“Are you rejoining us for the remainder of the trip?”
He nodded. “I’m making arrangements to accompany Krystal’s remains back to Texas, so until that happens, I’ll continue sightseeing with you. Besides, I’m feeling much too frisky to remain on my back any longer. I might even surprise Virginia and decide to climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower.”
I flashed a concerned look. “Are you sure that’s wise?”
“Just kidding.” He trailed his fingertips along the carved handle of his cane. “I’m told the ne’er-do-well who tried to poison me has been arrested.”
“Did the police give you details?”
“Enough to satisfy me for a while. What no one has bothered to tell me is why I’m still alive and young Krystal is dead. How is it that the person living in this decrepit body of mine could defy death? Why is she dead, while I live?”
“Actually, I was curious about that myself, so I nosed around the Internet, and I think I found the answer. Do you remember Krystal’s battle with motion sickness? She was so prone to the condition that she took daily supplements to ward it off. Massive doses of ginger. According to the information I found, ginger can amplify the effects of blood thinners to dangerous levels. Fatal levels. So I suspect that’s why she died and you didn’t.”
He shook his head sadly. “Life is so unfair. No one as beautiful as that lovely woman should have to die so young. And for what? For nothing.” He opened his jacket to observe the envelope containing his twenty-five-thousand-dollar bonus check. “Upon copious reflection during my hospital stay, I’ve decided to award my much-anticipated bonus check to no one, but instead make a contribution in Krystal’s name to a worthy cause. What do you think of that idea?”
“I think it’s a wonderful idea.” Although I doubted Bobbi or Dawna would share my opinion.
“Good. I’m glad you agree. You didn’t spend much time in Krystal’s company, but from what little you observed of her, did you get any sense of where she might want a donation of this size to end up?”
“The NRA?”
He frowned. “I don’t think so.” He closed his jacket and patted his lapel. “I’ll give it more thought.”
“Could I ask you something, Victor? I might be way out of line, but I’m really curious.”
He invited my inquiry with a palms up. “Please.”
“Why do you travel with a mortar and pestle?”
“You heard about that, did you?”
I shrugged. “Word gets around.”
He smiled. “They belong to Virginia. She uses them to pulverize her vitamin E softgels, which she applies to her face daily to maintain her flawless complexion. I’ve told her there’s no difference between vitamin E in liquid form and what’s contained in her softgels, but she doesn’t believe me. So wherever we go, so too go her mortar and pestle.”
“She does have a lovely complexion.” I touched my fingers to my cheek. “Maybe I should hop on board with her beauty tip.”
A faraway look crept into his eyes. “Virginia is indeed lovely, but I think no woman will ever match the incomparable beauty of Solange Spenard.”
I regarded him curiously. “You say that as if Solange were an old acquaintance.”
“I never had the pleasure of meeting the lady until a few days ago.”
I frowned. “Then how would you know—”