Death on Tour - Janice Hamrick [99]
As I watched Jerry return to his seat, enjoying the red glow on his face, I noticed the Carpenters sitting in the back. Unlike the rest of us, they were not watching the spectacle from the windows. They weren’t even gloating over Jerry’s embarrassment. Instead, they had switched seats so that Jane was pressed into the back corner, guarded by both Lydia and Ben. She had even half pulled the curtain and was sunk down low, as if she were hiding. I caught a glimpse of her face and was shocked at the raw fear in her eyes. If I’d had any doubts before, I had none now. Jane was terrified of the Egyptian police.
As the police led Fiona and Flora away, Anni hopped back on the bus, gesturing to Achmed, the driver, to start the engine. Achmed didn’t need to be told twice.
Anni took up her microphone as the bus lurched forward. “Hello, is everyone here? I’m afraid this one time I have neglected to count heads.”
We all looked around, scanning for faces. Yvonne actually half rose in her seats and did a quick count. “Short four,” she called.
“Good,” smiled Anni. “Just what I expected.”
“Amazing,” whispered Kyla. “What do you think it would take to rattle that woman?”
“Just what the hell is going on?” shouted Jerry. He had bounced back into full bluster mode in record time.
“Don’t talk to Miss Anni that way, young man,” reproved Charlie de Vance in his quavery voice. Yvonne gave Charlie an admiring glance and stroked his arm.
Jerry opened his mouth to say something scathing and then finally noticed a dozen pairs of hostile eyes on him. He pressed his lips together in a thin line and sat back in his seat.
“I know you are all curious. I wish I could tell you what has happened, but unfortunately I know hardly more than you. All I can say is that the police want to speak with Fiona and Flora regarding the murder of Millie Owens.” She held up her hand to stop the wondering murmur that arose. “Don’t worry, your consulate has been called. They will be given every consideration, and WorldPal will ensure that they are provided with all the resources that they need.”
We digested this as the bus rattled back through the darkness toward the Nile.
Dawn Kim looked worried. “Those poor old ladies. I knew they were going to get into trouble, traveling alone like that. I don’t see what the police can possibly want with them. They must be so afraid.”
“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” said her husband. “And Mohammad is with them, right, Anni?”
Without skipping a beat, Anni nodded. “Yes, Mohammad is on his way to join them right now.”
Everyone on the bus visibly relaxed. Thinking that Mohammad was on his way to the police station made everyone happy, especially Kyla and me. I rubbed my throat, which still felt pretty raw, and then pulled my collar higher. I certainly didn’t want to have to answer any questions.
Anni went on. “The most important thing is that tomorrow, we need to be packed and ready to fly back to Cairo at eight a.m. I have arranged wake-up calls as usual.”
And she went on to discuss all the logistics of our return. Tomorrow we would start the long homeward journey. In less than twenty-four hours, Kyla and I would be on a plane headed for Frankfurt and then home.
Kyla and I loitered beside the bus until everyone had filed past on their way to the Nile Lotus, then turned to Anni.
“What about Alan?” I asked.
“I am going to the hospital as soon as everyone is safely on board. You may come with me.”
I threw a glance at Kyla.
“Go on,” she said. “I’ll start packing for you. I’ll do a better job than you would anyway.”
I thought briefly about arguing with that and then decided she was probably right. “Thanks.”
The hospital was a small, relatively new building on the outskirts of the city. Even at this hour, it was very busy. At least a dozen men sat and stood in the waiting room in various poses ranging from boredom to anxiety. A