Читать книгу Chasing The Leopard Finding the Lion - Julie Wakeman-Linn - Страница 14

VI Bumi Hills, Friday, afternoon

In the vehicle shed doing his end of the week checks, Isaac wiped the Land Rover’s sparkplug and twisted it into its slot. Another vehicle finished. Sliding past the fender, he tapped his forefingers in time to the drummer’s roll swelling from Colton’s portable radio. He turned the ignition, raced the engine once. A comfortable sound-- all firing together. Nothing worked quite like cleaned up sparkplug points. He stretched and jerked the hood to close it, testing Astrida’s tape-up job of his collarbone. No pain today.

Isaac picked up his rag. The sax wafting out of the radio had the same sound as the quartet he’d heard in The Bird in The Bottle, the Harare jazz spot. He tugged another wire and the alternator cable wobbled at his touch, so he began unscrewing the clamps. A sweet voiced chippy sang with the sax now. He added a bass back-up.

“Isaac, am I interrupting?” A low female voice spoke.

For a second he thought the radio’s singer had spoken and he pivoted to the radio, but an “Excuse me” echoed behind him. Elise stood in the doorway. Isaac lay down the alternator cable. Brett accused her of flirting with everything male--was it his turn? “I’m checking loose wires and connections. How may I help you?”

“I’ve missed my connection this afternoon. Brett isn’t under the hood of that Land Rover, is he?” She peered into the shed, gazing past him, no interest in him at all. “I’m sure he said four o’clock.”

“No, he’s not here, but I saw him at lunch,” Isaac said, thinking this situation was a switch. Usually Brett did the chasing but instead, here she was, tracking him down. Last year Brett and that divorcee--wow--he’d been as bad as Old Man Johnson for disappearing after dinner. Johnson’s rule--tourist women were likely to be clean, no wasting diseases, and they were used to condoms. This Elise was a knock-out compared to the usual tourist.

Even though it would be a riot to lead her to the employees’ room and catch Brett wet and naked, she didn’t need to know Runt had gone for a shave and shower before meeting her. She’d know she had the advantage over him. This Elise was tall like Naomi Andela, his Xhosa South African businesswoman. When they’d played around, he’d known she ran the show. Man, Isaac got stiff just remembering the sex, his smart, sassy Naomi. That season, he ditched Astrida for her. Naomi, of course, went home and never returned. No more controlling women for him. This lush European was the same as the rest.

Colton had interfered with her and Brett all week, keeping Brett occupied, even though Jeremy had often lounged around without tourist groups. Still she’d managed to find Brett. Isaac watched them strolling on the lawn daily. Brett hadn’t been on the roof in days.

“I hope I haven’t missed him.”

“That’s not likely, unless Colton snared him for a chore.” Her face had a prettier shape when she was unhappy. Her mouth was a little wide for his taste, but when she was sad, she pulled in the corners. “I’m sure we can find him. Let me wash the grease off my hands.”

“Brett told me you’re the lodge’s only mechanic,” she said. “You have a lot of work here.”

“Always some noise or rattle to figure out.” Isaac scrubbed the grease off his hands. She was good at getting guys to talk. That must be her come-on, but he wasn’t falling for it. His turn to root out her story. “How do you like your work?”

“My job’s like yours. Machines and numbers, they both behave, once you understand how to fix them.” Elise picked up a crescent wrench which she twisted open and closed, over and over.

“Predictable, not like people or animals,” Isaac said. Brett had said she was a handful, going hot and cold, flirting with everyone, but she wasn’t now. Isaac never played that game. Down in Harare, at the first sign of trouble with N’Shuma, he should have ended it.

“Brett told me he loves never knowing what he’ll see next. I like unpredictable, too.”

“He’s always been that way.” Isaac dried his hands. She had a nice understanding of Runt, after only a week. “Not to worry. I know how his brain works, and I can guess where he’ll be waiting.”

Avoiding Colton, Brett would lurk on the driveway, instead of the lobby’s gathering spot. This being Brett’s afternoon off, going out with Elise was illegitimate on two counts, fraternizing with the clients and borrowing a lodge vehicle without permission.

Elise twisted the strap of the lodge’s 10x50 binoculars. “He told me you two grew up together.”

“Let me carry those binocs for you. His mother raised me, when mine died. His dad taught me everything I know about machines.” Damn, she knew how to get a guy talking. Isaac countered, “Where did you grow up?”

“Copenhagen, Denmark. But,” she rushed on as she handed over the 10x50s, “I thought Brett hated engines. At least he hates the noise they make around the animals.”

“My dad taught him about animals, while his dad and I worked on the machines.” He stopped; he nearly let slip how he loved his own dad, but he’d do anything for Brett’s dad. This conversation stayed too one-sided. “Your family still in Denmark?”

