Phantoms of the Pharaoh

by Jason Blacker

  Frances nodded thoughtfully.

  "Will that be all?" he asked.

  Frances nodded, and Maurice stood up. He pulled down his shirt and looked at the three of them.

  "I do hope you catch him," he said, and he walked off, tall and proud as a monkey in a fez.

  Frances groaned under her breath.

  "That man annoys me beyond measure," she said.

  "He is a pompous clot," said Florence, "I wanted to slap him across his smarmy face."

  Frances chuckled. Florence had a way of making her feel better.

  "I don't disagree," said Perry, "but did you hear the last thing he said?"

  "Yes, he said he hopes we catch the bugger who did it," said Florence.

  Fowler shook his head.

  "No, he said he hoped we caught the man who did it. How would he know it was a man?"

  "Because men are five times more likely to commit murder than women," said Frances.

  "Or," said Fowler, "he knows who did it. Maybe it was him, or his friend Samuel?"

  "I agree," said Florence.

  "And I don't necessarily disagree," said Frances. "Maurice was lying about almost everything, though he seemed far too cavalier for a murderer."

  "Or," said Anton, from behind her, "he's just that confident he won't be caught."

  Eighteen

  Nigel Durmott came walking in with his head held up, trailing behind Anton. He had a ready smile, which only made him all the more handsome. His black curly hair was immaculately styled and he looked fresh and eager as if he were about to head out on his first safari. He wore a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and khaki pants over brown hiking boots. He greeted everyone warmly with his honeyed voice and pleasing manner.

  "This is an awful business," said Nigel as he sat down in the chair that had carried the bodies of four suspects before him. He casually tossed his left leg over his right knee and put his hands in his lap. He smiled warmly and openly at the four of them.

  "You are quite correct," said Frances, "this is a terrible business. But I promise you that we'll get to the bottom of it."

  "Good," said Nigel, nodding.

  "Now you must understand, Nigel, that at this point, we can't rule anyone out. All of you left before Abigail returned to her cabin last night, which means all of you had an opportunity to poison her."

  Nigel nodded.

  "Of course," he said. "I understand. Though if I might be so bold as to inquire about the four of you."

  He smiled at them non-threateningly. Frances could tell that he put women at ease with his manner, and encouraged an easy friendship with men.

  "Fair enough," said Frances. "Florence and me were the last to leave the top deck last night and retire for the evening. Albert will attest to that fact if asked, because he and his sister were the second to last to retire. As for Perry and Anton, and in fact the rest of the staff of the Queen Nefertiti, they were in the mess playing cards and other things. That's not important though, as I have all but excluded them from this crime."

  "Of course," said Nigel.

  "You were the fourth to leave us last night from the top deck. Where did you go at that time?"

  "I went straight back to my cabin and went to bed."

  "Did you see or hear anything from any of the other cabins when you retired?" asked Frances.

  Nigel took a moment to think about it.

  "Not particularly, though I do remember thinking how odd it was that there were two voices coming from Maurice's room."

  "Could you identify either of those voices?"

  "No, I don't think so, they were murmurs really. I didn't stop to listen, that would be rude. I suppose that one of them must have been Maurice's voice, but the other I can't say."

  "Could you tell if it was a man's or a woman's?"

  "Certainly a man's."

  Frances nodded and looked over at Fowler and Florence. Fowler turned his mouth upside down and nodded his head.

  "I take it that's helpful?" asked Nigel.

  "It certainly might be. Tell me, Nigel, do you sleep well?"

  "Like a baby, why do you ask?"

  "Have you ever taken a sleeping draught to help you sleep?"

  "Once or twice, but not for quite some time now."

  "So you don't have any on you at the moment, or in your cabin?"

  "No."

  Nigel kept smiling at Frances and the others.

  "You're suspecting me of killing the poor woman aren't you?"

  "We're trying to rule out the suspects, Nigel. And at the moment, everyone is a suspect."

