“Call me when you have the drop time,” Keyes said as they crossed into the outer room. Graham’s response grew muffled.
His fruity-smelling companion tried to reach for the door but Matt grabbed her shoulders, holding her still until he heard the telltale click of the outer door. Then, with an exhale of relief, he let her go.
Miranda bolted out of the closet like he had the plague. “I knew it!” She set the monkey on the floor and looked up at him, eyes full of indignant anger. “I knew the minute I saw you something’s wrong.”
Well, damn. Hiding the reason he was here was useless. She’d plainly heard the deal go down. “Okay, so I’m on a minor investigation. Don’t get worked up over it.”
His biggest problem right now was keeping her quiet. He’d spent months tracking the diamond flow this far. Stopping now was out of the question.
“That’s it?” Her tone was incredulous. “That’s all you have to say about it?”
“What else is there?” He leaned back against Keyes’s huge desk. “I’m doing a job just like you. No need for anything to change.”
“Well, I hate to be the one to break it to you”—her arms crossed over her chest—“but I saw the way you do your job. There’s nothing delicate about it.”
He pushed off the desk. “What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”
“This isn’t the airport where you can thrash about recklessly. Katanga is fragile and vital to this community. What’s your plan to protect it?”
The woman had lost her mind. “Did you just hear that conversation? That kind of money brings trouble, sweetheart. Something wicked this way comes.”
“I heard it.” The toe of her boot began tapping against the carpet in annoyance, just like his tenth-grade English teacher, Mrs. Pegram. “Katanga is not to blame for the greed of one or two employees,” she lectured. “Don’t you have judgment enough to see that it must remain intact, despite an unscrupulous director? And what if that money is actually for something legitimate?”
“Nobody pays a hundred grand in cash!” How could anyone be so naïve? “That payment is under the table. As in not legal, and I’m putting a stop to it.”
“I don’t dispute the possibility of corruption.” She pointed to Roz as the chimp tugged on a side table’s brass handle. “Look at her. That’s what’s at stake. Even if what you say is true, under no circumstances can you jeopardize the work done here.”
“That’s hitting below the belt. I like animals, too.”
“Then keep Katanga out of it.”
He shook his head. “Not possible.”
“I’ll help you find a way.”
No. Absolutely not. The last thing he needed was a busybody dentist with Nancy Drew tendencies. “Stick to polishing hippo teeth and stay out of this.”
“Too late.” She stared him down. “I’m already involved whether you like it or not.”
“Well, I don’t like it. Not one bit. This isn’t a game, Miranda Parrish. The sooner you realize that, the better off you’ll be. You and your husband need to do whatever you came for and go home.”
“I’m not married,” she said coolly. “I believe you’re referring to my assistant, Jason.”
She still remained unimpressed with his hard cop attitude. And she wasn’t married.
“Doesn’t matter,” he replied. “We have a problem. I’m now compromised. Your silence is necessary to the success of my mission. The only question is…what to do about that?” He stared at her with his best intimidation tactic, hoping to scare some sense into her.
It didn’t work.
“Think about this,” she cajoled. “I’m on the inside, have access to things you don’t. Your investigation could be resolved twice as fast with my help.”
“I don’t want your help. I want your silence.”
“And I want to preserve Katanga.”
This wasn’t working. “You obviously don’t understand the serious nature of the situation. Dangerous men are involved, and you can end up hurt, or very, very dead.”
“Or maybe it’s a hollow threat from a man who doesn’t like interference. Either way, I won’t be brushed off.” She rescued a glass paperweight from Roz and put it back on the desk. “If you can’t promise Katanga remains unscathed, then you’ll have to accept my help.”
“I’ll have to—” He couldn’t believe her. “What does it take to get through to you?”
“How about a better explanation?”
They were getting nowhere. He glanced at his watch. Not much time left before the lunch crowd returned. Okay, something simple and watered down then.
“Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He rubbed at his chin, scratching the day’s growth of beard. “Botswana has a small smuggling problem. It’s my job to track crime rings and break them up.”
“If you mean diamonds, I know. It was a side note in my college thesis regarding the perils of African wildlife.”
Great, she probably knew just enough to be trouble and too little to make her wary. “Don’t get ideas of some grand conspiracy. If its diamonds, and I’m not saying it is, it’s probably small potatoes.”
“How reassuring,” she said.
“Look, we need to get out of here before the secretary returns. Let’s cut to the chase and ease your mind. If Katanga is being used as a front, I’ll try to quietly take out those involved. As long as they cooperate. Agreed?”
“On one condition.”
“It’s not negotiable.”
“Everything is negotiable.” She grabbed Roz away from a bowl of plastic fruit and settled her on her hip again. “As a veterinarian, I have greater access to the database than a janitor. Which, by the way, you need to work on a little stronger. I didn’t buy your act. Most janitors I know don’t pick locks. Nor do they have razor sharp eyes with a calculating gleam. You might try toning that down a bit.”
Did she actually just insult him? “I’ll have you know several people have thanked me for the quality of my janitorial work!”
“Really? That’s more gratitude than I got at the airport when I saved your life.”
“Saved my life? Are you serious? I’ve faced bigger guns than that little firecracker he carried. I could’ve handled the situation without your help.”
“Well I saved you the trouble and never heard one thank you.” Roz squirmed in her arms, and she adjusted her hold.
He just stared in disbelief. “Interfering is a habit of yours, isn’t it?”
She looked like she wanted to throw something at him. “Of all the ungrateful—”
“We don’t have time to argue.” He headed for the next room and she followed.
“Admit it,” she persisted, “I can help you. Especially if you tell me exactly what you’re looking for.”
Man, she was stubborn. Whether he agreed or not, she’d get involved. It would no doubt be smarter to keep her occupied and under his watchful eye. Problem was, she’d be in real danger if discovered. And he didn’t know her. Trust was much too risky.
Still, he needed to come up with something. “You must promise not to do anything rash,” he said. “If you blow this investigation by snooping, there’ll be hell to pay.”
“I know how to be discreet.”
Things had now become way more complicated than he liked. But maybe, just maybe, she could stumble across something useful. “All right, then.” A sinking feeling told him he’d regret this. “I’d like a look at animal shipments. Names, dates, and origins would be helpful.”
“That I can do. How far back?”
“A year would be good, six months will suffice. And whatever you do, keep a sharp eye out. Don’t do anything stupid or attract suspicion. Got it?”
“Aye, aye, Captain.”
He scowled at her, seriously worried about the wisdom of what he’d just agreed to. But there was no arguing the point now. Good or bad, the deed was done.
“Come on,” he said gruf
fly. “Let’s get out of here.”
Chapter 8
Miranda thought she could sneak into the animal nutrition area, commonly known as The Tank due to metallic walls and a deep square shape, but should’ve known better.
“Where’ve you been?” Jason asked the second her foot crossed the threshold. “It’s not like you to be late.”
She opted for a convincing lie. “Got trapped in a conversation about the States.”
“Been there, done that.” Jason scooped up a glob of liver-colored vitamin paste and smeared it on chunks of raw meat for the big cats food supply.
She’d missed lunch, but the vile smell of that paste effectively killed her hunger. Miranda tied on a wrap-around apron and washed her hands before joining Jason and Mikal, Katanga’s nutritionist, at the wide stainless steel table. Letta pushed her way through the double doors just then, carrying another tray of meat cut in smaller chunks for the servals and young cheetahs.
“There you are!” Letta said, sliding the tray onto the table and shoving it in place with the others. “We feared you were lost.”
“I’ve learned my way around,” Miranda replied. “It’s names I struggle with.” She pulled on latex gloves and dug into the smelly paste. “It can be embarrassing.”
“Too many for you to remember.” Mikal waved off her worry. “For us this is easy, only you and Jason.”
