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  Hank hovered over her, asking, “Are you sure we shouldn’t get you to the hospital?”

  “I’m fine. I hit my head on the ladder. It’s already stopped bleeding. Remi, tell him I’m fine.”

  Remi took a closer look at her friend’s head. “I think you might need a couple of stitches. When’s the last time you had a tetanus shot?”

  “I have no idea. And what about lunch? We were all supposed to sit down together and go over the books.”

  “The books can wait,” Remi said.

  “I agree, Mrs. Fargo.” Hank turned a stern eye toward Renee. “You’re going to the hospital, LaBelle. We can all have a good laugh over how you ended up where you did once they patch you up.”

  Hank drove Renee, while Sam and Remi followed in their rental car. About fifteen minutes after they arrived at the hospital, a young woman with long dark hair raced into the lobby, looked around, and made a beeline to Renee. “Dr. LaBelle.”

  Renee smiled. “Amal, you didn’t need to come all the way out here.”

  “I had to see if you were okay,” she said, slightly out of breath.

  “I’m fine. Probably just a sprain.”

  “Or a break,” Hank said, “we can’t verify until X-rays.”

  Amal clasped Renee’s hand, then let go as she seemed to notice Sam and Remi for the first time. “Mr. and Mrs. Fargo. Sorry. I didn’t mean to ignore you. I’m Amal.”

  “A pleasure to finally meet in person,” Remi said. “We thought we saw you out giving a tour earlier.”

  Amal seemed taken aback. “No. That wasn’t me.”

  “My mistake,” Remi said. “Anyway, we’re so glad you’ve agreed to come out to the school.”

  “It’s all very exciting, if not overwhelming.” She turned toward Sam, smiling at him as she reached out to shake his hand. The moment their fingers touched, she jerked back, then suddenly clasped her throat, looking as though she couldn’t breathe.

  CHAPTER SIX

  A friend is one who knows everything about you

  and still wants to be your friend.

  – AFRICAN PROVERB –

  Shouldn’t we call for a doctor?” Remi asked as Hank led Amal to the chair next to Renee.

  “She’ll be fine,” Hank said, patting her hand.

  Renee nodded. “Poor thing has panic attacks. Just needs to catch her breath.”

  If Amal heard them, she gave no indication. Her dark eyes held a vacant stare as she muttered something under her breath that sounded like “Sat-er … Sat-er …”

  Remi looked at Hank, then Renee, noting both seemed very calm over the whole thing. “You’re sure she’s okay?”

  “I promise,” Renee said. “Give her a minute. She tends to drift off and utter odd words. The French and English I get, since those are the languages she grew up with. It’s the Latin and Greek that are somewhat surprising.”

  “Studying archeology?” Hank said. “Maybe not so surprising.”

  “Good point. Anyway, she’ll be fine.”

  In fact, almost as soon as Renee finished talking, Amal blinked a couple of times. “I had one of my attacks, didn’t I?”

  Renee nodded.

  “I don’t know why this happens to me. Maybe I should go home. If I hurry, I might be able to catch my taxi before it leaves.”

  “Don’t be silly,” Renee said. “Hank can give you a ride.”

  “No.” She gave an embarrassed smile and stood. “I don’t want to leave you stranded.”

  “You won’t,” Hank said. “The Fargos have their car here. I’m sure they’ll get her home just fine.”

  “Not until after lunch,” Renee said. “I’m starved.”

  Hank laughed, then guided Amal out.

  Remi waited for the doors to close after them, before asking Renee about Amal’s health.

  “Her doctor thinks they’re mild seizures brought on by stress. Needless to say, she doesn’t drive because of it.”

  Sam asked, “You think she’s okay going out to the school?”

  “If we can get her there, yes. Frankly, I was surprised we were able to get her out to the convention. Unfamiliar surroundings seem to affect her more and she tries to avoid them. But she loves children, so I think the school will be a great trip for her.”

  “Renee LaBelle?”