  "Yes, I suppose so."

  "So if you don't have any Somunol then you won't mind us looking for any in your cabin?" asked Frances.

  "Not at all."

  Frances frowned ever so slightly and smiled thinly at him.

  "Something I am curious of, Nigel, is why you went to the Pyramid of Menkaure carrying a rucksack yesterday afternoon by yourself?"

  "I was looking for any mementos."

  "And that's where Perry and Timothy found you?"

  "It is."

  "What sort of mementos were you looking for Nigel?" asked Frances, pointedly.

  "I suppose there's no harm in telling, a woman has already been killed over it. I was looking for some of the stolen items from the Pyramid of Menkaure."

  "But the pyramid has been emptied for decades and the bulk of the stolen items are deemed to be in England," said Perry.

  "Quite right," said Nigel, "I was just hoping, dreaming, that's all."

  "That's what Maurice said," mentioned Frances. "Don't you find that quite peculiar?"

  "Not really," said Nigel, still smiling. "Egypt is one of the wonders of the worlds, doesn't it just fill the hopeful heart with dreams of grandeur and possibility?"

  Nigel looked at the three of them and smiled at each in turn. He uncrossed his legs and crossed the right over the left this time. None of them smiled back so he let his smile go, gently, as if he had caught a butterfly by its wings.

  "Did you find what you were looking for then?"

  "No, I'm afraid I didn't."

  "Why are you here, Nigel, really?" asked Frances.

  Nigel looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

  "The same reason I imagine that most of us here for. I'm taking a holiday."

  Frances looked down at his hand. She hadn't seen him wearing a wedding ring, but she could tell he had recently worn one. A thin circle of pale skin contrasted with his otherwise quite tanned hands.

  "Then where is your wife?"

  Nigel looked down at his ring finger and rubbed the pale patch of skin and paused before answering.

  "My wife and I thought that a bit of time apart might do us the world of good, if you must know."

  He looked up at them and he wasn't smiling.

  "I'm sorry to hear that, Mr. Durmott," said Florence.

  He smiled at her and nodded.

  "I'm confident this trip will give me the perspective I need in order to improve things when I get back."

  Frances nodded, but she wasn't smiling.

  "Thank you, Nigel," she said. "I don't have any more questions at this time. Do any of you?" She looked at the other two. Perry and Florence shook their heads.

  Nigel stood up and nodded at them.

  "I hope I've been helpful."

  "You have been less than forthcoming, Nigel," said Frances, looking up at him.

  Fowler and Florence both looked at her with puzzled faces. Nigel held Lady Marmalade's gaze for a moment, and then smiled at her.

  "I'm sorry you feel that way," he said. "I hope you get the person who did this."

  "I will, Nigel, you can count on that."

  Nigel turned and walked away, as relaxed as he had walked in. Frances followed him out with her eyes. Florence looked at Frances and pinched her mouth together.

  "Don't you think you were a little bit hard on him, after all he's going through?" asked Florence.

  Frances
shifted her gaze from the stairs that had just inhaled Nigel to Florence.

  "Sometimes, my dear Flo," she said, "you have to be blunt in order to cut through the lies, or at least detect them. It's not personal but unless you can unsteady the suspect emotionally you haven't any chance of getting anywhere near to the truth let alone onto the greens of truth."

  "But still, he's come here for some peace and reflection on his difficult marriage."

  "My dear Flo, I think you're letting his good looks swoon your good judgment. I don't think for a moment his marriage is in trouble. He's either divorced or still quite happily married."

  "How can you be so certain?"

  "Because a man of his means doesn't spend a fortune on a trip like this if his marriage is falling apart. In fact, I don't think anyone would. You might pop over to the continent, France or Spain perhaps, but you wouldn't travel all the way to North Africa if your world was about to implode."

  Florence nodded her head. Perry looked at her.

  "How do you know he doesn't have much money?"

