Treasure of the Golden Cheetah (40 page)

“Nosebleed from the altitude. Murdock faints at the sight of his own blood,” he scoffed. “Shoved hot Bovril down the lot of them and sent them off with Nakuru. They’ll wait for us for a while at Peter’s hut. McAvy’s actually taking charge of the actors. Looks like his role went to his head.” He gestured to the ground. “What have you found?”

Jade swallowed, savoring the bittersweet taste of chocolate, and slid the remainder of the bar into her coat pocket for later. “The trail divides here.” She pointed to the blood on the rock and showed him the leather strip. “Someone fell or was knocked down. Biscuit broke loose and escaped. It looks like he headed right. I haven’t followed it far enough to see where he went.”

Harry squatted and studied the ground markings. “I think he went alone, Jade. But it’s harder to see than the trail going up. Why the hell Julian wanted him is beyond me.” He followed the other set of tracks up the slope for a brief spell. “Unless someone repeatedly climbed, slid down and reclimbed, there’s more than one set of tracks here.” He looked up at the slope. “I never thought any of them could have made it this far.”

He’d brought two stout staffs with him and handed one to Jade. Then he started to climb up the slope.

“Wait.” When he turned back towards her she explained. “You need to know what I found out last night. I was looking back through those magazines you gave me on the train. Trying to find some insight into these people.”

“Your Abyssinian isn’t in any of the magazines, Jade. We . . .
you
caught her red-handed loosening the supply boxes.”

“Right. But not bartering for a boomslang or replacing blanks with live rounds or arranging for someone to kill Wheeler.”

“And your point?” he said, impatience edging his voice. He stamped about and slapped his arms to stay warm.

“Abeba’s actions were those of someone trying to keep us off the upper mountain, away from a grave. But they weren’t earmarked to harm anyone. The other actions were all intended to be deadly. I could understand if the more harmless activities came first and then it escalated out of desperation, but not the other way around.”

“But the sock snake?”

“The first one was made by Budendorfer. He’d torn a hole in one of his and, being the practical joker that he is, he probably decided to use the other to scare an actress. But the second one on Pearl’s cot? It was a woman’s stocking. That snake might have been made by Bebe and planted there to get Pearl into trouble with Julian. Jelani found an odd stocking in what he thought was Abeba’s bag, but he had the wrong bag. And Bebe said someone had been in hers.”

“So you think someone else was behind all the other events?”

Jade nodded, trying to catch her breath.

“Julian,” said Harry before she could continue. “He wanted that damned snake scene at any cost and something dramatic in his picture, so he had Zakayo shot.” He stamped his foot against the rock. “And all to get some mythical treasure.”

“No, Harry! Not Julian.” She sighed at Harry’s obtuseness when it came to women. “Well, at least, not alone. Yes, he believes in Menelik’s treasure, but he hasn’t the brains to think of these schemes on his own. He’d likely try to bully or bribe you into taking him up higher.”

Harry’s brows furrowed in a deep scowl. “You certainly don’t suspect Bebe of—”

“I certainly do. Remember how she got to play in that last scene? She’d lost that role to Pearl, so she may have promised Julian help in finding the treasure if he’d let her have it back.”

“Jade, she’s—”

“A
very
skilled actress.” She lowered her voice, wondering if these outbursts had already been overheard. “She said she never knew that Wheeler was married, much less to Cynthia. Maybe she didn’t when she began her affair, but she found out. Cynthia’s photo is in the background of that article on Wheeler’s trip to Abyssinia. It’s hard to make her out, but not impossible. And it seems from Cynthia’s interview that she’d traveled to a lot of exotic places. They all matched trips with Wheeler. He took his wife along, Harry. In secret, probably, but he did. And I think Bebe saw that photo and put two and two together.”

“How do you know she saw the photo?”

