The Leopard's Prey Part 9

Maddy chewed on a glove finger as the two judges conferred over their notes with much bobbing of heads and ribbon flowers. The sight reminded Jade of some gaudy birds' elaborate courts.h.i.+p ritual. Finally the judges reached an agreement and placed a broad blue ribbon in front of a velvety red tea rose. Muted applause rose from the gloved spectators, followed immediately by the buzzing hum of whispered conversations.

Maddy gripped Jade's arm as the judges began on the cabbage roses.

"Where's Neville?" asked Jade.

"Either with the potatoes, the onions, or the coffee."

"And Sam?" Jade also wanted to ask Maddy where her notes were so she could read them, but she knew that her friend's mind was centered on the judges.

"Sam's around somewhere. He brought his camera. I think he's taking footage of Neville and the coffee compet.i.tion." She clutched Jade's arm. "Oh, look. They're examining mine now."

Jade allowed Madeline to squeeze her arm and concentrated on watching the crowds rather than on the painful constriction. St. Peter's mother, but Maddy's strong! But then, what else would she expect of a hardworking farmwife? It made Jade wonder if Stokes' killer was a woman and not a man. Maybe his wife hadn't run away after all, at least not very far. Had she come back for her child? Had there been a struggle in which Stokes. .h.i.t his head and fell into a tub of water? Mrs. Stokes was a small woman and not a farmer. Still, fear or fury could lend a lot of strength.

The scenario didn't feel right to Jade, mainly because of what had happened afterward. While she admitted that a mother might resort to murder to get her child back, she couldn't conceive of a woman of Alice Stokes' small stature hoisting her husband into the coffee dryer or staging a suicide. Maybe she had help. But then why leave the child behind?

Whoever it was knew about the corn knife Stokes was demonstrating. Who grows maize around here? A name immediately flashed into her head: Alwyn Chalmers. But just as quickly, she rejected the idea. Anyone coming into the store could have seen the gadget. It didn't even have to be one of the farmers. The most likely candidate was his own partner, Winston Berryhill. Just how angry had he become when he found out that Stokes was cooking the books?

And how, Jade wondered, could she divert Inspector Finch's attention away from Sam and onto Mr. Berryhill? Surely the embezzlement had been reported to him. As she speculated on what information she needed to convince Finch, she felt her arm being jostled.

"They're making their decision," whispered Madeline.

Once again, the ritualized bobbing of plumed hats began. Beside Jade, Maddy jiggled ever so slightly in tightly controlled antic.i.p.ation. Then one of the ladies draped a blue ribbon around Madeline's roses, and Maddy squealed with delight. Jade cheered her on with a "Hooray, Maddy!" while the audience looked on with mixed reactions and patted their gloved hands together. A few women frowned at the overt emotional display, most smiled politely and wished it had been their roses, and several nodded to one another as if to say, "What else would you expect from a country b.u.mpkin and an American?"

"Oh, wait till I show Neville," Maddy said as she stroked the precious ribbon.

Sam walked toward them from the edge of the crowd. "Well done, Madeline," he said. His linen s.h.i.+rt was open at the throat and his sleeves were rolled up. He had his tripod and camera slung over one shoulder and gripped a leash with his other hand.

Jade felt something b.u.t.t her legs and looked down. Biscuit had greeted her in his own cheetah fas.h.i.+on. "Sam! I missed you this morning. I was afraid you didn't come. And you brought Biscuit. Thank you. I've missed him at the house."

"He had a good run alongside my motorcycle." Sam pulled out a pocket handkerchief and dabbed at his forehead. "Sorry I was late this morning." He tried to stifle a grimace.

"Are you all right?" asked Jade.

Sam nodded. "I'm fine. Just a headache. I flew over those farms yesterday. The ones you'd been working at. Saw some interesting things." He lowered his tripod to the ground and leaned on it. "Well done, Madeline. That made a great sequence for the motion picture."

"What?" Maddy exclaimed. "You were filming me?" She immediately patted at the stray hairs that refused to stay back in the roll. "I must have looked a sight."

"You looked lovely," Sam said. "I hope you don't mind. I thought about asking you but I didn't want you to be self-conscious. You were certainly more fun than the group with the potatoes. Most expressionless lot I've ever seen."

"Did we win?" asked Madeline.

"Not on the potatoes," said Sam. Madeline's shoulders drooped. "But your bag of coffee beans took first." Maddy's eyes opened wide and she bounced again. Sam laughed along with her. "I got Neville's reaction on film as well. He was a bit more restrained, but he had a great grin as the men around him all clapped him on the back. I left after that and he went on to the onions."

