flipped through them a second time. “You haven’t shown these to anyone, have you?”
Stephen shook his head. “I saved them for you. I figured you were the one who could do something about the situation.”
“You did good.” Patrick leaned over and patted him on the shoulder. “I suppose neither of us have forgotten…well…Camille, for one.”
Stephen cringed at the veiled threat and bit his lip rather than say something he’d regret.
“Where did Natalie go?”
“I don’t know. She said something about going home.”
“She has another set?”
“She’s got a second printed copy and the memory chip in the camera.”
Patrick leaned closer until Stephen could smell the foul odor of his breath. “I’m counting on you, Stephen. Counting on you to make sure Natalie stays out of this. We have to stick together, you know.”
Stephen forced a smile, but he knew the people Patrick worked for and his gut told him that giving the photos to Patrick was no different than throwing them into the incinerator. And that looking away this time would cost him more than losing the woman he loved.
TEN
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 12:01 P.M.
KASILI
Natalie listened to the hum of her car as it idled at the stoplight. She tapped on the steering wheel and waited for the light to turn green. Kasili, like most of the larger cities in the country, was a startling contrast of two worlds. Modern, though neglected, office and apartment buildings on paved roads bordered unlit dirt roads and rows of traditional mud huts. Where she sat, hawkers stood along the side of the roadway, walking from car to car with everything from mangos to clothes hangers to sunglasses. A blind beggar stood at the street corner holding a bowl in his outstretched hands. It was the same man she’d given coins to for the past six months.
She pulled up her ponytail and wiped the back of her neck with her hand. Yesterday’s rains had left the air humid, and the cramped, stuffy quarters of her non-air-conditioned car didn’t help either. But with incidences of carjackings on the rise, keeping her windows rolled up in the city had become a necessity.
Natalie gulped down the last of her water, dropped the empty bottle onto the seat between her and Joseph, then pressed on the accelerator as the light turned green. She needed time to clear her head and figure out what to do now. Stephen might have promised to makesome phone calls, but she knew that wasn’t enough. The rest of the world didn’t have time to deal with the problems of the RD.
For now, they’d go back to her house, eat a bowl of leftover curry with some chocolate cake, and see if she could come up with a plan. While a slab of cake might not solve today’s problems, it certainly couldn’t hurt.
She glanced over at Joseph’s solemn expression. They both needed a break from the emotional impact of what they’d seen.
Natalie paused at another red light. But as it flickered to green, glass shattered behind her. She gasped and jerked around to see what had happened.
“Your bag!” Joseph fought to unlock his door.
“And your camera.” Turning, Natalie saw the thief as he darted away. Short frame, ebony skin, knitted cap…
Ignoring a honk behind her, she shifted the gear into Park and jumped from the driver’s seat. Her black purse dangled between the thief’s fingers as he skirted across the road toward the throng of people surrounding the market. A second later he disappeared behind a vegetable stand.
Natalie had barely made it to the curb on the opposite side of the street. She stomped her foot against the sidewalk and returned to the car. It was no use chasing the crook. She’d never find him. His head start had been too significant.
Another car blasted its horn behind her. She slid into the driver’s seat and glanced at Joseph. Shards of glass had splattered across the backseat and onto his headrest. “Are you all right?”
He sat forward in the seat to avoid the glass. “I
Stephen shook his head. “I saved them for you. I figured you were the one who could do something about the situation.”
“You did good.” Patrick leaned over and patted him on the shoulder. “I suppose neither of us have forgotten…well…Camille, for one.”
Stephen cringed at the veiled threat and bit his lip rather than say something he’d regret.
“Where did Natalie go?”
“I don’t know. She said something about going home.”
“She has another set?”
“She’s got a second printed copy and the memory chip in the camera.”
Patrick leaned closer until Stephen could smell the foul odor of his breath. “I’m counting on you, Stephen. Counting on you to make sure Natalie stays out of this. We have to stick together, you know.”
Stephen forced a smile, but he knew the people Patrick worked for and his gut told him that giving the photos to Patrick was no different than throwing them into the incinerator. And that looking away this time would cost him more than losing the woman he loved.
TEN
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 12:01 P.M.
KASILI
Natalie listened to the hum of her car as it idled at the stoplight. She tapped on the steering wheel and waited for the light to turn green. Kasili, like most of the larger cities in the country, was a startling contrast of two worlds. Modern, though neglected, office and apartment buildings on paved roads bordered unlit dirt roads and rows of traditional mud huts. Where she sat, hawkers stood along the side of the roadway, walking from car to car with everything from mangos to clothes hangers to sunglasses. A blind beggar stood at the street corner holding a bowl in his outstretched hands. It was the same man she’d given coins to for the past six months.
She pulled up her ponytail and wiped the back of her neck with her hand. Yesterday’s rains had left the air humid, and the cramped, stuffy quarters of her non-air-conditioned car didn’t help either. But with incidences of carjackings on the rise, keeping her windows rolled up in the city had become a necessity.
Natalie gulped down the last of her water, dropped the empty bottle onto the seat between her and Joseph, then pressed on the accelerator as the light turned green. She needed time to clear her head and figure out what to do now. Stephen might have promised to makesome phone calls, but she knew that wasn’t enough. The rest of the world didn’t have time to deal with the problems of the RD.
For now, they’d go back to her house, eat a bowl of leftover curry with some chocolate cake, and see if she could come up with a plan. While a slab of cake might not solve today’s problems, it certainly couldn’t hurt.
She glanced over at Joseph’s solemn expression. They both needed a break from the emotional impact of what they’d seen.
Natalie paused at another red light. But as it flickered to green, glass shattered behind her. She gasped and jerked around to see what had happened.
“Your bag!” Joseph fought to unlock his door.
“And your camera.” Turning, Natalie saw the thief as he darted away. Short frame, ebony skin, knitted cap…
Ignoring a honk behind her, she shifted the gear into Park and jumped from the driver’s seat. Her black purse dangled between the thief’s fingers as he skirted across the road toward the throng of people surrounding the market. A second later he disappeared behind a vegetable stand.
Natalie had barely made it to the curb on the opposite side of the street. She stomped her foot against the sidewalk and returned to the car. It was no use chasing the crook. She’d never find him. His head start had been too significant.
Another car blasted its horn behind her. She slid into the driver’s seat and glanced at Joseph. Shards of glass had splattered across the backseat and onto his headrest. “Are you all right?”
He sat forward in the seat to avoid the glass. “I
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