The Crocodile's Last Embrace (17 page)

“Northey telephoned, memsahib,” Farhani said to Bev. “I have told her that you were not at home.”

“
Lady
Northey, Farhani,” Beverly chided. “You cannot just call her Northey. And thank you. I suppose I’ll have to ring her up later.”

Emily pulled up another chair and, after Farhani went back into the house, they resumed their conversation.

“As I told Miss Jade,” said Mary, “Uncle Steven would surely have answered his door even if it had been to tell the desk clerk to leave him alone. I just know that something is wrong.”

At the mention of Steven Holly, Emily sat up straighter in her seat. “Has something happened to Mr. Holly?”

Mary nodded. “He’s missing or hurt or something. I just know it.”

“Now, Mary,” cautioned Beverly, “you don’t know that. You are letting your imagination run away with you.”

“When did you last see your uncle?” asked Jade.

“Two evenings ago,” she said. “He ate dinner with us and talked on and on about his silly gold mine. He was perfectly fine then. And now all this business in the papers about two men dead, both of whom had a share in a mine.”

“Did you go to his rooms at the hotel today?” Jade asked.

“Yes, but the clerk wouldn’t let me go up alone. He said that children should not be running about disturbing the residents.” Her lips pursed together into a pout. “I’m hardly a child. I’m thirteen now, you know.”

“We really should see if something is the matter,” said Emily. “He may be unconscious.”

“I’ll ask Avery if he’ll stop by the Victoria Hotel,” said Beverly. “Will that be satisfactory, Mary?”

“Yes, thank you, madame,” said Mary. She sighed. “Uncle Steven
is
rather stupid, but he is family. And we have a duty to family.”

“Oh, I couldn’t agree with you more,” said Jade. When Beverly raised her brows and Emily glowered, Jade hastily explained, “That we have a duty to family.”

“That’s quite all right, Miss Jade,” said Mary. “But do you really think Lord Dunbury will go to town and find him?”

“We shouldn’t bother him,” said Emily before her sister could answer. “He’s in the barn with the horses.
I’ll
go into town with Mary and look for her uncle.”

 

MARY AND EMILY RETURNED TWO HOURS LATER for the Girl Guides meeting, just in time to hear two mothers express their horror over the girls’ going anywhere near the “scene of that horrid death.” The other girls had gone to the barn to see the horses, and Beverly sent Mary to join them. After Mary left, the mothers launched back into their arguments with great gusto.

To Jade’s surprise, Emily came to her defense, reiterating Jade’s point that the proposed campsite was above the falls and that the crocodile could not scale the rocks. She announced that with three women, herself included, watching the girls at all times, there would be no danger at all. In the end, the five older girls, the ones the trip was planned for, were allowed to go. When Jade questioned Emily about both her decision to go camping and her search for Mr. Holly, Emily only shrugged at the latter and said she thought an adventure would do her good.

Mary was noticeably quiet during the meeting, which was devoted largely to last-minute details concerning tomorrow’s trip. Jade put it down to not having any luck locating her uncle. Considering the man’s flighty nature, Jade assumed he’d taken a holiday for himself without bothering to inform anyone else. However, to ease Mary’s disappointment and to solve her own problem, Jade made a present of the obnoxious African gray parrot to the girl. Mary was delighted with the gift and named the bird Pepper.

In the morning, Jade regretted her decision when Mary appeared with the parrot.

“He’s our mascot,” she declared. “I couldn’t leave him behind.”

“Salt! Pile in!”

Maybe the crocodile will show up and eat this thing
. Jade instantly regretted the thought.
Not fair to the croc.

“I believe everyone is here,” said Beverly as she ticked off the girls’ names one by one. She wore a split skirt, blouse, and tall boots. Her campaign hat bobbled as she looked around to where Avery was busily tying down the last of the gear onto one of two hired Overlands, whose cloth canopies had been covered in wooden planks to hold the tents. “Emily?” she called.

