Treasure of the Golden Cheetah by Suzanne Arruda Read Free Book Online

all his concerns in the past. I see no reason why he should stop now. I’ll recompense him very well for his trouble.” She turned to Dimwald. “And, Otto, I won’t be needing your help when I return home, so once you’re there, you might want to look for another position. Of course, I’ll give you a sterling recommendation.”
    “Is this case closed, Inspector?” asked Wells. “Did you catch the murderer?”
    Jade was surprised no one else had asked that. She’d witnessed the end of the tragedy, but nothing had been said to any of these people except that Wheeler had been stabbed. Everyone, with the exception of Wells, who stood by Bebe’s side, seemed unnaturally callous. It made her flesh crawl, and she rubbed her arms to dispel the feeling.
    “Very likely so,” replied Finch. “The attacker stabbed himself afterwards. He’s dead. So you will all be quite safe when you leave . . . now!”
    “If you have no objections, Inspector,” said Wells, “I’d like to go with Miss Malta to the doctor’s clinic. She knows me better than she does Miss del Cameron or any of these ladies and might feel more comfortable.”
    “I want to go to my hotel room,” Bebe whispered. “I’m fine now. Hank can take me there,” she added with a nod to Wells. “But I’ll need to speak with Mr. Hascombe later.” She turned to Harry. “You will come by, won’t you?” Harry nodded dumbly.
    “That’s entirely up to the doctor,” said Finch.
    Dr. Mathews nodded. “Miss Malta has suffered no physical injuries, and she appears to have recovered from her shock.”
    Jade turned to Sam. “I guess we should go, too. I came in a motorized rickshaw, but I’m not sure how easy it will be to get one now. Most of the guests are gone, so the drivers will probably assume the dance is over.”
    “I rode my motorcycle,” Sam said. “You’ll have to travel back with Bev and Avery.”
    “Are you going to their house?” she asked, surprised that he’d dismissed her so quickly.
    Sam shook his head. “Going back to the Thompsons’.” Ignoring Harry, who was still standing nearby, Sam leaned in and kissed her lightly on the cheek. “I’ll find you tomorrow, but if I don’t, please take care of yourself.”
    “Remember, the train leaves at noon,” she said.
    Sam nodded, took two steps to the door, hesitated, and left.
    “Trouble in paradise?” asked Harry from behind her.
    “Shut up, Harry.”
     
     
    JADE ROSE BEFORE dawn in order to complete her own last-minute packing. Now that the Dunburys were home to stay, she’d moved back into the separate two-room stone building that they’d built for her use. She scanned her list, checking off all the items, including her Winchester, ammunition, canteen, Kodak, rolls of film, a fresh notebook, a leather pouch stuffed with jerky, flashlight, first-aid kit, and a compass. Developing film would wait till her return.
    She reached down to her boots and felt the knife hilt poking from the hidden sheath, and put a smaller, folding knife in her left side pocket. She put everything but her Winchester in her day pack. She’d cleaned and reloaded it the night before, after the Muthaiga social. It kept her from thinking about Sam and the upcoming good-byes.
    If he would just trust me.
    She had looked forward to this safari at first. Finally, a chance to see the “shining mountain” up close, to touch it. And it seemed like an easy job, too. Perhaps shoot a little game for the cooking pot, and keep three American women and one maid from wandering off; what could be simpler? Watching these people make a motion picture would be icing on the cake. Of course, she’d seen Sam make his documentation of a coffee farmer’s life, but African Dreams , as he called it, was different. There were no trained actors, no elaborate costumes, no scripts or sets.
    And no cold, heartless jackals . Inspector Finch had shown more humanity over Wheeler’s death than did most of his crew, including his