Charlotte and I mingled at the bar before dinner.
Jack must have been feeling better after the massage because he had returned to his role as Cupid. He said to Charlotte, “Why don’t you go over and have a drink with Zonah?”
She looked over at him, sitting in the corner, waiting for Sabrina’s and Zaden’s return from their suite. They, with Geri, and of course an escort, had returned to their respective suites before dinner.
She hesitated. “Oh, you should go,” I told her. Was I setting my sister up with a murderer? Was that wrong? “We’ll send over some champagne. Our treat.” I looked to Jack, who laughed.
“Okay, I would like some champagne.”
Before she walked away, I pulled her close and whispered, “Ask him if he knew Dr. Higgins.”
“What? I’m not doing your crazy work,” she whispered back.
“Did you give her some older sister wisdom?” Jack asked.
“Not exactly.”
Jack called Advice over and he brought a bottle of champagne, with two flutes, to the couples table.
I tried to lip read, hoping I’d see her say “Higgins.”
Jack tapped me on the shoulder. “Stop staring. You’re making Zonah uncomfortable.”
Jack was right. Zonah did look uncomfortable. I would have thought he would be grinning from ear to ear that the girl he had crushed on when the trip began had sat down at his table.
The escort returned with his three escorted guests. Jack stood to meet Geri. The rest of the group followed, heading toward the four spread-out tables on the patio.
“Why don’t we mix things up tonight?” Jack asked as we headed to the tables. “Colin, Hazel, why don’t you sit with us?” They looked at each other and shrugged. They sat at the table Jack pointed to. Geri joined them moments later. “Naomi, why don’t you join Sabrina and Zaden?” I agreed too. It would be a welcome relief from sitting with Charlotte again. “Charlotte, Zonah, over here.” Neither of the two looked thrilled but they obliged. Geri looked happier about the possible love connection than the couple.
I walked past Charlotte and whispered, “See if you can get him to invite you back to his room. Look for a murder weapon.”
She smiled and pushed me away toward the Johnson table. They were mid-argument.
“Can we try again?” Zaden pleaded.
“We just tried.” She stopped when I sat down. Zaden started to protest and she cut him off. “Stop about your father.”
“But—”
“If you continue, there will no dessert.”
It was not a threat that would have worked on me at that age, but what else could she threaten him with. No internet? The lodge had taken care of that.
The starters arrived. I dug into the tomato, basil, and cheese tartlet. Zaden picked at his. It may have been too sophisticated for his young palate. I finished mine and eyed his. It seemed rude to ask for it despite wanting it badly. Was it the detective work that made me this hungry?
The main dish arrived. Grilled ostrich fillet served on roasted, mint potatoes and sautéed vegetables. The tartlet was gone from my mind and I dug in. Zaden pushed the grilled chicken aside and ate the potatoes. He finally perked up when the dessert arrived, an apple tart with vanilla bean ice cream.
Sonny arrived and took note of the different seating arrangement. He signaled to Sabrina. I looked to Sabrina to explain. “It’s our night to stay at the treehouse.”
Their room would be free again. I’d have my second shot to snoop around. “Oh that’s awesome!” I said with too much glee.
“Let’s go, Zaden,” she said as she stood.
With typical teenager angst, he whined, “But I just got dessert.”
“Fine, finish the dessert. I’ll go back to the room for our bags.”
I looked over at Zonah, who was more interested in the apple tart than Charlotte. He’d made no move to leave. “All of you are staying at the treehouse?” I asked Zaden.
“Yep,” he answered, with ice cream dripping off his chin. In just moments, and three bites, he was almost done with his dessert.
Full from the delicious starter and main, and fearing the trip would size me out of my wardrobe, which I could not afford to replace, I slid my dessert across to him. He smiled broadly. “Thank you, Naomi.”
“Just don’t tell your mom.”
He stopped, his fork hovering over his second dessert. “A family should never have secrets, Naomi. My father says that all the time.”
“I’m sorry, Zaden. I was just kidding.” I smiled at him, wanting to see the serious expression on his face disappear. A young boy should never look that serious. He smiled back and returned his attention to his dessert.
Zaden finished his second dessert before Sabrina returned with two bags. “Let’s go, boys.”
