Banana Whip Safari Trip: A Culinary Cozy Mystery With A Delicious Recipe (Slice of Paradise Cozy Mysteries Book 4)

by Nancy McGovern

  “We hear there have been two murders,” he said. “Solomon Masharia and Roy Daish.”

  Jasmine began a sob, then swallowed it, ending up sounding like a poor strangled animal.

  “The people in attendance at both crimes have been…” He looked down at a piece of paper. “Faith Franklin, Arthur Jones, Bessie Franklin, Yale Trigg, Laura Edwards, Jasmine Daish, Nathan Edwards, Greg Tobin, Sophie Lovett, Richard Lovett, and Mary Mbiti. Is this correct? Everybody on this list please affirm to me that you were in attendance during both crimes.”

  Everybody did so in a chorus of nervous ‘yes’es.

  “Solomon Masharia was killed by strangling. I am told by Miss Mbiti that he was a fairly large man. This means that only a man or a strong woman would have been able to commit the crime.” He looked them all over. “You and you,” he said, pointing to Faith and Laura, “step back. You are too small. And you, Miss Mbiti. You are of delicate build.”

  Faith had not always liked the fact she was fairly short, but she’d never been more glad of it at that moment.

  Then the officer peered over Grandma Bessie and Jasmine. Both women were tall and certainly not spindly. Jasmine had a firm, sturdy build. In all probability, she probably could have strangled Solomon, if she’d had the advantage of surprise. Grandma Bessie was slightly smaller than Jasmine, but she still looked solid and firm and strong. Nevertheless, the policeman said to her, “You may step back also, ma’am.” He actually made a deferential little bow, probably because of her advanced age, but somehow this only served to make him more intimidating.

  Then he looked at Sophie. She was neither small nor large, but the way she held her shoulders back and her head high made her look strong. Certainly capable of strangling a man if she’d had enough motivation.

  “Now, we will discover more,” he said. Each of you who is left standing forward, tell me, is this your first time on safari? State yes or no.”

  “Yes,” everyone said in the line, including Jasmine. That is, except Richard, who said, “No.” His face was creased with worry, as if he knew he was about to get in a whole bunch of trouble. “I have been numerous times.”

  “And you have known Solomon Masharia for a long time?”

  “Yes, sir. Many years. Perhaps 15.”

  The police officer turned away, deep in thought. “Then you know his family.”

  “Yes, sir.” Richard stood with his back tall and an air of dignity about him. “I would never want to see him killed.”

  The police officer whirled around, his eyes ablaze. “I did not ask you whether you wanted to see him killed. Or did I? Am I an idiot?”

  Richard gulped but kept his gaze steady. “No, sir.” In the silence that followed, he dared to add, “It is a terrible tragedy.”

  “You do not need to tell us that,” the police officer snapped. “Only answer my questions. Now, you,” he said, pointing at Jasmine, “you are the wife of the deceased. Is that correct?”

  “Yes,” Jasmine replied, looking numb. Faith wondered just how drunk she was.

  One of the other police officers stepped forward. “Our condolences to you, ma’am.”

  The main police officer shot him a death stare. “You are probably aware that in all murder investigations, our suspicions first turn to the spouse. This is because of the highly intense and potentially volatile nature of intimate relationships. Therefore when we ask you questions, we are not suspecting you because of your character or any other factor. We are merely following procedure. Do you understand?”

  Jasmine nodded. “Mm.”

  “Please say yes, so that I know you have understood what I am saying.”

  “Yes,” Jasmine said, a knife edge to her voice.

  “Good. In that case, Mrs. Daish, we will be forthright with you. We have had an anonymous tip off that Mr. Daish was on the board of a rival safari company. In our view, this fact could be pertinent to his murder. Please tell us, Mrs. Daish, is it true, about his position on the board of a rival?”

  Jasmine looked like all the life had been sucked out of her. “Really, I don’t know. Roy didn’t talk to me much about his business pursuits. I have no idea.” Her voice slurred.

  The police officer edged closer, his gun gleaming in the light. “Whose idea was it to come on the safari trip?”