"That's wonderful, Maddy," said Jade. "You beat the Karen Coffee Company. You can ask a higher price next time you sell."

"Yes. a.s.suming we get our coffee dryer cleaned and the door back before we need it in another six months for the big crop."

Jade saw this as the opening she needed to discuss their information. She broached the topic obliquely to begin with, since there were so many people in earshot. "Neville should ask for the door back, in a firm manner. Finch should be done with it by now."

"That chicken or duck blood should not be too difficult to clean out," Sam said. Then he added more recent news in a softer voice. "Especially since Constable Miller was back yesterday with battery lamps. He went into the drum and dusted and photographed and sc.r.a.ped everything he could off the insides. It's probably cleaner in there now than it was when Neville bought it."

Jade wondered what sort of materials Miller found inside. Hairs? Fibers? She'd read an article in a popular magazine about the information that police could find by photographing these items under a microscope. As a photographer herself, she found the topic fascinating. As a suspect or a friend of one, her interest took another, less academic direction.

Biscuit, restless from standing too long in one spot, tugged on his leash. "I want to talk about this more, but not now. We should separate," said Jade, "and gather information."

"How?" asked Maddy.

Jade shrugged. "Eavesdrop. Or, in your case, since the body was found in your dryer, use that to initiate conversation. Maybe someone has heard something useful."

"I'll find Neville," Maddy said. "I'd rather do this with him nearby. By the way, I want to thank you, Jade, and you, too, Sam, for putting those notices in the papers. I bought a copy of the Leader this morning." She pulled the paper from her large handbag and gave it to Jade.

Jade flipped past the steamer arrivals to the public notices and Maddy's ad. From there, her attention turned to an article headed Native Trouble Brewing? It mentioned a Kikuyu named Harry Thuku who was urging villagers to stop working. Next to it was an essay on native superst.i.tions. "Let's hope it does some good," said Jade, handing back the paper. "Now, everyone skeedaddle and get to work. We'll all meet up this afternoon at Bev and Avery's house, where we can talk in private."

Sam waited until Madeline left to find Neville before speaking his mind. "I think we should stick together, Jade. You and me."

"No, Sam. You have a perfect excuse to infiltrate and study people." She pointed to his camera. "You could even use it as part of the subject matter. Tell them you want to doc.u.ment the horrified reactions of the townspeople to this outrageous incident. You don't even have to load film if you don't want to. They won't know that you're cranking empty reels."

"But you could come with me." Sam found an empty bench and sat down.

Jade saw his face, flushed just a moment ago, blanch. "Are you sure you're all right, Sam?"

"I'm fine," he said. "I've probably caught a cold." He forced a grin. "It is winter here in Nairobi, you know."

Jade chuckled. "Right. As if moving a few miles south of the equator makes a difference." Then she had a thought and sobered. "Your leg isn't becoming a problem, is it?"

Sam laughed. "That's it. I've got termites or a tree fungus."

Jade laughed in spite of her concern. "I meant your real leg on top. I would think that having that wooden one underneath would rub sores or something."

Sam shook his head. "Nope, but," he said, taking her hand and pulling her down onto the seat next to him, "I do appreciate your concern."

Biscuit b.u.t.ted his head before Sam could show his appreciation. "This cheetah needs to walk, Sam," Jade said as she rose.

"Wait," said Sam. "About Finch and what happened with Stokes . . ."

Jade sat back down and waited for him to continue. People milled around them, making any private conversation nearly impossible.

"I hit him," Sam said. "I didn't intend to, but I did." He studied her face.

Jade frowned, then nodded. "And that's why Stokes suspects you. But how do you unintentionally hit someone?"

"I know fuel costs are rising, but that last bill was outrageous. In light of his skimming off the books, I can now see why. I yelled at him and waved the bill and . . . well, maybe I waved it a bit too close to his jaw on purpose. But he was still standing when I left."

"But Finch probably doesn't believe you," Jade said.

When Sam shook his head, she said, "Then I need to do something about that. Can't have Finch locking up my friends." Jade stood up again.

"Where are you going?" Sam asked.

"Hunting."

SAM WISHED HE FELT BETTER. Right now his head felt like two bulls b.u.t.ting, and the headache wouldn't go away despite those aspirin Jade always recommended. He was running a bit warm, so he'd loosened his collar and rolled up his s.h.i.+rt-sleeves. It was possible that he had caught a chill while flying yesterday. Should have worn your leather jacket, you dolt. But even with his self-chiding, Sam didn't believe it was a cold. No, it was worry. Was Finch focusing only on him? Men had been convicted on less evidence before. True, Jade was on his side, but her reason stung.

