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) 📕

“Dreaming, or imagining, is what I do best,” Pauline said. “And I think you’re right. Some time to think would be good.”

She’d no sooner placed her head on the pillow when the bedside phone rang. Pauline picked it up and said, “Yes.”

“Good morning, Miss Riddell. Detective Somerville is with me and I felt we needed you here if we’re to talk shop.”

“I’ll be there in two minutes,” Pauline said, leaping from the bed and hurrying to dress. She was at his cabin in less time than she’d predicted.

“Have you any progress to report?” Captain Ferguson asked, as he handed them their drinks. The briefings were becoming too much like a ‘drinks with the captain’ event in Pauline’s mind.

“I’ve been following up on your chief engineer, Captain,” Somerville said. “I think there’s a good chance he was involved. I’m not saying he murdered Jose because I don’t think anyone did, but I do think he backed the kid into a corner and the kid fell. An accident, nothing like that was supposed to happen but still not exactly innocent either.”

Ferguson’s expression hardened but he only turned to Pauline and said, “Miss Riddell?”

“I’m nowhere near thinking of naming a suspect at this time, Captain, but I’ve been making more enquiries about Rod Chalmers and Arvin Weiss, so far without any new evidence on either.”

“But you are still sure it was murder, Miss Riddell? Or are you perhaps saying it’s looking more like an accident?”

“Oh no. I’m sure Jose was killed. Detective Somerville’s suggestion that Jose was backed into that corner and fell is possible and if so it may be manslaughter rather than murder, but it wasn’t an accident.”

“Why, though?”

“Because that corner is, so far as I and your safety inspectors could see, the only place on the ship where what happened, could have happened. If Jose was backed into there, it was by someone who knew that gate was low and loose.”

“It has been repaired, by the way,” Ferguson said. “The work was finally finished off when everyone was ashore today.”

“That is good to hear,” Pauline said. “Even roped off it was a hazard to anyone up there in rough seas.”

“Quite!” Ferguson said, eager to change the subject. “Now, what are your plans to further your investigations?”

“I’d like more information on the chief engineer, if you can provide it quickly, Señor Hidalgo?” Somerville asked, addressing the personnel manager who was listening in by radio.

“And I would like anything more you can provide on Rod Chalmers, Arvin Weiss and Jose Garcia himself,” Pauline added.

“The police are researching for us,” Hidalgo said, “but they are slow. They have many more pressing priorities, as they never fail to remind us. You must understand, in their minds this case is closed.”

“Have you no other avenues to call on?” Pauline asked.

“We work with a number of agencies who provide us with work candidates. They are looking into it but they have limited resources,” Hidalgo replied. “In fact, the police are their chief source of information for personal backgrounds. With regard to the passengers, we can only go through the police and the embassies and they are understandably wary of revealing information to people who have no authority.”

“Do what you can,” Ferguson said. “We understand these aren’t ideal conditions for investigating possible crimes.”

“While we wait, Captain,” Pauline said, “I’d like to ask for your advice on who might be the best person among the female crew members to interview. I know that up to now, we’ve worked on the assumption that whoever sent Jose over that gate must have been as strong or stronger than Jose. However, it’s possible he was overconfident and then easily overbalanced by the slightest of pushes. A woman could have done that. We shouldn’t neglect that line of enquiry.”

“Very well, Miss Riddell,” Ferguson said, “I’ll ask our hospitality manager, Suzanne, to answer your questions but I feel we’re clutching at straws here.”

“I agree, Captain,” Somerville said. “I feel the more we eliminate people, the more people Miss Riddell will try to draw into the net.” He glared at Pauline as he spoke.

“We haven’t really eliminated anyone yet,” Pauline said. “And, I find, we’ve been somewhat blind in our thinking. This new avenue may lead us to the truth.”

Somerville shook his head in despair.

14

Floreana Island, Cormorant Point

“Your husband isn’t joining us this afternoon?” Pedro asked Betty, as he helped her off the ship and into the tender.

“He doesn’t feel well enough to join us,” Betty said, in an icy voice.

“Too much carousing last night,” a man already seated in the tender called out. He laughed; others tittered quietly. Some mutterings suggested the carousing had continued this morning.

Betty sat, staring straight ahead, ignoring them.

Freda sat beside her and Pauline sat beside Freda. The tender moved off and the conversation grew as people recounted what the naturalist had told them to look out for and what they hoped to see. Pauline once again thought kindly of Rod’s sarcastic comment about iguanas and stayed silent.

Another wet landing but by now Pauline and Freda were used to getting in and out of the zephyr as it bobbed under their behinds.

Once ashore, the group began forming into its small cliques, which very nicely left Betty to Pauline and Freda and the Mennonite couple who somehow never seemed to find their way into any of the different groups, being neither smokers, gamblers, nor pool nor bar people.

Hoping to give Freda more opportunity to get fresh information from Betty, Pauline led Ruth and Isaac to expand on their hopes for the day. The ploy seemed to work, she and the young couple followed a little way behind the main group while Freda and Betty trailed along at the back. Pauline could barely contain her impatience, surely this new letdown by Rod would tip Betty over the edge and she’d give something away.

Pedro stopped and waited for them to gather around before starting his narration. Pauline