Over My Dead Body (Detective William Warwick #4)(5)

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‘The full English breakfast, madam?’

‘Certainly not, Franco,’ said Beth, looking up at the name badge on his jacket. ‘We’ll both have cornflakes with melon and a slice of brown toast.’

‘We can offer three types of melon, madam: cantaloupe, honeydew or water.’

‘Water, thank you,’ said William.

‘A wise choice,’ said Beth. ‘I read somewhere that the average person puts on a pound a day during a sea voyage.’

‘Then let’s be thankful,’ said William, ‘that we’re going to New York and not Sydney.’

‘I’d be quite happy to go to Sydney on this floating palace,’ admitted Beth as she glanced around the room. ‘Have you noticed the little touches they’ve done so exquisitely? Fresh sheets, tablecloths and napkins every day. And when you return to your cabin, the bed has already been made with yesterday’s clothes hung up and tidied away. I also love the way our laundry is returned each evening in those little wicker baskets. They must have dozens of people slaving away to make it all run so smoothly.’

‘Eight hundred and thirty Filipinos are hidden below, madam,’ chuckled their waiter, ‘who serve our one thousand two hundred guests. However, nowadays we have an engine room, so the galley slaves no longer have to row.’

‘And is that the slave master seated at the top of the table in the centre of the room?’ asked Beth.

‘Yes, that’s Captain Buchanan,’ said Franco, ‘who, when he’s not whipping the slaves, is chairman of the Pilgrim Line.’

‘Captain Buchanan?’ queried William.

‘Yes, the chairman served as a naval officer during the Second World War. It may also interest you to know he was a friend of the late Miles Faulkner and his wife Christina, who, incidentally, called to tell us you would be taking their place and asked us to take special care of you.’

‘Did she indeed?’ said William.

‘Is that the chairman’s wife sitting at the other end of the table?’ said Beth.

‘Yes, madam,’ replied Franco. ‘Mr and Mrs Buchanan are almost always the first to arrive for breakfast,’ he commented, before leaving to fulfil their order.

‘He looks every bit as formidable as Miles Faulkner,’ said Beth, taking a closer look at the chairman, ‘although he’s obviously deployed his talents to achieve something far more worthwhile than robbing his fellow man.’

‘Fraser Buchanan was born in Glasgow in 1921,’ said William. ‘He left school at the age of fourteen, and joined the merchant navy as a deckhand. When the war broke out, he transferred to the Royal Navy as a rating, but ended up as a lieutenant on HMS Nelson. Despite being made up to captain in 1945, he resigned his commission a few days after the armistice was signed. He returned to Scotland and bought a small passenger and car ferry company that operated from the mainland to the island of Iona. He now owns a fleet of twenty-six vessels, and the Pilgrim Line is second only to Cunard in size and reputation.’

‘Information no doubt picked up from young James while I was at my yoga class?’ suggested Beth.

‘No, you can read the history of the company in the Ship’s Log, which I found on my bedside table,’ said William, as Franco placed two bowls of cornflakes and a slice of watermelon in front of them.

‘Who’s that who’s just sat down next to Mrs Buchanan?’ whispered William.

‘Forgive my husband, Franco,’ said Beth, ‘he’s a detective and for him life is one endless investigation.’

‘That’s Hamish Buchanan,’ said Franco, ‘the chairman’s eldest son. Until recently he was the deputy chairman of the company.’

‘Until recently?’ prompted William. ‘But he can’t be a day over forty.’

‘Behave yourself,’ said Beth.

‘If the press are to be believed,’ confided Franco, ‘he was replaced at the last annual general meeting by his brother Angus, who’s just walked in with his wife Alice and their son …’

‘James,’ said William.

‘Ah!’ said Franco. ‘You’ve already come across the boy wonder.’

‘And the lady who’s just sat down on Mr Buchanan’s left? I notice she didn’t even bother to say good morning to the chairman.’

‘That’s Mr Hamish’s wife, Sara.’

‘Why would she agree to come on this trip if her husband has just been sacked?’ asked Beth.

‘Replaced by his brother Angus, is the official line,’ said Franco, as he poured her a steaming cup of black coffee. ‘And as Mr Hamish is still a director of the company, he’ll be expected to attend the board meeting that is always held on the last day of the voyage.’

‘You seem remarkably well-informed, Franco,’ said William.

Franco made no comment before moving on to the next table.

‘What‘What a fun trip this is turning out to be,’ said Beth, stifling a yawn while still looking across at the chairman’s table. ‘I wonder who the woman is who’s just joined them.’

‘You’re worse than I am,’ said William, as he watched James and Hamish stand as an older woman took her place at the table. ‘She looks about the same age as the chairman and, as they both have red hair, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s his sister.’ William continued to study the seating plan, noting that every place had been carefully allocated by the chairman to make sure he was always in control.