Pointing Leaf

by Lakes, Lynde

  Toni scanned the throng of brown faces. She’d always been a people-watcher. It was one of the characteristics that had made her a good detective. She could size up folks accurately. And the man she believed had only pretended to be knocked out, had unsettled her. His telltale fluttering eyelashes and the fact that he had no signs of injury, wasn’t all that bugged her. The man had the type of wily eyes that told her he wasn’t to be trusted.

  “The unconscious man,” she asked, “is he all right? I don’t see him here.”

  “Tinihanga? Yes, he’s fine. He’s around somewhere.”

  “I’d like to talk to him. Maybe he saw something.”

  Rad frowned. “Tinihanga said whoever hit him came from behind, so he didn’t see a thing.”

  “But maybe…”

  “If I see him, Miss Conners, I’ll let him know you want to talk with him.” His sudden terseness closed the subject. “Anything else I can do for you?”

  His sarcastic tone tightened her nerves. “I’d like to check your personnel and business records.”

  Rad held her gaze with dark, sultry eyes. Finally, he blew out in an exasperated exhale. “Sure. Why not?” He handed her a set of keys to his office. “But the rustling isn’t an inside job. I know and trust my men.”

  “Do you hire everyone personally, or does your foreman handle that?”

  “Sometimes Tinihanga does the hiring, or Tukaha. Or me.”

  “Do you run security checks, credit and background?”

  Toni held Rad’s gaze. His face darkened like a storm cloud. Obviously, he didn’t like getting the third degree. What did he expect when he hired a detective?

  “If none of us personally know the applicant, which usually one of us does, we run a thorough check.”

  “Ever find discrepancies?” She pushed her empty plate away.

  “If a man lies on his application, he’s out. I have to trust my workers.”

  The edge to Rad’s voice told her he teetered on the brink of impatience. “Exactly what is it you hope to find in my records?”

  “Anything out of sync.” She shrugged. “Doctored invoices. People you’ve fired, someone who has a vendetta against you. I won’t know until I see it.”

  “You have a probing mind; I’ll give you that. But I think you’re shimmying up the wrong puriri tree.”

  “Detours are often part of the process to get at the truth.”

  “Sounds too time consuming. Can’t we re-route you past a few detours? Time is ticking away, Miss Conners.” He scrunched his eyebrows close together. “Or didn’t I make that clear to you?”

  “Quite clear.” Holding her temper wasn’t one of her virtues, and it bubbled near the boiling point. Her dad had always warned that her fiery nature would get her into trouble one day. Instead of lashing out, she took a deep breath to calm down.

  “Look,” Rad said. “I’m sorry. But with another murder and the recent attack on my sheep time is running out.” He gripped his cup until his knuckles turned white. “Is there something I can do to expedite this investigation?”

  The desperation in his voice unnerved her.

  “I need a complete tour of the station.” Toni watched the men who had finished eating head toward the shearing barns. “Is there someone who could show me around tomorrow morning? I know you’re busy with the shearing.”

  “I’ll take you, if you feel up to it. Exactly what do you hope to find?”

  She shook her head. “I have a hunch there’s something here besides sheep that interests the rustlers.”

  Rad’s eyes darkened as though he doubted her premise, but his tone wasn’t negative. “Let’s see,” he said, rubbing his jaw, “tomorrow morning, I have to replace a motor on unit six, check an insurance claim for one of the shearers, and spend a few minutes working with the dogs, but I can get away about six. Is that all right with you?”

  Six! When did the man sleep? “Great, just great,” she said, forcing a lightness to her voice.

  “Don’t worry about eating. I’ll have Tukaha pack us a picnic breakfast.”

  She thought of the burnt toast Tukaha had served that morning. “A picnic sounds lovely. About Tukaha, if he’s your foreman why do you have him waiting on me, and why is he dipping tea for everyone?” She liked Tukaha, and it irked her that Rad might be taking advantage of him.

  Rad’s sharp glance suggested she was out of line. She didn’t agree. “I need to know about everyone. Snooping is my business.” She held his gaze and waited.