“You’ll learn them all,” Letta said, “right about the time you’re ready to leave.”
“Please, I don’t want to think about leaving yet.” Miranda wrinkled her nose as she smeared the heady mix onto a hindquarter of wildebeest. Zoological care wasn’t for the squeamish. “Only five weeks and there’s so much to see before we go.”
Letta sat down at the lab computer and began clicking at the keyboard, logging in the day’s carnivore menu selections. “Keep in mind, to go any distance you really should fly. The roads are deplorable.”
“She’s absolutely right,” Matthew said from the doorway.
Miranda jumped in surprise and fumbled a scoop of paste, the spoon clattering as it bounced against the stainless steel table. Jason shot her an odd look as Matthew strolled in carrying paper towels, foil, and trash bags.
“Road maintenance isn’t high on our government’s list of priorities,” he continued as he stashed the supplies into a cupboard. “Have a bush pilot friend who owes me a favor, though. He could show you the Kalahari by air. Just say the word and I’ll arrange it.”
Now why would he make an offer like that? Such generosity on the heels of his earlier anger was suspect.
“That’s very kind of you,” Miranda replied, “but our time is limited.”
“Are you kidding me?” Jason exclaimed over her reversal in attitude. “Didn’t you just say we have a lot to see?”
She grabbed a paper towel to wipe up her mess and met Matthew’s eyes across the table. Nothing devious in the good humor she saw there, but she didn’t trust him. There was an ulterior motive at work here, and it was keeping her out of his way.
“We’ve an obligation to Katanga.” She leveled a pointed glare at Matthew. “Until it’s fulfilled, we won’t be thinking about sightseeing.”
Jason made a choking sound. Letta appeared speculative as she glanced from Matthew to her. And Mikal ignored them all and continued coating the meat with the vitamin paste.
“Obligation can require sacrifice,” Matthew replied with an agreeable nod. “An unfortunate consequence of duty, don’t you agree, Miss Parrish?”
She narrowed her eyes, refusing to bite. Instead she joined Mikal and ignored him all together.
“I assume introductions aren’t necessary?” Letta said perceptively.
“We’ve bumped into each other once or twice,” Matthew said.
Big understatement. Her body still tingled from their tight squeeze in the closet. The absurd attraction that sprang to life whenever he drew near complicated everything.
“A couple of times, eh?” Letta wore a knowing little grin.
“Roz introduced us.” Matthew shut the cupboard doors and joined them at the table. “Phew, that stuff smells foul. You don’t actually plan on feeding that to anybody, do you?”
“Carnivore gourmet,” Jason volunteered. “Big cats need vitamins, too.”
Matthew eyed the coated meat with distaste. “Poor suckers.”
“They seem to like it well enough.” Jason started on the next tray. “So, are you serious about this scenic flight offer?”
“I can arrange it,” Matthew replied, in spite of Miranda’s warning look. “Think you can talk her into it?” He thumbed Miranda’s direction.
“Don’t worry about her,” Jason said with confidence. “She won’t be able to resist a walk on the wild side.”
“Excuse me, you two.” Miranda leaned forward, fists on the table. “I’m standing right here and fully capable of making up my own mind.”
“You may as well give up, Miranda.” Letta’s dark eyes danced with merriment. “It’s two against one. Three if there’s room on that plane for me!”
Miranda faced a losing battle and rising aggravation at the look of triumph on Matthew’s face. “Tell me, Mr. Bennett, we’re strangers to you. Why make so generous an offer?”
“Because I’m fascinated,” he said with a sly grin. “Never met a zoo dentist before.”
She frowned and scooped up another round of liver paste. “We’re a boring lot, mostly.”
“What?” Jason looked at her in confusion. “You’ve always said—”
“Never mind,” Miranda cut him off and pointed at Mikal who was up to his elbows in raw bloody meat. “That’s our reality. Little glamour involved.”