The boys promptly left, leaving Charlotte and I alone at our respective tables. Stubbornness, or laziness, kept us there until we finished our drinks.
The other table didn’t seem to notice. They seemed to be enjoying their time away from the rest of the younger guests. I just hoped it wouldn’t turn into a key party, like Geri had implied she’d be into. The way Geri looked at Colin, I thought she might be into that. Every time I looked over she was either laughing at something he said or leaning in and eyeing him intently.
I got up to leave and plot a plan to get into room two while the trio was miles away at the treehouse. Charlotte had our key and I went over to her table. “Can I have the key? I want to go back.”
“I’ll go with you.” She took the last sip of white wine and stood.
“How was your date?” I asked after the escort dropped us at our room.
“Dinner. Please just call it dinner.”
“That well, huh?”
“Ugh, I could never date a man with a beard.” She shivered. “It is just disgusting. Food bits getting stuck in all that hair.”
“Makes him unkissable?” I asked.
“Ugh,” she replied and shivered again. “I thought it made him more handsome.”
“The beard?”
“Yeah. From afar it did. But up close—yikes.”
“What did you two talk about?” Anytime I looked over, I only saw Charlotte talking. I assumed that was her typical date behavior.
“He barely spoke. A few grunts here and there to match that caveman-like beard.”
“Did you find out anything about him or his family?”
“Not really. He told me where he went to school.”
“Where?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Some place I never heard of. I’d be too embarrassed to admit it.”
“Not like your prestigious university?”
She missed my mocking tone and answered, “Exactly.” I tried not to laugh at her. She plopped on the couch and sighed. “Men. I thought he was being mysterious. Turns out he’s no great mystery. Just boring.”
“So dating on safari not working for you?”
“No, doesn’t matter. It wasn’t on the itinerary anyway.”
I got us bottled water from the fridge and sat next to her. “More importantly, did he know Dr. Higgins before the trip?”
“Naomi!” She threw a pillow at me.
Charlotte got ready for bed and I got ready to head back to the bar. I called for an escort as she left the bathroom, in her pajamas. She grabbed a textbook and crawled into bed.
A gentle knock at the door. “Should I ask if it’s a hyena?” I asked Charlotte.
“Just go.”
I wasn’t surprised to see Jack at the bar, cradling a Castle beer. I wondered where the rest of his group went. I hoped to their own suites.
“Rookie!” Jack yelled when I sat next to him.
Advice greeted me with less enthusiasm but with a drink. I preferred his greeting.
We heard a commotion up toward reception. The three of us looked at each other. Jack got up, beer in hand. I followed him.
We stood at the end of the bar area and watched Sabrina and Zonah arguing. Sonny was handing Zaden two bags off the Land Cruiser.
“You think he’s feigning a fight so he can have the suite to himself?” Jack asked.
I looked to Jack, not understanding.
“So he can have some time with your sister?” he clarified.
I shook my head. “Oh, I don’t think so.”
“Really? Charlotte’s not interested?”
“Not at all.”
“That’s good. I think she can do better.”
He laughed when I replied, “She does too.” We returned our attention to the latest entertainment at the lodge. We were too far away to hear the argument but it was heated. Hands waving. Faces red.
They stopped when Zaden interrupted. “Secrets! What would Dad say?” he shouted.
“He’d tell you to shut up!” Zonah yelled back.
“Do not talk to your brother like that!” She raised her hand as if she were going to slap him but then stopped. “You’ve ruined this vacation already. I don’t want—”
“I’ve ruined! You’ve ruined this vacation!”
“Secrets, huh?” Jack whispered to me. “I kind of want to hang out and find out what those secrets are.”
“But a bigger part of you wants to return to the bar for another beer?”
“Rookie! You know me so well.” He slapped me on the back. “Poor kid will find out soon enough every family has secrets.”
“Even yours?”
“You think I’d be married thirty-five years if I didn’t have a few secrets?”
I returned my attention to the altercation. Zaden poked his mother in her side when he saw the two onlookers. Jack and I awkwardly waved when the three faced us.
“Welcome back! How was the treehouse?” Jack asked.
I hung my head and retreated to the bar.
There would be no search of room two tonight.