  “Roy’s,” Jasmine said, hanging her head. “He always picks the vacations. But that doesn’t mean—”

  “I did not ask you what it meant.”

  “This is absolutely ridiculous,” Sophie said.

  Everyone turned in surprise. Faith saw Sophie’s eyes were alight with fear, but also with anger, which had seemed to overpower her nervousness.

  “Look,” she carried on, as if police officers with guns weren’t staring in her direction, alert and ready to shoot if necessary. “We’re just going to end up going round and round in circles here. My father knew Solomon, so did Mary. No one else did. No one knew Roy. There is no conclusive proof Roy was murdered. I’ve been doing my own thinking. Either Roy killed Solomon, then my father or Mary or someone with a love of vengeance killed Roy. Or Roy killed Solomon, then Roy killed himself out of guilt. Or we have a murderous psychopath among us who will kill indiscriminately. We’ve been here for days, and it’s all I’ve been able to think about. No one else has a motive. None of us have any reason to kill Solomon, or Roy. Why would we do that, when we didn’t even know them, and didn’t stand to gain anything from it?”

  The room went so eerily quiet that Faith could hear her own heart beating. She watched the main police officer carefully. His face was set into an unreadably blank expression, which set Faith on edge. She probably would have preferred it if he’d burst into anger.

  “Is that so,” he said coolly. “I suppose you are a criminal investigator?”

  “No,” Sophie said. “I am a teacher.”

  “A teacher of criminology?”

  “No. I teach a variety of subjects to primary school aged children.” Her voice had lost some of its confidence.

  The main police officer sneered a little bit as he walked up and down the line. Then he stopped in front of Greg and Yale, who stood next to each other. “I do not like the look of you two. Tell me, what do you do for a living?”

  “I teach Physical Education, sir,” Yale said.

  Greg cleared his throat. “I sell second hand cars.”

  The police officer stared at them both for a little while, then zeroed in on Greg. “Are you married?”

  Greg bristled. “I don’t see what—”

  “Are you married!” the police officer spat. “Answer the question.”

  Greg stared at the floor. “No, sir.”

  Then the police officer saw Sophie give Greg a loving look. “Aha!” he said. “You and the woman teacher are in love.”

  No one spoke. Probably no one had quite expected the police chief to grill them all about their love life.

  “Is this true?” the officer asked.

  “Yes,” Greg said strongly, looking up. “Yes, I am.”

  Faith saw Sophie’s eyes light up.

  “And this man is your father?” the police officer asked Sophie, pointing at Richard.

  “Yes,” Sophie answered.

  “Hmm.” The police officer turned away, deep in thought again. “And, apart from Miss Mbiti, your father is the only one who knew Solomon Masharia. How interesting.”

  Faith was trying to follow his own train of thought. In all honesty, she had run out of ideas about who it could be. Her own thought was the same as Sophie’s – that Roy had killed Solomon because of his place on a competitor’s board. Who knew the reasons behind that? Maybe to smear the reputation of the tour operator. Then perhaps he had been consumed by guilt and drowned himself. It seemed the most likely explanation. But the police officer seemed to have other ideas. Faith listened with interest.

  “Perhaps,” the police officer said, turning around to face Sophie, “your father wished to have Solomon killed for his own reasons. P
erhaps an event in the past caused him to want revenge. But he did not want to carry out the act himself. So he tasked you to come along with him, and get close to a young man who would carry out the act on his behalf. Maybe a large amount of money exchanged hands.”

  Sophie was turning red. “That is categorically not true.”

  The police officer turned to Greg. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

  “I have to say that I am no murderer. Neither is Sophie, nor her father. They are good people. We are good people.”

  The police officer actually snorted. “All right. Where are your rooms?” He asked Sophie, Greg, and Richard. “I need to see these rooms immediately. Miss Mbiti, can you please lead my officers to the rooms where these individuals are staying?”

  “Of course,” Mary said, looking like a timid little mouse as she scurried toward the door, the heavily armed officers following her.

  “We will be searching all your belongings,” the main police officer told them. “It will be better for you that you confess now, if you are involved.”