“I’m here.” Emily came from the house with a basket of fresh scones. “Matthew
mpishi
just took these from the oven. There’s plenty for everyone.”

She passed the basket around and Jade took one of the sweet pastries. “Thanks, Emily.” She noted with approval that the woman had opted to wear practical jodhpurs and a linen shirt rather than a dress. “I think you’ll enjoy yourself for these two days. The change will be good for you.”

“I hope so, Jade,” Emily said. “I’m so tired of Nairobi. Why, this morning’s papers are filled with news every bit as awful as that Waters’ death. More trouble in the Indian district. There was a knife attack there just yesterday afternoon. Between that and the plague cases, it’s not safe to visit the bazaars.”

“Knife attack?” asked Jade, after she swallowed a mouthful of buttery pastry and raisins.

“Yes. It seems that an unnamed Englishman was caught up in the middle of a squabble between a shopkeeper and another Indian. He was stabbed in the leg, according to the paper.”

Jade wondered at Emily’s concern. “I hope you’re not worried that it was Mr. Holly. But even if it was, it probably wasn’t serious.” Jade nodded towards Mary, who was chattering away with the girls. “Mary doesn’t seem anxious this morning.”

“Oh, I’m not worried,” said Emily. “On the contrary, I’m looking forward to this little excursion.”

Mary joined them, holding the parrot in a cage. Biscuit stuck his nose against the bars and sniffed. Pepper let out an ear-piercing squawk and Biscuit immediately pulled back.

“I must tell you all,” said Mary, “that one of our teachers is coming along as a chaperone.”

“A chaperone!” exclaimed Jade. “Why do we need a chaperone?”

“Um, perhaps that’s not the correct word, Miss Jade. Miss Biddleford is concerned about our having a day off from school for this outing. I believe she intends to make certain that we are actually learning something about nature while we’re at the falls.”

“Sweet Millard Fillmore on a bicycle,” Jade muttered. “Does Lady Dunbury know?”

“I just informed madame before I told you.”

“Well, she’d better get here soon,” said Jade, “or we’re leaving without her.”

Mary pointed to the end of the lane. “I believe she’s arriving now.”

A taxi pulled up and a dowdy woman stepped out. She wore a heavy brown serge dress that came to her lower calves and old-fashioned woolen stockings. Like many of the Kenya colonists, she must have feared not only the equatorial sun, but insects as well, since her red-lined, broad-brimmed straw hat was swathed with netting like a beekeeper’s bonnet. Mary and Elspeth hastened over to help her with her bag.

“I hope I haven’t kept you waiting,” Miss Biddleford said in a high, crackly voice nearly as piercing as the parrot’s.

“I asked Avery to find another cot,” whispered Beverly. “But where are we going to put her? Perhaps I should stay at home after all.”

“You’ll do no such thing, Bev,” snapped Jade. “You need time away from the baby, and you’re the troop leader. I’ll ride my motorcycle. Emily can drive the newer Overland. Put Miss Biddlebody in with Helen and Mary and that blasted parrot.”

“Biddleford,” corrected Beverly. “The girls told me she’s a fine teacher.” She shook her head in disbelief as the girls clustered around the woman. “What about Biscuit? If he goes with them, he might eat the parrot.”

“One can only hope. He’ll ride in the sidecar. He actually enjoys it.”

While Jade checked and tightened the sidecars’ connectors, Emily escorted the teacher to a shiny green vehicle whose top and sides were laden with camping gear, and helped her into the front passenger seat. Mary sat in the back with Pepper and Helen and several boxes. The other three girls bundled into the older Overland, a black Express model whose rear bench had been removed to hold supplies. After Beverly made a visit to the nursery and the nanny, and gave a parting kiss to Avery, they drove off, Jade and Biscuit taking point.