“Speak for yourself,” Mikal joked. “I’m a master chef, a culinary artist to many discriminating palettes.” He lifted a tray of wildebeest for display. “The real challenge is serving the clients without becoming part of the entree. Grab a tray, Jason. Time to feed the kitty cats.”
With a rueful shake of his head, Jason grinned at Matthew and asked, “Want to trade jobs for a day?”
“I’ll stick with mucking out stables,” Matthew replied. “I’ll live longer.”
Jason and Mikal filed out and Matthew made to follow. He stopped at the door, though, and glanced straight at Miranda. “If it’s the wild side you’re looking for, you know where to find me.” With a disconcerting wink he disappeared through the door.
Miranda stared in bewilderment at the now empty doorway.
“My-oh-my,” Letta said as she fanned her face. “You’ve made quite an impression on Matthew Bennett.”
“Hmph.” Miranda grabbed the disinfectant spray and began cleaning the table. “Not likely. We don’t know each other at all. We’ve hardly spoken.”
“Really?” That one word was full of doubt. “Maybe he seeks to change that.”
“More like he’s playing nice to the visiting Americans.” Miranda threw herself into scrubbing, reaching far across the oversized table.
“Somehow I doubt this.” Letta grabbed a stack of dry towels and set them on the counter within close reach. “His eyes are hungry as they follow you.”
“You think so?” Miranda paused, thought better of it, and went back to scrubbing. “I didn’t get that.”
“Then you are blind, my friend.”
“Sometimes that’s the better option.” Romance clearly wasn’t on the agenda, no matter how tempting the man. Besides, he posed a threat to a place that made a difference in animal welfare. That wasn’t something she could ignore.
But to be fair, Matthew wasn’t the problem. It was Graham and Keyes and maybe others. It made no sense to risk everything this place had accomplished. Stopping them was paramount. And it had to be done without jeopardizing Katanga.
“He’s most attractive,” Letta said slyly.
“I don’t deny that,” Miranda replied. “But I’m only here a few weeks. It’s pointless to pursue something th
at holds no future.”
Her friend shook her head. “Sometimes we have no choice. The heart does not heed boundaries.”
“Well, thankfully, the heart’s not involved.” And she planned on keeping it that way. “Now, let’s talk about something more interesting. Tell me about the diamond industry. It’s big in Botswana, right?”
Skepticism crossed Letta’s face, but she accepted the change of conversation. “Our entire economy centers around diamonds in one way or another.”
“Are the mines the largest employers?”
“One of them, but unfortunately pay is low, and it’s hard to sustain a family. Many work long hours away from home, isolated behind security fences.”
Miranda grabbed a towel and began polishing the steel tabletop. “Don’t they have representation? An organized group to help improve working conditions?”
“Botswana is progressive but a long way from fair.” Letta sat back down at the computer to finish her notes. “Government officials claim concern over the more appalling aspects of the industry, some take measures to monitor human rights violations. But the sad truth is mine owners have absolute control.”
“Wouldn’t that kind of treatment be an open invitation for theft?”
“Smuggling is a problem,” she replied as she typed. “Workers can earn more money in a single run than a year spent in the mines. Yet the risk is tremendous. If caught, the penalties are severe. Then there’s organized crime.”
“Have you ever seen any of that?” Miranda asked, steering the conversation.
“Diamonds are not an issue in my village. Cattle are.” She flipped to the next page in her notebook. “But I’ve been in Gaborone four years and never encountered anything.”
“What about suspicious activity?” Miranda persisted.
Her friend stopped typing and looked at her with a perplexed frown.
She’d pushed too hard. “I’d only been in the country a half hour when I saw a thief busted at the airport,” Miranda said, hoping it explained the interrogation.
“Truly?” Letta shook her head. “The closest I came was in college. I had to clear security to work the city’s annual reception for the diamond industry. Not this year, though. Its three weeks away and I’ve not applied.”
Diamond Legacy Page 6