  “We will not be confessing anything,” Sophie said hotly. “We have nothing to confess about. Anyhow, even if your theory were true, how would that account for Roy’s death?”

  The man smiled, a smile that sent shivers up Faith’s spine. “Maybe he heard too much. Saw too much.”

  “No,” Richard said. “None of this is true. We are innocent people. I did not kill Solomon. He was my great friend. Neither did my daughter. And I will vouch for Greg, too.”

  A long silence followed. Mary returned and slipped herself back into line.

  “Okay!” the police officer burst out. “Fine. Everybody is staying here tonight. We will be questioning everybody individually tomorrow.”

  “Sir,” Mary said. “We had arranged to end the trip and return to Nairobi tonight.”

  “And to let the murderer jump onto a plane and leave Kenya? No, Miss Mbiti. You will all stay for as long as we need you. Any objections?”

  He looked around at everyone. All were quite exhausted with the whole thing, and no one could muster up the energy to argue.

  “Good,” he said, swinging his gun strap over his shoulder. We will return at dawn.” He hollered something in their language, and the men who had gone into the back returned.

  And just as fast as they arrived, they were gone.

  *****

  Chapter 16

  “We must have a game drive,” Mary had said, just after the police officers had driven away, sending clouds of dust billowing up behind their vehicles. “If I have to stay in this tent for one more moment I may go crazy.”

  Most everyone was inclined to agree.

  That is, except for Jasmine, who wanted nothing more than to take a big bottle of rum from the bar and hide under her covers. However, when she approached Christian, who had returned to his place behind the bar with an even confidence, he had said, “I am sorry, ma’am. I am not allowed to serve people who are already intoxicated. It is a rule here.”

  Faith expected Jasmine to kick off in a major way, but Christian’s calm demeanor and soft voice seemed to soothe her. “Okay,” she said, a little tearfully. Her voice still dragged with alcohol. “You’re a nice boy.”

  “Victor?” Mary turned to the driver, who had been forced to join the rank and file also. “You will take us out now, for an evening drive?”

  By that time the sun had gone golden and was throwing long shadows everywhere.

  “No problem,” he said. “Maybe today we will see rhinoceros.” Then, as he went outside, his keys jangling in his hand, he whispered, “Rhinoceros just like the police chief.”

  Faith and Laura overheard and laughed among themselves. They certainly needed a bit of lightness and good humor.

  “Ugh, what a palaver,” Grandma Bessie said, coming over to them. “Quite an impressive young man, in his way. I just can’t bear to stand up straight for all that long time and not move or sit down. It does my back no good.” She rubbed on it, then straightened her back. “Anyhow, there’s no use complaining. The man is trying to do his job, and I say let him. I’m glad to stay on.”

  “Me too,” Laura said. “We can get more safari experiences.”

  “And do our own investigating,” Faith added.

  Grandma Bessie shot Faith a warning look. “This man may not be doing things the way you like, Faith, but Deputy Valdez he ain’t. I’d stay well away, and remember what your duty is. To look at elephants and giraffes and a whole bunch of other animals. That’s all we’re here for.” Her eyes were penetrating and her head leaned forward. “All right?”

  “Okay,” Faith said with a sigh. Of course, she wouldn’t stop thinking about the case, or talking to Laura about it. They’d just have to do it all with hushed voices.

  They actually got a chance to do so in the next moment, when Mary said, “Okay, everyone, please get some extra layers for the trip. It is a long one and once the sun sets it will be chilly.”

  Everyone returned to their own rooms, still too shellshocked to do much more than whisper.

  Once Faith and Laura got into their room, Faith spun around to face Laura, her eyes bright. “What do you make of all this?”

  But Laura’s eyes were just as bright and shining. “Just after they left, right, I’m at the bar, getting a stiff drink from Christian, okay?”

  “Naturally,” Faith said.

  “And I overhear Sophie and Richard talking in the corner, in very hushed voices, in the part of the room that is obscured by the bar. They can’t see me, I can’t see them. But I can hear them, okay?”

  “And?”

