by Marie Moore
Jay grinned. “For real? Can you picture Peaches mixed up with crooks in an international criminal ring? Can you really see that? I can’t. Not at all. Besides, she knows too much about the travel business. Connie’s not a fake.”
I shrugged. “Yeah. I agree. If the poaching ring was after big cats, she might sign on with them for the fur, but I don’t think she’s into rhino horn. Okay. Not Connie. Who’s next?”
“Rose,” Jay said.
“No way.” We both laughed. We had spoken in unison.
I reached for another sip of coffee but the cup was empty. I opened the carafe and poured more. “What about Chase and Rich and George?” I said. “We already know Chase and Rich are not agents. They don’t claim to be. They supposedly sell travel insurance. Can we find out if they are really with an insurance company? There’s no way of checking that out without the Internet, is there?”
“No,” Jay said.
“Okay,” I said. “That will have to wait until we are back in Cape Town. What do you think about George?”
Jay shook his head. “I just don’t see anyone as nervous as George being mixed up in a lot of violence with wild animals, do you? Wild men, too. George is a big chicken. And that same chicken thing applies to Chase. Rich, I don’t know anything about. But he wouldn’t make a move without Chase. They’re inseparable. Whatever they do, they do together.”
“True.” I paused. “Who’s left? David?”
Jay threw back his head and roared with laughter. “You’ve got to be kidding. Don’t be rrrrrridiculous!”
“Well, then, that’s the lot, Jay. Not really a suspicious group, is it? I can’t see any of them involved in illegal schemes here, can you?”
“No,” he said. “I’m not sure everyone is exactly who they say they are, but that doesn’t make them criminals, does it?”
“No. It doesn’t,” I said. “So you think they’re all pretty much in the clear?”
“I basically trust our people, Sid, but van der Brugge’s operation is another story. I don’t trust van der Brugge and his team one little bit. I’m not sure that it matters, though. I’m not sure I care beyond recommending to Silverstein to find another vendor. I think that’s as far as our duty goes.”
I mulled this over. Was that really where our duty ended? Finally I said, “And we really don’t have any hard evidence against them yet, do we?”
Jay gave me a sharp glance. “Sidney …”
“What?”
“I don’t like that ‘yet’ word. You have that look in your eyes again. Please don’t go all Clouseau on me. Let’s just enjoy the rest of this safari—despite Dennis and Mabel and whatever else is happening—and then get back to Cape Town and call Diana to nix this as a venue. We just met these people. Their problems are not our business. Who cares? Dial it down, okay? Bye now, I’m going to the boutique.”
I didn’t promise him anything. I couldn’t, because I fully intended to do some more snooping and follow up on my theory as soon as I got a chance.
Chapter 27
After he left, I walked to the dining hall and found a few of the others lingering over dessert. I got a mug of coffee and joined them, hoping to lay some of my suspicions to rest.
“Feeling better?” Fernando asked.
“Yes, thanks. Lots.”
“Good.”
“This stuff is divine. Better get yourself some, Sidney,” Connie said, spooning more whipped cream onto her dessert from a bowl on the table. “Willem really outdid himself today. Put out the big pot and the little.”
George frowned. “What the hell does that mean, Connie?” he said. “Nobody knows what that means. Why don’t you speak English?”
“Get Sidney to translate,” Rich said. “She speaks Southern.”
“Pay no attention to them, ladies,” Fernando said in our defense. “Ignore their insults. These are not worldly men. They think everyone should speak as they speak.”
He rose from the table with an aside to me. “I’m going to change for a swim. Care to join me?”
“Later, maybe,” I said with a smile. “After another cup of coffee.”
Everyone headed in different directions, most for naps, some to the gift shop and the spa. I was soon alone at the table.
“More coffee?” It was Willem, coming out of the kitchen with a steaming coffeepot.
“Thanks,” I said, as he refilled my cup.
He poured himself a cup and then set the coffeepot down on a stand.
“Mind if join you?”
“No, please, have a seat. Your luncheon was delicious. Everyone said so. And thank you for sending me the tray of treats.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” he said, smiling. “I was going to bring it to your hut myself, but Jay offered to deliver it. He said he was on his way back, that you were tired, hadn’t had much sleep. You must be feeling better now.”
His mouth was still smiling, but the sly blue eyes weren’t. They were watching me.
“Yes, I am,” I replied. “Much better, thanks.”
Our conversation was interrupted by Sheba’s sawing cough. It was startling, as always.
“She wants out. It is time for her walk. I must go to her. But first, let me say that I am glad you came by, Sidney. I want to return this to you.”
He reached into his pocket, brought out a small silver hoop earring, and placed it on the table in front of me.
“My earring. Thank you! I’ve been looking for it. Where did you find it?”
“One of the busboys turned it in to me. He found it when he was mopping the floor at the tented camp.”
“That’s great. I’m so glad to have it back. Please thank him for me.”
He gave me a searching look, his blue eyes steely. “He found it on the floor of the office. Why would it have been there, Sidney?”
“I have n-no idea,” I stammered, thinking fast. “Maybe I dropped it in the dining room and it caught in strands of the mop.”
