Regan realized that Violet was staring out at Cameron Hardwick as Sylvie’s face became crestfallen.

Regan tucked her arm under Violet’s and said, “Please stay. There are so many interesting people here. Lady Exner tells me that you met Cameron in Greece.”

“Absolutely. He waited on us, the year my dear Bruce died.”

As Regan escorted her to the bar she said casually, “On my next trip, I’m going to Greece. What town were you in?”

Without blinking an eye, Violet flatly declared, “Skoulis.”

“No. No. No. Don’t be silly, Mr. Gray. I will not allow it,” Veronica was insistent.

“But it will only take a few minutes to get this place in order. You start down to dinner and I’ll follow in a few minutes.”

“No, you have done too much for us already. It’s past seven-thirty and we’re already late. The steward is going to come in and do the rest of the tidying up while we’re at dinner.” Veronica opened the door and started walking out. “The party was smashing, wasn’t it?”

As Gavin reluctantly followed her, he agreed, “It was absolutely wonderful. And that’s why I just wanted everything to be perfect for you when you came back to your room.”

Regan pulled the door shut and as she walked down the hallway thought that he sounded as though he were pleading for his life.

Chapter 43

FRIDAY, JUNE 26

I CAN’T WAIT any longer, Regan thought frantically as she crept out of bed. She peered over at Veronica, who appeared to be sleeping soundly. The clock next to the bed read 4:30. Which meant it was 8:30 A.M. in Oxford.

Regan tiptoed into the bathroom, shut the door and picked up the phone on the wall.

Five minutes later she was speaking with Superintendent Livingston.

“I’m so glad I caught you in,” she whispered as she told him about Veronica’s belief that Val was the governess in the picture with Athena and her aunt and children.

Livingston looked down at the papers on his desk and shuffled through them until he found the picture in question. Holding it up, he studied it. “Could be,” he said. “Hard to be certain, of course. The photo is rather grainy. She’s identified as Mary V. Cook. I’ll stop over at Saint Polycarp’s today and look into her employment records.”

“And another thing,” Regan continued, “there’s an American guy on board who sits at our table and to me his background doesn’t gel. An older woman I’ve met insists he waited on her in Skoulis, Greece, eleven years ago. It’s just a hunch, but could you check with the police in Greece? See if his name came up at all during the investigation. Maybe he was questioned if he worked in the town. Skoulis is not that big.”

“I’d be happy to. What’s his name?”

“Cameron Hardwick.”

Chapter 44

OXFORD