  “She says in this whispery little voice, ‘Father, I think we should tell them.’ And he says, ‘No,’ very forcefully, I might add. ‘Absolutely not,’ he says. And I’m like ‘tell who what?’ But then Christian spots them and asks if they want anything to drink and they start laughing and talking loud and being fake. But I know what I heard.”

  Faith sank down onto the bed, thinking hard. “We should tell them,” she repeated Sophie’s words. “We should tell them. And that’s literally all they said?”

  Laura sat down next to Faith. “Yep. If Christian had noticed them just a couple of seconds later, we might have a murder conviction in our hands right now.”

  “We might just,” Faith said. “If that’s what they’re even talking about. They could have been chatting about, I don’t know, flight times or something.”

  “Nah.” Laura shook her head. “This was serious. I could tell by their tones. Maybe they know who the murderer is. Or maybe they’re involved. Either way, they have some info they’re not letting on.”

  Faith flopped back to stare up at the tented ceiling. “And you’re sure it sounded very serious?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Faith thought for a moment, then sat up straight. “Right. We need to go.”

  “Yeah, I know.” Laura sighed as she looked through her wardrobe. “None of these cardigans go with my outfit. I’m going to get so cold.”

  “No,” Faith stressed. “Not the safari trip. We’ve gotta go somewhere else.”

  “Where?” Laura rocked back, surprised. “And more to the point how? Who’s going to take us?”

  “Leave that to me. Meet me in the bar in two minutes.”

  Faith rushed out of the room, running out through the main room, and onto the smaller front veranda. She looked left and right, looking for Victor, and eventually spotted him by one of the safari buggies, which had its engine on and was vibrating terribly.

  “Victor,” she said breathlessly, once she’d managed to run over.

  Victor was friendly and smiled a lovely smile at her. “Yes, Faith?”

  “I need a favor,” Faith said. “A really serious favor.”

  Victor had been leaning on the buggy, he himself getting vibrated until his voice went up and down over and over. But he leaned forward off of it, and looked at her with concern. “Is everything okay? Are you suffering from s
ickness?”

  “Oh, no, no,” Faith said. “I’m okay. Everyone is okay. But I have some information I need to relay to the police chief.”

  Victor’s eyes grew round as saucers. “Oh.”

  Faith’s stomach sank when she saw his reaction, but pressed on. “I was wondering if one of your drivers could take me and Laura to where he is. So we can tell him. I know he is coming tomorrow. But I want to give him the information.” Faith could barely believe the words coming out of her own mouth. But she really wanted to talk to the man. Despite his tough exterior, she got a good feeling about him, and perhaps she could get some more information on Solomon Masharia out of him.

  Victor bit the inside of his lip. “Why don’t you phone him?”

  Faith had already considered that and discounted the idea – it would be all too easy for the police chief to hang up on her, or not answer her call at all. She wanted to be there, in person. The thought of it made her stomach tie itself in knots, but it still felt like the right thing to do somehow. “Please, sir, I want to be there in person. The information is sensitive. Please.”

  Victor let out a long breath. “Okay,” he said eventually. “I will get David to take you.” He was one of the other drivers. “But please, take a cell phone with you. Give me the number. Be safe at all times. Stay with David. Do not get into any arguments with the police. They will not hesitate to throw you in a cell or worse.”

  “I promise,” Faith said. “I will be very polite and kind. I only want to tell him the information I have found out.”

  “Very well,” Victor replied, though he still looked worried.

  *****

  “I can’t believe we’re actually doing this,” Laura said, snuggled up in a mismatching cardigan in the back of the jeep David was driving.

  Faith gazed out the window at the last few moments of hazy daylight. “I can’t believe we lied to Nathan and Yale and Grandma Bessie and everybody.”

  To be fair, that had been Victor’s idea. He told them that nobody would let them go, so they should say that they were picking up some medicine for Jasmine. Grandma Bessie had given them a funny look on the way out, then had skirted close to Faith as they stood outside, waiting to get in their respective vehicles. “That’s very kind of you, Faith,” she had said under her breath, in such a way that Faith knew Grandma Bessie knew she was not exactly telling the truth. Faith, at that moment, had vowed to herself that she would pick up some medicine for Jasmine, just to make sure she hadn’t totally lied.