“A brother, about Brett’s age, in Paris, my mother in Copenhagen, my father in Marseille.” Elise crossed her arms as they walked.

“I’m his elder by three years. How about you?” He kept his voice steady to keep her talking. So her family was not together. He tried to imagine his mother alive but not around him or his dad.

“Twenty-four. No lady admits her age in my mother’s world, but she wouldn’t do well in Africa.” Elise giggled. “Brett mentioned you go to Harare every month?”

“Once a month for vehicle parts and supplies like liquor for the lodge,” he said, remembering the ice cream shop’s guava sorbet, the movie theater with the latest American action films, the enormous South African car dealerships. He stumbled on a rock in the path. His back twinged. Damn day-dreams.

“I want to visit your downtown art museum, but everyone in Zambia says it’s not safe. Brett says he never goes.”

“It’s nice. Big gardens with lots of Zimbabwean stone sculpture. A lady diplomat won’t have any problems.”

Elise plucked at her pockets. “A diplomat in tan shorts? I work for an American auditing firm. Now about Harare--did you mean a white person or a woman wouldn’t have problems?”

Isaac paused. This Elise wasn’t afraid to say what she thought, but he’d better respond in the expected way. “A foreigner would be safe from any problems.”

“So if I speak in French or Danish and avoid English, I’m fine?” she said. “The riots are real then. I’d like to see that--democracy in action. Didn’t the government shut down the Parliament last month?”

“Yes, Madam, they absolutely did,” Isaac answered, wrapping the binoculars’ strap around his fist and forearm. She was fearless or foolhardy. He needed to discourage her, to make it sound less heroic. He walked slower, planning his phrasing. “Government antics don’t affect casual observers.”

“Casual observers?” She pivoted to stare at him. “Did you see the riots?”

“Brett and I, we’re so far removed from the center of things. Politics doesn’t affect the lodge,” he said. Another lie which tasted like iron shavings, gritty, oily. In the lawn’s afternoon sunlight, Isaac noticed how light her neck and face were. No suntan yet, so she was a new arrival in Africa. Brett had said she’d only moved to Zambia a month or so ago. Maybe that explained her interest in local politics. Yet he owed her a comfortable, if not completely honest, answer, so he picked his words carefully, “The protests will be under control soon. It should be perfectly safe to visit the art museum.”

“Isaac,” she raised her palm. “You know more than you say, don’t you? Probably about a lot of things.”

Isaac kept walking, and they rounded the corner of the kitchen wing and onto the gravel driveway. “There he is. Our lost guide,”

Isaac said, glad to hand her off without getting any deeper into politics.

“I wasn’t sure you were coming.” Brett lounged against the four passenger Jeep, parked in the shade of the little frangipani.

“Runt, you idiot, you didn’t tell her where to meet you. Elise came looking for you in the shed.”

“Runt?” She covered her mouth as she giggled. Her mouth wide, no more frowns or wrinkled forehead at the sight of Brett.

“I’ve always been taller,” Isaac said. It wouldn’t hurt for her to hear the old nickname.

“Don’t listen to Isaac. He tells terrible tales. All lies.” Brett opened her door and offered his hand to help her step up. “Let’s look for your leopard.”

Isaac glared at him, but it wasn’t a sly attack about Harare. Instead, Brett wore his whipped look; he’d had it with the American divorcee and with that Irish girl their last year at school. Isaac handed Elise the binoculars. Let the two of them have some silly fun. She’d be gone soon. “You won’t see one without these.”

“You don’t want to come along, do you, pal?” Brett said, jabbing a fake punch at Isaac.

Elise serenely adjusted the binocular’s strap and resettled her hat. Elise was not interested in him. Brett had no reason to be jealous of him this time, not like with the pretty Kenyan freshman in school, so Isaac punched him. “Trust your driving? Nothing doing.”

“Thank you for the escort, Isaac,” Elise said. “I enjoyed our conversation.”

“My pleasure,” Isaac answered. “Nice talking to you. Don’t let him drive you into a baobab. Try the northern loop. Jeremy said he saw a male on the southern loop yesterday.”

They waved as they drove away. Isaac started down the path when Jeremy helloed from the lobby’s double doors. “Seen Brett?”

“He took out the short Jeep. I heard a shimmy in the rear axle, so he’s trying it on the gravel trails.”

“You’ve got a phone call from Brett’s mom. Dad sent me to find one of you.”

Isaac hurried to the office. Ruth didn’t usually call long distance. Never in the middle of day.

In the office, Colton sat at his desk. “Here’s one now-- only Isaac. Nice talking to you, Ruth. My best to Owen.” Colton handed the receiver across his desk, littered with invoices.