  They looked up to see a nurse enter the lobby, pushing a wheelchair. Renee raised her hand and the nurse rolled the chair toward her and helped her into it. “Let’s get that X-rayed, shall we?”

  A good hour later, Renee was discharged, a bandage on her forehead, a pair of crutches for her wrapped ankle, and complaining about the tetanus shot in her left arm. “That thing hurt worse than the three stitches in my head.”

  Remi laughed. “You think it hurts now? Wait until tomorrow.”

  “Cheery thought,” she said, leaning on her crutches, waiting for Sam to pull up in the car.

  “You’re sure you still want to go to lunch?”

  “Positive. Where are we going? I’ll text Hank to let him know where to pick me up.”

  They decided on the Fargos’ hotel, since it was fairly close to the hospital. Sam walked both women in but didn’t take a seat. “I’ve got some phone calls to make. I think I’ll order room service and let you two catch up.” He leaned down, kissed Remi, then left.

  Renee, having taken a pain pill at the hospital, ordered a virgin Bloody Mary, while Remi ordered the real thing. When the drinks arrived, Renee lifted her glass. “To old friends, the best kind.”

  “To best friends, the best kind.” Remi raised her glass, touching the rim to Renee’s before taking a sip. “Whoa! That is one spicy drink.”

  “Just the way I like it.”

  The waiter returned with their lunch and they picked at their food, talking about everything but the reason the Fargos were in Tunisia to begin with. Remi waited until they were nearly finished eating before broaching the subject. “About why we’re here …”

  Renee sighed. “I know you have to look at the discrepancy in the books.”

  “I hate this.”

  “Not as much as I do. Hank told me I needed to call you. I …” She set her drink on the small square napkin, looking Remi in the eye. “I don’t know why I didn’t say something sooner, but Hank thinks that Warren’s been skimming money from the dig. I thought for sure Hank was wrong, but when he showed me the pages in the ledger, there was no doubt. Warren denied it when Hank and I confronted him. He was even going to sit down with you and Sam this morning. He promised to straighten everything out when you got here, but then he never showed, the accident happened, and, well, now you know.”

  Her words came out in such a rush, it took Remi a moment to process them. “Warren?” She tried to reconcile the man she’d met with what her friend was telling her. “I don’t believe it. He seemed so—”

  “Quiet? Unassuming?”

  “Well, yes, but I thought that was just a thing. Not that he was a crook.”

  “That’s the only thing that makes sense.” She paused as two men walked into the restaurant, standing off to the side, their gaze landing on Remi and Renee a second longer than Remi felt comfortable with. The men looked away and Renee continued on, saying, “When Hank took over the books and found those discrepancies, I was shocked.”

  “How long ago was this?”

  Renee hesitated, looking distinctly uncomfortable at Remi’s question. Finally, she gave an embarrassed smile. “Two … Three weeks before you called.”

  Sam was not going to take this well. “You should have said something.”

  “I know. I guess Hank and I were both hoping we were wrong. But with Warren taking off on the very day you and Sam show up …? I still can’t believe he’d do this to me.” She gave a ragged sigh. “The biggest reason is, I was embarrassed. All that money you gave us. Gone.”

  Before Remi had a chance to comment, the strangers hovering near the entrance started toward them. While highly possible that they were simply two men interes
ted in polite conversation with two women sitting alone at a table in a bar, her gut instinct told her otherwise. She edged her hand toward the silverware, wrapping her fingers around the handle of the knife, and quickly assessed which of the two she’d take down first.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Cross the river in a crowd and the crocodile won’t eat you.

  – AFRICAN PROVERB –

  I’d hate to see you cut your visit short, Mr. Fargo.”

  “I’m just glad you’re both okay, Pete,” Sam said, cell phone to his ear, as he took the stairs down to the lobby. “So we make a little side trip before we drive out. I know Remi will agree. This school is near and dear to her heart.”

  “The biggest issue is that it’s going to delay us. The project …”

  That was something Sam definitely wanted an update on. But he saw his wife in the restaurant just then. “You can tell me about it when we get there. Let me go break the news to Remi.”

