"What motive?" I asked him quizzically.

  The heat of the sun was beginning to get too much and I'd tied by long brown hair back and put on a straw sun-hat to cool me down.

  "I saw Todd trying to kiss her after he went to fetch firewood. He was like that with women, a downright bully."

  He screwed his hand that had been resting on his knee into a fist at the thought of it.

  "This made you angry, Mr Nickel?" Lewis asked, keeping it professional.

  "Hey, less of the mister, it's Sammy. I'm not an old man."

  "Can you just answer the question, please?" Lewis said.

  "It made me angry, alright. Man. I don't like that kinda thing."

  "Angry enough to kill?" Lewis persisted.

  "Woah, steady on. You know my past, Sheriff Tyler. I may be a thief, but I'm no murderer."

  "Can you take us through what happened, Sammy?" I asked.

  "Sure, I was heading away from camp to get away from that crazy woman, Leslie, when I came upon them."

  "What exactly did you see?"

  "Todd had got his filthy hand on her face and the other was tightly clutching at her arm. He kept on trying to kiss her, but she pulled away and tried to wriggle free."

  "You couldn't have got the wrong end of the stick about what you were seeing? Could he have been threatening her maybe?"

  "No, I know what I saw and I know Todd's reputation."

  "Then what happened?"

  "I made my presence heard, he lessened his grip on her and she ran off."

  "Did you confront and kill him with the statue?"

  "No! I threatened him and told him to leave her alone!"

  "And then?"

  "I didn't touch him. I left him there and he carried on collecting firewood. He was alive when I left him. I swear it."

  "Did you see him again after this?"

  "No."

  "What brought you on this expedition?"

  "It's my scene." Was all he said, shrugging his shoulders.

  "Has Sheriff Mali shown you the statue used as a weapon?" Lewis asked.

  "Yeah, man. It ain't mine. I've never seen it before."

  We left it at that and left him to his sunbathing.

  "I think he has some personal reason for getting his revenge on Todd. He said he knew about his reputation before he came on this trip, yet he still wanted to come. He also didn't go into details about that."

  Lewis was nodding in agreement beside me.

  "He could have come on this trip because he knew Todd would be on it," he said.

  "Exactly. Then there's Leslie. Maybe she'd had enough of being bullied by Todd and that's why they were fighting."

  "It sure gives her a strong motive."

  "There's the woman herself. Shall we go question her?" Lewis said, as we walked passed the deck chair where she was engrossed in a book.

  I shook my head, "leave her to me."

  C h a p t e r8

  I took Leslie a cup of coffee and a piece of the sticky toffee tray bake Lulu had sent, in an attempt to try and sweeten her up a bit.

  "Oh, is this room service!" She cried.

  She put her book down on the sand and replaced it with a mug of steaming coffee in her hands. I left her a piece of traybake on a plate on the empty deck chair beside her and she devoured it greedily.

  "I'll tell you something. That Lulu Pine sure can bake," she said, her mouth still half full.

  "Yep, that's why I'm a regular at her diner."

  "I should go in there more often. I have been watching my figure, I'm not very successful, am I?"

  "You and Todd were married once, weren't you?" I asked casually, wisely ignoring her awkward question.

  "We were. It's not something I'm proud of I'm telling you."

  "It was you who broke it off, not Todd?"

  "That's right, hon. We tired of one another in the end. Todd had a past and that didn't help matters either."

  "A criminal Past?"

  "He'd been in trouble with the police. It started when we were both teenagers when we messed around together. It was theft back then but he was sent down for fraud when we were married. That was another nail in the coffin for our marriage. I'd had enough of lying for him in the end."

  "Did you see Todd after he went to get firewood?"

  "No, that row we had by the fire that night was the last conversation we had together. That was ironic."

  "Did he have any family?"

  "He had an aunt Phyllis. She lives in Sunshine Spells. Haven't seen her in ages."

  "He didn't have any children?"

  She laughed loud enough to burst my ear drums.

  "I think I would have known if he had, hon."

  I turned my head towards the tent where Todd was found. Lewis was standing before it speaking with Mali. They were facing my way and it looked as if they were talking about me. No doubt Mali was getting Lewis to tell him what I'd been saying.

  I turned back to Leslie and asked, "what was Todd's connection with Egypt?"

  "He had a dream of going out there when we were married. It wasn't until after the divorce that it finally took shape. He went on an expedition like this one and he's never looked back since. My comfort is knowing that he died doing something he loved."

  "I see you didn't wish him any ill will?"

  "Not I. I didn't kill him. I couldn't."

  I looked at her closely as she was speaking and I was pretty sure she was telling the truth.

  "How did Jamie get on with him?"

  "She hardly knew him. She was my second husband's child and when her Alan was alive we never saw anything of Todd. She only met him once apart from when we came here."

  Jamie came out of her tent at this precise moment and when she saw me talking to her mom she came running over, her hair dishevelled as she had been having a lie down.

  "What is she asking you?" She addressed this question to Leslie. "You think she did it, don't you? And I thought we were friends!" She cried, turning to me before Leslie could reply.

