Page 102 of In the Heat of the Jungle

Reid arrived, alone. He stalked toward the light and Jace Elliott. His features looked sharper than usual in the near darkness. Malevolent shadows danced on his face and body. A cold sneer curled his tight lips upward. “I see you survived Chad’s trap. What are you doing here? Why did you send for me? What do you want?”

“My half of the inheritance, old chap. I know about the will. Leigh told me before … her little accident,” Jace hinted. “Too bad she got herself killed. I wanted to marry her and take everything, just like Chad planned. You helped him, Reid, so you’re just as guilty. If you don’t get me my half and help me escape London safely, I’ll risk going to the authorities to take you and Fiona down with me. That’s right,” Jace taunted when the man reacted to his threat. “I know all about you and Chad’s mother, and all about your little plot. Is that why you killed Chad? Did he add up the facts and confront you?”

Reid pulled a pistol from beneath his coat and pointed it at Jace. “That’s right, but you won’t tell anybody anything. I have men watching all the doors so you can’t escape me. Nobody is spoiling things for me and Fiona. We waited too long to have each other and the money. Nobody, not even Chad, knew the truth about me and my beautiful Fiona. We were careful over the years to conceal our love, so nobody would suspect we had anything to do with those deaths.”

“In the beginning, Chad was the one who wanted Leigh dead,” Jace said to elicit evidence.

“You’re right, Jace, but he got weak on me. The plot was devised cleverly and perfectly: Leigh was to die; you were to be framed; Fiona was to inherit; and Chad was to run the empire. But Chad didn’t know we had additional plans. Fiona and I were going to marry, then travel wherever our spirits took us. It was five long years of terrible sacrifice, of annoying pretenses, of sneaking around, of having to dally with other women like that Campbell whore. I was miserable after Fiona left for India, but I had to prevent her from falling under suspicion in case anything went wrong with the plot.”

“She’s home now, so you should be happy. But how could you let the woman you love marry another man?”

“I hated for Fiona to wed William Webster and to sleep with that old man, but it was necessary. I would do anything for my love, and she had wanted the Webster empire that her son dangled under her pretty nose. None of us expected the old man to leave everything to his granddaughter, or to die so soon. Then he thwarted us from the grave with his strange will. Chad should have stuck to the original plan, and everything would have been fine. Chad would still be alive, and very rich. I liked Chad. But when it came to a choice between having it all with Fiona or letting Chad have it all with Leigh, even a friend has to be sacrificed.”

“You’re right, Reid.” Jace said. “How did you do away with him?”

“It was simple. He was acting crazy after losing Leigh. When the law started nosing around, he got worse. I got him drunk, put a pistol in his hand, and helped him pull the trigger. Have you ever read Tennyson’s ‘Lancelot and Elaine,’ old boy? ‘Sweet is true love though given in vain, in vain; and sweet is death who puts an end to pain.’ That’s all I did, put Chad out of his agony. He was going to kill that blond witch until she enchanted him. I couldn’t let her live. I couldn’t let her and Chad take away my dream with Fiona.”

“So, you were the one behind Leigh’s so-called accidents. You were very clever, Reid. I finally caught on, but too late.”

Reid laughed, a cold and menacing sound. “Yes, I tampered with Louisa’s gun. You and Leigh were always in front of her. I hoped that redhead would shoot her, or get rid of the man who kept rescuing her. I needed a scapegoat. Louisa or you were perfect for that role. Chad shocked me when he fell in love with that girl and changed our plan, even dropped his revenge on you; that told me how enchanted he was. With Leigh leaning his way or with Chad believing she was, I couldn’t provoke him into mistrusting and killing her. She really had him under a tight spell. I figured if you two began fighting over Leigh, you’d be distracted from my threat. Or from Louisa’s. Since I couldn’t get Chad to doubt Leigh and to carry out the original scheme, Leigh’s death was up to me.”

“But Louisa was after her, too. And Chad was also part of the crime.”

Reid didn’t care what Jace learned. “Yes, but he kept wavering. When Chad was drugging her canteen, that last time, I added an extra dose. I hoped she would fall or shoot herself or be unable to flee a wild animal. Somehow she always eluded my traps. She was one lucky bitch, until that snake solved everything for me. But the cleverest of all was the quicksand.”

Reid bragged on how he had accomplished that “accident.” “As soon as Leigh said she was heading for the pool after teatime, I excused myself to cut brush to pile in the right trail which would force her to take the wrong fork when I scared her later. I sneaked into her tent by that secret flap you two used for your lusty meetings and stole her derringer. While Chad and Louisa were playing around inside their tent, I left Cynthia in ours and sneaked into the jungle again. I scared Leigh right into my trap. Once she was in the quicksand, I tossed her gun into the pile of her possessions, cleared the trail, and hurried back to camp. I picked a fight with Cynthia so no one would realize I’d been gone. You see, old chap, I know a thing or two about tracks and trails, too. If you’re as good in the wilds as you and others believe and you hadn’t been so distracted, you could have been on to me that day.”