  He dropped the phone in his pocket, barreling past the two men who were also walking that direction. They took one look at Sam and did an about-face. Sam noticed Remi’s gaze on them as they made a hasty departure. “Did I miss something?”

  “Not sure,” Remi said. “Your untimely arrival sort of put a damper on things.”

  Renee glanced out toward the men as they pushed through the lobby doors and made for the parking lot. “Honestly, I thought they were merely trying to pick us up.”

  Remi casually slipped the knife she’d palmed onto the table, her smile telling Sam she thought otherwise. “Something on your mind?”

  He glanced out the window as a dark sedan took off, the car’s tinted windows preventing him from seeing in. While the location of the hotel was fine, they had driven through some sketchy areas on the way back from the hospital. It wasn’t unheard of that guests at hotels were often victimized, especially if they looked like helpless women who’d make easy targets. “Change of plans,” he said. “We’re leaving tomorrow.”

  “Why?” Remi looked at her friend, then back at him. “I thought we had at least another day.”

  “Something came up,” he replied. “Supply truck for the school never made it.”

  “What do you mean ‘never made it’?” Remi asked.

  “Highway robbery. I’ll tell you in the car while we drive Renee back.”

  Hank stared in surprise when Sam opened the front door, holding it for Renee as she hobbled into the house she shared with the other archeologists. “LaBelle,” he said, jumping up from his desk chair to assist her. “I would’ve picked you up. You should’ve called.”

  Sam waited for Remi to enter and closed the door after her. “No sense having you make a special trip out when we were right there.”

  “Well, thank you,” Hank said, helping her into one of two armchairs. He eyed the soft bandage around her ankle. “No break, I see.”

  “More bruised than anything else,” she said. “They want me to stay off it for at least five days.”

  “Five days? That’s not bad.” He took her crutches and leaned them against the wall. “So, why the serious face?”

  “Their friends from the school were robbed,” Renee said. “They even stole their truck.”

  “That’s terrible.” He looked at Sam. “What happened?”

  “A band of robbers pulled alongside the truck somewhere between Jalingo and Serta. They pointed a gun, forcing Pete to the side of the road. Yaro, one of the caretakers, was with him. They took the truck and their cell phones, then left them stranded in the middle of nowhere.”

  “No one was hurt, I hope?”

  “Fortunately, no. Unfortunately, Remi and I have to leave tomorrow. The school van’s in the shop being repaired, so they have no transportation should any emergencies arise. Selma’s arranged for a new truck, and we need to pick up a duplicate order of the stolen supplies.” Selma Wondrash, their Hungarian-born head researcher, wore a lot of other hats in the Fargo household, which allowed the Fargos to continue pursuing their charitable operations uninterrupted. “We’d like to get back on schedule before Lazlo flies in.”

  “Who’s Lazlo?” Hank asked.

  “One of our researchers,” Remi said. Though Professor Lazlo Kemp’s specialty was cryptography, they’d hired him on full-time when he proved invaluable at helping Selma with her work. Remi smiled at Renee. “Can’t wait for you to meet him.”

  “Two academics in one room?” She grinned. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  “What?” Hank said. “Surely, you’re not still thinking of going, LaBelle? You’re injured.”

  “It’s only a sprain. Besides, we’re hanging out at a school, not trekking through the jungle. Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” She directed her gaze to Sam. “As long as you think it’s safe.”

  Sam, halfway hoping they’d back out, knew his wife was excited about bringing the two women to the school as positive role models for the students. And in this case, he happened to agree with her. Too many young girls were discouraged from getting an education, especially those living far afield in the smaller villages. As much as he’d prefer to head out without them, being able to personally talk to someone like Dr. Renee LaBelle or one of her graduate students could have a huge impact on the girls. “I’m not worried. Safety in numbers. We’ll have the truck and a rental car. Two vehicles and the extra people should discourage anyone from thinking we’re an easy mark.”

  Renee nodded. “Works for me. What about you, Hank?”

  “Well, it’s not that I don’t want to go. I thought we weren’t leaving until day after tomorrow.”

