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Authors: Marie Moore

2 Game Drive (19 page)

BOOK: 2 Game Drive
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Chapter
33

J
ay was pacing up and down the hotel room in Cape Town. He always paces in times of crisis. But this time the crisis was mine.

“At least we don’t have to check out another game lodge for Diana and Silverstein for the High Steppers tour. I was really worried we’d have to do that. That’s good news. Try to focus on that, Sidney.”

I was absolutely sick. After all I’d been through, and just when I’d thought it was all over, that I could finally go home to the tiny apartment I love in New York, the police said no.

The police detective had called the hotel two days before my flight home to say that I should not leave the country in case I had to testify. The case against Willem and his operation was more far-reaching than originally thought, and I was right smack in the middle of it. Me and my damn curiosity.

“I think you should call them up and throw a big hissy fit. Don’t say you are really, really pissed because that sounds so ‘country.’ Just be dignified and refined, like the Queen, and say, ‘I am not pleased.’ It’s worth a try.”

I groaned and put a pillow over my head in the darkened room. Chocolate. I needed chocolate. Or my mother. No, not my mother. She would say “I told you so.”

“The bad news,” Jay continued, “is that Diana said Silverstein won’t pay your per diem if you stay here to testify. He will hold your job open, and pay the change fee for your return flight, so that’s something.”

“Not much,” I mumbled from under the pillow. I thought about my dear little apartment back in New York. I thought about my rent. I peeked out. “What about my regular pay? Will I get a paycheck?”

“You have to use your vacation days. You get paid for that. Once they’re used up, if it goes beyond that, sorry. Too bad, so sad.”

Not chocolate or my mother. Alcohol. I needed alcohol.

“That’s not all. Diana says that after I leave your hotel room is not in her budget, either. Maybe van der Brugge will put you up at his house. I could ask.”

“Jay. I’m not going anywhere near that game lodge.”

“Sidney, the guy likes you, and we’re pretty sure he’s okay after all, remember? At least they haven’t found anything to hang on him yet. Plus, it’s safe now that Willem and his gang are all in jail. They won’t be at the game lodge.”

He looked down at me on the bed. “Maybe you could open up a detective agency, Sidney,” he said, his eyes dancing, “to pick up a little cash. You just love detecting, don’t you, girl? They’re all pretty pleased with you for figuring out the scheme Willem was running and giving them the paperwork to prove it.”

“Yeah, right. Figured it out, that’s what I did. And then what did I do? Went right to George of all people and told him all about it, and thought what a bright little girl I was to figure it all out. Some detective I turned out to be. I always seem to pick the wrong horse. Maybe the Marsh Curse is mutating. Go ahead and laugh, Jay. I know you want to, it’s okay. I deserve it.”

My future looked dark.
In fact, it looked dismal.

The phone rang.

Jay reached for it, saying, “It must be important. I asked them downstairs to screen all the calls.”

“Helloooooooo. Star Witness Central, Jay speaking.”

There was a pause.

“Who? Oh, heavens, yes! She’ll talk to her. Put her on.”

He clamped his hand over the receiver. “Sidney, sit up. You’ll want to take this.”

“Who is it? I told you I
didn’t want to talk to anyone.”

“It’s Brooke,” he hissed, “your fairy godmother. You have to take her call.”

If there is one person I will always talk to in this world it is Brooke. Right at that moment, I needed her wise advice more than ever. I flung the pillow aside and grabbed the phone.

“Brooke! It’s so good of you to call! How did you find out about all this mess? The local newspaper? Oh, yeah, I forgot about the newspaper. Yeah, I guess it will probably get picked up by everyone else, too.”

Jay said in a stage-whisper, “Maybe you’ll have to go into Witness Protection, Sidney. These are bad dudes you are testifying against.”

“Just a minute, Brooke.” I covered the receiver. “Will you hush? I can’t hear. Sorry, Brooke, Jay was talking and I couldn’t hear that last thing you said.”

I listened for a long while without comment, then thanked her from the bottom of my heart and hung up.

“What did she say? Tell me. Tell me now.”

