“What do you mean?” he asked. His old pastoral instincts kicked in. Something was troubling Elena. In an instant her face had gone from sunny skies to dark clouds. Maybe it was his face everyone said they could trust that made her lean closer and lower her voice.
“Someone’s been stealing valuable stones from the Staircase.”
“That’s serious. Have you notified the police?”
Elena nodded. “The director has. This is a real scandal. You’ve lived here for a while, haven’t you? Is there a serious crime problem in this town? What about smuggling?”
Scandal he understood. He felt a sudden protectiveness toward her. “There’s the usual tourist crime, wallets stolen, cameras, stuff like that. I haven’t heard of any smuggling, but that doesn’t mean it’s not going on. Is there anything I can do to help?”
She shrugged a bare shoulder. The red shawl with shiny threads that she had draped over it, slid down her arm, and Dominic followed the sliding adornment, taking in the swell of her breast under the slinky black fabric of her dress. He hoped she didn’t notice where his eyes were wandering. Down boy, he thought. Let’s not get carried away. Compassion and lust were not a good combination.
“It’s kind of you to offer,” she said. “If you hear any rumors about the theft of the stones, let me know. I’m looking for any and all clues. But enough of my problems, tell me about the clinic. When will it open?”
“We’re open now,” he said. “There’s a nurse who’s already overwhelmed with the demand. She does what she can while we look for a full time doctor. Do you know any physician who’d like to work here? We had one lined up, but he was lured away to a more lucrative situation.”
She tilted her head, maybe thinking over possibilities. “I don’t know anyone off hand, but I’ll contact some of my friends and get back to you. Now I must be going. I start early in the morning. It was a pleasure talking to you.”
She held out her hand. He grasped it, feeling the warmth and slenderness of it, enjoying the contact with her youth and beauty. As she walked away, he watched the smooth sashay of her walk until she was out of sight, unwilling to take his eyes away until the night had swallowed her.
He slipped out the side door into the welcome darkness, smiling to himself. She was a knockout all right. Her damsel in distress appealed to his knight in shining armor. He had every intention of making some discreet inquiries about the disappearance of those valuable stones to help the damsel out of her predicament.
End Chapter One
The Hieroglyphic Staircase can be purchased on Amazon and other online retailers.
High Desert Detective, A Fiona Marlowe Mystery (Fiona Marlowe Mysteries) Page 35