The Hippopotamus Pool - Elizabeth Peters [151]
‘Then we should be able to trace them,’ Evelyn said eagerly.
‘I don’t doubt that Emerson has already begun those inquiries, my dear.’
‘Then what can we do?’
‘Wait,’ I said. ‘Nefret, will you tell Mahmud to make more coffee? We will be having visitors soon, I expect.’
Indeed it was not long before the visitors arrived. Emerson had not had to explain his plans to me; our minds work as one (except in extraordinary circumstances). He had gone to the tomb to get Abdullah, and I felt sure that owing to the delay he would find Sir Edward already there, and probably Cyrus as well. The gentlemen would insist on helping to search for Ramses, and Emerson, rather than have them getting in his way, would send them to me.
I was mistaken on only one count. There were four gentlemen, not two. Cyrus’ assistant and an agitated Kevin O’Connell completed the party.
The others were concerned, of course, but guilt appeared to be one of the components of Kevin’s explosive speech. ‘If my negligence is to blame for this, Mrs E., I will never forgive myself! I meant to go round to the hotels last night, but it was late when I finished my story, and this morning I just plain forgot, and . . . I’ll be off to Luxor straightaway.’
‘I don’t blame you, Kevin, so stop babbling,’ I replied. ‘Ramses thinks he can do everything better than anyone else, and not even I can stop him when he is determined to act. But all this is surmise. We don’t know that he has gone to Luxor.’
‘It will do no harm to ask,’ Kevin insisted. ‘I must do something, Mrs E.’
Sir Edward had not spoken except to greet us. Now he said quietly, ‘I agree with Mr O’Connell. With his permission and yours, Mrs Emerson, I will accompany him. My Arabic is perhaps more fluent than his.’
‘It would have to be, since mine is limited to half a dozen words,’ Kevin declared. The prospect of action (and my kindly reassurance) had cheered him. ‘I’ll take you up on that offer, Sir Edward, and I don’t mind admitting I’ll feel safer with a friend to guard me back.’
Nefret accompanied them to the gangplank. I did not forbid her since I knew there was not the ghost of a chance she could cajole them into taking her with them.
‘No sense in me going along, I guess,’ Cyrus said. ‘I figger Willy and I can be more useful on this side of the river. Come on, Willy, we’ll shake up a few of the local citizens.’
‘No, wait. Where is Miss Marmaduke?’
‘Plugging away at Emerson’s book, I expect. Said that’s what she was going to do.’
‘I want you to send her here.’
‘Now, Mrs Amelia, you can’t suspect that poor feeble creature. She hasn’t got the gumption to say boo to a goose.’
‘Cyrus, will you please do as I ask?’ My voice was a trifle loud. I am not entirely impervious to nervous strain; the sun was high in the sky now, and still there had been no word. Nefret, returning with flushed cheeks and frowning brows, came to me and put her arm round my shoulders.
‘Why, sure,’ Cyrus said soothingly. ‘I’ll do anything you want.’
‘What I want is to interrogate that woman. It is time to take off the velvet gloves. I am in no mood to be trifled with, Cyrus.’
‘I can see that. All right, Mrs Amelia, my dear. I’ll have her here as soon as is humanly possible.’
‘What are you going to do to her, Aunt Amelia?’ Nefret asked.
‘You would like to assist, I suppose?’ I had asserted my will; my voice was calm. ‘It won’t be necessary to resort to physical violence, child, even if my moral code allowed such a thing. If she knows anything, I will get it out of her.’
But I was not to have the opportunity. Cyrus had been gone less than a quarter of an hour when the message I had half hoped