LITMIR.BIZ

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      ‘That’s down to Cooper to tell you, not me. And anyway, him going to Africa got me thinking. If I can’t beat them, join them.’

      ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

      ‘What it’s supposed to mean Maddison, is that Cooper here seems insistent, no matter what I say, on turning into the next Livingstone. And as that’s the case I might as well use it to my advantage. Give him the jobs nobody else wants. Earn some money from the bug up his ass.’

      ‘Don’t do this, Granger. Tom, you’re not really going to go. Why don’t you take some time out? Even back at the ranch for a couple of weeks? I’ll come across at the weekend and drop off Cora. You can go riding with her. Fishing. She’d love that. What do you say?’

      Rosedale winked. ‘Should do as the little lady says.’

      Cooper gave Maddie a small smile, but his mind was elsewhere. Taking the job in the Congo would mean he needn’t stay. He could get away from all the questions and the probing and the issues and the problems.

      ‘I’ll take one of the helicopters to go and get my things from the ranch. I left some of my equipment there. I could take Cora for the ride. What do you think, Maddie?’

      Maddie shook her head. ‘I can’t believe you’re going to do this. Please, Tom. It’s crazy. Granger, please.’

      ‘This is getting good! There’s nothing like the Midwest for melodrama.’

      Cooper snarled. Thought about punching Rosedale. Would leave it for another time. ‘Put a sock in it, Rosedale… Listen, Maddie, I really…’

      ‘You know what Tom, I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to hear you telling me you’ve got to do it, because we both know that’s not true. If you take this job there’s nothing I can do… other than what Granger just said… If I can’t beat them, join them. So that’s what I’m going to do! Get on with it, and join you.’

      Cooper had no doubt he looked shocked. ‘What?’

      ‘You heard me. If you go, I’m going too. We’ve always worked together as a team. So what’s the problem? You were the one who said being separated wouldn’t be an issue when it came to working together. I quote, it’ll be cool, business as usual. And us working together on an investigation, well that’s normal, wouldn’t you say?’

      Cooper spun round to Granger. ‘No way. No way is she coming.’

      ‘For God’s sake if she says she wants to go, then she can go. We’re not in fifth grade.’

      ‘She can’t!’

      ‘What d’ya mean she can’t? She’s a better shot than you. Keeps her head. And knows her way around a plane and a boat as well as the two of you do. I’m not in the business of employing people who aren’t up to the job. So there should be no problem. Should there?’

      ‘What if something happened to her?’

      Granger rubbed his head, drawing his hand down his face in weary exasperation. ‘I don’t know what to tell you, Coop.’

      Cooper turned to Maddie. ‘Listen, it’s not happening. Maddie, I’m sorry there’s no way you’re going.’

      ‘Excuse me? I’m not quite sure if I heard right. I thought for a moment you were trying to tell me what I could or couldn’t do.’

      Cooper glared back at her. ‘And what about Cora? Who’s going to look after her? You need to be at home with her.’

      ‘Oh my God, tell me you just didn’t say that.’

      ‘Listen to me…’

      ‘No, stop! Don’t go there. Cora will be fine as she always is when we go on a job. She’ll stay with my parents as usual. She’ll love it as usual. The only person who doesn’t seem to be able to do usual is you. Now if suddenly you’ve got a problem with the child care arrangements why don’t you stay and look after Cora, and Rosedale and I will go.’

      Rosedale tipped his hat and winked at Maddie. He grinned. ‘There’s a word in Texas for strong women like you.’

      ‘Shut up, Rosedale, I don’t want to hear it.’

      Wanting to defuse the situation, Cooper tried to sound deliberately casual. ‘Maddie, look. It’s no big deal for me to go to the DRC. But for you? Come on, it’s crazy.’

      Maddie raised her voice. Her suppressed emotions twisting and transferring, channelling her feelings into hurt, hostile words.

      ‘Don’t you dare, Tom! Don’t try to manipulate this situation and make out you’re worried about me. You just want, for whatever reason, to go out there on your own. Next thing we know you’ll have disappeared, like so many times before. Admit it. You know I’m right.’

      Cooper clenched his jaw. Tightened his fist. Unclenched his jaw. Untightened his fist. He said. ‘You’re not right. It’s just work.’

      ‘Then if this is purely professional, if it’s not really a big deal to go to the DRC, then hell, I’ve got bills to pay as well. In fact, why don’t we make this a party? Why don’t we all go…? Levi, you coming?’

      Levi, who’d walked into Granger’s office just moments before, stared at Maddie wide eyed. ‘You lost your mind, Maddie? No. No way. You can count me out of this one.’

      Maddie, continuing her emotional outburst, leant across Granger’s desk. ‘Then how about you, Granger? What do you say? You want to join us? Seeing as going to the Congo isn’t a big deal… Come on, how about it? Being as you’re so keen to send Tom. What do you say?’

      Granger turned three shades of red. Stood up. Surpassed himself by slamming both fists down. ‘I say you need to go and calm down, Maddison. Go and drink some camomile tea or whatever it is that you women do at this time of the month.’

      ‘Are you freaking kidding me? What cave have you just stepped out of? And if anybody should go there it’s me. I know that place better than anybody here. It’s part of who I am.’

      ‘Maddie,’ said Cooper, ‘you were born here. It’s only your daddy who comes from there and he left when he was twenty. And as for your Mom, she’s an all American girl from Wyoming.’

      ‘It’s still a place I know well. I visited my grandma a lot when I was a little girl, until…’ She trailed off. A flicker of pain crossing her face. ‘Anyway, enough… I’ve got things to do. But I’ll be ready to go with Cooper and Rosedale. I’ll call you later for the details.’

      ‘Maddie!’ Cooper called after her as she slammed out of Granger’s office.

      Rosedale, who at this point was polishing his cowboy boots with the edge of the drapes, broke the silence.

      ‘Looks like someone’s upset. Hands up if y’all reckon the worst decision this great country ever made was to give women their rights and let them out of the kitchen and into the workforce?’ He gazed round at the solemn faces of the other three then grinned. ‘Or is that just me?’

      Cooper didn’t bite. Wasn’t going to give him that. Instead, he turned to Granger.

      ‘How soon can we leave?’

      ‘If admin can sort out the paperwork, we can have you all ready to roll by Wednesday. And Cooper, just find the plane this time and fly it back to the international BLC office in Nairobi. We’ll go over details later. Keep your mind on the job. No distractions, otherwise someone may get hurt. You understand what I’m saying?’

      Cooper regarded Granger. Like with Rosedale, he wasn’t going to get into anything with him. ‘Who’s the plane registered to?’

      Putting on his glasses, Granger glanced again at the pile of papers in front of him, scanning them for a name. He peered at one of the plane documents,

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