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) 📕

“They want to know how he is,” Pedro said. “What they need to bring.”

Pauline explained about the open wound and Pedro relayed that back to the ship. There was a lot of discussion in Spanish and English before a plan was confirmed. Pedro called the group together, away from Arvin, to explain.

“A team with a doctor is coming out from the ship to take Mr. Weiss back to the landing site, where a helicopter will be waiting to take him to hospital in Puerto Ayora. We will continue our tour. My assistant, Raul, will stay with Mr. Weiss until the team arrives.” He held up his hand as many people were interjecting. “We must continue our walk and get back to the ship. It is very hot and many of you are not used to this heat. We will have to carry more people back if we don’t go now.”

The grumbling died away as people appeared to accept the wisdom of this.

“And now, Miss Riddell, I’m going to ask your sister to stay with Mr. Weiss. A trained nurse will be a valuable person to have. Raul has first aid, we all do, but this seems to be more than that.”

Pauline nodded and returned with him to where Arvin lay.

Pedro outlined the plan and Freda agreed. “Of course,” she said. “I’d like to stay.”

“He’s asleep?” Pedro asked.

“He has lost consciousness, yes,” Freda said. “I’ve slowed down the blood loss by holding this pad against his side, but your team needs to get here quickly. More bandages would be useful.”

Pedro opened his rucksack and handed over his first aid kit. Freda picked out a thick pad and a roll of dressing. “If I place this pad on the wound, instead of my spare shirt, can you tie it tightly to him with this dressing?”

Between them, they maneuvered Arvin so the dressing could be wound around his stomach and pinned in place.

As they finished, Raul joined them. “You need to go,” Raul said to Pedro, “some of the older ones are beginning to droop.”

“Freddie,” Pauline said. She gestured to her sister to move away from the others.

When they were alone, she continued, “I know you won’t like me saying this but if he wakes, ask him about the events of that night. I’m certain there’s more he can tell us.”

“He’s a patient,” Freda said, “and I’m not a torturer.”

“I’m not asking you to hurt him, he’s done that well enough to himself. It’s just an opportunity to take his mind of his present predicament by returning to an earlier time on the trip. That’s all.”

“I don’t believe you,” Freda said, shaking her head. “Have you no compassion for anyone?”

“I have compassion for those who deserve it and I have a desire for justice for those who cry out for it,” Pauline said. “You wanted to detect, now detect.”

“I quit, or had you forgotten?”

“I’m only saying listen, not question, Freddie.”

Freda strode quickly back to her patient. Pauline watched after her as she settled on the ground beside Arvin’s head and adjusted the parasol to shade them both. Freda glared back at Pauline and then, shaking her head in disbelief, opened the water bottle and dribbled water onto Arvin’s forehead. He stirred as the cool droplets brought him to his senses.

“What?” he mumbled.

“You have to stay awake, Arvin. The medical people will be here soon. They need you lively enough to help them.”

“Rest,” Arvin muttered.

“No. No rest until you’re in a more comfortable spot. Now, what can we talk about to help you keep awake?” Arvin’s expression became even more morose than usual. Freda continued, “What was it that attracted you to this trip, Arvin? The Darwin angle, the remoteness of the islands, the romance of the islands’ history, all those pirates and whalers? What was it?”

“Darwin,” Arvin mumbled.

“Me too,” Freda replied, “though I’m glad we saw those giant tortoises.”

“Kids stuff,” Arvin muttered.

Freda laughed. “Maybe,” she said. “What have you liked best so far?”

Seeing Freda was doing as a good detective should, getting the witness comfortable enough to speak freely, Pauline set off up the slope after Pedro who was seeking a higher vantage point, hoping to see the rescue team.

She rejoined the group and they set off, following the narrow trail as it snaked around the end of the island with its views out to sea. Here the vegetation was primarily low shrubs, only a few inches high, and coarse grasses. Suddenly, Pedro signaled them to halt. When they’d gathered around, he pointed to the ground, twenty yards away on the land side of the track. Large seabirds were squatted down motionless among the grasses. Even as they all began to see what he saw, a giant seabird glided down and landed with an inelegant thump beside the group,

“They’re albatrosses,” Pedro said. “They spend all their lives at sea, covering thousands of miles, and return here every year to this one small island to mate.”

Cameras clicked and whirred as the group captured the ungainly albatross waddling across the uneven land.

“I see why they spend all their lives at sea or flying,” Rod said. “I don’t think I’ve seen anything walk that badly.”

Pauline had to agree with the sentiment, it really was hopeless on land, but she remembered its huge, outstretched wings and the elegance of the bird as it glided in to land. She felt a lot could be excused just from that alone.

When the cameras stopped clicking, Pedro motioned them forward to the highlight of this excursion, a cliff down to the sea with views of the many seabirds that nested there.

“We have lost a lot of time,” Pedro said to the group as they gathered around him at a lookout set back from the cliff edge, “so I will be quick outlining what you’re seeing below. Then, when we’re heading back to the ship, I’ll answer your questions as