CHAPTER 1
Recently widowed Kate King wandered through the market and unwittingly became separated from her guided tour party of twenty-four and only when she came to the last stalls and saw the edge of the jungle did she appreciate she was adrift.
God, how stupid.
Kate had not idea where she was, spotted a cab and grabbed it.
The cabbie couldn't understand English apart from yes and no and dollar and seemed confused which word to use. But he understood when she checked her watch in panic and said, "Ship."
He nodded and blasting on the horn sent people ducking.
"Much yes no?"
Kate assumed that meant she would have to pay much dollars and accepted that and tried "Si."
The guy drove like an idiot for fifteen minutes whereas Kate thought a slow 10-minute ride would have brought them to the port.
Finally the guy stopped the vehicle. Wiping away sweat and drinking from a bottle that looked suspiciously like whiskey he pointed expansively and said, "Ship."
Kate looked at a bunch of motley sheep and groaned "Omigod."
They arrived back at the port ten minutes after the cruise ship had cleared the port.
Kate paid off her repulsive cabbie and hurried to the office of the cruise line and a haughty woman behind the counter said, "Ah our lost passenger. You're in big trouble if the authorities find you because you'll be declared an illegal over-stayer."
"Well don't stand there. Get me out of here."
"Mr Thomas," yelled the bitch.
A sweating manager in a soiled white suit came out and said, "Ah our delinquent Mrs King."
Kate poised, ready to hurl abuse but she thought pull in your horns woman.
"Please get me out of here."
Mr Thomas said he'd do his best. The only guy capable of driving her across the island to the capital in one and a half days before the cruise ship left Port Somerset would be Ned McGee. It was the rainy season and the rutted highway was near impossible to negotiate by anyone but Ned was the exception because when the route became tough Wally got going knowing he could charge a big premium.
"Then please call Mr McGee and tell him he's hired."
"He got drunk at lunch today and will be asleep."
"Mr Thomas," Kate began icily and Mr Thomas was well aware what that tone meant when coming from a woman.
"I'll see what I can do."
Kate could see through the glass Mr Thomas was on the phone, wiping away sweat and gesticulating. Mr Thomas finally smiled hugely and put the phone down and dabbed water on to his face and toweled his face dry before re-emerging.
Smiling he said, "My dear Mrs King, all arranged. One thousand American dollars is the price and our hard-ass Mr McGee said if you don't wish to pay that then go to jail."
Kate said icily, "Tell the insensitive jerk I agree but won't pay him a cent of it unless he gets me aboard that ship."
"I anticipated that response and told him just that."
"And he accepted that?"
"Well he did say if you don't pay he'll stick a knife in you but he'll get you there, never fear."
Kate wondered why Mr Thomas looked doubtful.
Looking at Kate's sundress and sandals, Mr Thomas said she should rush out and buy jungle clothing.
She returned fifteen minutes later dressed in a khaki shirt and skirt, boots and a floppy hat as recommended by the saleswoman.
Outside the agent's offices was a dilapidated Land Rover.
Mr Thomas came out and looked at her approvingly but the tall sandy-haired guy in shorts and a mesh singlet (vest-like undershirt) grinned at her and said in an Australian drawl, "Mrs Livingston from darkest African I presume?"
"I'm Mrs King but you may call me Kate Mr McGee."
"Okay Kate but only if you call me Ned."
"Get me to my cruise ship Ned and I'll call you anything, even darling."
He grinned.
"We need to get you some supplies. We can probably get four hours in before dark and will camp on the road. You'll need bedding, a mosquito net, tooth brush, bottled water, change of underwear, toilet tissues, make-up, food and anything else I can think of for your creature comfort."
"I take it that expense is not included in the one thousand dollars."
"You have to be kidding."
"Right here's two hundred bucks. Buy and load what I need and please return any change."
They set off and Ned asked, "Comfortable?"
"Barely but it has to do. Why don't you have more comfortable and luxurious Range Rover?"
"Lady this TD5 Defender is an indefatigable vehicle, built like a tractor and will get us through to Port Somerset in current conditions when I can say with absolutely certainty no other FWD model would achieve that including your fancy Rover model."
"Well I guess that convinces me. Will you cut my throat and take all my money if we fail to get to the dock in time?"
"I doubt it."
"So you promise to be lovely to me?"
"Yes."
"Thank god I can relax now."
He grinned and said, "You didn't ask if I lie?"
Kate managed something that sounded like a laugh.
During the exchange of pleasantries they established she was forty-one and her second husband had died three months ago. Australian-born Ned was thirty-five and had never married although at least three women who'd lived with him had been under the impression they were married to him.
Kate said she doubted that claim.
"Not all women have your intelligence Kate and after a couple of days on the booze with me and they wake up in a hotel suite and hotel staff tell them it's the honeymoon suite they can assume they got married."
"Omigod what attracts you to women like that?"
"I'm slowing down now but it always was tits and pussy."
"Oh god," Kate laughed. "That sounds so gross but I admit coming from you sounds like a straightforward confession."
"What about you Kate, do you like sex?"
"Yes I was big into it at college and that established my high regard for it as a recreational activity. My first husband was a glutton for it and when I found I was sharing him with two of my girlfriends I ended the marriage, I married Arnold for money and prestige and despite being much older than me he turned out to be a delightful lover. He was a friend of my father's and died two months ago from a sudden heart attack when at a health clinic waiting to be called in for his annual health check-up."
"How sad."
"Yes and I grieved and missed him but am getting over it. This cruise was my first time away from home since Arnold died. I have one married daughter who is twenty-one and another daughter who is at college freshman from my first marriage and Arnold never had children. His brother and sister challenged the will in court hoping to get much larger slices but they failed as my attorney said they would."