“Perhaps,” he said, watching me closely with those hard blue eyes, “or maybe he found it in the office because you dropped it there.”
“What reason would I have to be in the office?”
“None. At least, no credible one.” He rose to go, still watching me. “I will hate to see you leave tomorrow, Sidney, but perhaps it is for the best. It is difficult for an outsider to understand our ways here in the bush. Things are not always as they seem. You belong to another country, another world, one far safer than this one. It is time for you to return. I hope you’ve enjoyed your visit, but it’s time for your visit to end.”
I wasn’t sure how to answer, so I warbled out some cheesy goodbye and got out of there before he could ask me any more questions. As I left, I glanced back over my shoulder and saw him still watching me with that intent look. I smiled and waved. He gave me a mocking salute; then he turned to go back into the kitchen.
I pocketed the telltale earring and got the heck out of there.
* * *
Winsome was folding towels when I found her in the laundry room.
She was friendly and asked if I needed anything, but her whole demeanor changed when I told her that what I really wanted was answers. Her friendly smile vanished, replaced with a worried look.
“Oh, Miss, please, relax and enjoy this beautiful day. Do not ask me questions that I cannot answer. There is nothing here for you to know beyond what you have already seen. Stop worrying, Miss, and it will all be fine. Please believe me, it is all fine.”
But it was not all fine. I knew it, and she knew it.
* * *
Vincent was in the parking area behind the kitchen washing one of the Rovers when I found him.
“No, Miss,” he said, with a troubled look in his eyes, “I have not seen Mr. Hsu either here or at the tented camp in many months. When he comes, it is not announced. He just comes. He never stays long, never more than one night. No, I don’t know what he does when he comes. It is not my business. I am here to drive the jeeps and he
lp track the animals. I don’t ask questions, I just take orders. I go where they tell me to go, do what they tell me to do. I do my job, what I am paid to do, and that’s all.”
* * *
Rose had no answers for me either, when I visited her hut on the way back to mine, but she did give me something important.
Before we had moved from Leopard Dance to the tented camp, she and Mabel had been roommates. I thought she might have information. She didn’t, but she had something else. A clue.
“I’m sorry, Sidney. I’m afraid I’m not much help. She didn’t confide in me at all. I didn’t like her. She didn’t like me. We barely spoke.”
“I know that, Rose, but I thought she might have mentioned suspicions she may have had.”
“No, and all her things had been removed from the hut when I got back. But I did find this.” She handed me a folded piece of paper. “It was mixed in with my things. I’ve been wondering what I should do about it. You don’t think she put it in my bag on purpose, do you? It’s hard to believe that she would leave me a message. Like I said, we barely spoke.”
I unfolded the paper. It was a printed page torn from the Afrikaans dictionary, the page containing the Afrikaans meanings of English words beginning with the letter “M.” The English word “mirror” and the Afrikaans word “spieël” were circled. There was nothing written on it, but folded in with it was a handwritten note.
“She must have, Rose. I think it is a message to you or someone else. It was meant as insurance in case something happened to her.”
“And it did.”
“Yes,” I said, with a shock of remembrance, “it did.”
“What do you think it means, Sidney, and what should I do about it?”
“I don’t know yet. Time is short,” I said, refolding the paper and stuffing it in my pocket. “If you don’t mind, Rose, I’ll keep this for now. Let me check it out, and I’ll let you know what I discover. In the meantime, don’t mention this to anyone. It could be dangerous for us both.”
Chapter 28
After leaving Rose’s hut, I bumped into Fernando and George on their way to the swimming pool. I was glad my latest clue was safely tucked away in my pocket, concealed from prying eyes.
“Hello, Sidney. Thought you were joining us,” George said. “Go get your suit.”
Fernando’s sharp, dark eyes stared at me.
“She looks as if she has something else on her mind, George,” he said. “What’s wrong, cara mia?”
“Nothing’s wrong. I was just having a little girl talk with Rose, that’s all.”
“Really?” Fernando said. “I didn’t realize you were close.”
He knew I was lying. Fernando didn’t miss much.
“Enough of this chitchat,” George whined. “Come on, Fernando. It’s too hot to talk here in the sun, and I want a drink. See you at the pool, Sidney.”
Fernando gave me another sharp look as he followed George down the path. I waved and headed in the opposite direction.
It didn’t take me long to reach the privacy of my hut. I unlocked the door. Jay, I knew, was still at the spa. He had said he would meet us later at the pool for a swim before the game drive.
I turned on the ceiling fan, opened the sliding glass wall on the river side, and closed and locked the sliding shutters. Then I retrieved the invoices from my hiding place. I climbed onto the bed with them and, resting against the pillows, unfolded Mabel’s little papers from my pocket. I finally had two solid clues. I had to figure out what they meant before I could decide on my next move.
I thought I recognized the handwriting on the note Rose had found stuffed in her drawer as soon as I saw it. It looked a lot like the writing on the dinner invitation I had received from Henrik. Had Henrik written it? I wished then that I had saved the invitation for comparison.
It had Mabel’s name on it. The note read,
Would you please meet me after dinner this evening to discuss your concerns about the rhino? Winsome will be happy to guide you to me whenever you choose.
