Since it Was a little after one in the afternoon, Neil walked across the lobby and poked his head into the main restaurant, thinking he might see Jennifer.

As he scanned the restaurant’s interior, the maître d’ caught his eye. “Your companion hasn’t been in today,” he said to Neil.

Neil thanked him. The Amal Palace Hotel continued to amaze him with its level of service. He’d never been to a hotel where the employees seemed to remember the guests to such an extent.

Wondering if she could be down using the spa facilities, and since the elevator that accessed them was next to the restaurant, Neil boarded and rode down. The elevator door opened at the spa’s front desk, and Neil inquired if Jennifer Hernandez was receiving any services, such as a massage, at that moment. Since the answer was no, Neil walked down the hall and checked the stationary bikes: no Jennifer. Continuing on, he exited the spa into the garden and walked to the pool.

With a hazy sun and a temperature hovering in the mid-eighties, the pool was a popular destination, and a number of people were taking advantage of poolside dining. Since he’d not found her elsewhere, Neil was actually surprised not to find her there. It was remarkably pleasant.

Guessing that she must still be in her room and possibly still sleeping, maybe with her phone ringer turned off, Neil debated what to do. If she was still sleeping, she truly needed it, and he wasn’t going to wake her. Consequently, he decided to do what he’d wanted to do the night he’d arrived—namely, put an ear to her door. If he heard either her moving around or showering, or the television playing, he’d knock. If all was quiet, he’d let her sleep.

With the decision made, Neil retraced his steps toward the spa entrance. One way or the other, he decided he’d come out to the pool himself.

Chapter 34

Chapter 34

OCTOBER 19, 2007
FRIDAY, 4:02 P.M.
NEW DELHI, INDIA

Rather than heading directly to her room after coming through the bungalow’s front door, Veena made a beeline for the library. She felt agitated and wanted reassurance, and there was only one person who she felt could provide it, and that was Cal Morgan. He’d already done so several times in regard to the same issue, and she was counting on it again, even though this occasion seemed to her to be the most serious.