  “Tukaha is the only one I’d completely trust around a beautiful woman. He looks, but doesn’t touch.” Rad didn’t smile, but the lines around his eyes crinkled deeper.

  “You’re teasing, Mr. Murdoch; I see it in your eyes.”

  “I’m amused by your questions, but I’m not teasing. If I teased a woman, she’d know it.”

  His words and direct look heated her face. She hated herself when she blushed. “That doesn’t explain why he’s dipping tea like a servant.”

  “We all take turns at the jobs. Sometimes it’s my turn. Work is work, and none of us are above any chore. However, you’re right. Tukaha isn’t my foreman in the usual sense. But he has the title of Chief Foreman and draws top foreman pay. And he’s worth it. He’s there for me, willing to do any job, errand, give me advice or just keep a confidence. He’s my most trusted friend. But he’s too old and kindly to be a formidable boss to this rough bunch.”

  “So you have Tinihanga.”

  “Yes. He’s younger, leaner and meaner, and my second most trusted friend.”

  Toni understood about Tukaha being a close trusted friend, but not Tinihanga. “How long have you known him?”

  Rad broke a hunk of bread in half, then looked at her. “When I was seven and he was fourteen, he saved my life. Someone shot me when I was out in the bush. Luckily, he came along on his horse and took me to a doctor.”

  “Who shot you?”

  “Never knew. I’ve been grateful to Tinihanga ever since. That’s not the only reason I made him foreman, though. He’s tough and gets the work out.

  Between Tukaha and Tinihanga there’s a healthy balance.”

  “When you were shot, did Tinihanga happen to have a rifle with him?”

  Rad glanced at her curiously. “You don’t like him, do you?”

  “I don’t know him. I just saw him once. But…” Rad’s tightened features warned they were about to have an argument she couldn’t win. Losing wasn’t her favorite thing to do, especially to Rad. But it was best to bide her time until she had hard facts. She glanced at her watch. “With time an issue, I’d better scoot back to the house. I want to check over your records before turning in for the night.”

  He nodded and checked his watch, too. “Then we both better get going. I have several hours of work left before I can relax as well..”

  Was his hesitation regret? “Well, then,” she said, rising, “thanks for the company and conversation. See you in the morning.”

  Rad stood, did a little salute and headed for the shearing barn. Odd, at times he seemed so British, other times so… She couldn’t quite decide what he was the other times. Toni watched his quick, agile stride for a few steps, then turned away. She made a wide circle past the sleeping dogs and ran to the house.

  She headed straight to Rad’s office and switched on his computer. After hours of delving into files she discovered Tinihanga had his hands in every phase of the operation. Another unsettling discovery was Tukaha’s twin, Taureka, had never worked on the station, yet a check for five-thousand dollars had been made out to him? Why?

  Often there was a moment in an investigation when she knew she’d uncovered something crucial that would later turn out to be the turning point of the case. Was this that instant in time?

  Toni printed data about the check and a copy of Tinihanga’s and Tukaha’s off-station addresses, phone numbers and family data, then exited the computer and returned to her room.

  She laid out everything needed for th
e morning ride. Then she sat down at the bedroom desk and jotted down a case summary and made a list of the items she needed Chuck to send to her from the office.

  She left a message on his voice mail, requesting the items and requesting him to check why the monitoring devices she’d ordered hadn’t been delivered. Next, she asked for a Maori dictionary, an update on the religious status of Orthodox Bell Towers Corporation, and an abstract for the ownership research she hoped Chuck had completed. Before hanging up, she mentioned again about the history she needed on Taureka, giving some of her newly learned information about Tukaha to aid in the investigation of his twin. She didn’t expect to turn up anything on the man. However, with lives and land at risk, she had to cover all the bases.

  A rustle at the door caught her attention. A folded white sheet of paper appeared and slipped underneath. She stooped, picked up a typed note and scanned it.

  Why is Rad stealing his own sheep? it asked. What excuse did he use to seduce you into coming here? Why does Tukaha protect him? He’s brought other white women here. They were never seen again. He’s an extremely dangerous man. Leave at once, or terrible things will befall you. Then death.

