Death at the Voyager Hotel by Kwei Quartey Page B

maybe even
manipulative and cruel. It sounds like an awful thing for me to say, but it is
what it is. Her relationship with Heather was…rocky. They weren’t close. I
think that’s why Heather preferred to avoid the subject altogether.” He stirred
his Sprite with the straw. “I was hoping one day they would reconcile. Now they
will never get that chance.”
    A tear rolled
down his face and plopped straight into his drink. Paula felt her heart breaking
for him, and she made a new vow that, whatever it took, she would find out what
had really happened to Mr. Peterson’s beloved daughter.



CHAPTER TEN
    Paula stopped over at her sister Ama’s place and sat with
her and a couple girlfriends in the shade of the backyard, where the twins were
playing with their cousins. She stayed another hour catching up on gossip
around town, but then it was time to go home.
    “Stephan!” she
called out. “Stephanie! We have to leave now.”
    Stephanie came
running over to Paula, but Stephan stayed on the swing, soaring higher and
higher as his cousin pushed him.
    “The boy has no
fear,” Paula muttered as she went over to abort his approaching liftoff into outer
space. She slowed the swing down and brought it to a stop.
    “Aw!” Stephan
exclaimed in disappointment. “I wanted to go higher.”
    “I know. Come
on, sweetie,” she said firmly. “Time to leave. Say goodbye to everyone properly
and thank Aunt Ama and your cousins for a nice time.”

    Thelo was back when they arrived. He supervised Stephan and
Stephanie in getting cleaned up while Paula cooked. After dinner, they all had
ice cream and watched a TV show that Stephan had picked out. At bedtime, Paula
read them a story that Stephanie chose, since her brother had had his choice
with the television portion of the evening. She tucked them in with a goodnight
kiss and joined Thelo back in the sitting room.
    “So, did Mr.
Peterson arrive?” he asked her.
    “Yes, last
night. He’s in deep shock. I met him today at Holiday Inn. He began to weep right
there, in the lounge, and I felt so sorry for him.”
    Thelo nodded
contemplatively. “It’s unimaginable—losing a son or a daughter.”
    They exchanged
looks, thinking of the unbearable anguish each would feel if either of their
children died.
    “But for him, I
don’t think it’s just the loss,” Paula said. “It’s the notion that she was
intoxicated before she died. The implied message of the autopsy is, ‘Heather,
if you hadn’t been so drunk, you would not have drowned,’ almost as if she was
to blame for her death. And then, she was nude. People think that’s shameful,
and it’s tainting her reputation. Mr. Peterson loathes it, and so do I.”
    “I realize
that. “He scrutinized her. “So, what have you been up to?”
    “What do you
mean?” she asked evasively.
    “Edward called
me today. Said you went to see him yesterday evening?”
    “Oh, yes,” she
said, her face getting warm. “I was going to tell you all about it.”
    “When were you
planning to do that?”
    “To be
truthful, I wasn’t sure, because I didn’t know how you would react to my going
to see him about Heather’s death.”
    “Right, because
you had promised—”
    “I know I said
I would wait and see what Dr. Biney could do about the case next week,” she
broke in quickly, “but Edward is a friend. What harm was done in stopping by to
say hello? We haven’t seen him for quite some time, anyway.”
    “But you didn’t
tell me you were going to visit him,” Thelo said. His accusation hung in the
air.
    “Because I
hadn’t planned on it. It was one of those spur of the moment things.”
    “But you should
have told me about the visit last night—regardless of what you thought my
reaction would be.” He frowned at her. “What’s going on with you? We share
everything with each other. Why all this secrecy?”
    “I’m sorry,
Thelo. I don’t know what else to say.”
    “So?” he asked.
“What did Edward tell