What was it she said? Can't let Finch arrest my friends? Friends! He wanted more, much more. One thing at a time, partner. Can't ask a woman to marry you when you're going to jail.

He'd just have to clear his name. Find out something to remove him from suspicion. That was when Sam saw four men standing in front of the Stokes and Berryhill booth, and decided that if there was ever an opportune spot to gather information, this was it. A teenage boy who Sam presumed was Berryhill's son, Harley, stood behind a plank desk, looking as bored as only a young man impatient to mingle with his friends could. Sam stood the tripod on the ground in front of him and introduced himself to the group.

"Gentlemen, I'm Sam Featherstone, and as you can tell by my accent, I'm an American. You can probably guess by this camera, I'm also a motion picture maker, and I sure would like to include some of this fine fair."

The men, curious about the camera, stepped closer.

"I say. Are we in your way or something, young fellow?" asked the oldest. Unlike the others, he hung back.

"No. As a matter of fact, I want you in the picture." Sam nodded to the Berryhill boy. "You, too, if you don't mind."

Suddenly, everyone stood a little straighter, and several of the men took off their hats and ran their fingers through their hair to set it in order. As if on cue, they formed a line and struck a pose together.

"Oh, no. You misunderstand me, gentlemen," said Sam. "This is a motion picture camera. I want you to move and talk to one another, just as you were doing before."

"I say," repeated the old man. He blew out his bushy mustache. "Just what sort of motion picture is this that we would want to partic.i.p.ate?" His companions nodded in agreement.

"I am actually filming the life of the coffee farmers Mr. and Mrs. Neville Thompson to be exact. That includes this fair and the people at it."

"Indeed! Well. Hmm, that is an altogether different matter, then," said the elderly man. He pushed up the brim of his solar topee, exposing a crop of hair as snowy as his mustache. "I know the Thompsons. First-rate people. Good workers. Smart fellow, that Thompson. Took my advice last year on an engine. Naturally we shall help then. You'll be doc.u.menting that, I presume. Of course you will. Might have expected it." He waved his companions forward. "Snap to, gentlemen. Look lively, now. Help this young fellow out. Er, what did you say your name was?"

"Featherstone. Sam Featherstone. I'm an engineer, so I'm also working for Thompson."

"Naturally," decreed the old man. "Only decent thing to do. Interesting people, you Americans. Good of you to help out in the war. A bit late, though."

The men, having the approval of the old man, outdid one another in their dramatic endeavors. First they kept finding pretexts to face the camera until they appeared to speak to young Harley over their shoulders. Next they fumbled about picking up a gadget or two and struck excited or incredulous poses complete with forehead slapping and wild gesticulations, all except the elderly man. He watched his companions with what appeared to be a great deal of amus.e.m.e.nt. Every few moments, his shoulders shook and his magnificent, bushy white mustache fluttered as he blew out a puff of air.

By this time, a small crowd, including two small boys and a Great Dane, had gathered to watch the antics. Sam waited patiently for the gawkers to get bored and leave, and bribed the two boys into going with four rupees each. Only the dog, which had settled itself in a shady spot and appeared to be staying for the duration, refused to go.

"Gentlemen, I want to film you doing just what you were doing when I arrived."

"But we were merely discussing the fair," said one man. "That and the latest shauris."

"Exactly," said Sam. "It is a perfect scene of gentlemen farmers at the fair." He stepped forward from behind the camera and examined the items in the booth. His gaze quickly found what he wanted, the display of new maize knives. "I have an idea." He motioned for the elderly man to stand just to the right of the display.

"You're Lord Colridge, aren't you, sir?"

Colridge nodded. "Who else would I be?"

"Then I know that I can count on you to lead the way." Sam picked up a trowel and placed it in Colridge's hands. "You, sir, will be examining this trowel."

"Pish tos.h.!.+ I'm not interested in a trowel," protested Colridge. His mustache fluttered with an exasperated snort.

"If you would only pretend to be interested, sir."

"You can act interested in a trowel, can't you, Colridge?" asked one of his companions. "After all, you do an excellent job of acting interested whenever the commissioners try to talk you into something. That trowel is probably more animated than any of them."

The other men chuckled at this joke, including Colridge. "All right, all right. I shall play the part and I daresay you won't find a better actor anywhere short of the Theatre Royale."

