The Hippopotamus Pool - Elizabeth Peters [29]
‘Where did you go, then?’
‘The Museum, the French Institute, the Department of Antiquities. This,’ said Emerson, seating himself and removing his shoes, ‘is an archaeological expedition, Amelia. I am not surprised to discover that this fact has slipped your mind, but it is foremost in my own. I was engaging in necessary research.’
‘Then you will not be interested in what I learned today.’
Emerson rose to his feet. ‘Almost certainly not.’
His blue eyes took on a familiar gleam as he watched me. I reached for my wrapper.
‘What are you doing?’ Emerson demanded.
‘That should be obvious. Oh dear, I seem to have got my arm in the wrong sleeve. You might give me a hand here, Emerson.’
Emerson did so. Flinging the offending garment onto the bed, he wrapped his arms around me and said resignedly, ‘All right, Peabody, you are determined to tell me, so we may as well get it over with. What is it, assault, theft, murder?’
‘It may be murder. The body has disappeared.’
‘Whose body?’
‘Ali’s body.’
‘Which Ali? There are dozens of them among our acquaintances.’
‘Ali the suffragi. There is another man on duty this evening. When I asked after Ali, the fellow said he had left his position – gone off, without a word. You see what that means, Emerson.’
‘Of course,’ said Emerson. ‘He was murdered. What else could have happened? There is no other conceivable reason why an individual would fail to turn up for work. The little matter of a missing corpse –’
‘The Nile is near at hand, Emerson.’
‘So are the opium dens, Peabody. And the houses of prostitution.’
In that he was unfortunately correct. The area immediately behind the hotel was one into which no lady would venture, even when escorted.
‘Emerson, you rambled on quite unnecessarily this afternoon about tomb robbers and other subjects. Was it to prevent Ramses from pursuing his inquiries about Signor Riccetti’s habits?’
‘It certainly was not a subject I cared to discuss. Particularly in the presence of Nefret.’
‘You can tell me, though.’
Emerson hesitated for a time. Then he shrugged and said with some irritation, ‘I don’t know why I bother trying to keep such things from you, Peabody. Your own lurid imagination has probably supplied the answer. Nothing was too vile for Riccetti. Assassination, murder, torture – and intimidation. His rivals knew that if they defied him, not only they but their friends and families would be at risk. Even their children.’
He had said enough. Intelligence and imagination (both of which I possess to an unusual degree) combined to present a series of ghastly pictures. It is impossible to guard all those one loves every instant of every day, and children are particularly vulnerable.
Even mine. ‘Emerson,’ I cried, ‘Ramses and Nefret must be warned. She is not so timid and helpless as you believe, and she will be better able to guard herself if she knows the truth.’
‘Now, Peabody.’ Emerson’s grasp tightened protectively. ‘Do you suppose that bastard would dare attack my wife or my children? He knows better. Come to bed, my dear, and forget your fancies.’
Yet a strange foreboding (of the sort that frequently comes upon me) told me he was no more persuaded than I.
III
Abstinence, As I Have Often Observed, Has a Deleterious Effect on the Disposition
IN a social sense our little dinner party was a great success. How could it be otherwise, with so many old acquaintances gathered together, discussing Egyptology and engaging in harmless (I engage in no other variety) gossip about absent friends? Among the latter were Professor Petrie and the lady he had recently espoused. They were absent, at any rate, though Emerson would probably describe Petrie as a friendly rival rather than a friend. (And he might omit the adjective.) As for myself, I had only the kindest of feelings towards Mrs Petrie, even if she had consistently refused my invitations and (I had been informed) made several critical remarks about me.
The Reverend Mr Sayce gave me an entertaining description of Mrs Petrie. His initial introduction to