No Job for a Lady by Carol McCleary

Author:Carol McCleary
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths, Historical, Fiction
ISBN: 9781466811058
Publisher: Macmillan
Published: 2014-06-10T05:00:00+00:00

35

“You had us greatly concerned,” Don Antonio says when I am seated at a corner table of the hotel café, where lunch is served.

The café is closed, but the consul general is important enough to get the three of us a table and refreshments.

Gertrude gives no clue that she has discovered once again that I am a fallen woman. To the contrary, from the glint in her eye and small, secretive smile, I do believe her opinion of me as an independent woman has risen to new heights.

“I was notified by the police department, but that word came only a short time ago,” Don Antonio tells me.

I explain what happened, giving them the short version: I fainted from the sun and dehydration. I don’t know what the police told him, but I hope it wasn’t any more than what I offered, because I fear that Don Antonio will escort me to the train station and give me a one-way ticket to El Paso if he believes I am fantasizing about being attacked by bizarre mythical creatures from Mexican history.

It’s evident from his rather official tone that I am on probation. If he knew what Gertrude knew about my “morals,” he’d have me on that train pronto.

“How is your room?” Don Antonio asks. “Is it comfortable? The city is crowded, but I could—”

“It’s okay, Uncle,” Gertrude says, interrupting him. “I saw it. Very comfortable.” She gives me a smile.

Damn—damn—damn. I know she’s only trying to help, but I would have complained about the room, in the hopes of getting one where I didn’t have to sleep on the floor.

He draws on his cigar and eyes me narrowly through the smoke. “The note from the chief of police said you were hallucinating when you arrived there from the hospital.”

Taking a deep breath, I try to keep my voice calm and not reveal my panic as I give him a version of the truth. Not knowing how much he knows puts me in a bad spot. If he catches me in a lie, I’m doomed.

“I’m so embarrassed. All those stories about strange creatures on the train. I’m not exactly sure what I told the doctor or the police, but I think the heat and not being used to this high altitude affected me. I’m sure they got an earful of hallucinating gibberish.”

I hope I was vague enough not to excite his interest further on exactly what I did say.

“I can understand that,” Gertrude pipes up. “It was a really strange journey—that old prospector going missing and all that. Then there’re all the walking horrors on the streets as the town gets ready for the Day of the Dead. It’s completely understandable. I think we should get together tomorrow, Nellie.” She turns to her uncle and gives him a loving smile. “You’ll give us a list of nice things to see, won’t you, Uncle?”

“Oh course, my dear.” He smile and nods, but there is something in the way he stares at me with half-closed eyes that makes me nervous.

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