The Serpent on the Crown - Elizabeth Peters [125]
“The temptation would be too great, even for some of my own men,” he admitted.
“For most men,” said Emerson, who was really in top form that evening. “So, you will give the necessary orders?”
“Yes. He is to be held for questioning—at your request, Professor.”
Emerson grinned. “That’s right. Why should you take the responsibility?”
I had remembered another responsibility—the one we owed Cyrus, who was almost as deeply involved in the business as we. Rather than keeping Nefret waiting for news (or irritating the cook), we went straight back to the house and sent Jamad off to the Castle with a message inviting the Vandergelts to an after-dinner conference. We were just finishing the meal when they all turned up.
“What has happened?” Katherine demanded. “Your message only said the matter was urgent. Has someone been hurt?”
I reassured her on that point and suggested we retire to the parlor for coffee. “I thought it best not to go into detail in a letter,” I explained. “But the situation is serious enough. Mr. Lidman came here this morning, and after he left, without seeing us, we discovered that the statue was gone.”
“And you’re just getting round to telling us now?” Bertie cried. “Good Lord, this is terrible. What can we do?”
In my usual well-organized fashion I described the steps we had taken.
“Well, I guess you’ve been busy,” Cyrus admitted. “It’s terrible news, all right, but see here, folks, the son of—the fellow can’t get away with this. So long as he doesn’t leave town—and it sounds as if you’ve got that covered—we’ll catch up with him sooner or later. You put Selim and Daoud on the job and with their contacts they’ll track him down. You just let us know what you want us to do.”
Sethos did not return to the house until after midnight. Ayyid himself had been on hand at the train station. Lidman had not.
Where the devil can he have got to?” Emerson demanded, between bites of egg and bacon. Daoud sniffed appreciatively at the latter comestible but of course did not eat any of it. He and Selim had come by to report and to enjoy Fatima’s cooking, which included a variety of other dishes besides the forbidden bacon.
“It is a mystery,” said Daoud.
“You are sure he has not been seen on the West Bank?” I inquired of Selim.
“Not yet, Sitt Hakim. But before long he will need food and water and shelter. The villages here are small, not like Luxor. He cannot approach any of them without being noticed.”
“Perhaps the Father of Curses should use his magical powers to find the man,” Daoud suggested.
Emerson, who was still smarting over the failure of his exorcism, looked suspiciously at Daoud, and then concluded, correctly, that his large friend had not meant to be sarcastic.
“The devil with magical powers,” said Emerson, jumping up. “I’m going to look for him.”
“Please, Emerson, do not go riding off in all directions,” I implored. “Wait until I—”
“Make one of your little lists? Peabody, my dear, I have the highest respect for your lists, but—”
“Selim has raised an important consideration, Emerson. How many places on the West Bank are there where a man like Lidman could remain concealed for more than a few hours?”
“Hmph.” Emerson sat down again. “He could not take shelter with one of the villagers. They would turn him in, to us if not to the police.”
“He wouldn’t take the chance,” I said. “Not when he has the—ouch!”
“I beg your pardon, Peabody,” said Emerson, giving me a terrible look. “My foot slipped.”
“The statue, you mean,” said Selim. Fatima refilled his cup. He thanked her, and I said, rubbing my shin, “Fatima, did you—”
“No, Sitt,” Selim said. “Fatima said nothing. I deduced it, myself. A valuable object and a missing man whom you want to find—it is, as Ramses would say, too much of a coincidence.”
He was so proud of himself I hadn’t the heart to deny the truth. “We were naive to suppose that the connection would not be made,” I admitted. “Though not everyone is as clever a detective as you, Selim. To return to the previous subject: Can we assume Lidman would not openly approach any of