“On the other side of it is an advertisement for Pond’s beauty cream. I found that very page from the same magazine folded with the ad on the outside in Bebe’s things. She’d dropped it when a mouse scared her. I just assumed she kept it for information about the cosmetics, but she doesn’t use that brand. She uses the brand that I found in Rehema’s bag, Pompeian.”

She took a step forward and put a gloved hand on Harry’s arm. “She thought she was pregnant. Wheeler wasn’t going to leave his wife for her, and even if he did, either scandal would ruin her career. It already seemed to be taking a downturn with Julian favoring Pearl. But if Wheeler was killed, then she might escape any notice of her affair and his wife would take over the picture. She could plant ideas in Julian’s head.
Everyone
could, for that matter. She slept with you so that if she was pregnant, she could name you the father. It would’ve been passed off as one of those casual romantic entanglements we seem to have so many of in Kenya.”

“And the real snake?” asked Harry, his voice still skeptical. Jade thought she detected a note of hurt there as well.

“Probably meant for Pearl. Killing her would get Bebe’s part back. I imagine she suggested switching scenes to Julian. And remember, it was her idea to have Cynthia fire at Zakayo. I’m sure she told Julian to put Zakayo in that scene. She’s a schemer.” Seeing Harry’s confused look, she explained further. “Bebe saw Rehema curse the other girl. Probably promised her a way to guarantee the curse would work by trading her those datura seeds for a snake. The crazed native at the Muthaiga had ingested some as well, but in a different dosage. Just enough to make him attack Wheeler.”

“But he also attacked Bebe.”

“We don’t know that. No one saw anything. She hired some poor man, telling him to simply rob or scare Wheeler. She met him out front and gave him something to drink for Dutch courage. But it gave him hallucinations and made him deadly. Then she came running in and went into her act.”

Harry sighed. “You have no proof, Jade. Hell, how would she even know about datura?”

“Wheeler gave everyone detailed written information about Abyssinian customs. Maybe there’s something in there. We’ll have to find a copy to be sure, but you’re right, I have no proof.” She sighed, her chest tight. “Zakayo must have known about her and Rehema, maybe even helped with the translation, so Zakayo was conveniently shot. But I tell you, Harry, I can usually catch a person’s tell, their sign when they lie. But her? I never knew she was lying all the time until I finally saw her tell the truth. When she said that she didn’t need you anymore.”

“You know for a fact she thought she was pregnant and isn’t?”

Jade nodded. “I handle the women’s personal supplies, remember?” Then after a pause she added, “I’m sorry she used you, Harry. I think she used Wells, too.”

He stiffened. “You’re a smart woman, Jade. But you don’t know everything about other women. I won’t believe it until I get proof. Julian may be forcing her along. Or maybe Abeba has forced Bebe to help her stop Julian.”

Jade sighed, her headache growing worse. A bit of doubt about Abeba crept into her own mind.
I’ve misjudged people before.
“Just be careful and watch them all closely, Harry. Or you may not live to get your proof.”

“What can any of them do, Jade? They’re probably half-frozen by now. Come on. Let’s get them and bring them down.”

 

 

JELANI HAD HEARD the soft rip and knew Simba Jike had gone. In that moment, he’d made a decision. He wouldn’t alert Bwana Nyati. Not yet. When later he’d innocently remarked that she’d cut her way out of the tent, the bwana’s face had worn an amusing mixture of anger, shock, and admiration. Ah, yes, Jelani had seen how this man looked at Simba Jike. But Jelani knew that she was not meant for him and so did not need to answer to him.

Nakuru and his men had dismantled the camp faster than a ravening pack of wild dogs could dismantle a dead antelope and just as neatly, leaving nothing behind.

Almost nothing.
After helping, Jelani had slipped away, unnoticed by anyone but Muturi, his kinsman. Jelani had hidden in the cave that he and the other porters had slept in and watched until the safari lumbered down the path, a long, slow centipede of boxes and canvas borne over pairs of legs. As he expected, Bwana Nyati hadn’t gone with them. He went up the mountain to find the ones who had run off. And to find Simba Jike.