“Is everybody all right, Momma Ruth?” Isaac asked.

Colton tapped his pencil, his face bent over his paperwork, ignoring him.

“Mercy, yes. We’re all fine,” Ruth answered. She didn’t sound like she knew about Harare, either.

“Sorry you missed Brett. Do you have a message for him?” Isaac perched on the edge of the desk, glancing at an invoice with a red Past Due stamp.

“Silly, I’m glad to talk to you. Imagine David being such an ass. “Only Isaac” indeed,” Ruth said.

Isaac listened to her laugh, a cheerful little ripple down in her throat, while he eyed that bill--it listed the fuel pump he’d put in the big Land Rover before the season started, months ago. “So what’s the news?”

“First, sweetheart, tell me, is your cough better?”

“Yes, we’re both healthy as ever.” Isaac turned away as Colton stacked up the bills, papers clacking.

“Is Colton still there,” Ruth said quietly, “in the office?”

“Yes, the weather has been turning colder,” Isaac said. Wishing like hell Colton would give him a little privacy, he stretched the coils of the phone cord. He’d play along with her. “How’s the watermelon crop?”

“Don’t react to what I’m going to tell you,” she said. Colton walked to the corner file cabinet. Ruth continued, “I don’t want David to get involved.”

Isaac wanted to shout what about the Presidential Guard on Highway 17, but Colton faced him across the office, so he only said, “Go on.”

“Mugabe squatters showed up yesterday, a group of five, but they left before suppertime,” Ruth paused, drawing a breath. “We don’t think they’re coming back. We hope not, anyway.”

His hand clenched the phone cord to his gut. “Anybody--”

“Isaac, sweetheart, we’re fine, but don’t let on to David. He’ll get some crazy notion about protecting his old school chum, Owen. Start a fight or call someone in Harare. Think he still has influence somewhere with the former High Commissioner.”

Isaac dropped to the floor, pretending to retie his boot, the receiver tucked between his ear and his shoulder. Astrida had denied these squatters were trouble but Mrs. Hilda hadn’t agreed. What if they got stirred up, what would they do?

Cupping the receiver, Isaac said, as quiet as he could, “What happened?”

Ruth laughed, but it ended quickly, not her usual laugh. “I did all the talking so nobody got hotheaded, although I nearly locked Owen in the closet. We’ve even got a plan if they come back. Don’t worry now. I wanted you to hear this from us. You know how people talk.”

Isaac stood, willing his lungs to open again. “When is Owen going to pull the tractor engine? I could come over and help.”

Colton stuffed invoices in folders, rustling files.

“We’d love to see you. Anytime. But we’re all right. You stay safe, okay? No crazy Harare trips, promise me? At least not now.” Her voice went higher like it did when she was worried. She must be standing by the kitchen window, on the phone, staring up the driveway.

“I promise. I’m going to ask for the time off right now. I can be there in two days. Owen shouldn’t pull that engine by himself,” Isaac said, loud and clear so Colton wouldn’t miss a word.

“You’re making up something for David to hear. He never did have any manners, certainly not enough to let you have a phone call in peace.” She sounded calm, her voice lower again. “If you can come visit, I’ll make a Sunday dinner whatever day you get here. You’d better hang up his silly office phone now. I love you both, my boys.”

“Good bye, my best to the dads. I love you, too, MommaRuth,” Isaac whispered. As he hung up the phone, Colton slammed the file drawer shut. Better to ask for the days off and get out of the office quick. He had to get home. “Mr. Colton, I’d like to take a leave from the lodge next Monday. Mr. Owen could use some help with a transmission overhaul.”

“Monday?” Colton rolled his chair to his wall calendar and flipped it to July. He tapped the dates with his forefinger. “No, you can’t. I’m going to Victoria Falls to replace those damn stolen license plates. Maybe in a couple of weeks.”

“But business has been so slow. I don’t think you’ve run out more than two vehicles any day in a month.” Isaac couldn’t believe Colton’s refusal. It was more extreme than anger at the lost license plates. His Harare episode and its necessary lies now chained him to the lodge. Buggering old fool. “Owen could use my help.”

“No.” Colton said it flat. “I need you here. You think Brett and Jeremy can fix anything? Do they even know how to change a tire? Now I have to get through this paperwork.” Dropping the calendar page, Colton spun back to his desk, ending the conversation.

Isaac grabbed the door knob and jerked the door open and stepped into the hall. He squeezed the knob, ready to slam it shut. Colton and the whole situation made him so furious. He unclenched his fingers. He felt trapped as well as angry. Getting riled and breaking doors wouldn’t solve anything.

Where was Brett? Out screwing Elise. Shit. He’d have to catch him later. If anybody could persuade Colton to give them a day off, Brett could.