E. Jack had excellent night vision. The possibility of an accident or sudden illness is remote.
6. Why murder?
A. Jack had returned to The Castle for his father’s funeral. It was his first visit from Kenya since the death of his brother, James, five years earlier.
B. During the earlier visit, he stayed for only a few days. This time he had spent several weeks in Adelaide. His e-mails indicated concern about what he had discovered since his return.
Kay’s face suddenly crumpled. She wiped away tears and took a deep breath. She pulled out the desk drawer and picked up an ebony case. Game animals in mother-of-pearl designs made the lid exquisite. Kay opened the box and picked up several sheets of paper.
I read over her shoulder. The e-mails were addressed to her. I noted the dates and subject lines. “Why did he print out his e-mails to you?”
She shook her head. “I think I am completely losing it. Why doesn’t one part of my mind know what I know in the rest of my mind? He didn’t. FYI, I brought these e-mails with me, but I’m keeping them in a box with Jack’s papers that I found in the room when I arrived.”
I scanned the sheets.
Sent: May 30, 11:05 P.M.
Subject: Deja vu all over again
Just like time travel. The Castle hasn’t changed since I was here in ’86 for James’s wedding. Or for his funeral five years ago. Poor old James. He died too young. I wasn’t back long enough then to get much of a glimpse of the old place. At the wedding, I was still young enough to think I could see someone across a crowded room and everything would change. You were married to Bob. I hadn’t met Helen yet. Anyway, I didn’t have eyes to see much on that trip. This time it’s different.
Dad’s funeral was kind of fun. He was an engaging old reprobate. I guess my years in Kenya have made me mellow.
I visited Sallie’s grave. She’s been gone so long. Virginia never meant for her to die, but she took my princess with her.
Wish you were here. J
P.S. You used to like adventure. Come home to Kenya with me.
Sent: June 3, 4:03 P.M.
Subject: The Castle
Placid on the surface, nasty things bubbling beneath. I may need to stay for a couple of weeks. I guess the old man must have lost his grip to let things get to this state.
I’d take a tangle with a rogue elephant anytime. Instead, there’s Diane and her leeches; Evelyn, who can’t see and may be blind in other ways as well; Margo, who’d like my head on a platter; Shannon, who’s flattering the hell out of me; and Jimmy, who wants to break my neck. Maybe a little competition will make him realize what a neat girl Shannon is. She and I have had a swell time together. She’s made me feel like a kid again. However, she’s starting to be too interested in me. I’m going to have to tell her she’s great and I want to be good friends. But there’s no good way to say you don’t love someone. She’s still young enough to believe in love at first sight. She’s a gorgeous, sweet girl, but I’m old enough to be her father.
The only thing that keeps me sane is knowing I’ll get back to Kenya. Come with me, Kay. I promise you a good time. Lake Nakuru in moonlight. Flamingos massed in a tapestry of pink against blue-green water. Every time I see them, I know God has a sense of humor. Nobody wants brackish water, but it’s the slimy algae that draws the flamingos. I’ll take you out to see a leopard munch on a carcass he’s pulled up into a tree and gazelles more graceful than ballerinas. Bougainvillea. Flamboyant trees. Rocky hills. Open grasslands. Yellow-barked fever trees. And you and me, far, far from cities and crowds. I know you loved Bob and I’ll never forget Helen, but we’re fated, Kay. You and me finally together. You’ve got to write the book.
Sent: June 5, 5 A.M.
Subject: Shock of my life…
Someone slipped a photograph underneath my bedroom door last night. I have to find out what it means. If it turns out to be true…God, the lost years.
I’ll find out.
What will I do? I’d like to smash heads. And this, on top of all the rest. When they say you can’t go home again, maybe they mean you damn well better not. But I’m here and I intend to set everything straight. I’ll see if Paul Fisher can help.
J
“What do the e-mails mean?”
Kay didn’t look toward the sound of my voice. After all, if she was talking to herself, what would be the need? She stared at her list.
7. In the space of three weeks, Jack learned something that meant he had to die. His acquaintances in Adelaide were limited to those living at The Castle and a handful of other people.
A. Evelyn, his older sister. She never married and has always lived at The Castle. Evelyn is legally blind. Perhaps because of her poor eyesight, she tries to dominate every gathering, every situation. I sense that she resented Jack’s years in Africa and her role as caregiver to their father.
B. Diane Hume, his brother’s widow. In her late forties, Diane is nervous, anxious, and easily upset. James lacked his sister’s strong personality and his brother’s daring nature. Shy and reclusive, he taught biology at Goddard College and spent most of his time painting birds. His hero was George Sutton, the University of Oklahoma naturalist famous for his bird paintings.
