“What you might not have heard,” Rob continued, “is that the hemorrhage may have been induced by the introduction of a foreign substance into her system.”
Shock. Gasps. Whispers.
“What kind of foreign substance?” asked Dick Teig.
“The police are withholding that information until they’re further along in their investigation.”
“Did shee order the entrée that the kisshen tried to palm off as fish the other night?” Irv called out. “The menu didn’t shay fish. It said poizon.”
“A misprint,” said Rob. “The kitchen does not serve poison.”
“Tell that to the blonde,” Irv taunted.
“I ordered the poison the other night and it didn’t cause my brain to hemorrhage,” said Tilly.
“I’ve got three words for you, shweetheart,” slurred Irv.
“Let me guess,” challenged Tilly in her professor’s voice. “You. Don’t. Care.”
“Shtay away from cliffs.”
“That’s four words,” said Nana.
Irv swayed slightly forward in his chair. “Closhe enough.”
Rob motioned for silence. “Because of the unusual nature of Ms. Cake’s death, the French police have contacted the authorities in her hometown of Abilene, Texas, so a parallel investigation is being conducted there.”
I raised my hand. “Can you tell us if the police have ruled out accidental overdose?”
“Good question, and it’s one I can answer. They’ve determined that Ms. Cake was in no way responsible for her own death. There’s no evidence indicating that the substance that caused her hemorrhage was ever in her possession.”
“What kind of substance was it?” Dick Teig asked again.
Rob lifted his palms in a helpless gesture. “I told you. I don’t know. The police aren’t saying at the moment.”
Bobbi Benedict waved her Western hat in the air, drawing the attention of every eye in the room. “When you say ‘foreign’ substance, hon, what’re you sayin’ exactly? Do you mean that whatever killed Krystal came from someplace like China? Or are you sayin’ that since she was in a country that was foreign to her, the substance that killed her was local?”
An awkward silence descended on the room.
“I don’t understand the question,” Margi piped up.
“She thinks Krystal was whacked by someone from China,” said Bernice.
“Is it any wonder?” mused George. “Everything is made in China now.”
Grace nodded. “I bet if stuff was still being manufactured in the USA, we’d be the first ones fingered for the crime.”
“Could someone repeat the question?” asked Dick Stolee.
“It wasn’t actually a question,” said Alice. “The young lady was simply saying that the woman who died didn’t know what country she was in.”
Oh, God.
“There’s no excuse for any guest to be that uninformed,” declared Lucille. “Not with the amount of literature the cruise company sent us.”
“Let me back up for a moment,” said Rob as he attempted to regain control of the conversation. He directed his comment at Bobbi. “Simply stated, Krystal either ate or drank something that was toxic to her health.”