  I put up my hands in defense, "I was just asking her a few questions about Todd. I'm not accusing anyone."

  "She's right, hon," Leslie said softly.

  "Too right you're not! You have no right! Tell her mom!" Jamie cried, getting into a state.

  "Jamie, look at me. You've had a terrible shock. Now sit yourself down by me and we can talk rationally about this.

  Jamie sighed and then sat down on the empty deck chair, running a hand through her short hair.

  "You can start by apologising to Bryony," Leslie scolded.

  Jamie looked penitent, "I'm sorry, Bryony. I didn't mean what I said."

  "It's fine. I know it's been a difficult day. I am only trying to help."

  "I know."

  "I wonder, Leslie, if you'd mind leaving us alone for a moment?" I asked.

  "Oh, of course, hon. I'll let you two straighten things out."

  "What is this all about, Bryony?" Jamie asked, as we watched Leslie walking away.

  "I don't believe your mom killed Todd. I think she cared about him a great deal. More than he deserved. Wouldn't you agree?"

  Jamie turned to me with a knowing look upon her face.

  "How do you know?" She asked.

  "What Todd tried to do?"

  She nodded, "was it Sammy who told you?"

  "It was Sammy, yes. Not that it makes any difference who it was."

  "You think I killed Todd out of some kind of revenge?"

  "The thought has crossed my mind."

  "Do you really think I'd kill for such a petty reason?"

  "You tell me?"

  "We won't be friends after this, Bryony Womack, do you realise that?"

  "You'll get over it."

  "We'll see about that. I suppose Sammy told you he saw me running away from Todd?"

  "He did tell me that."

  "Then you know I didn't touch him. I have a witness to prove it. I was shaken and upset but it soon passed. I went to Eddy. He is a good listener."

  "Are you serious about him?"

  "I think so. We'll see how it goes. He has told me you used to carry a torch for him. Do you envy me?" She asked playfully.

  I laughed, "I would hardly call it carrying a torch. We went on a couple of dates. It wasn't going anywhere. The same old story for me."

  "Hm. Sounds like a common problem."

  I smiled at her grown up manner. Somehow I didn't think she was a murderer.

  C h a p t e r9

  I couldn't sleep in my tent that night for thinking of the case.

  It was the trickiest one for me so far and I didn't even get paid for it as Mali did, even though I was far better at it than he was!

  It didn't help my sleeping habits much knowing there was a murderer amongst us and being shut off from the rest of the world in the middle of the desert.

  There were two Sheriff's and a deputy here but one of those had his head in the clouds being in love with Jamie, and the other two were not pulling their weight much to solve this thing!

  I sat up in my sleeping bag, pulling a blanket around my shoulders and switched on my camping lamp. Reaching for the notepad I always kept by my bed just in case, I began taking down some notes.

  I didn't believe this crime was planned as I had earlier. I was also convinced this wasn't connected to Todd's past but his present. It was a spur of the moment crime.

  He must have got into an argument with someone the night he was killed. The position of the body and the weapon suggested as much.

  The statue must have belonged to Todd and there must have been a reason for him to have had it with him when he died. Then whoever killed him used the first thing they could find, which just so happened to be the statue.

  His body was then moved and placed inside Todd's tent as it was found and the statue buried in the sand outside his tent, with hopes it would never be found. It most definitely hadn't been thought through very well.

  There was something still niggling me about the Egyptian connection but I still wasn't sure what it was.

  So who would be arguing with him and why?

  Sammy Nickel? He said he'd left him alive, yet, no one could vouch for him there.

  Could Jamie have gone back later and confronted him? What about Leslie? She sure didn't wish him any ill will, yet could she have hit him accidentally?

  Why had Bret been watching Todd? Did he come on this trip because he had a bone to pick with him, though he didn't intend to kill him? Did things get out of hand?

  None of them were sitting around the fire the whole time Todd was collecting firewood and the whole camp retired early. We had only been told from the others where they all were and it was clear someone was lying about that. As far as I knew Todd was still out there alone when everyone else was in their tents.

  But someone got up again and went to confront Todd. Which one of the four had it been?

  I needed to get a look in that tent! There had to be another clue!

  ∞∞∞

  After breakfast the next morning I found Lewis guarding the crime scene alone.

  "Hey, Lewis. I need to ask you a big favour," I said to him.

  "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" He said, folding his muscly arms.

  "Because you're a Sheriff and you're paid to have a bad feeling about everything."

  "Just tell me what you want, Bryony."

  "Okay, will you keep a lookout for Sheriff Mali while I look inside? There has to be something we are missing here. Another clue."

  "Are you determined for me to lose my job?"

  "Technically he can't fire you because you're not on his payroll."

  "No, but he can report me to head office and they'd fire me for negligence. I've worked so hard to be a Sheriff and I would be holding you personally responsible."

  "Please, or this murderer wil never be caught. Do you want to stay here forever?"

  He hesitated, "you're very persuasive, Bryony Womack."

  "So I understand."

  "Go on then, but you'd better make it quick."

