Missing in Morocco (The Evelyn Chambers Senior Spy Series Book 8) by Renee Pawlish

Author:Renee Pawlish [Pawlish, Renee]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Creative Cat Press
Published: 2025-12-23T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Evelyn made a split-second decision. She couldn’t let this opportunity slip away. Not when Hamid might lead her to answers about Bill.

“Please excuse me,” she said to her German tablemates with an apologetic smile. “I don’t feel very well suddenly. I’ll be right back.”

The woman who had spoken to her earlier looked concerned. “Would you like one of us to come with you?”

“No, thank you,” Evelyn replied, already rising from her chair. “I’ll be fine. The food was wonderful. I just need a moment.”

She moved away from the table, not rushing but not dawdling either. The musicians had started a particularly energetic piece, and most eyes were on the performers, making her departure less noticeable. She kept Hamid in her peripheral vision as she slipped between tables, maintaining a casual demeanor while closing the distance.

Hamid exited through a gate just as Evelyn reached the edge of the dining area. She paused and pretended to admire a display of local crafts while watching to see which way he went. When she went through the doorway, she saw his tall figure on a stone path behind the hotel, a few lights dimly marking his way.

The night air had grown considerably cooler, and Evelyn draped the indigo scarf around her shoulders. She adjusted it as she followed Hamid’s path, keeping to the shadows along the hotel’s exterior wall. Hamid kept walking, his stride long and confident. He seemed to know exactly where he was going. As she watched, he reached the end of the building and then, without hesitation, stepped off the marked path and onto the sand.

Evelyn hesitated. Following him meant leaving the safety and light of the hotel and venturing into the desert at night. But she hadn’t come all this way to turn back now. She took a deep breath and continued after him, careful to keep enough distance between them so that he wouldn’t notice her.

Hamid headed up the nearest dune, his footsteps hardly faltering as he ascended. Evelyn, by contrast, found each step a challenge. The sand shifted beneath her shoes, sometimes causing her to slide back slightly with each forward movement. Fortunately, the moon was nearly full, so Evelyn could see the dunes clearly enough to keep her footing as she followed a pinpoint of light and Hamid’s shadow. Occasionally, he checked his phone, the faint glow illuminating his face briefly.

The climb was strenuous, and Evelyn paused halfway up the first large dune to catch her breath. She looked up at the sky and was momentarily mesmerized at the spectacle above her. Without light pollution, the stars appeared as a brilliant tapestry, more numerous than she had ever seen, the Milky Way a clear, misty streak across the heavens.

She resumed her climb, each step challenging. Her calves began to ache, and fine sand had somehow worked its way into her shoes. Her breathing seemed unnaturally loud in the stillness. After what felt like an eternity, Evelyn reached the crest of the dune. In the distance, a campfire glowed just enough to outline a few tents against the dark.

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