“I had no idea,” Ted said.
“She did not want to put you in a position of suing the Smithsonian for it and having her husband and father-in-law’s names dragged into a scandal. Her understanding was that her father-in-law had paid a great deal of money for the necklace.”
“Where is it now?” Ted asked.
Celia took a deep breath and then continued. “You know about my problem with my former fiancé and his fund. When I learned that Lady Em had been murdered during the night, I realized I was in a terrible predicament.”
“I can understand that,” Ted said soothingly. “If I can ask again, where is the necklace?”
“I had to figure out who I could trust. I turned to Alvirah Meehan and explained the predicament I was in. She suggested I give the necklace to her and that Willy would hold on to it.”
“Celia, you did a really smart thing to protect the necklace. No one will suspect that Willy Meehan has it. But now I’m very worried about you. Whoever suffocated Lady Em and tried to kill Brenda clearly was looking for the necklace. Anybody who was watching Lady Em since this cruise began could easily see that you and she had become very friendly. Lady Em’s financial advisor didn’t have the necklace and Brenda didn’t have the necklace. Who does that leave?” He gently pointed at her. “You.”
Celia exhaled. “I was so worried about the necklace. I never really thought about that.”
“Celia, you’ve been through an awfully rough patch. Given a little time, the situation with your former boyfriend will sort itself out, and you will be fine. But right now, it’s time to be very careful. Whoever is after that necklace knows that tonight is his last chance. You cannot go into or out of your suite alone. You must always double lock your door. In addition to being your new attorney, I have elected myself your escort.”
“Thank you, Counselor, that is a very big relief.”
Ted’s hand reached across the table and took hers. “In my work I have dealt with some very unsavory characters and lived to tell the tale. Nothing is going to happen to you while I’m around,” he promised.
90
Morrison was delighted to see that Celia Kilbride had joined the table. Her presence made it much easier for him to spend time there. And I will say she’s a beautiful woman, he thought, as he walked across the room.
To his dismay he realized the dining room was half-empty. The final meal was supposed to be festive. It was a time when contact information was exchanged to cement new friendships.
He consoled himself with the good news he had received from his sales office that morning. Even though publicity that followed Lady Em’s murder and the attack on Brenda had generated cancelations, new passengers had been calling the reservations office to snap up the now-available rooms. He was not happy to hear that vendors were waiting at the Southampton dock to sell I SURVIVED MY QUEEN CHARLOTTE CRUISE T-shirts.
I’ll be glad to see the last of this group, he thought, as he nodded to the next table and then smiled broadly at Celia and Professor Longworth.
Then to his annoyance, he realized that Brenda had arrived and had made no effort to cover the raw marks on her throat. Miracle of miracles, she’s recovered her appetite, he thought. I wonder how many new people she managed to talk to before she came to dinner.
There was one thing he was sure of: she wouldn’t be sailing on Queen Charlotte again. His office had confirmed that Lady Em had paid for both her, the almost-merry widow Yvonne and her now-rescued husband.
Glancing around, he was glad to see that Fairfax was at the Captain’s table entertaining a new group of passengers.
He knew that as a courtesy he should ask Yvonne if she had been able to contact her waterlogged husband. He noticed that instead of the gray she had been wearing, in anticipation he was sure, of changing into black, this time she had on a rose-colored jacket and matching slacks. She confirmed that she had spoken to the doctor on the ship. Roger was recovering nicely but had been asleep when she called. She told them not to wake him up and left a loving message for him.
It almost brings a tear to my eye, Morrison thought, with a sneer.
He turned to Celia. He liked the navy-blue jacket she was wearing and the simple scarf tucked around her neck. “Despite the sadness of Lady Em’s passing,” he began, “I hope you had some pleasure on this trip, Ms. Kilbride.”
“It was a privilege to be on this beautiful ship,” she said sincerely.
Feeling left out, Brenda blurted, “Mr. Morrison, I do hope we will be able to quickly and amicably settle our differences after my,” she paused, “room invasion. But after that’s over, I know my close friend and I will welcome the opportunity to sail with you again. As your guests, of course,” she added directly.
Morrison tried to bare his teeth in a smile. The first course had been served, and he noticed that Brenda had plowed her way through a generous serving of caviar and signaled for more.
Professor Longworth knew it was time to make his presence known. “I can only say what a delight the trip has been,” he began, as he heaped caviar onto his plate, “and how much I enjoy being a lecturer on your ships, Mr. Morrison. As the Bard said, ‘Parting is such sweet sorrow.’?”
My father used to say, “Good riddance,” Morrison thought to himself.
91
Ted and Celia had both gone back to their cabins to pack. Their luggage had to be outside their rooms by ten o’clock that evening. Ted had waited until he heard the metallic sound of her double lock being turned before he went to his room.
At 7 P.M. he escorted Celia to the dining room, but she turned down his suggestion that she join his table. “Oh Ted, you know how they discourage table hopping on these cruises. If I want to keep lecturing, I have to follow the rules. And besides, we’ll barely be six feet apart.”
Reluctantly Ted agreed, but as he sat down he realized he was viewing his fellow passengers at both tables as if with a different set of eyes. He glanced warmly at Alvirah and Willy, knowing that Celia trusted them. He knew now that Willy had the Cleopatra necklace, probably in his pocket, and it was surely safe with him. Willy was a big, strong man, with well-muscled forearms. Anyone who tried to steal something from him would have quite a fight on his hands.
He eliminated Anna DeMille from consideration. She certainly looked the part of someone who was going on her first cruise. She had won a church raffle. It was her first trip abroad. If the Man with One Thousand Faces was a woman, she was the last person on the ship he would suspect.