  Toni yanked open the door and peered out into the hallway. Empty. She glanced again at the note. This is ridiculous. Rad didn’t even know I was a woman when he hired me. And why would a man steal his own sheep, then hire someone to investigate the theft? She had to find the person who had put the note under her door.

  Toni grabbed her robe, gun and flashlight. She thrust the note and gun into her pocket. She flicked on the flashlight and followed the dim cone of light through the darkened house.

  Suddenly from the back came the low hum of a motor, a clanking and a grinding of gears. She tiptoed into the den just as the glass ceiling of the adjacent solarium completed its slide open. She hadn’t seen this section of the house, but Tukaha had told her about the indoor swimming pool in the solarium, and there it was. She turned off her flashlight. Moonlight coming through the opened ceiling and the pool lights on the deep end provided enough brightness to see clearly. The cloudless sky was sprinkled with stars, and the moon cast a shimmering radiance onto the surface of the water. Steam rose from the pool and floated upward, disappearing into the coolness of the night.

  Toni stared at the concrete Maori head at the shallow end of the pool. The artifact appeared to be about five feet high and three feet wide. The mustard-colored face had a grotesque, open, toothy mouth that spewed steaming water into the pool. Its round eyes glowed with an eerie blue light.

  Toni heard running footsteps on the pool deck. She ducked back behind the folds of the drape that extended halfway across the sliding glass door of the den.

  It was Rad.

  His waist length hair, no longer braided, hung loose and wild like the mane of a stallion. His leg muscles contracted and expanded beneath glistening, well-formed thighs. He exemplified power and beauty in motion.

  A bolt of shock shot through her. He was nude! She gripped the drape. What seemed at first glance to be a modest bikini, turned out to be tattooing. The mysterious, intricate markings encased his trim buttocks and hips.

  In a smooth, agile motion, he took the steps of the high dive ladder two at a time. Pausing, he lifted his arms over his head and pressed his palms together as though in reverent prayer. His chest expanded, rib cage lifted, slim waist lengthened, and then he swooped airborne like a hawk. Her breath caught. His fingertips pierced the water. It parted, swallowing him in its steamy depth. Though stunned more by his tattooing than his nudity, it was her own sudden erotic desires that startled her the most. She shook her head to clear her thinking.

  He rose out of the water and hoisted himself onto the deck. With a powerful upward force, he launched into pushups. Down, up, down. Before she could stop herself, she imagined her body arched beneath his plunging firm body. He paused just before contact, his glistening, raven hair cascading over my body, tickling and teasing my breasts, trailing across my hips. Tingling with desire, I felt the fire and power of his deep thrusts into my writhing body as he repeatedly lowered himself. Her face burned. She touched her moist lips with her fingertips. Never, never before had she explored such savage fantasies about any man. If she couldn’t control her mind and wildly beating heart, she vowed to at least control her behavior.

  A gust of cool wind whipped her robe, and she belted it closer. She thrust her hands into her pockets to keep them from trembling. Her hand brushed the gun and came to rest next to the note. Its words flashed in her mind. He brought other women here, and they were never seen again. In the back of her mind, she remembered hearing that the Maori people had once practiced cannibalism. Did Rad have savage tendercies? Toni felt the goose flesh rise on her body. Hugging her middle, she watched him, wondering what she should do. Suddenly behind her, she heard footsteps. She froze.

  Chapter Nine

  A husky man had entered the darkened room. From her hiding place in the folds of the drape, she squinted, trying to identify him. He lifted the receiver of the house phone. When he dialed, he turned slightly, and for an instant moonlight highlighted his face. Tinihanga!

  “It’s me.” His voice was barely audible. “What now?” He traced a design on the desk-top with his finger. “Ae. It’s taken care of. No one’s suspicious, but it’s only a matter of time.” He was quiet, then said, “Ae. Tomorrow?”

  Tinihanga’s hand moved into a ray of moonlight. When he clenched and unclenched his fist it was as if the spider tattoo on his hand was crawling and spinning its sinister web. She shuddered.

