“Consider what you propose,” el-Basset said, leaning over the table. “A statuary head of no great value is removed from its drawer and mysteriously placed in an abandoned enclosure, where it is seen by Dr. Haddon—” The cigarette, down to its last third, was jabbed at Gideon to emphasize the point. “—Dr. Haddon and no one else. During the night it again disappears, only to be found a day later, also by Dr. Haddon, back in its drawer. It has not been stolen. It has not been made off with. It is precisely where it belongs, precisely where it all along would have been if no one had disturbed it.”
He took a final pull on the cigarette and ground it out, smoke purling from his nostrils. “Now, where is a motive to murder anyone in all this?”
Gideon wished he knew, but one was there all right.
Somewhere.
“Look, General,” he said, knowing that it was already too late, that he had struck out before he’d gotten started, “I know you know your business. I just think it might be a good idea to look into things more fully.”
“In what way, more fully?” But his attention was already elsewhere. Gideon had had his chance; the interview was over. El-Basset glanced at his notes before slipping the tablet into his tunic. He slipped his fountain pen into a breast pocket and buttoned the flap. He glanced over the table to see if he was forgetting anything.
“Talk to the people on the ship some more, run some lab tests on Haddon—”
“And delay the ship’s progress? Delay the transfer of Dr. Haddon’s remains?” He laughed at the impossibility of it. “Certainly not. I have seen these things before, many times, and to my eyes we have here a simple case of death by misadventure. However, I will review the matter in light of what you’ve told me.” He stood up and held out his hand. “Thank you for your cooperation, Professor.”
There wasn’t much to do but stand up, shake the proffered hand, and leave.
Game, set, and match. Gideon hadn’t broken serve.
Chapter Fourteen
It took Julie twenty minutes to get him even a little soothed down.
“It’s just that I’ve never been in a situation like this, Julie,” he said, striding back and forth in the deserted Isis Lounge. “I’m practically
“Gideon, you’ve done all you can,” she said sensibly. “The police have been here, you’ve told them what you think, and they’ve come to their conclusions… Gideon, you’re not thinking of pursuing this, are you? On your own, I mean?”
“Of course not.”
“You have been known to do that.”
“Not in Egypt, I haven’t.” He sighed and dropped defeatedly onto the banquette next to Julie. “I don’t know, maybe I ought to try going over the guy’s head.”
Julie laughed. “Great. Except how do you go over the head of a commanding general?”
When they went upstairs at Bea’s request a few minutes later they found everyone gathered on the swimming pool veranda. Bruno was standing with his back to the bar, solemn and ill at ease.
“I just thought you’d all want to know what’s going on. Phil is over at the hospital making sure everything goes smoothly with Dr. Haddon. Apparently he has a sister in Iowa, and that’s where his remains are going. Um, I’ve also been in touch with the board as to whether we ought to go ahead with the documentary or not—”
Gideon thought he saw a small gleam of hope kindle in Forrest’s eye.
“—and the feeling is that we’d like to go ahead with it as planned, if that’s all right with everybody?”
Other than the glow in Forrest’s eye going out, there were no responses. Bruno took it as being all right with everybody.
“And of course,” he went on, “Horizon House will continue its affairs and programs exactly as they were under Dr. Haddon, with TJ here—uh, Dr. Baroff—in charge until the board takes formal action on a replacement.”
“I’ll do my best,” said a sober TJ.
Mr. Wahab, who had been waiting politely on the perimeter, caught Bruno’s attention.
“Excuse me, please, Mr. Gustafson. The caleches are below, as you wished. The visit to the museum at Akhmim can start just now.”
“Great!” Bruno said, his gravity readily departing. “Let’s get everybody down there who wants to go. Let’s get this show on the road.”
“There’s a visit to a museum?” a bemused Jerry said, looking up from cleaning his pipe. “Now?”
“Well, Phil said he’s going to be tied up till eleven,” Bruno explained, “so the boat’s not going anywhere till then anyway, and I just thought people could stand to get off it and get their minds on other things for a while. It’ll be fun. They’re supposed to have a wonderful collection of mummies. Come on everyone, a change of scene will do us good.”‘
Julie leaned toward Gideon as most of the others left in varying states of enthusiasm. “I hate mummies. I think I’ll just stay up here and watch the feluccas.”
“I’ll stay with you,” Gideon said. “I don’t like mummies either.”
Her eyes widened. “Are you serious?”
He nodded. “They’re too naked, too defenseless. I feel embarrassed when I look at them.”
“That’s the way I feel, but isn’t it a little odd coming from you? How can people get any more naked than being skeletons?”‘
