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.
VII Hwange National Park, Friday, sunset
They had been parked for two hours between the enormous old baobab and a stand of acacia trees--leopards liked acacias--but no leopard.
Nothing worked today. The lighting, the animals, and her attitude. Elise was distracted. Every animal they had seen, the giraffe, the hyena, the marabou stork, she had asked who ate it and where did it sleep. To hunt the leopard, he’d given up on the lodge’s grounds and entered the National Park territory, even though it wasn’t allowed without prior authorization due to the rhino poaching problems. The guard at the gate was a new guy he didn’t recognize, so Brett had cruised by without stopping, pretending to be ignorant of the rules.
The