Death on Tour - Janice Hamrick [68]
“Well, we’ll keep him in mind, but I think we can safely move him to the back burner.” She clicked her tongue. “And he was my best suspect, too. It’s always easy to believe the worst about the unpleasant ones, isn’t it? So, we move on. What about your Mr. Stratton?”
“Alan?” I asked uneasily. Her question made me realize how much I didn’t want to suspect him.
Her expression told me she knew what I was thinking. So much for the fabled ice princess look that Jerry seemed to think I had. “There’s certainly more to him than meets the eye. A single man, alone on a trip like this, especially at his age. Have you noticed how he manages to talk with everyone and yet not really join any group?”
I had noticed, but I hadn’t thought much about it. Even now I could see him in conversation with DJ and Nimmi. DJ was leaning forward eagerly, moving his hands as he talked. Beside him, Nimmi sat upright, fastidious and delicate, like a little cat next to a Saint Bernard.
We sat in silence for a moment.
“I wish I knew what was going on,” I said finally. “But I don’t know what I can do about it.”
She gave the smallest of shrugs. “Murder is the business of every human being. We all can and should do whatever is possible. For you and me, that might be just the smallest task of keeping our ears open.” She smiled and patted my hand. “Find out what you can, but don’t let it spoil your trip. And now, I see Charlie coming this way. I’d prefer not to speak about this in front of him. It upsets him.”
“Of course. He’s a very thoughtful man.”
“Do you know, I’ve been in love with him since high school?”
“You missed a lot of time together.”
“Not wasted time, though. We each had lovely lives. And I doubt we would have been good for each other any earlier. I was too driven. But it’s very good to be together at the end.”
Charlie returned with the drinks, glancing over his shoulder to where Jerry was trying to talk to Kyla. She looked like she was smelling something bad. Charlie said, “I got you a fresh beer. No sense in taking chances.”
Thursday, Valley of the Kings
Travel through the desert wasteland to the Valley of the Kings, final resting place of the pharaohs of Egypt. Here you will walk the dry white hills and descend deep into the mysteries hidden for countless ages beneath the desert floor. Visit the famous tomb of the boy king Tutankhamen and see the final resting place of Thutmose III. Then on to the Valley of the Queens where the royal wives and children were buried. After lunch, visit the world famous alabaster shop and finish your day at Deir el-Bahari, the enduring temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the only queen to claim the title of pharaoh in Egypt’s long history.
—WorldPal pamphlet
Chapter 11
TOMBS AND TROUBLES
I stopped at the front desk the first thing in the morning. We were now docked at Luxor, our final destination. A few people loitered in the lobby, waiting for the bell that signaled breakfast. Fiona and Flora stood nearby, peering through the doorway into the next cruise liner and whispering together. I took a quick peek between their fuzzy little heads to see what was so interesting, but didn’t notice anything except another gold and crystal lobby. The Nile Lotus was the closest tour boat to the shore, indication that we weren’t going anywhere that day.
I turned to the desk clerk.
“Good morning, madam,” she said in perfect English. “May I help you?”
“Yes, the safe in my room isn’t working. It isn’t staying closed, and I’d like to leave some things in it.”
“I am so sorry, madam. We will repair it as soon as possible. What is your room number, please?”
“211. Is there any way it could be fixed before eight-thirty? That’s when we’re leaving.”
“I will ask, but our handyman does not come on duty until that time. I am very sorry.”
I nodded. The breakfast bell rang and people began streaming down the steps. Kyla appeared, wearing white linen pants with a lime sleeveless shell and matching lime flats. White linen. Pressed.