Diamond Legacy (11 page)

“Looking for something?” Graham said from behind her.

“I am.” She smiled in her best imitation of a carefree welcome. “And I believe I found it, thank you.”

“And that is?”

Yep, his tone was decidedly unfriendly. He wasn’t here to help her.

“The uniqueness of Katanga makes it an excellent place to conduct research on a theory I’ve been developing.” She stuck to her preplanned excuse. “The pace and strength of an animal’s evolutionary development and their predisposed health risks can be directly linked to the food supply of their origins. In zoo animals this becomes a genetic issue. Later generations still display the effects, even though their diet has been modified.”

“Why didn’t you ask someone for assistance?” His thick gray brows dipped in a frown, but it seemed like he bought the story.

“This place is tightly run and everyone’s busy. I didn’t want to intrude. Besides, I needed to do the research on my own to maintain the integrity of my data.”

Graham squinted, as though weighing her words, but the hard lines remained around his mouth. “We don’t like folks digging around without permission. Next time you choose to access sensitive information, I expect you to apply directly to me.”

“Not a problem.” She stole a glance over at Diana and caught a smug look before the librarian hastily turned away. “I didn’t realize what I was doing is wrong,” Miranda told him. “In America, this type of information is public domain. It won’t happen again, I assure you.”

She hoped he wouldn’t see through that little white lie.

“We like to maintain more control.” He looked down at the folder on the table and back to her, but he was no longer accusatory. “Make sure you follow proper channels for any future research.”

“Absolutely.” She tucked a lading receipt back into its folder and gathered everything up. “If you’ll excuse me,” she said as she stood, “I need to get back to the clinic.” Slinging her knapsack over her shoulder, she grabbed the folders and walked over to the librarian station.

There she slid the stack onto the counter and looked Diana straight in the eye. “I appreciate your helpfulness.” Her tone implied differently. “I hope to return the favor one day.”

Night settled around Zimbali Lodge as Miranda counted the minutes until nine. She forced herself to wait before making the short drive back to Katanga, hoping things would be quiet by then.

She drove on the left, European style, and it felt strange, so she took it slow. Or maybe she dawdled to allow time to get her nerves in check. It was one thing to face Matt Bennett in a room full of people where she could ignore his attraction, quite another to be alone with him in the dark while the memory of a scorching kiss lingered front and center.

Common sense said bad idea; the rest of her screamed, yes, yes, yes! Obviously, sound judgment wasn’t something she could count on to keep that carnival ride from happening again.

She pulled into the parking lot and circled the building until she spotted Matt’s Land Rover. He’d parked closer to the garage this time, and she backed into an empty space nearby.

Just to make certain no one was about, she waited. Watching. When nothing stirred, she grabbed her knapsack, slipped out of the Jeep, and walked behind the vehicle to join Matt.

“Almost gave up on you,” he said quietly from the driver’s window.

She continued around to the passenger side and climbed in. “It seemed wise to wait until the lodge settled before heading out.” She didn’t add that she waited for Jason to retire so she wouldn’t have to explain. He wouldn’t believe any excuse she came up with anyhow. He’d instantly assume she was meeting Matt for…well, passionate reasons.

She wasn’t so sure she wasn’t.

“Caution is always good.” Matt crunched up a paper sack and tossed it into the back seat. Remnants of dinner, she supposed.

“Exciting way to spend your evenings,” she said. “Do this sort of thing often?”

“Unfortunately.” He pushed the LED display button on his watch to check the time, then turned a smile her way. “Now and then I get lucky and find a beautiful zoo dentist willing to waste some time with me.”

His grin stirred a little flutter in her stomach. That and a shirt with sleeves torn out, which left his muscular arms bare for her viewing pleasure. To redirect her brain, she said the first thing that popped into her head. “What you need is a companion. Ever think of getting a dog?”

“Had one once.” His answer was brusque, making Miranda think it might be a touchy subject. “I take it you learned something interesting today?”

“Several things, actually.”

“Feel like sharing?”