Jace was furious with himself. Reid was correct. He hadn’t checked the area because Leigh had convinced him of her error and he had been distracted by their dispute. Reid had lured her into death’s jaws, heard her scream for help but sneaked back to camp. While the man’s wits were dulled by over-confidence and his tongue was loosened by pride, Jace asked, “Did you know Louisa poisoned William Webster? She told me before she died. And Cynthia is half out of her mind.”

“She was so eager to get Chad and his money that I should have guessed. I’m certain Louisa was behind the London and Mombasa attacks on Leigh, but I didn’t tell Chad. I didn’t tell him that Louisa’s family was facing financial ruin. I needed that redheaded whore on the safari to take the blame when Chad wondered who was behind Leigh’s accidents and then her death. I was very careful not to drop any clues to Chad, particularly after he fell for his ward and switched plans on me. I hated Louisa and Cynthia, and I didn’t want those wanton bitches around me. But there was a possibility that Louisa would get rid of Leigh for us. She might have, if Chad hadn’t duped her and halted her schemes. Louisa was a prime suspect because of her reckless actions. I figured, if Leigh’s death looked odd to anyone, she could be framed easily.”

Reid sent forth evil laughter before revealing, “Every time she let up on Leigh during the safari, I provoked her again, or tricked Cynthia into doing so. I tried with Chad, but he loved her and wanted her as much as I do Fiona. I’m glad that bitch killed the old man. It ate me up to let Fiona sleep with that old bastard. After Chad pushed Sarah Webster down the steps, he convinced Fiona to marry William to get his money. Of course, that wasn’t Chad’s plan, either. He loved the old man, and wanted them to be a family. He liked being William’s son, but he was damned mad over that crazy will. Fiona and I agreed to wait five years before killing him, but he only lasted four. Now that Fiona’s home from India, soon I can publicly woo her and marry her. Too bad her son got suspicious of us, but we couldn’t let him spoil things. As soon as it’s proper to wed and slip away, we’ll be gone and happy.”

“You mean as soon as the mourning periods are over? Why didn’t you ask me to take Leigh Webster off your hands? I would have been delighted to hold her captive forever at my jungle plantation. I would have settled for her instead of half the money, especially since Chad wanted her so badly.”

“Webster’s the one who endangered his grand-daughter by leaving it all to her. Fiona and I would have settled for half. After serving him for years, she deserved payment. She deserves every shilling.”

“Before you pull that trigger,” Jace coaxed, “mind telling me if Chad and Webster framed me and my father. Call it a dying man’s last request. You owe me that, since my jungle killed her for you.”

“William Webster a killer and arsonist?” Reid scoffed. “He wasn’t involved. The old man didn’t know anything about it. Chad burned out Stokely and killed him. He scattered around that evidence against Brandon, and made certain your father didn’t have an alibi. Your ignorant stepsister did that little task. Chad had her duped. If she hadn’t escaped, she’d be dead, too, just like those witnesses Chad and I got rid of. I’ll tell you something else, old chap: before Chad killed your father, he forced him to write that suicide note implicating you. He told Brandon he was holding Catharine and Joanna captive and would kill them if he didn’t. I guess your father figured you could get away or clear yourself, so he did as ordered. Chad planted that other evidence to make it look like a political murder.”

“So, it was all for revenge aimed at me. Why did Chad warn me to flee years ago? I could have been captured and hanged.”

“Chad didn’t want you arrested and killed. He wanted you alive to suffer like he had. He was having you watched. He knew you didn’t have an alibi. He forced your father to make that suicide note sound crazy on purpose. He wanted it to look like you knew about his crimes and you were connected to those Irish rebels. Chad knew that evidence would force you to stay out of England and keep you from interfering. Once you’d suffered enough, he was going to have ‘your plantation burned, lure you here, then let you be arrested and executed. He got revenge on you and got a business monopoly with the same scheme. Of course, he passed plenty of business to me for helping him, but I only did it both times so my sweet Fiona could profit.”

Jace had a hard time controlling his rage. He wanted to attack the man and beat him senseless, but he couldn’t because he needed more facts while Reid was boasting. “Why did Webster leave me the money you won’t let me collect?”

“Chad and I couldn’t figure out that one. Chad suspected the old man discovered a clue about his actions. I guess it was a way to pay you back for losing your father and your inheritance. He must have left Fiona in to ward off suspicion and as a threat to Leigh. Something else, and it might ease your mind: Chad liked your father. He hated killing him, but it was the best way to hurt you and to profit.”

“Did Fiona agree to have her only son killed?”

“I pulled the trigger, but Fiona agreed. Chad didn’t love his mother. He threatened to kill her several times. She married William to get his money, and we have. We’re not letting anyone foil us.”

Reid aimed the pistol at Jace’s heart, but Jace laughed and challenged, “Don’t you want to know how I discovered the truth about you and Fiona? I doubt you’ll pull that trigger after you realize I have proof, indisputable proof that can get you two in big trouble. If you shoot me, the law gets it. Imagine your beloved Fiona in prison or with a rope around her neck.”

“What proof? It’s a trick. I was too careful.”

“Not that last day in Mombasa, old boy. Your rash cable to Fiona in Bombay is mighty incriminating,” Jace hinted, withdrawing a blank paper from his front pocket and waving it in the air. “It sort of fell into my hands. How much will you pay for this evidence, old boy?”

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