You cannot help by following in body.
Jelani knew that. Heard the voice of his mentor tell him. She faced too many dangers, too many enemies. Jelani did not doubt her ability to find and overcome the three runaways. But he felt Rehema’s curse follow them up the mountain. And as before, it followed with savage claws and stealthy silence. The mountain, too, fought against her as it did against all who came uninvited to Ngai’s throne, by sucking away their breath.

You are not alone, Simba Jike. I will pray to my ancestors and to your ancestor saints to aid you.
Jelani opened his pouch and took out the sacred branch that he’d brought up from below. Then, after sprinkling it with water carried from the last stream, he settled himself in the cave and began to chant.

CHAPTER 25

—The Traveler

“MR. JULIAN! MISS MALTA! ABEBA!” JADE SHOUTED, AND INSTANTLY regretted it. It took more wind out of her than she had to give. There was no answering call.

Harry repeated her call more loudly. When no one replied, Jade followed him up the mountain and into the wind. Once, the loose scree gave way and Harry slid back, colliding with Jade. After that, he made her follow several feet behind him. Soon the glacial ice and snow covered any other passage to the rim and they trudged and hauled themselves onto the hard-packed snow. Walls of ice layered like rock beds rose on one side, nearly terraced in spots and bordered with fringed ice draperies. Jade and Harry strained to see the faint, telltale boot prints.

“Julian! Bebe!” shouted Harry. “Can you hear me?”

His voice echoed off the mountain and reverberated into the distance.

“Help!” It was a man’s voice, but weak.

Harry called again as they struggled towards the rim, trying to pinpoint Julian’s location. It came from the other side of a ridge of ice. They hurried towards his voice and found him huddled in a ball. His labored breathing came in gasps, and a rancid puddle nearby indicated where he’d heaved up his last meal. A rent in his right trouser knee revealed blood.

Harry threw down his own pack and took out a spirit lamp. He lit it and melted chunks of ice in a tin cup. When it was hot, he poured in some Bovril beef powder. In the meantime, Jade massaged Julian’s hands and rubbed arnica salve on his chest under his shirt.

“See if you can get him to drink this,” said Harry. He braced Julian up against his arm while Jade plied the liquid.

“Come on, Mr. Julian,” said Jade. “You can’t cash in yet. You have to finish the picture.”

Julian’s eyelids fluttered and he looked at Jade uncompre hendingly. “Drink up,” Jade said, and put the cup to his lips again. Like a baby bird’s, his mouth opened automatically and he swallowed a little of the broth. Jade doled it out sparingly, giving his stomach an opportunity to accept it. Gradually, the man came around and his eyes lost their dim, glazed look.

“Meh . . . Menelik,” he muttered.

“Don’t worry about old Menelik,” said Jade. “He’s fine.”

“Grave. Must find it.”

“Not until you drink your Bovril,” said Jade. She looked at Harry. “Well, he’s alive. But he needs to get down now.”

“It’s a sure bet we can’t leave him here while we look for the others,” replied Harry. He turned to Julian. “Rex, where’s Bebe? Where’s the other woman?”

Julian blinked stupidly at Harry.

“Well, he’s no good,” said Jade. “You know what has to be done, Harry. I don’t have the strength to help him down alone. You’re going to have to take him to Peter’s hut to join the others while I continue looking for the women.”

Harry didn’t answer for a moment, his lips working as he struggled for an alternative. “Damn!” he muttered. “Jade, you can’t go haring off on your own.”

“We can’t wait to take him down together and then return, Harry. By then, neither of us will be in any condition to get them and they could both be dead.”

Harry frowned, then nodded. “Right.” He let go of Julian for a moment and pulled off his pack. “Take the spirit lamp, the Bovril, and one of the mugs,” he said. “In case.”

“Thanks, Harry,” Jade said as she crammed them into her own bag.

Harry stood, staring at her while she repacked.

“What?” she asked, glancing up.