Infinite Loop

Chapter 7 - Time for a Drink

Warren pushed away from the desk in disgust at how little he knew. He realized he would need to talk to the countess, the newlyweds, and, of course, Krupin. It would have to be in public, and Warren would have to play it smart. Otherwise, he could walk into his own death trap.

Warren stood, his mind suddenly intrigued by an idea, and he searched his wardrobe. Maybe this Baker character carried a gun. Perhaps the screenwriter screwed up, which could even the odds.

He pulled out the dresser drawers after going through the wardrobe. He only found a penknife in a leather kit that contained his toothbrush and a bottle of powdered toothpaste. Just as he was about to give up, he had an inspiration. He lifted the mattress on the bed where Baker found an empty holster. It had his initials, WB, embossed on the beautiful leather. Immediately, he felt the sweat running down his back as he thought of Harry. Then he wondered if Mary came back to get the gun after she left his cabin.

"Hell, it could have been anyone," he grumbled aloud.

Warren noticed the knot in his stomach tighten as he thought of the implications of the missing weapon.

The bastard set me up!

The dead writer of his script had either given away the murder weapon to the murderer or left him defenseless against the bad guys. Either way, the odds of protecting his life just dropped.

Damn it!

Nervous at the implication of his discovery, Warren decided to find the bar to get a drink. Lost in thought, he came out of his cabin and nearly knocked over an old lady passing by his room. Not that he could have missed the overly loud screech emanating from the gray-haired lady after he grabbed her arm to keep the woman from falling to the deck. He quickly tried to apologize, but the wrinkled woman in the long dress would have none of it.

"You buffoon, you nearly ran me over. What type of moron are you?" The woman asked, standing in frozen horror.

Warren nearly burst out laughing. Her dress, designed for a far younger woman, exposed wrinkled cleavage just before she wrapped her arms together. The mink cape over her shoulders looked uncomfortable in the fair weather. He caught the elaborate golden headdress, which appeared out of place with her shingle cut platinum hair. The man glanced over at the woman's young female companion, who held her fist to her mouth in shock. In a split second, the man realized he must have created a major breach of etiquette, as he recognized the panic in her gray eyes.

Warren suddenly bowed.

"I sincerely apologize, madam," he told her grandly. "Had I known such an extraordinary woman was coming near my cabin, I would have made sure the porter notified me ahead of time."

While there was obvious sarcasm in his voice, only the young lady who accompanied the other passenger caught it. Her blue eyes flashed happily, and he saw her round face suppress a smile. The offended countess let her icy demeanor warm somewhat to his over-the-top performance. She haughtily insisted he should use caution when leaving his stateroom.

"Mr. Baker, please try not to lose your manners, even with your unseemly associations on this unfortunate journey," she reminded him.

After her reprimand, she threw up her nose, quickly stepping away. The woman's young companion hesitated, staring at Warren. He winked at her, which sent a slight blush across her cheeks, and she scurried after the older woman.

A worried look crept back to his face as Warren slowly proceeded along the starboard side to the combined lounge and dining room. The stuck-up lady revealed something interesting. She apparently recognized him. The thought left him unsettled. He would need to find out more about the Countess Helene Mara from his book of suspects. Then he remembered the standard troupe from the old movies. Odd characters often held the most important clues.