“Great,” London said. “We’ll see you then.”
As London and Sir Reggie wended their way back through the crowd,London found herself wondering—how would she have reacted to Helmut’sinvitation if Bryce weren’t in the picture?
She doubted that she would have accepted. Carrying on flirtationswith locals was more Elsie’s style than hers. She preferred to keep herinteractions on shore as uncomplicated as possible.
As she again headed for the ship, she almost ran into a personwearing a giant chicken costume, complete with a beaked headdress and a yellowbody with stubby wings and cartoonish bird feet.
“Engtschuldingung,” she said politely to the chicken—“Pardonme.”
But as she tried to step past the chicken, the creature steppedright in front of her and blocked her way.
London stepped the other way, and the same thing happened again.
And then the chicken spoke to her in English.
“We’ve got to talk.”
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
London stared up into the face of the giant chicken that blockedher way. A small jagged red comb and red wattles were nestled into fluffy whitefeathers that completely covered the head of whoever was wearing the costume.The large round eyes were glassy and obviously artificial. The giant yellowbeak was open, and actually looked rather threatening.
She could see no sign of a human being inside that headdress.
Taking a few steps backward, London saw that the body of thecostume was made of white fabric, printed to look like feathers. The sleeveswere decorated with fake feathers to resemble wings.
She was about to ask the chicken to get out of her way when thecreature spoke again.
“We’ve got to talk, London.”
London’s mouth dropped open when she heard the chicken speak hername. Then she recognized that strident voice.
“Audrey?”
“Shhh,” Audrey replied, her voice muffled by the mask. “I don’twant anyone to know.”
The chicken moved closer again, and now London spotted the twoeyeholes at the base of the huge yellow beak. That was where Audrey was lookingout. And she was doubtless breathing and speaking through the open beak.
“You don’t want anyone to know what?” London asked.
“That it’s me. That I’m out and around.”
With a soft woof, Sir Reggie squirmed in London’s arms,then dropped down to the ground. He began to sniff curiously around the chicken’sbig yellow feet.
Then the chicken looked down and noticed Sir Reggie.
“Oh, hello, little doggie!” she said, reaching to pet him with afeathery hand. “It’s nice to see you again!”
What on earth …? London wondered.
She remembered a couple of days ago, when Audrey had called SirReggie a
“horrid little beast.”
Is this really the same person?
London waved her arms with agitation, but she managed to keep hervoice down.
“You’re right about one thing, we’ve got to talk! What are you doingout and around, and dressed like … like this?”
“I’m incognito. “
London glared at the big chicken in exasperation.
“I told you yesterday that the head detective would want to speakwith you and me this morning. He came to the ship and questioned me. The man isobviously suspicious of both of us, and it didn’t help that we couldn’t findyou in your room.”
“Oh,” Audrey said. “I must have forgotten all about that.”
London found that hard to believe.
She shook her head and said, “I even phoned you, but I only gotyour voice mail.”
“Of course I set my phone on silent,” Audrey replied curtly. “Ididn’t want to be distracted from my mission.”
London sighed. “Everything you did just made Detektiv Erlichcertain that you have something to hide. He even said so. ‘Our suspect hasgiven us the slip,’ he said.”
This time the chicken made no response, although London thoughtshe heard an actual giggle from within the mask.
Annoyed, she kept trying to make Audrey understand what was goingon.
“I promised Captain Hays that I would find you so Erlich couldtalk to you. You’ve got to come back to the ship with me right away.”
“Oh, no,” Audrey said. “I’m not ready to do that. I’m conductingmy own investigation.”
“Your own what?”
“I’m going to find out who really killed the monocle guy. That’swhy I wanted to talk with you.”
London stifled a groan of despair. Sometimes it seemed likeeverybody wanted to be a detective—or at least everyone except London herself.And yet for some reason, she always seemed to get stuck with the job.
“Your ‘investigation’ can wait,” she replied firmly. “We’vereally got to get back to the ship. Captain Hays is expecting me to bring youback so you can talk to Detektiv Erlich. And if you don’t come back right now,we’ll both be in real trouble.”
“What kind of trouble?”
“The kind of trouble I don’t want to be in. And believeme, you don’t either. Erlich is eager to arrest somebody.”
“Why would he arrest me?” Audrey protested. “I didn’t kill thatawful man. I might have wanted to, but I’m actually not a hostile person.”
London just stared at her, remembering the distinct hostility ofher earlier encounters with Audrey Bolton. Nothing on the Nachtmusik hadsatisfied this woman, and she had always been extremely condescending toLondon.
And now she had to wonder why Audrey was suddenly interested ininvestigating the crime. Could this helpful-hen behavior just be an act?
London quickly decided that those questions really didn’t matter.She had to get this woman back to the boat.
“Come on,” she said, grabbing the chicken by one wing andstarting to escort her through the crowd. Audrey issued a rather hen-likesquawk, but at first she didn’t resist being tugged along with London. As theyheaded in the direction of the ship, Sir Reggie trotted along beside them,gazing up at the feathered creature with fascination.
When Audrey seemed to be moving along willingly enough, Londonlet go of the wing. She took out her cell phone and called the captain.
“I’ve found her,” she told him. “I’ve found Audrey Bolton.”
“Oh, thank goodness!” Captain Hays said, sounding as if he wastrying to keep his voice low. “I’ve just about run out of means of detaining DetektivErlich in the Habsburg Restaurant. He’s been eating everything on the menu. I’lltry to get him to finish up this latest course, and I’ll take him back to mystateroom.”
“Audrey and I will meet you there,” London said, ending the call.
As they continued on their way, London looked up at the beakedface