“Well, since you asked so nicely.” She made herself comfortable and slid down on the bench seat, crossing her legs at the ankles. “First of all, this afternoon when I looked in the computer for transporter names, the info was glaringly absent.”

“Didn’t you say they keep meticulous records?”

“I did.” She grabbed her pack, pulled out the papers, and handed them over. “That’s why it’s odd these weren’t included. There are several names, four who repeat often and two that show up at the end of a month more than any other.”

He glanced at her sideways. “If not in the computer, where did you find them?”

“Library records.”

He grunted and leaned over to open the glove box and fish around. His arm stretched across her lap, and the strong contour of muscle and tanned skin was temptingly close. She breathed in his masculine scent, and her fingers itched to reach out and comb through his wild mane of hair. She squirmed in her seat and bumped into his shoulder.

The contact set off tiny alarm bells in her brain, and she suddenly realized how very warm it was in the Rover.

An eternity later he found what he was looking for and straightened back into his seat with a penlight in hand. Miranda released a pent-up breath and closed the glove box door for him, then rolled down the window for some air.

He clicked on the light and began reading her list. He whistled softly. “Names and dates. Excellent work, Watson.”

“Well, I’m no Sherlock Holmes,” she replied, “but I would’ve had more if your girlfriend hadn’t snitched on me.”

He glanced over in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“Miss Diana?” She drawled the name out, southern style.

“Who?”

Miranda rolled her eyes. “The librarian? She said you two were ‘friends.’”

“Librarian.” His brow knit in thought. “Is she blond?”

“Indeed. And surly.”

“I barely know her. We met my first day at work. I may have encouraged her, though. Library records are always a good source of information.”

“Really? Is that what’s going on with you and me?” The second the words were out she regretted them.

And yet when he looked over at her, the glow of the penlight revealed desire. Or maybe it was wishful thinking on her part.

“I honestly don’t have any idea what’s going on here,” he said as he clicked off the light. “All I know is you can be a royal pain, but for some reason I keep coming back for more. And what do you mean she snitched on you?”

So the “royal pain” bit ruined any desire theory. She shrugged it off. “She made her dislike of me very clear. I think that’s why she called in the big guns. Fortunately, I was nearly through by the time Graham arrived.”

“What?” His eyes widened and, with one hand on the steering wheel, he turned to face her. “What happened?” he asked brusquely.

“Don’t worry. I covered up my snooping with the excuse of researching an article on animal health based on geographies of diet. Which is actually the basis of a theory Dad and I have been compiling for several years.”

“Did Graham buy it?”

“I believe so.” She sat up straight and pulled the seatbelt clamp out from under her. “But he did warn me future research would need to be cleared through him.”

“There won’t be any future research. You’re done.”

“So much for appreciation.”

“Look, I’m grateful for the names.” He held up her papers. “But whether you see it or not, Graham is a nasty character. Don’t jeopardize yourself or this investigation by thinking otherwise.”

“I learned something else, too.”

“Are you listening to me? Jesus, you’re exasperating.” He scrubbed a hand over his face, scratching at the five o’clock shadow on his chin. “All right, what is it?”

“What do you think about the timing of a hundred-thousand-dollar deposit and Gaborone’s diamond council in three weeks?”

“It’s a connection I’m investigating. Where did you hear about it?”

“Letta. She worked on the serving staff last year and had to clear security. She mentioned it’s coming up.”

A revved-up Camaro pulled into the parking lot and they watched it park sideways near the back door of the Kalahari wing, taking up three spots.

“You want me to ask around about it? As a newcomer my curiosity would be natural.”

“These people play for high stakes, Miranda, and rollers like them don’t allow interference. You’ve already rocked the boat. Any more spells trouble. You’re out.”

“I still have to work here,” she argued. “And my eyes are open for anything suspicious.”

Matt didn’t reply. His frown deepened, but his focus lay outside the windshield.

Someone paced outside the Camaro, a nightshade with dark skin and loose dark clothing. He moved bumper to bumper, agitation in every step as he shifted in and out of the streetlight, his gaze constantly sweeping the parking lot.

“What do you suppose he’s doing here?” Miranda asked.

