflexible. “And I’m setting guards around the mine and your lean- to the minute I get back to the trailer to keep you or any possible cohorts you might have in my crew from trespassing again.”

  She took a step toward him. “Roman, please. I have the feeling I’m so close. Just give me a few more days here.”

  “Tonight.” He started to turn away. “I’m fresh out of patience, Manda.”

  “No!” Her hand gripped his arm to prevent him from leaving. “All right, I’ll tell you. It’s the Black Flame, a forty-five-carat opal, and it’s worth a fortune. It belonged to my great-grandfather, Charles, who hid it somewhere here in Deadman’s Ridge before he was murdered over eighty years ago. I think he cached it in the mine.”

  “A very pretty fairy tale.” He kept his face averted. “But you’re very good at storytelling, aren’t you?”

  “Won’t you believe anything I say? It’s true, dammit. Charlie wrote his wife, Mignon, he had hidden the opal in a pouch within—” She broke off, her eyes widening in stunned surprise. “Oh, my Lord, that’s it. Why didn’t I realize it before!” Her face was suddenly radiant with excitement. “Roman, I know where it is. Just let me go down there right now and I’ll show you.”

  “I’m tired of fairy tales, Manda.” He still wasn’t looking at her.

  “Roman, dammit, I have to—” She stopped. It was no use. His expression was completely unmoved and more determined than she had ever seen it. If she didn’t come willingly, he undoubtedly would force her. “I’ll come with you. But I’ll find a way of escaping from your blasted security guards. I’m coming back for my opal.”

  He didn’t answer, but strode from the camp, obviously expecting her to trail meekly behind.

  She did follow, very slowly and reluctantly, every nerve and muscle in her body on edge. So close. The frustration was going to drive her crazy until she could get back to the mine.

  Dennis fell into step with her. “I’m sorry, Manda, I tried to help. He’s a hard man to convince.”

  “He’s a hard man, period,” she said dully. She had become so excited, the agonizing pain she had experienced at Roman’s distrust had been momentarily blunted. Now it was rushing back. “So hard.”

  “What are you goin
g to do now? I don’t believe for a minute you’re going to cave in to him.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t give up.” She rubbed her aching temple. “And I can’t wait for his lordship to get around to investigating my story. He told me there was a possibility he might be here for another two months. I’ll just have to think of some way to evade his security people and get back here to the mine.”

  “Which will also be guarded,” he reminded her. “It’s a dicey situation.”

  “Will you help me, Dennis?”

  He hesitated. “I have a damn good job, Manda. Roman will be mad as hell if I interfere.”

  “I wouldn’t ask you if I weren’t desperate. I didn’t sell that story and any investigation will prove it. I just can’t wait for ah investigation.”

  He was silent for a moment. “Well, Roman is usually a pretty fair bloke. If you can prove your innocence, I don’t think he’ll hold my helping you against me.” He smiled. “Okay, mate. What do you want me to do?”

  “First, go back to the camp and find Jacto. As usual, he disappeared as soon as he saw Roman. Then contact Addie and Sydney and tell them I’m sending up a mayday. Jacto knows where to reach them.” She smiled grimly. “Since it’s partly their fault I’m in this mess, I think it’s only fitting they help me bail my way out of it.”

  “Anything else?”

  She tried to think. Her temples were throbbing with tension and she couldn’t seem to think of anything but how flint-hard and emotionless Roman’s face had been. Her gaze centered on him only a few yards ahead. His carriage was ramrod-straight and his spine as inflexible as his voice had been when he had confronted her earlier. Oh, Lord, she wished this aching would stop. She forced her fragmented thoughts into some sort of order. “I doubt if Roman’s men will be keeping me in solitary confinement. When Addie and Sydney arrive in Coober Pedy, bring them to me at the hotel and I’ll try to have some sort of plan ready.”