Murder on the Eightfold Path Read Online Free PDF

after he moved here, well, Dicky liked to play the ponies.”
    “And you paid him ten thousand dollars when he hinted he had these expenses?”
    Elysia raised an elegant bony shoulder. “Not in one go. I’m liberated enough to pick up the chit a few times.”
    “Then what happened?”
    “You know this part of the story, pumpkin. I learned that Nicole Manning had been murdered, and I left the ship in Edfu, hired a car for the return trip to Luxor, and flew back home.”
    Nicole Manning had been a local television celebrity. Her violent death had resulted in A.J. being unwillingly dragged into another homicide investigation by Elysia, who had developed an alarming taste for amateur sleuthing.
    “That’s the only reason you left the ship?”
    Elysia nodded, but it struck A.J. as unconvincing. Perhaps Elysia had not found extortion all that amusing to begin with. Her mother had an ego like anyone else.
    “But Dicky contacted you?”
    “He turned up one afternoon at the house and said he’d moved to the States to further his career.”
    “Which career? Blackmailing?”
    Elysia tittered—inappropriately, in A.J.’s opinion.
    “Did he try to blackmail you then?”
    “He didn’t phrase it quite so crudely.” Elysia smiled reminiscently. “We began seeing each other again.”
    “But you never said a word about him!”
    “He wasn’t the sort of person you bring home to meet your children.”
    “Do you have other children I’m not aware of?”
    Elysia seemed amused, which did not do much for A.J.’s mounting exasperation.
    “So how long did that go on for?”
    “Oh, it was still going on.” Elysia seemed mildly surprised at A.J.’s assumption. “We’d been seeing each other for about seven months. I knew I’d have to break it off soon, though, as he kept pushing for me to marry him.”
    A.J. shuddered. “I can’t believe you were living this double life.”
    “It sounds much more interesting than it was.”
    “Is it possible he could have been killed by his bookie? Maybe he . . . what do you call it? Welshed on his debt?”
    Elysia looked thoughtful. “He took his gambling debts very seriously, true enough. I wonder . . .”
    “Or maybe his death had something to do with his job? His other job. Perhaps he was involved in faking or smuggling antiquities? It’s big business, I know.”
    Elysia looked thoughtful. “It’s interesting you should mention that. Dear Dicky did hint once or twice that he knew something, shall we say . . . unsavory? And wanted to clear the slate. Prove himself worthy before our marriage.”
    “Mother, did you tell him you were going to marry him?”
    Elysia said evasively, “I didn’t say I wouldn’t .”
    A.J. put her hand over her eyes.
    “I was working up to it,” Elysia said defensively. “But he was pinning so much on it, poor ducks. I hated to dash his hopes when he was just getting his life on track again.”
    When she could speak calmly, A.J. said, “Did he give you any hint as to what this unsavory thing was that he wanted to clear off his slate? Are you sure it had to do with antiquities?”
    Elysia said apologetically, “You know, I didn’t always listen as carefully to the dear boy as I suppose I should have.”
    “You don’t say!”
    Elysia rose and went to the window. She stared out for a few moments and then stiffened. She bit her lip, her attention still glued to whatever she was looking at.
    “What is it?” A.J. asked uneasily.
    “You won’t like it.”
    “I’m getting used to that.”
    “I know you’re in pain, Anna, but please don’t take that tone with me.”
    A.J. gritted her teeth. “Who is out there, Mother?”
    “Now don’t overreact, pumpkin. The police have arrived.”

Four

    A.J. had managed to hobble down the hall when Elysia opened the front door. She could see two uniformed officers—looking very uncomfortable—and, behind them, Jake.
    Elysia greeted them coolly. “Ah, Inspector. Did you bring your leg