“She said a lot, bless her heart, but the main thing is that she’s sending a car for me in an hour. I get to leave. I’m transferring to the Nellie, until I sail with her in her suite on
The
Rapture of the Deep
to the Seychelles. From there, after a little R&R on the beach, I can fly back to New York. She really is a fairy godmother.”

“What? How can you do that? What about the police? What about the trial?”

“When she found out about everything, Brooke hired a high-powered local lawyer to represent my interest. He made some calls, and now I’m free to go. The trial won’t be for months. I can return if I have to testify in person, but they may have enough without me.”

I got out of bed and started packing my stuff before heading for the shower.

“What about Diana and Silverstein and Itchy? What are you going to do about them?”

“Brooke called Silverstein and squared everything with him. She pointed out that my new lawyer felt that I was due some recuperation time for the trauma I suffered while on a job for him. Plus, she reminded him of all the great publicity the agency has gotten from my little ordeal.”

“Oh. And he was okay with that?”

“Yes.”

Then he asked the question that I knew had been foremost in his mind since I told him about Brooke’s call. “Well, Sidney, what about me?”

“I’m sorry, Jay, but even fairy godmothers have limits. When Brooke asked about you, Silverstein signed off and turned the call over to Diana. Diana told Brooke that if you intended to keep your job, you would have to return as scheduled so you could escort the High Stepper’s Fall Foliage tour to Branson. I’m sorry, honey. I really hate it after all you’ve done for me. Brooke is sorry, too, but it’s out of her hands. She said to tell you.”

“That ...”

I don’t know all the words
Jay used just then to express his feelings about Silverstein and Diana. He used those same words and more, later, when I thanked him again, and kissed him goodbye. I let him vent, but then I had to be going. He accompanied me to the street, where I climbed into the limo and rolled away, bound for The Nellie, and Brooke, and ultimately, for
The Rapture of the Deep
to see if a certain Greek captain was still at her helm.

I’ve never heard some of the words Jay used and hope I never will again. They were
bad words, Yankee curses far, far worse than even a dog-cussin’ is Down South.

Let’s just say, he was not pleased.

 

* * * * *

 

Author’s Note

R
eaders who want to know more about the tragic plight of endangered rhinos and African elephants—or would like to join in effort to save the elephant and the rhino, spearheaded by Britain’s Prince William—are encouraged to read news on the subject from the international media. Current articles will also be quoted and posted from time to time on my website, www.mariemooremysteries.com. Also, please visit the following websites for more information or to contribute to the cause:

 

The National Geographic Society

www.nationalgeographic.com

 

The International Union of Conservation of Nature

www.IUCN.org

 

The Tusk Trust

www.
tusk.org

 

World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

www
.worldwildlife.org

 

 

Photograph by Chad Mellon

 

Marie Moore
is a native Mississippian. She graduated from Ole Miss, married a lawyer in her hometown, taught junior high science, raised a family, and worked for a small weekly newspaper—first as a writer and later as Managing Editor. She wrote hard news, features, and a weekly column, sold ads, did interviews, took photos, and won a couple of MS Press Association awards for her stories.

In 1985, Marie left the newspaper to open a retail travel agency, and for the next fifteen years, she managed the agency, sold travel, escorted group tours, sailed on nineteen cruises, and visited over sixty countries.
The Sidney Marsh Murder Mystery Series was inspired by those experiences.

Marie also did location scouting and worked as the local contact for several feature films, including
Heart of Dixie
,
The Gun in Betty Lou’s Handbag
, and Robert Altman’s
Cookie’s Fortune
.

In mid-1999, because of her husband’s work, Marie sold her travel agency and moved to Jackson, MS, then New York City, Anna Maria Island, FL, and Arlington, VA. She and her husband now live in Memphis, TN, and Holly Springs, MS.

Game Drive
is the sequel to Marie’s first novel,
Shore Excursion,
which introduced amateur sleuth Sidney Marsh. For more information, go to:

www.
mariemooremysteries.com.

 

BOOK: 2 Game Drive
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