  "On the form he filled out for you, he put civil servant at the Postal Service as his occupation, and his luggage was not an expensive brand, nor are his clothes of the highest cost. He's a modest man, and I make no judgment on that, it's just a fact."

  "So you think he's lying to us?"

  Frances nodded her head.

  "I think he's lying to us about a lot of things. But he's not the only one."

  "What's he lying about?" asked Perry.

  "That remains to be seen. But through all of their lies, the pieces come together and we start to see the picture. Those jagged bits that don't fit. Those are the lies, and from where they should fit we find the truth."

  Nineteen

  Anton brought Simon in for an interview next. He looked a little nervous and he chewed on his fingernails before he sat down. In the wrong light, the scar on his left cheek gave him a menacing look. He sat down and folded his arms in front of himself and leaned back. He tried to smile but his mouth couldn't find the shape.

  "Are you a bit nervous?" asked Lady Marmalade.

  "I am a bit, yeah. I've never been a suspect in a murder before," he said, his voice losing its tone. He coughed at the end.

  "Don't be," said Frances, smiling at him and trying to put him more at ease. "Everyone is a suspect at this stage."

  "Except the four of you, I suppose."

  "Yes, but that's because we have alibis. Florence and I were the last to leave the deck last evening, and Perry and Anton were playing cards downstairs in the officers' mess all night."

  Simon nodded and bit his lip. He held his right hand out and looked at his fingers. He crossed his ankles but that didn't feel comfortable so he extended his legs under the table that was between them. That didn't make him feel any better so he tucked them under his chair and crossed his ankles and his arms.

  "Tell me, Simon, why did you choose Egypt for a holiday?" asked Frances.

  He looked at her and fidgeted in his chair.

  "I took part in the Western Desert Campaign of the war," said Simon, nervously. He coughed to clear his voice. "Most of my time was spent in Egypt. I was part of the El Alamein campaign where we pushed the Germans and Italians back. Anyway, I had really enjoyed my time in Egypt, not the war part you understand, the brief moments of peace in between the war. And I always said to myself how I'd like to come back during peace times to explore the country more. That's why I'm here."

  Frances nodded.

  "I'm surprised you're nervous then," said Fowler, "you must have seen some action during that time in North Africa, perhaps even killed a man before."

  Simon looked up Perry and scowled at him. He pinched his lips together and looked away.

  "Listen," he said, getting noticeably upset, "I don't want to talk about that. That was war. All of us did things we had to do. It's not a point to be proud of, but we won didn't we?"

  "Perry's only trying to understand why you're nervous talking to us about Abigail's murder when you've most certainly seen awful things during the war," said Frances.

  "Because murder is a blight on the human soul. It's not something I wish to relive. Listen, I got out of the army as soon as the war finished. I might have earned the VC, but that doesn't mean I'm a hero. I just did what needed to be done. I've seen things I'd rather not see again and this whole nasty business with Abigail just brings it all back to the forefront. Killing during war for the protection of your country in the heat of battle is one thing. Murdering a woman for whatever reason during peacetimes is unfathomable and evil. That's why I'm nervous. It sends shivers down my spine to think that there is a cold hearted murderer amongst us."

  Frances nodded and smiled kindly at him.

  "I do thank you for your brave service during the war, Simon. We'll try and make this as easy on you as possible."

  Simon glanced up at her and nodded. He had started chewing his nails again, his arms crossed over his chest tightly.

  "Do you sleep well, Simon, or do you need sleeping draughts?"

  He stopped biting his nails.

  "I'll tell you right up front I didn't kill her, all right?"

  Simon frowned and shook his head.

  "Please answer the questions, Simon. You must understand that nine times out of ten a criminal will always deny their crime."

  "Very well," said Simon, getting hot under the collar. "I barely sleep a wink most nights. Ever since I got out of the army. Insomnia is my constant companion most nights, he gets inside my head and plays games with me. I've tried sleeping draughts, and they don't help most times, and when they do I feel worse in the morning, so I don't use them."

