Margaritas & Murder by Jessica Fletcher Page A

take my seat,” Vaughan said. He held his chair for me. “I have to get something upstairs.”
    As he walked swiftly from the room, I reached over and squeezed Olga’s hand. “He’ll be fine,” I said.
    “Oh, Jessica, this is such a mistake. I’m just furious with him. A grown man going off on a lark, in a country he knows nothing about, where Americans are ripe pickings for criminals.”
    “Sometimes you have to let people make their own mistakes and learn from them. Vaughan is not a reckless man. He wouldn’t intentionally put himself in danger.”
    Maria Elena slid plates of the eggs in front of us. “My brother, he has a gun, Señora Buckley. If you like, I can call him to come. He can ride with them for protection.”
    “ Muchas gracias, Maria Elena, but I’m afraid that if I even so much as suggested such a thing, my husband would take my head off. I appreciate the offer, though.” She shook her head. “If I had a gun myself,” she muttered, “he’d never even get out of the house.”
    “How long is the ride to Laredo?” I asked.
    She sighed and rolled her shoulders, trying to release the tension. “About thirteen or fourteen hours if you don’t stop,” she replied. “They’ll probably be gone for at least three days, maybe more. Vaughan says they’ve booked a hotel in Monterrey for tonight, so they can get to the International Bridge first thing in the morning.”
    “Will they stay overnight in Laredo, too?”
    “That depends. I heard Woody say something about having to register his car in the States again. Since they don’t know how long that will take, it’s possible they’ll be stuck there longer.”
    “Things will go smoothly for them, I’m sure,” I said, “and they’ll be back here before you know it.”
    “This was supposed to be our vacation,” she said. “Some vacation, with Vaughan away and me chewing my nails worrying about him. Am I crazy to feel this way? Tell me.”
    “I don’t say you shouldn’t worry about him, mind you. But if you and I plan something special for while he’s away, we can make the time go quickly.”
    “I know I’m being selfish, Jessica. Vaughan was really looking forward to this trip and I’ve ruined it for him. But I can’t help it. I have a horrible feeling something will go wrong.”
    “Have you ever had ESP before?”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Extrasensory perception.”
    “I know what the initials stand for,” she said, her brow furrowing, then clearing as understanding dawned. “Oh, you mean have I ever worried about something and seen it come true?”
    “Have you?”
    She gave me a wry smile. “I can’t say that I have.”
    “Well, that’s a relief.”
    She laughed.
    “I’m being silly, aren’t I?”
    “I wouldn’t say that.”
    “Now I feel worse. I’ve made both of us miserable.”
    “Why don’t you go wish Vaughan a safe trip? He’ll feel better knowing that you’ll be all right in his absence.”
    “I think I’ll do that,” she said, pushing back from the table. “Thank you, Jessica. You’re very understanding. I’m sorry you have to put up with such a crybaby.”
    “Nonsense,” I said, waving her away. “May I look at your newspaper?”
    “Of course. We’ll be right back.”
    “Take your time.”
    Maria Elena smiled at me as she cleared away Olga’s untouched breakfast and put the plate in the oven to keep warm.
    I had just turned to the editorial page when Woody came through the kitchen.
    “Good morning,” he said in a voice loud enough to chase the birds out of the tree. “Wonderful day for a road trip.” He breathed in deeply and pounded his chest with a fist. “I love this weather. Perfect for driving. Of course, once we get out of the mountains, it’ll heat up. But that’s why it’s good to get an early start. Nice chill in the air this morning.”
    “Good morning, Woody,” I said. “Will you join me? Vaughan and Olga will be down soon.”
    “Don’t mind if I do,” he said,