The Lucky Duck Affair by Mel Gilden

Author:Mel Gilden
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Tags: mystery, detective, comedy, humor, private investigator
ISBN: 9781479409242
Publisher: Wildside Press
Published: 2014-03-24T11:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIVE

ZOLTAN EXPLAINS

Polly followed True out of the room, and they marched down the hallway together. “You just can’t ignore a mystery, can you?” she accused.

“I’ve tried and tried,” he said despairingly.

“That’s why I love you,” Polly said. “You keep trying.”

Mr. Kepler emerged from the rabbit warren where the executives had their offices and approached them eagerly. “I heard about what happened at the séance,” he said. “What do you think?”

“I think,” said True, “Zoltan and I have a lot to talk about.”

“May I tag along?” Mr. Kepler asked.

“Of course,” True said.

They visited Neptune’s Hideaway and the main casino, but both were empty. “He must be in his stateroom,” Mr. Kepler said.

True nodded. On a ship that size the possibility that Zoltan was in his stateroom seemed likely but far from certain.

Mr. Kepler led them along corridors for what seemed to be a few city blocks, and at last came to Zoltan’s door. Kepler bowed to True, indicating that he should do the honors. True knocked briskly.

“Who is it?” Zoltan asked through the door. He did not sound as if he really wanted to know.

“Amos True and friends,” True announced. “Mr. Laird introduced us at lunch.”

Zoltan opened the door and looked out at them. He had loosened his tie, and though he looked like his usual chipper self at the museum séance an hour or so before, he now looked haggard—as if he hadn’t slept in weeks. Listlessly he invited them in.

“I suppose you want to talk about the séance,” he said as he settled into a chair at a small desk. On the desk was a bottle and a glass with a splash of brown liquid in it.

“You are psychic, aren’t you?” True said, and Polly slapped him on the arm. They were sitting on the end of Zoltan’s bed.

“I assume you know that what we saw was a person in a costume, not a ghost,” Zoltan said. “What else do you wish to know?” He sounded very tired.

“You may consider it impolite to ask,” True said, “but I want to make sure that the captain’s appearance was not something you two had cooked up between you beforehand.”

“It is impolite,” Zoltan said. “But I am accustomed to such questions. The answer is ‘no.’ I was as surprised as any of you when the captain arrived. And I did not prepare the room in any way except for requesting the round table and the chairs. As you may recall, when Miss Núñez asked if she should turn down the lights, I asked that she not do so.”

True nodded, but it was a slow thoughtful nod.

“Now I have a question for you, Mr. True.”

“I’ll answer it if I can,” True said.

“I understand that you chased after the captain when he hurriedly left the room. Did you learn anything more useful than the fact that I might be a charlatan?”

“The captain headed for the hold of the ship, but I did not find him down there. Of course, there are plenty of places to hide, and there are probably exits I know nothing about.

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