It's Murder, On a Galapagos Cruise: An Amateur Female Sleuth Historical Cozy Mystery (Miss Riddell C by P.C. James (easy novels to read txt) 📕

“It would have to be one of the men who particularly liked Maria, I think,” Freda said.

“Or someone in authority, or someone who thinks they have authority. There are many possibilities, but we need to find out who.”

“That opens the field of suspects up considerably,” Freda said. “We can’t possibly do all of it in what’s left of the cruise.”

“This line of enquiry will be simpler than looking for links to Jose’s past,” Pauline reminded her. “Everybody involved is still here on the ship.”

“It also opens up another possible line of enquiry,” Freda said, slowly. “What if Maria wasn’t the only woman he molested?”

Pauline grimaced. “We need to know who, among the women crew members, would be most likely confided in,” she said. “I’d hoped Nina, who we met that night, would tell me if there were any rumors among the female crew but she wouldn’t. We can’t interview all of the female crew, any more than we could interview all the men.”

“How can one man have caused so much grief in so few days?” Freda said. “I’m beginning to think that, if he was killed, as you say, the killer did us all a favor.”

“Now, Freda,” Pauline said. “You can’t think like that. Everyone deserves a fair hearing and a just outcome.”

They boarded the tender for shore and prepared for another day of seeing wonders that, in Pauline’s eyes, weren’t very wondrous. She still wasn’t warming to this trip. If it wasn’t for Jose’s death, she’d have described the whole trip as ‘murder’.

As they made their way down to the boat deck. Freda nudged Pauline. “Do you see who’s here,” she whispered.

Pauline had also seen Betty, without her husband, at the same time Freda had. “I see,” she replied. “Why don’t you go and say hello while I gather up the items we’re supposed to take.” For today’s excursion, insect repellant was recommended as well as the obligatory hats and water.

Freda nodded and went off to accost Betty while the coast was clear.

Pauline gathered up extra bottles of water for them both and the snorkeling equipment they were to use if they decided to take part in the post-hike swimming. As she did so, she watched Freda make her way to Betty’s side, and also watched the steps down to the embarkation deck from the cabin decks above, in case Rod made a late appearance.

He didn’t but it was only when they were boarding the tender that Freda signaled Pauline to join her.

“Rod isn’t coming,” she said, as Pauline came closer, “so I’ve suggested we three keep each other company on the trail.”

The three women joined the line and boarded the tender together.

“Your husband is sitting this one out, Betty?” Pauline asked, as they wedged themselves onto the narrow seats. The tenders were the ship’s lifeboats and the thought of being crushed into one of these boats, perhaps for days before help arrived, made Pauline fervently hope their ship stayed afloat.

“He says if he sees another effing iguana he won’t be responsible for his actions,” Betty said, sadly. “I fear he doesn’t appreciate the significance of all this. Really, he’s just obliging me being here. I was the one who wanted to come.”

Freda grinned. “We have the same difficulty,” she said. “I’m fascinated; Pauline is keeping me company.”

Pauline gave Freda a withering look but said to Betty, “It was good of Rod to do that, when he so clearly finds the experience tedious.”

She tried to keep the sarcasm out of her voice that she felt must be obvious and continued, “My limited experience of men is their only interest in wildlife is as meat or targets so it must be boring to see wildlife that are neither.”

Betty nodded. “Exactly,” she said. “If he could have brought his gun, it would have been different. Though he says these creatures would make poor sport.”

“They certainly would,” Freda said. “You can walk up and pet most of them.”

The tender bumping against the dock, and being tied alongside, interrupted the conversation while the crew helped the visitors step off the boat onto the shore.

Once ashore, Pauline took the opportunity of the group not yet being assembled to ask some sensible questions.

“Did Rod tell you what he was arguing with Jose about? You must have wondered.”

“People have been saying that he and Jose argued but Rod never mentioned it to me and when I asked, he said it wasn’t true. It was just people picking on him because he was Latin American.”

“Well hearing he hadn’t quarreled with Jose would be a relief, I’m sure. It must have set your mind at rest.”

“It did, does, though it makes me angry the way people point fingers if you aren’t part of the in-group.”

“Don’t I know it,” Pauline said, laughing. “You can’t believe the things I’ve heard said about my spinsterhood over the years.”

“I knew you would understand,” Betty said. “being single and never marrying, so I hear.”

“We folks on the fringe have to stick together,” Pauline said, smiling. “I’m thinking of forming a union.”

“I didn’t realize, until I met Rod, how difficult it can be to fit in with everyone sometimes.”

“Does Rod feel it very badly?”

Betty nodded. “Men are brutal to each other, aren’t they? If you’re one of them, you can answer back in the same fashion, but if you’re not you can’t and you get frustrated by not being able to take part or even defend yourself. That’s what Rod says anyhow.”

Watching a different naturalist joining them, Pauline was relieved to see Pedro wasn’t to be their group’s guide and quietly said so to Freda.

“Do you really still think Pedro had anything to do with it?” Freda asked, when they were moving off and they had some privacy.

“I’ve no idea,” Pauline said. “I just feel it would be better if we weren’t alone with him until this mystery is cleared up.”

“But he’s such a nice young man,” Freda said.

“They wouldn’t have been hired if they