It was signed Ingwe.
* * *
I was still mulling and stewing over what it all meant when Jay returned from the spa.
“Hi, pumpkin. Still not changed? I thought we were going swimming.”
“You go on without me, Jay. I haven’t even started packing, much less filling out my fam report for Diana.”
“It may not be necessary, Sid, if we deep six this place.”
I took out my notepad. “She’ll want a written report, Jay. She always does.”
He shrugged. “Yeah. I guess she does. I got a chance to call New York, by the way, on my way to the spa. I spotted a phone in the office in the dining lodge. The door had been left open. There was no one around, so I just walked right in and used it. I told you there must be one.”
“What did she say?” I asked. “Have they signed the contract?”
“She hadn’t gotten to the office yet. The time difference, remember? I just left a message for her not to let Silverstein sign it until he could talk with us, unless, of course, he’s already signed it. I hope it’s not too late.”
I sighed. “Sign it without hearing our report first? Then what would be the point in sending us here?”
He shook his head. “You are thinking logically, Sidney, always a mistake when dealing with Diana and Silverstein. He’s pretty much sold on this place, love, because the price is right. It’s a really good deal for him and you know how cheap he is. I think he just meant for us to figure out how to make it work well for the High Steppers and his other tour groups. The housekeeping and touring details, not the money details. As long as he thinks the basics are acceptable I don’t think he cares much about anything else.”
I sat down at the desk. “I guess. But remember what he said about holding us personally responsible if anything goes wrong?”
“I remember, and I would have said more on the message for CYA, but Rebecca caught me. She came in and told me that the phone was not for the use of the guests so I had to cut it short.”
I tapped my pen on the notepad. “Are you worried about Diana and Silverstein, Jay?”
He shook his head. “No, but when we get back to Cape Town, I’m calling them again just to be sure we are all on the same page. Whatever they decide after that is up to them, not us. We’ll have done our job.”
I put the pen down, grabbed a brush and began to pull my hair up into a twist. “Good idea. Have fun swimming. I’ll be finished in the shower when you get back. I may go for a drink, too, if I’m dressed in time.”
“Okay, sweetie, see you later.” He opened the door, but then turned to me once more. Looking back at me, he said, “I’m glad you’ve decided to sit this one out. For once, you’re showing some sense in not poking around in stuff. One thing to remember is that whatever happens here in private behind the scenes does not affect the game drives or the accommodations at all. That’s all Silverstein cares about. The food and facilities here are really good for the money. As far as the average tourist goes, minding his own business, unlike you, babe, this place is great. If we are too late, if Silverstein has already signed the contract, I say we just blow off our worries about this lodge. The extracurriculars might not matter at all. We don’t have any concrete proof, only suspicions, and there’s no point in getting everyone all worked up if Itchy is already committed. We’ll find out what the status of that is before we tell them all the bad news, okay?”
* * *
I should have showed all my clues to Jay right then and bounced my ideas off of him, but I didn’t. We are colleagues and best friends and I love him, but Jay tends to ignore bad stuff in the hope that it will just somehow go away on its own. I knew he had decided to completely ignore all of the terrible things that were happening around us. If I told him what I was doing, what I was thinking, he would not only refuse to help but also try to stop me from investigating.
I decided to enlist George’s help before telling Jay about my plans.
George might be happy to have a way to lift some of the burden of guilt over Mabel’s death from his shoulders. From what he had said to me, I knew his careless action and its terrible consequence weighed heavily on him. In helping to break up a poaching and smuggling operation, he might somehow feel exonerated.
I hadn’t found the original dinner invitation from Henrik that Winsome had delivered to my room but thought that the handwriting was a pretty close match to the note Rose found hidden in her things. I felt that, by leaving the note with the page torn from the dictionary, Mabel meant to prove who was behind it all: Mr. Henrik van der Brugge, principal owner of Leopard Dance, the Pearl Moon tented camp, and Spieël Provisioners.
I found George at the bar, on his second or third drink. George seemed to be spending more and more time in the bar, bending Willem’s ear, particularly since the accident. I would have bet that Willem was tired of talking to him and would be glad to see him return home as well.
George made a visible effort to focus on me through his big red glasses. “Hi, George. Looks like you’re all alone. May I join you?”
“Sure, have a seat. When Willem returns, he’ll get you a little drink. Might be fifteen minutes or so. He said he had to go feed Sheba, whoever that is.”
I sat next to him. “It’s okay. I don’t need a drink. I came to talk to you. I have something I want to show you.”
I pulled out my papers to show him. “George, listen to me, it’s important. I need your full attention. George, you aren’t drunk are you?”
He shrugged and smiled a little lopsided smile. “Not really. No more than usual. What’s on your mind?”
I hesitated for a moment, but then decided that he was sober enough to hear what I had to say, and to help me if he chose to do so. I thought he might, and I knew for sure that Jay wouldn’t.
So I spilled my guts to George about the whole deal, relating all my suspicions about Henrik van der Brugge—how I thought Leopard Dance and the tented camp were really a front for a poaching operation.
