Free Poacher by Leon Mare Page B

Linda
merged into one personality, overwhelming and smothering him. As he
drifted off again, sweat beaded on his forehead, and he mumbled
incomprehensibly, rolling his head from side to side.
    ‘He’s got to sleep this off, Linda. Leave him
now.’ Smitty took her hand in his.
    She pulled away and leant across Sam once
more. She kissed him on the lips. ‘Goodnight, love,’ she
whispered.
    ‘Time to go. You are upsetting the patient.’
Smitty took a firm grip on her elbow and led her out of the room.
He was afraid of losing her, so he decided not to say anything. He
knew that, if he dared to comment now, she would be at him in a
flash.
    He walked her to her car in silence. She
pecked him goodnight and started her car. ‘Thanks, Smitty, I really
appreciate this.’
    Gripping the top of the door, he pressed his
face close to hers: ‘Linda, please listen to me. You are playing
with fire. This man is on the verge of getting married to another
woman. They are happy. Leave them alone before you hurt
somebody.’
    She looked him in the eye without saying
anything for a while. ‘Goodnight, Smitty,’ she said, and patted him
on the cheek before roaring off, laying down two wide black lines
on the tarmac.
    He stood alone in the darkness, watching her
brake lights flash briefly as she joined the flow of traffic. A
light breeze was flapping the white coat around his knees as he
turned and walked back towards the hospital slowly.
     
    The next morning Estelle had everybody in the
dining room the moment they started serving breakfast. She had
already phoned ward nine and the day sister had assured her that Mr
Jenkins had had a good nights’ rest and was feeling much better.
And no, him being in a private room, she didn’t mind him having
visitors outside official visiting hours.
    Not wanting to leave his firearms in his room
unattended, Louis drew a few puzzled stares from the other guests.
Fortunately he had a clean set of khakis in his kit bag, and
without a two-day shadow on his jowls he looked nearly civilised.
Even so, the other guests politely gave him a wide berth.
    On their way out he settled his bill,
planning to rent a car at the hospital and return to the Park
directly after having seen Sam.
    The morning was clear and sunny as they
arrived at the hospital just before eight.
    Not wanting to let the nursing staff get at
him, Sam had shuffled to the bathroom earlier for his morning
toilet. He was clean shaven and dressed in fresh hospital-issue
pajamas when Estelle entered. She was radiant, and her genuine joy
at seeing him evoked searing waves of guilt in him. The bullet was
out of his stomach, but the snake was back. Ignoring the pain in
his stomach he hugged her, breathing in the clean smell of soft
hair. I must be bloody crazy jeopardising all this for another
woman, he thought.
    Sam’s father was clearing his throat: ‘When
you are quite finished . . .’
    ‘Ah, daddy-o! Mom, how is everybody?’
    After the greetings, Sam’s parents pulled up
chairs and, with Estelle sitting on the bed holding his hand, he
had to recount the story once again, also omitting Joao’s
threats.
    As he finished, Louis entered the room.
‘Howdy, sport. I’ve just been down to see our prisoner. Doubt if
his mother would recognise him. The surgeon reckons he will wait
another day or two for the swelling to go down before he
operates.
    ‘Have they got a guard on him?’
    ‘His eyes are swollen shut, so I doubt if he
could find his way out of the room, but the cops are guarding him
24 hours a day anyway.’
    ‘Good, I’d hate to lose the bugger. How many
rhinos did he get?’
    ‘Three. Judging by the horns one of them was
the big bull in the quarantine camp.’
    ‘Maybe a good thing I got shot before I could
get my hands on him.’
    ‘I doubt it. Mark my words, the moment he
gets out of jail he will be back in the Park, poaching to his
heart’s content. Two years at the most. There’s no way they’re
going to pin the murder of