Diana Killian - Murder On The Eightfold Path

Ignoring that inward sinking feeling, A.J. smiled. “Come in,” she invited. “How are things going?”

“Smoothly. Never better, as a matter of fact,” Lily said with her usual tact. Belatedly, she asked, “How’s your back?”

“It’s getting there.”

Lily’s dark eyes appraised A.J. shrewdly. “I’m a little surprised to see you here, frankly. Are you sure this is a wise decision?”

“I won’t be able to teach my courses, obviously, but there’s no reason for me not to catch up on the administrative side of things.”

Lily nodded, a little frown between her black eyebrows.

“Is there a problem?” A.J. asked, knowing it was a tactical mistake even as the words left her lips.

Lily drummed her fingers on the arm of her chair. “Since you’ve brought it up, yes,” she said at last. “Don’t you think it’s a little absurd for someone with a bad back to be running a yoga studio? You’re not exactly a great advertisement for us.”

A.J. stared at the other woman in disbelief. “‘Absurd’?”

Lily inclined her head.

“First of all, my back is much better these days, thanks to yoga, which should be some of the best advertisement around. Secondly, there’s a lot more to the Sacred Balance philosophy than physical fitness.”

“But that’s my point,” Lily said in the patient tone of one instructing a not-too-bright student. “Diantha left an entire business empire. I don’t see why you feel it’s necessary for you to focus the majority of your attention on the studio when there are so many other divisions that could keep you entertained.”

“Keep me entertained?”

Lily had the grace to look chagrined. “Maybe I didn’t put that as diplomatically as I could, but we both know that the reality is-thanks to your inheritance-unlike the rest of us, you no longer have to work. So doesn’t it make more sense for you to concentrate on some aspect of Diantha’s empire that you’re better suited for? Your background is marketing. Wouldn’t it be better for all concerned if you used those skills to develop and market our sportswear and other merchandise lines-or the plans for organic foods? Those things have all been completely neglected since Di’s passing.”

“It was Aunt Di’s wish that we co-manage. That we work together in the studio.”

Lily was shaking her head, repudiating this. “I loved Di, but there’s no question she was eccentric. And leaving you Sacred Balance had to be one of the most eccentric decisions of her life. In fact I firmly believe that if Di had lived-”

“If I were you, I’d stop there.”

Lily said coolly, “Why? We both know you can’t fire me. We’re stuck with each other. Until one of us quits.”

“I’ve offered to buy out your interest in the studio.”

“I’m not going to sell out. This studio is my life.”

“Then I’m not sure what it is you want.”

The intercom buzzed and Emma said, “A.J., your momma’s on line one.”

“Thanks, Emma.” A.J. continued to wait for Lily to state the true purpose of her visit, but Lily said nothing, simply staring at her in silent challenge.

The call rang through. After the second ring, A.J. said, “I have to take this.”

Still weirdly, defiantly mute, Lily rose and left the office. She closed the door with a little bang.

A.J. realized her hands were shaking. Lily got under her skin like no one else on the planet, and A.J. wasn’t even sure exactly why. She gave herself a moment and then picked up the phone.

Before she could speak, Elysia said, “Maddie has invited us to stay the weekend.”

Her thoughts still on the argument with Lily, it took A.J. a few moments to register what her mother was saying. “Medea Sutherland has-Mother, what did you tell her?”

“Nothing any reasonable person could possibly object to,” Elysia protested. “I merely said she’d been on my mind lately, which is perfectly true. She popped out with the invitation with nary a nudge from me. I think she’s lonely.”

Be careful what you wish for, Maddie, thought A.J.

“What did she say about Dicky?”

“Nothing. I didn’t ask, and she didn’t volunteer any information.”

“But that’s strange. Is it possible the police don’t know about her?”

“I don’t know.”

A.J. gnawed uneasily on her lip. “Have you heard from Mr. Meagher?”

“No. I was thinking we could drive down tomorrow-Friday afternoon.”

A.J. was shaking her head, rejecting this idea instantly. “I can’t just take off for the weekend.”

“I don’t see why not. You can’t be much use at the studio right now.”

A.J. controlled her instinctive response. “Thank you, Mother. I don’t just conduct classes, you know.”

“But your minions are so well-trained, pumpkin. And it’s nice for them to be out from under your iron fist once in a while.”

“My what?”

Elysia chuckled.

Who wouldn’t be looking forward to a weekend of this? And under the roof of a potential murderess, to boot. “Mother, I don’t think you’ve thought this through. I know she’s an old friend, but what if Medea did kill Dicky?”

Clearly amused, Elysia returned, “You don’t remember Maddie very well, do you?”

“I don’t remember her at all. I’ve seen her movies, though.”

“Then you’ll have to take my word for it. Maddie is no more a murderess than I am. But keeping me safe gives you an added incentive to come on this little jaunt, yes?”

As dearly as A.J. longed to say no, Elysia had a point, and unfortunately it seemed only too apparent that A.J. was not necessary to the smooth operation of Sacred Balance.

“What time tomorrow?” she grumbled.

“Let’s say eleven. I’ll treat you to lunch and we can discuss our strategy.” Elysia was ever gracious in victory.

A.J. agreed morosely, hung up, and went to find Lily. She found that the other woman had left the studio for an early break, and thwarted once again, A.J. returned to her own office.

There had to be more she could do even if she was sitting on the sidelines. A.J. opened her laptop again and went into her mail program hunting for the e-mails her mother had sent while on vacation in Egypt. She found them without too much difficulty and read over them, curiously inspecting the attached photos with new attention.

Even now they did not seem particularly revealing. The main point of interest from A.J.’s perspective was that Elysia never mentioned Dicky, although he appeared in picture after picture.

Perfectly symmetrical bone structure, a wide, white grin, shining black eyes. No question Dakarai Massri had been a very handsome young man; A.J. had to give him that much.

She tried to cast her memory back to Elysia’s first mention of Dicky. She thought it had been shortly after her mother’s return from Egypt, but that had been a difficult and stressful time-right after Nicole Manning had been killed. A.J.’s memories were fuzzy; she’d had a lot on her mind. She recalled she had commented on the attractive young man who appeared in so many of Elysia’s photos and Elysia had been vague-deliberately so, A.J. realized now. One thing she did remember was that Elysia had mentioned Dicky working for the Supreme Council of Antiquities.

Had he left the SCA after his decision to move to the States or had something happened at the SCA to precipitate that decision?

A.J. initiated a web search. She found the SCA without much trouble. It appeared to be a completely legitimate branch of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture originally established in 1859. Located in Cairo, the SCA was responsible for protecting and managing the cultural heritage of Egypt. That meant everything from restoring historical monuments to the recovery of stolen antiquities; she read an article on the SCA’s attempts to have the Rosetta Stone and the bust of Nefertiti returned from the foreign museums currently housing them.