With the apparent ringleader settled, the rest of the men fell into Sam's plan easily enough. "When I say, 'Action,' you gentlemen," he said, indicating the other three men, "will come walking by and see your friend here examining this trowel. You will stop and shake hands and begin talking about the fair. I need you to look lively, but not exaggerated. That's the hard part. It should look like a very interesting discussion without appearing staged."

Sam snapped his fingers as though a great idea had just occurred to him. "I've got it. I heard where one of these gloves with the knife attached was found recently on a dead man. One of you will look up at the display and point to these knives and comment on how it figured into the recent tragedy. Then just continue talking about what you've heard."

"Wait just a moment, lad," said Colridge. "I daresay that will make for a lively discussion but I don't know that I want it on record. Will anyone know what we are saying?"

"Oh, no," said Sam. "Sound doesn't record and I doubt anyone will be able to read lips."

"Especially with that broom covering yours, Colridge," said one of the other men.

"I do believe you are safe there, sir," said Sam. "I will make up some words to appear on the screen. Probably something about a marauding lion in with your stock or something of that nature. The audience will love it."

While the men got into position, Sam noticed the lad behind the counter kept clenching and unclenching his fist as though he burned to say something. "You're important in this scene, too, young man," said Sam, noticing the youth starting to sputter in irritation. "You're the proprietor. Feel free to add whatever you like to their discussion."

Then he went behind the camera, removed the lens cap, called, "Action!" and rolled film.

WITH NO PARTICULAR plan in mind, Jade decided to stroll and let fate or Biscuit make the decisions. She was an American, an outsider, and as such, her questions about Stokes might make some people defensive. The Nairobiites would feel the need to defend one of their own rather than open up about him. How did that proverb go? Something about "even the fierce leopard does not devour its cubs."

Instead, she intended to rely on her two best allies for bringing people to her: Biscuit and her Kodak. Having a tame cheetah made her more like one of the more eccentric locals, and taking pictures for an international magazine like the Traveler often brought even the most reticent and stuffy person around. Everyone, it seemed, wanted to be famous.

She wended her way past several Dutch-speaking Boers in heavy s.h.i.+rts, thick trousers, and broad hats. She took a photograph of them with the produce display in the background and walked on. Next Jade strolled by a cl.u.s.ter of young ladies busily eyeing the nearby gentlemen, then past the bachelor herd itself decked out in pale linen suits and boater hats, feverishly discussing the latest cricket matches.

She heard snippets of conversations from gloved ladies in airy flowered dresses discussing the upcoming return of Lady Northey and when they would host the next benefit for the children's home. A Pomeranian on a leash, too foolish to realize it was edible, yapped at Biscuit, who ignored it with the disdain of one with better taste than for small dogs. Pet.i.te Cherie's mistress pulled back on the leash, glaring at Jade. Jade smiled back, a.s.suring the ladies that Biscuit was no threat. The women eyed Jade's jodhpurs and boots and gave her a cutting look.

Ahead lay the store booths. Jade heard a strong male voice proclaiming the merits of a new coffee pulper.

"There's no dead body in it, is there?" quipped one of the male onlookers. "I won't pay extra for coffee equipment just because it holds a dead body."

The others laughed at this macabre joke, and Jade moved closer to listen.

"That's only a problem at the Berryhill store," said the proprietor. "We don't carry those maize knives, and you can't get the corpse without first having one of those."

Jade shuddered at the callous remarks. Then she recognized one of the chuckling onlookers as Mr. Holly, a banker that she'd once met at the m.u.t.h.aiga Club. If memory served, he'd been roaring drunk at a party in her honor and made a pa.s.s while they danced. She hoped he didn't remember the punch to the eye she had given him.

"One would get the impression that Mr. Stokes was not well liked," she said.

Holly turned and, recognizing her, smiled broadly and tipped his hat. "Miss del Cameron, how pleasant to see you." He ogled her figure. "Still as lovely as ever, if I may say so." Biscuit brushed against his legs, and he started momentarily. "Oh, and you have a cat."

"His name is Biscuit," she said.

"Has...o...b..'s cheetah?" Holly asked.

"Not any longer," Jade said. "He handed him off to me when he took up safari work for good. But, Mr. Holly, you were saying something about Mr. Stokes." She knew he wasn't, but it didn't hurt to prompt him.

"Call me Stuart. I actually always found Stokes a very likable chap. A good man on the football field, too. But there are others who weren't so keen on him."