  “It’s only a day early.”

  “Even so, I’ll have to make some calls,” he said. “Rearrange some appointments. You’d better tell Amal about what happened. She’s in the kitchen with Osmond and José.”

  Amal seemed hesitant about going after hearing about the robbery. When José volunteered to take her place, Renee shook her head. “They’re looking for women to inspire the girls. Amal, I know this will be a wonderful experience for you.”

  “But,” Remi said, “only if you’re comfortable. We’ll understand if you choose not to go.”

  The young woman looked at everyone in turn, her face filled with uncertainty. Her gaze settled on Renee. “What do you think I should do, Dr. LaBelle? I mean, a robbery …?”

  “I’m not worried a bit.” She put her hand over Amal’s and smiled. “If anyone can get us there safely, it’s the Fargos.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  If you have health, you have hope,

  you have everything.

  – AFRICAN PROVERB –

  Taraba State, Nigeria

  The capital of Taraba State, Jalingo, was situated in the savanna-covered foothills not too far from the highest peak in West Africa, Chappal Waddi—the so-called Mountain of Death. The school was situated farther southwest, between the Gashaka Gumti National Park and the village of Gembu. Since that was a good six-hour drive from Jalingo, the Fargos secured hotel rooms for everyone, intending to set out the next morning after a good night’s rest.

  Once they arrived at the hotel, they decided to have dinner in the on-site restaurant. Sam and Remi stepped off the elevator to find Renee and Amal waiting for them in the small lobby. “Where’s Hank?” Sam asked.

  “He’ll be down in a minute,” Renee said. “Something about a phone call and a small fire to put out.”

  In fact, he met them in the restaurant just a few minutes later.

  “Everything work out?” Sam asked as a waiter set out glasses of water for each of them.

  “It did,” he said, taking a seat. “I was trying to arrange a crew to come in to fix that decking. That blasted curse.”

  “Tell me about it,” Renee said, exasperated. “Over fifteen hundred years ago. You’d think they’d get over it by now. Hard to get locals to come in and work because of it.”

  “Yes. No need to worry now, at least as far as the decking’s concerned. They’ve agreed to do the
work.” He raised his water glass in a toast. “Here’s to a successful trip.”

  “Hear! Hear!” Renee said.

  Hank took a sip, then looked over at Sam, his expression sobering. “Had we been smart, we’d have brought the books with us to go over. I’m assuming LaBelle has already told your wife that we believe Warren may have been skimming funds.”

  “That would explain the financial hit,” Sam said. As much as he wanted to discuss the embezzlement of the Foundation’s funding. “The books aren’t going anywhere and we can talk to Warren when we get back. Obviously, the more pressing matter is getting the truck and supplies to the school.”

  “I agree,” Hank said. “That far south, they can’t possibly depend on a delivery from Jalingo every time they need something. Surely there’s somewhere closer?”

  “They get the basics from Gembu, a village about two hours’ drive south. But the roads around Gashaka Gumti aren’t the best. What we’re hoping to do is make the school self-sustaining for exactly that reason. So they won’t have to depend on anything or anyone. Unfortunately, this truck robbery set us back.”

  “I can imagine,” Hank said. “That was pretty brazen. But I’ve heard highway robbery out in the bush isn’t uncommon.”

  “Not just the bush,” Renee said. “I was reading the newspaper in the lobby. It seemed like every other article was about the increasing gang activity in Jalingo.”

  “Big-city life,” Sam said. “It’s almost a given, no matter where you go in the world.”

  “I suppose so,” Hank said. “But rural life down here can be bad. Aren’t you worried about Boko Haram and the like?”

  “That’s always a worry,” Sam replied. The terrorist militant group, based in northeastern Nigeria, was known worldwide for suicide bombings as well as kidnapping women and children, and had been trying for years to establish a stronghold farther south. While the school’s isolation made it an attractive target, Jalingo, less than a day’s drive, was a large enough city to have a strong police and military presence. “They’re more active up near the northern Nigeria border.”