Jade kept the pace slower than she would have if she had been alone. After all, she reasoned, she wasn’t sure just how good a driver Emily was, especially with all the noisy distractions in her car. One of those distractions, the teacher, had piqued Jade’s interest, and when they’d finally reached their chosen camping spot on the north side of the river above the falls, Jade grabbed the teacher by the arm and yanked off her hat.

“Okay, Mr. Holly. Just what are you up to now?”

—The Traveler

“YOU HAVE TO LET ME STAY, JADE,” Steven Holly begged as he snatched back the hat and plopped it on his head. “My life is in danger!”

“Control yourself, Mr. Holly!” exclaimed Beverly. She whipped around and faced Mary. “Mary Postlewaithe, shame on you! A Girl Guide does not perpetrate deceptions or tell falsehoods. And you talked all the other girls into assisting you in this fraud.”

Mary hung her head. “We’re very sorry, madame, but we
had
to help my uncle. When Miss Emily and I found . . .” She stopped abruptly and grimaced.

“Ah, so my sister was in on this, too,” said Beverly. She glared at Emily. “I’ll deal with
you
later.”

“Explain yourself, Mr. Holly,” said Jade. She stood in front of him with her arms folded.

“My life is in danger. I’m certain of it,” Holly whined. “First that man Stockton was killed and pushed over the Limuru Bridge; then Waters was fed to a crocodile. I’m next!”

“How well did you know Waters?” asked Jade.

“He’s the man who talked me into investing in the gold mine.” Holly waved his arms about, accidentally knocking his hat and wig off again. “Don’t you see? Someone wants complete control over the mine. They don’t want to share any of the gold, so they’re eliminating all of the other partners.” He plopped his wig back on his head and tugged it into place. “It must be worth a fortune!” he said in a breathy voice.

“Mr. Holly, the police suspect that
Waters
killed Stockton.”

“But the papers said that Waters was shot!” exclaimed Holly. “I know I’m next.”

Jade frowned, shaking her head. “He could have been killed by someone else whom he tried to get to invest. Someone who didn’t like being taken. It doesn’t mean you’re in danger. And take off that costume. You look positively ridiculous.”

Holly shook his head. “I can’t risk being seen.”

Beverly and Emily stood to one side, listening. “Mr. Holly,” said Emily, “tell them what you told me yesterday.”

Holly nodded, his wig slipping over his forehead. “I’ve been threatened.”

“Threatened?” exclaimed Beverly. “By whom?”

“I don’t know,” Holly said. “I returned to the hotel two nights ago and picked up my mail from the desk clerk as usual. There was a parcel with no return name, return address, or postage. Inside was a threatening note. It told me to give up my share in the mine or my life would suffer for it and . . . well, never mind what else. It isn’t important.”

“Did you take the note to the police?”

Holly shook his head, and his wig slipped around to the side of his face. “Oh, no!” He shuddered. “The message said that I’d be dead very soon and very dreadfully if I did that.”

“Did he show you this note, Emily?” asked Jade.

“No, but why should we not believe him?”

Jade could think of a variety of reasons but she kept them to herself, since most stemmed from her dislike of the man and his intemperate habits. She watched his face closely. That he was terrified was obvious. But he was also hiding something. “What else was in your packet, Mr. Holly? You must tell us.”

“No! I don’t want to endanger you.”

“It’s too late for that. You already have. Now tell me.”

Holly’s entire body shook. “It’s too horrid.”

“Mr. Holly!”

He leaned in closer to Jade. “It was a human ear. A bit dried, rather like one of those tree fungi, but an ear nonetheless.”

“Waters was missing an ear,” Jade said softly. She looked at Emily. “I assume you had something to do with this getup?” She swept one hand up and down, indicating Holly’s disguise.

Emily answered while Holly readjusted his wig and hat. “Yes. When Mary and I went to his hotel, the clerk said that he was not answering and so must be out. Mary and I went to his room. I slipped a note under his door, assuring him that we only wanted to assist him, and to let us know how. As you might suppose, he was hiding in his rooms and he quickly opened the door and pulled us in.”