“Ohhh, late thirties, I suppose. Brown hair. Attractive enough in a plain sort of way. A bit prim. You wouldn’t think she’s the type to carry on an affair, but you know what, I think she’s married!” As Hicks’s eyes lit up, he pushed his elbow out in a nudge-nudge, wink-wink motion and shook his head up and down.

“Do you by any chance know her name?”

“I believe he always calls her Mary. She never gave a surname. He always books the reservation. We have ten beautiful rooms, but he always likes to stay in the same one, every time. It has its own private bath. Once it wasn’t available and he got a bit nasty—”

“I see, I see,” Livingston interrupted. “When was the last time you saw his lady friend?”

“A day or two before he left. That was last weekend. She came by on Saturday morning and they had tea sent up to the room. He likes his privacy and everything has to be just so. His eggs have to be cooked a certain way, his bacon must be crisp ... He jogs every day. Told me if he didn’t he’d go crazy.”

“It sounds like you remember quite a bit about him,” Livingston remarked.

“Well, he’s been coming here for the past ten years,” Hicks exclaimed.

“Ten years?” Livingston asked.

“Yes, yes. He came in and was the first guest to stay in the room overlooking the stream after it had been redone. The girl joined him that night. They were both very pleased with the accommodations and have been coming back ever since. My wife and I decided it reminds us of the movie Same Time Next Year. Did you ever see that?”

“Yes, enjoyable film,” Livingston replied.

“Yes, yes. It makes one wonder what they have to hide.”

“It certainly does,” Livingston answered as he got up and realized it was going to be a long evening until he got the opportunity to question Valerie Twyler, also known as Mary Cook.

Chapter 52

AT SEA

IT WAS THE most relaxed day of the crossing. Veronica was clearly preserving her energy for her newfound relatives. Regan in a deck chair on one side, Gabby Gavin on the other, Veronica held court with passersby but did not at any time spring to her feet. Gavin fussed incessantly over her. First he was afraid the sun would burn her. Didn’t she have a sunblock lotion he could fetch for her from the suite? Veronica dived into her tote bag and triumphantly yanked out a sunblock 32—maximum protection.

“They say not a ray will damage your skin, not even if you’re sunbathing on the equator,” she chortled.

Gavin looked glum.

They did not go into the dining room but had the buffet lunch near the pool. Regan brought Veronica a club sandwich and a margarita with a little paper umbrella bobbing among the ice cubes.