  "Thanks, you're a star," I said, kissing the side of his face.

  He was shaking his head after me as I ducked inside.

  Everything had been left as it was the last time Todd was inside except his sleeping bag had been removed along with the body.

  I started by examining the ground where the body had been as it was still outlined with chalk. Finding nothing here, I then moved onto the folded table where his camping lamp was.

  I had already been told that forensics had found only Todd's fingerprints and sand from his shoes in here, so whoever it was probably hadn't even stepped foot inside the tent but just threw the body inside.

  It must have been someone strong to do this though not necessarily a man. Leslie was a pretty strong woman so she could have done it. It definitely ruled out Jamie, however, unless she had some help. Eddy? Surely not! It was surprising what people will do for love.

  Shaking this thought aside I turned my attention to digging around in the corners of the tent, being careful to cover my hand with my sleeve so I didn't contaminate anything with my fingerprints. There was nothing there!

  I suddenly heard Sheriff Mali's voice outside and Lewis' feeble attempts to dissuade him from entering the tent. I now had some serious explaining to do!

  C h a p t e r10

  As a feeble attempt to save Lewis' job, I came out of the tent and stood before them. Mali glared at me and Lewis just looked at me sheepishly.

  "I might have known this had something to do with you," Mali said.

  "It was my fault not Lewis'. I talked him into it."

  "Oh, I know it was your fault, Bryony. You don't have to persuade me about that. I warned you about her, Lewis. She is so artful there's just no stopping her." He addressed this last bit to Lewis.

  "And you are a stubborn mule of a man! I have never known anyone more stubborn!" I angrily shouted.

  "I have to be, don't I? Where there's people like you. Do you think that anyone can waltz all over a crime scene?"

  "No, but someone has to solve these things when you are so incompetent!"

  Lewis was caught in the middle of all this looking from me to Mali awkwardly.

  "Alright then, who was it? If you're so good at solving these cases."

  He folded his arms defiantly as he waited for my answer. He knew I hadn't got a clue!

  "I don't know yet. That's why I was in here, looking for one last clue."

  He grinned smugly, "and did you find it?"

  "No," I said quietly, looking at the ground.

  "I didn't think so. I could actually arrest you for the murder of Todd Baker, or at the very least for tampering with the evidence."

  "Don't be so ridiculous, Sheriff."

  "Al, that's a bit harsh," Lewis put in.

  "Of course it is. That's the idea."

  "Arrest me then," I said, holding out my hands.

  "There's no point. We're stuck here anyway. But I'm warning you, Bryony. You pull a trick like that again and you'll give me no choice."

  "I'm really scared," I said sarcastically, before I strode away from him.

  As I got closer to the camp I spotted Bret standing apart from the crowd and I went over to him.

  "Is everything okay, Bret?" I asked.

  "Fine. I just needed a bit of peace and quiet. It's a nightmare being stuck out here in this sparce landscape with a woman like Leslie Anderson."

  "I know what you mean."

  "Do you think she could have killed Todd?" He asked me unexpectedly.

  "I think it's possible but I don't really believe she did it."

  "Well, somebody did and we're stuck out here in the middle of nowhere with them."

  He was kicking up the sand with his feet and this had given me an idea. Maybe there was a missing clue in the spot where Todd was killed? It was true the desert was vast but if I found where the firewood was, I was sure I could find the spot.

  "I'll sure be glad to get home," I said.

  "Do you know if any significant progress has been made yet?"

  "Some, but knowing Sheriff Mali it could be a while."

  "He sure does does do everything by the book that guy," he replied laughing.

  That had been the second surprising statement I'd heard about the Sheriff on this trip. How come a stranger could know this and not me?

  "Did you notice anyone taking particular notice of Todd?" I asked, thinking he was the best one to ask about this as he'd been watching him for a while before his death.

  "I noticed nothing unusual."

  He sounded so sure of this and for the second time while talking to him I had the feeling that something was missing. But what was it?

  "He was an old grouch, so I'm sure nobody misses him."

  "What would you know about that?" He cried, the tone of his voice changing to anger and instinctively I felt I'd seen that look before on Todd Baker's face.

  Bret Wainwright was Todd's son!

  "He was your father, wasn't he?"

  "How do you know that?" He asked, calming down.

  "You're not denying it then?"

  "Why would I deny it?"

  "You came on this trip to find him?"

  "Yeah, he never knew I existed."

  "Did you confront him the night he died?"

  "No! I never got the chance to tell him."

  "Could he have guessed who you really were? Maybe he confronted you?"

  "No! He never cared about me! He never cared about anyone. He guessed nothing."

  "How can you be so sure of that?"

  "I can't. He never said anything to me."

  "I see," I said thoughtfully.

  Finally finding out Bret's possible motive I went off to find firewood.

  C h a p t e r11

  It took a while, but eventually I found what I was looking for. Firewood piled up in one area so that it looked as if Todd had begun to gather some when he was attacked.

  Figuring this had to be the spot, I searched around on the ground using a torch as the light had begun to fade by this time. Using a piece of wood like a stick I dug around in the sand.

 

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