  "So you didn't bring any with you on this trip?"

  "No. I'm telling you, I didn't kill her all right, and I'd be happier if you found out who did."

  Simon brought his legs out from under him and he started tapping his right foot, his knee jumping up and down like a nervous ball.

  "And perhaps you can help us with that," said Frances.

  He glanced up at her and chewed at his fingernails. At this rate Frances thought he might chew them down to his first knuckle.

  "Yesterday afternoon, after you left us at the Sphinx, you said you were going to explore the Pyramid of Menkaure."

  "Yes, I did."

  "Why did you want to go back to that pyramid when we'd seen it already?"

  "We hadn't seen the secret chambers. Like I said, I was curious, and I wanted to explore the whole thing. I'd really like to get the whole experience of Egypt while I was here."

  "But were you looking for anything in particular?"

  "Well, you never know, but I was hoping that I might find some small trinket that had been left behind."

  "Seems everyone's been looking for something like that," said Florence, looking at Frances. Frances nodded at her.

  "And did you find what you were looking for?"

  "Well I wasn't sure what I was looking for, but I didn't find anything. It was a little disappointing, only empty chambers and secret passageways. I would have loved to have seen it filled with treasures."

  Simon was becoming more relaxed as he spoke of the pyramid and his imagination drew pictures of treasures piled high in his mind. Frances looked over at Perry and Florence.

  "Did you see anyone else in there? Specifically Albert and Abigail?"

  "No. Hang on. Albert and Abigail were turning north round the Pyramid of Menkaure when I reached the queen's pyramid. I remember Albert looking back and seeing me. He didn't look very happy."

  "It seems then, that Simon entered the pyramid after Albert and Abigail had been in there, but found nothing," said Frances, looking at Perry and Florence.

  "What does that mean?" asked Fowler.

  "I think it means that they had a change of heart," said Florence. She turned to look at Simon. "Did you look pretty well for any trinkets you were hoping to find?"

  "Quite well, but it would be hard to hide anything in there,
I mean it's all open. The kings burial chamber and the room underneath where they say all the treasures were are all barren and empty."

  Frances nodded.

  "When you left, did you see anyone else?"

  "Yes, the American chap, and Maurice were walking towards me. They stopped me and asked me if I'd seen anyone in there. I told them I thought Albert and Abigail had recently come and gone. They asked me if I had found anything in there. I told them I hadn't, that it was empty. Then they asked me if I had any water in my rucksack. I did, and they asked for some. I gave them some, and when we were done they told me not to tell anyone I was there. It sounded like a threat actually, and I decided to play along."

  "Is that why you lied when you returned to the canopy?"

  "Right, I don't know why, but I don't like that old woman. She doesn't treat Mahulda right and so I decided to lie to her. In any event, I don't know why she thought it was any of her business."

  "Did Samuel and Maurice get a look in your rucksack when you went to find your water bottle?" asked Frances.

  "They must have done, as I opened it in front of them."

  Frances looked back at Fowler and Florence.

  "On your way back to the canopy did you pass anyone else?" asked Frances.

  "No, I don't think so. At least not that I saw, but I can't say I was looking."

  Frances nodded.

  "Thank you, Simon. Tell me about last night," said Frances.

  "What about last night?"

  "You escorted Mahulda downstairs to her cabin, didn't you?"

  Simon nodded and looked furtively around the room.

  "You left shortly after Lady Pompress did. Tell me what you did when you left the top deck."

  "I don't know what you mean. I took Mahulda down to her cabin. She went in, then I went into mine and went to bed, and I tried to sleep."

  "What I mean is, did you find anything suspicious when you took Mahulda back to her room?"

  "No. I waited while she let herself into the room."

  "Was Orpha inside already?"

  "Probably, but I don't know. Mahulda snuck in quietly, just opening the door a crack so she could sneak in. The room was dark. I imagine the old lady was sleeping."