  “Done,” he said. After he hung up, he cocked his head to the side and walked slowly toward where she was hiding.

  Oh no. She closed her eyes and prayed she wouldn’t tremble, wouldn’t even breathe. She closed her hand over her gun. His sweaty, sheepy smell nauseated her. He paused at the sliding glass doors leading to the pool, and then she heard his steps retreat out of the room and fade down the hallway.

  She inhaled, gasping for breath. She’d almost believed the note. But deep in her heart she’d known better. She had to warn Rad. She peered out at the pool. Except where the heated water poured from the mouth of the grotesque head, the water was smooth. Rad was nowhere in sight. She flinched as grinding gears broke the silence. The glass ceiling slid closed, closing out the stars. She glanced around again. It hadn’t closed itself unless it was on a timer. That was probably it. Rad was on his way to his room.

  Turning on her flashlight might alert Tinihanga, so she tiptoed down the dark hall way, touching the walls and feeling her way. Someone grabbed her legs and yanked them out from under her. Pain shot through her shoulder as she sprawled on the hard tile. A hard body pressed her flat to the floor. She groped for her gun; her fingers curled around the trigger. She twisted and jammed the pistol into solid flesh.

  “Don’t shoot, Toni! It’s me.”

  “Rad!” Her breath caught. She’d almost pulled the trigger, almost killed him. Trembling she withdrew the gun. His warmth and weight lifted from her.

  “What are you doing wandering around in the dark?” He sounded more bewildered than angry. She heard a click, and the hallway light come on.

  She stared at him. He was re-securing the over-sized blue towel around his waist. His hair dripped glistening drops of water onto the tile floor.

  “I was looking for you. Why did you tackle me?”

  “How can you ask that after all the trouble? I thought you were a prowler until my arms closed around your soft womanliness. Are you hurt?” He helped her to her feet.

  “I’ll live. But you almost didn’t. Warn me next time.”

  “I thought you’d gone to bed hours ago. If you were looking for me, why didn’t you turn on the lights?”

  She glanced around as she took his arm. “We need to talk. Come to my room.”

  One of Rad’s thick, devilish black eyebrows arched. “Is this a pass, Miss Conners?” He grinned.

  “Get serious.” She released his a
rm. “I must talk to you in private.”

  His forehead creased as though puzzled. “But there’s no one in the house but us.”

  “Wrong. So humor me.” She stepped ahead of him, and when he entered, she closed the door.

  He leaned against the wall, crossed his arms and waited. Amusement twinkled in his eyes. “I don’t usually go to a lady’s room wrapped in a towel.”

  “Funny. Let’s see if my news wipes that smug grin off your face. Tinihanga was in the den a few minutes ago using the phone.”

  Rad frowned. “I’ll admit I didn’t know he was in the house. But it’s all right. Sometimes he doesn’t want the others to hear his call, so he uses my phone.” His steady gaze pierced hers. “Is that what this skullduggery is all about?”

  “Don’t make light of it. He’s one of them, Rad. He told someone on the phone no one was suspicious of him, and agreed to do something tomorrow.”

  “I’m sure there’s a good explanation for what you heard. Probably he’s dating a married woman again, and the husband isn’t suspicious yet. I don’t approve of everything he does, mind you. But he’s a grown man, and his morals are his and Atua’s business. I guarantee you, he’s not a rustler.

  “You’re wrong, Rad.” Flamingly aware of his near nudity, she forced herself to stare into his eyes. She reached into her pocket and thrust the note at him. “Read this.” When their hands brushed, electricity shot up her arm. She stepped backwards and waited.

  When he finished reading the note, his features contorted in anger. “This is preposterous! Surely you don’t believe such lies?”

  “Of course not.” Guilt shot through her, ashamed that at first she’d considered the possibility. “Someone slipped it under my door.”

  “It wasn’t Tinihanga.” The finality in his tone revealed that his loyalty was too strong to shake. Until she could prove it, it was useless to try.

  “Whoever it was, I suggest you double the security on the sheep tomorrow.”