Death of an Aegean Queen Read Online Free Page B

“We have security cameras located almost everywhere on the ship, except in individual staterooms, of course. I will first call the two bars that are still open, the cabin stewards’ storerooms, and so on. And I will check all the monitors in our office. If you find anything, you can dial seven on any phone and get me or whoever is in the office.” He paused and looked at his watch. “The Chief of Security and the day shift will go on duty in about two hours. If we have not found Mr. Gaskill by then, although I’m sure we will have, Chief Letsos will take over.”
    Kathryn nodded and repeated, “Dial seven for security.”
    “May I have your room numbers?” he asked.
    We gave them to him.
    Backing away from us, the photo of George and Kathryn in his hand, he added, “I would suggest you return to your rooms and wait for my call. And don’t worry. We will find him.”
    This was a problem. I couldn’t imagine Kathryn going back to her room and simply sitting, waiting for the phone to ring. It would be torture for her. But on the other hand, if we weren’t in our rooms, how would we know when George had been found? There were a couple of other places I thought we could check first. I fished the deck plans out of my shorts pocket and studied them again.
    “There’s a big, open deck and pool area on the back end of this deck,” I said. “Let’s look out there before we go downstairs.” We tried, but the doors to that part of the deck were locked. Through the etched glass doors, I could see starlight dancing on the pool water. “There’s also a small deck at the back of the level where our rooms are.”
    Returning to our own floor, we scooted past our rooms and on to a polished wood door that opened onto the stern deck. This deck, directly beneath the spot where I had paused and looked down at the propeller-churned water a half-hour ago, was lit by two carriage lanterns on the wall. The teak floor was dry and empty except for a large, dark-red pool in the middle.

 
    Chapter Four
     
    From the red pool a wide smear feathered out toward the stern rail, and I saw a few streaks on the white-painted iron of the rail itself. Another spot or two near the red puddle could, I thought, be shoe prints. A few seconds later I heard a sort of swoosh-thud sound, which turned out to be Kathryn sliding down the door frame and hitting the deck.
    I knelt beside her, tapping her face lightly with my hand. “Kathryn. Kathryn.” Luckily, a door marked ΤΌΎΑΛΕΤΑ, which I had already learned meant toilet, stood just inside the exterior door. I dashed in, wet a paper towel, and used it to bathe Kathryn’s face. Her eyelids fluttered, then opened.
    “Oh, no! No, no! What was that stuff ?” Kathryn shook her head and looked at me as if she couldn’t remember who I was. Pulling her arm across my shoulder, I let her lean on me while I maneuvered her back to her room. She stared blankly at her stateroom door while I fumbled through her pocket, found her room card, and opened her door.
    I laid her out on her bed and said, “You stay right here. I’ll be back in a few minutes. Don’t leave! Do you understand me, Kathryn?”
    She mumbled something vaguely affirmative. I dashed to my own room, a few yards farther down the hall, lunged for the phone, and dialed seven.
    “Demopoulos.”
    I told him what we’d found, hung up, then dialed Marco’s room. He answered on the fourth ring, his voice dusty with sleep.
    “ Pronto. Chi è? ”
    “It’s Dotsy, Marco. I’m sorry to wake you up, but it’s important. Kathryn has lost George and we’ve found a big red puddle at the end of the hall. I think it may be blood.”
    “Who?” Marco’s sleep-addled brain had forgotten who Kathryn and George were. Quite understandable, I thought. After I reminded him and filled in a few other blanks, he said, “I will get dressed and come out.”
    I grabbed my little travel light and ran back to the stern deck. Demopoulos was already there