'Sounds like Poirot beat you to it. Still, it does mean they'll know what to do if they get a snakebite now, I guess! Won't be quite what they were expecting . . .' Pirroni laughed too. He stood up. His priority now was to get out unobtrusively. 'Thanks for your help. I'll check at the van on my way out anyway.'
He stepped out of the cabin onto the veranda and closed the door. As he descended the steps, slightly awkwardly because of his leg, he decided to forget about the tape and drive away. He still had the initiative and he could put a significant distance between himself and the place where he had been filmed.
He set off along the jungle path, following the looped cables. He walked at a normal speed but listened with every step he took in case someone was coming the other way. Every now and then a squawk high up in the canopy drowned out the surrounding noises, and Pirroni stood still until he could hear his surroundings again. Footsteps announced a large, heavy figure, and a moment later a tall workman in jeans appeared with a coiled cable slung over his shoulder like a lasso. Pirroni stepped aside to let him pass and then continued on his way.
A crash sounded high up in the trees as a striped possum performed one of its leaps. Several birds squawked in response. Once again, Pirroni froze until the sounds had died down.
Coming around a tree he heard the chirrup of a mobile phone. A woman's voice started to speak. Pirroni stood stock-still behind the bole of the tree and listened.
'Interpol were here, would you believe?' the woman's voice said. 'I've been talking to them just now.' She was just metres away from him and coming closer as she spoke into the phone. It was the reporter who had accosted him at the petrol station that morning.
She was too close now for him to turn round or take any evasive action. Pirroni walked on towards her.
'They said it was someone I interviewed this morning and they were asking me for a description of him - if there was anything odd about him. Yeah, the one on the show.'
She was right in front of him, but was concentrating on the phone conversation. She registered that there was someone in front of her and turned her body to let him go by. Pirroni passed her. His mind was working furiously. If the place was crawling with Interpol agents, he might have to find somewhere to hide until they left. If they had already gone, he needed to find that out too.
Whatever, he now couldn't risk going straight back to the jeep.
He heard the reporter say, 'Hang on, I'll call you back.' Then she called after him, 'Hey, Doc - got a moment?'
Pirroni stopped.
The reporter touched him on the shoulder as he turned round. 'Sorry to disturb you, Doc. Could you just tell me if this bite's OK? It's rather sore.' She held out her hand and peered up under the rim of his hat.
Then her expression changed. She started to step back.
Pirroni knew that expression well. In a moment would come the scream. He pulled out his gun and her face changed again, the scream swallowed at the sight of this new threat. She'd gone limp with fear and it was easy for Pirroni to grab her mobile phone. He slipped it into his pocket. Then he took her by the arm and steered her off the track into the trees. She tried to resist for the first few steps, but he leaned close to her ear and said, 'Just walk. You'll be fine.' He hurried her on into the undergrowth and she stumbled. He whispered in her ear again and she began to pick up her feet carefully.
Pirroni's first thought was to find a place to dispose of her quietly. Out here in the jungle she wouldn't be found for a while. Possibly not ever. But he couldn't be sure a camera wasn't on him.
He was getting close to the main camp. There were voices, the loudest of which were the cajoling tones of Jonny Cale. Pirroni also heard a soft electric whir. He glanced up into the canopy and saw cameras on platforms fixed seven metres up in the trees. The one he was looking at moved in a
He stepped out of the cabin onto the veranda and closed the door. As he descended the steps, slightly awkwardly because of his leg, he decided to forget about the tape and drive away. He still had the initiative and he could put a significant distance between himself and the place where he had been filmed.
He set off along the jungle path, following the looped cables. He walked at a normal speed but listened with every step he took in case someone was coming the other way. Every now and then a squawk high up in the canopy drowned out the surrounding noises, and Pirroni stood still until he could hear his surroundings again. Footsteps announced a large, heavy figure, and a moment later a tall workman in jeans appeared with a coiled cable slung over his shoulder like a lasso. Pirroni stepped aside to let him pass and then continued on his way.
A crash sounded high up in the trees as a striped possum performed one of its leaps. Several birds squawked in response. Once again, Pirroni froze until the sounds had died down.
Coming around a tree he heard the chirrup of a mobile phone. A woman's voice started to speak. Pirroni stood stock-still behind the bole of the tree and listened.
'Interpol were here, would you believe?' the woman's voice said. 'I've been talking to them just now.' She was just metres away from him and coming closer as she spoke into the phone. It was the reporter who had accosted him at the petrol station that morning.
She was too close now for him to turn round or take any evasive action. Pirroni walked on towards her.
'They said it was someone I interviewed this morning and they were asking me for a description of him - if there was anything odd about him. Yeah, the one on the show.'
She was right in front of him, but was concentrating on the phone conversation. She registered that there was someone in front of her and turned her body to let him go by. Pirroni passed her. His mind was working furiously. If the place was crawling with Interpol agents, he might have to find somewhere to hide until they left. If they had already gone, he needed to find that out too.
Whatever, he now couldn't risk going straight back to the jeep.
He heard the reporter say, 'Hang on, I'll call you back.' Then she called after him, 'Hey, Doc - got a moment?'
Pirroni stopped.
The reporter touched him on the shoulder as he turned round. 'Sorry to disturb you, Doc. Could you just tell me if this bite's OK? It's rather sore.' She held out her hand and peered up under the rim of his hat.
Then her expression changed. She started to step back.
Pirroni knew that expression well. In a moment would come the scream. He pulled out his gun and her face changed again, the scream swallowed at the sight of this new threat. She'd gone limp with fear and it was easy for Pirroni to grab her mobile phone. He slipped it into his pocket. Then he took her by the arm and steered her off the track into the trees. She tried to resist for the first few steps, but he leaned close to her ear and said, 'Just walk. You'll be fine.' He hurried her on into the undergrowth and she stumbled. He whispered in her ear again and she began to pick up her feet carefully.
Pirroni's first thought was to find a place to dispose of her quietly. Out here in the jungle she wouldn't be found for a while. Possibly not ever. But he couldn't be sure a camera wasn't on him.
He was getting close to the main camp. There were voices, the loudest of which were the cajoling tones of Jonny Cale. Pirroni also heard a soft electric whir. He glanced up into the canopy and saw cameras on platforms fixed seven metres up in the trees. The one he was looking at moved in a
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