Before Matt could answer, a door opened and Graham stepped outside.

“Interesting,” Matt whispered.

The man delivered a message to Graham. One that didn’t make him too happy based on the choppy hand gestures and constant arguing. Miranda wished she could hear what they said, but sound didn’t carry that far.

A few moments later, the visitor tossed up his hands and climbed back in his car. He wheeled a U-turn in the parking lot and sped for the main road. Graham stood watching his departure until the Camaro was well out of sight. Another long minute passed before he finally moved, but he didn’t head back inside. Instead, he marched over to a Lexus and slid inside.

“Time to go.” Matt buckled his seatbelt. “Can you get to your Jeep without being seen?”

“Not a chance, pal.” She clicked her belt in place. “I’m going with you.”

“Absolutely not! This isn’t a game, Miranda.”

“I’m not leaving.” She crossed her arms in front of her and did her best mule impression. “You can waste time arguing about it or shut up and follow Graham.”

“Bloody hell, woman! How many times must I remind you of the danger?”

She threw a glance at the Lexus as it backed out of its parking spot. “Once more and you’ll miss your chance to tail the bad guy.”

“God, you’re stubborn.” She heard the frustration in his voice but his indecision lasted only seconds. He fired the engine just as Graham pulled out of the lot.

She resisted the urge for a victory dance.

Matt kept a good distance between their two vehicles, following Graham as he skirted the downtown district and headed northeast. Cars came between them, and at first Miranda grew concerned, then realized he used them as a smoke screen. They never lost sight of Graham, even when they wound past the lavish new Phakalane Golf Resort and into an adjoining affluent and wooded neighborhood.

Her adrenaline ran high, despite the distraction of new surroundings. She soaked up anything visible under intermittent streetlights and a three-quarters moon, but held back her questions, afraid to break his concentration.

Soon the pricey subdivision thinned into pricey homes with land. The road stretched out in front of them, not much different from southern California suburbs as far as she could tell. Matt slowed, shifting down to third gear to allow his quarry a strong lead.

“Aren’t you afraid you’ll lose him?” Miranda finally asked.

“The road is too isolated. If we follow close, he’ll nail us.”

Twisting through low foothills, Miranda only glimpsed their quarry’s taillights between curves until they rounded a bend and saw Graham pulling into an extravagant gated driveway.

Matt drove past until they were well out of sight, then turned around. He killed the lights and coasted to the side, stopping when they had a distant view of the Tudor style mansion with its thick landscaping and ornamental lighting.

It sat some five hundred feet back from the pavement, the grounds encircled by an imposing stucco and wrought-iron fence. Wealth and privilege dripped from every leaded glass window and immaculately trimmed shrub, a showpiece meant to impress.

“Wow,” Miranda whispered. “Graham keeps high company.”

Matt pulled a pair of binoculars from under his seat and focused on the house. “More like he’s on someone’s payroll.”

As he surveyed the property, she pondered the implication of their discovery. “Finding the owner shouldn’t be too difficult,” she speculated. “There can’t be many who can afford this kind of luxury. Sort of narrows the field.”

“My thoughts exactly.” Matt set the binoculars on the seat between them and grabbed his cell phone. He punched in a number.

“Nik, it’s me. I need you to look into something.”

While Matt talked, Miranda lifted the binoculars and peered at the mansion. A bad feeling blossomed in the pit of her stomach. Big money, a mansion, diamonds… Katanga might well be caught in the cross-hairs of something bigger than Matt could control when the bust went down. Someone this wealthy involved in diamond smuggling would be front page news. No chance the press would leave Katanga out of it. She could only pray it survived the coming crash.

After the quiet snick of Matt’s phone shutting off, he said, “I’ll have an answer tomorrow.”

He shifted the Rover in gear and pulled out onto the road. As he drove past the gated driveway, Miranda peered at the guard shack through the lens. “One guard and two cameras. Whoever it is, security’s an issue.”

“The question is,” Matt replied, “what service is Graham providing?”

She tucked the binoculars back into the purple cloth of a Crown Royal bag and tightened the string. “I bet you already have a good idea.”